What have you been doing today?

Mottie · 26 Jul 2020

JohnD said:
if that was true, cars whould be deformed and damaged if one wheel was on a bump in the road while another was in a dip.

Bonded screens make up a significant amount of body stiffness Nowdays.

When I was working in a South Africa VW/Audi dealership in the early eighties, slamming the bonnet on a MK1 Golf could result in the headlamp lens's falling out whilst slamming a door with the heater flaps closed could pop the front screen out. Quite often, if you had the car jacked up, you couldn’t open the door(or close it if it was already open when you jacked it up as the body shell twisted.

conny · 26 Jul 2020

Toria J said:
Morning. Not that I've been to bed yet.
I have a question:
What grout colour is white, but not white please? The nearest to white.
Indistinguishable, unless you apply white grout next to it, which makes the actual-white grout look grey and the not-white grout look vaguely cream ish.
It has to be something that would have been available in a small town five years ago.

How about a shade of Ivory, if you can get it. Usually if I am replacing cracked/broken grout I just gently scrape away the surface a little then go over the whole lot with new grout.

Toria J · 26 Jul 2020

securespark said:
This is very cryptic. Can you explain?

I've been digging out cracked grout, blithely assuming it was white, and that the white I had bought would match-ish. (I knew it wouldn't be perfect as it's a different brand/age.)
I started to fill the gaps, to find the old grout looks almost cream coloured next to the white. It's not discolouration as I examined a chunk of the old stuff, and it's the same colour all the way through.

Difficult to photograph how different it is though.

Toria J · 26 Jul 2020

conny said:
How about a shade of Ivory, if you can get it. Usually if I am replacing cracked/broken grout I just gently scrape away the surface a little then go over the whole lot with new grout.

Yeah, I suspect it's ivory as the local tile shop carries BAL and that's one of their colours in the basic range.

I'm struggling to scrape much away - it has to be a decent quality grout as it's solid as, and taking some of the glaze with it. (I think the cracks are a result of overfilling.)

Also discovered last night that one of the dogs has a gammy ear, so he'll be treated to a trip into town, and the local tile & decorators' shops treated to a whinging Cavachon tied up outside...

securespark · 26 Jul 2020

I guess you have tried scrubbing some old grout with an old toothbrush dipped in neat bleach and left overnight, just to completely eliminate the possibility of yellowing?

I have found ivory and cream grouts on B&Q's site but I don't know how you can compare the colour.

fillyboy · 26 Jul 2020

securespark said:
I guess you have tried scrubbing some old grout with an old toothbrush dipped in neat bleach and left overnight, just to completely eliminate the possibility of yellowing?

I have found ivory and cream grouts on B&Q's site but I don't know how you can compare the colour.

Limestone is a popular colour too, that will be off white but not as 'yellow' as cream.
Why don't you take a close up photo and visit a tile shop, they normally have grout sample sticks on the counter, they might even let you take them home.

Toria J · 26 Jul 2020

securespark said:
I guess you have tried scrubbing some old grout with an old toothbrush dipped in neat bleach and left overnight, just to completely eliminate the possibility of yellowing?

I have found ivory and cream grouts on B&Q's site but I don't know how you can compare the colour.

I blasted it with that Cif stay-out-of-the-room stuff before I started. It's the same colour throughout the chunks I've examined, from different locations, so I'm thinking it must be a different colour, ivory looking most likely.

(My DIY is always a nightmare like this: something that should be simple, that I buy all the gear for, needs more, different stuff.

Added to the stain block not covering a stain & the dog's gammy ear, I'm having a 'mare.)

ReganAndCarter · 26 Jul 2020

Mottie said:
When I was working in a South Africa VW/Audi dealership in the early eighties, slamming the bonnet on a MK1 Golf

Citi Golf? Those Mk1s went on for years in SA long after production stopped in Europe. They were everywhere.

ReganAndCarter · 26 Jul 2020

Toria J said:
Was really surprised to find out a while ago that new cars don't come with spare tyres nowadays. Who decided that?

Yes, rubbish idea. Luckily all the vehicles I've owned have had a proper spare. If they came with a can of sealant gunk I would bin it and at least get a space-saver.

It's done these days to keep weight down on cars so they can get the MPG as high as possible. Obviously saves manufacturers lots of money not having to put a spare wheel and tyre in every new car and they can claim more luggage space that would have been taken up with wheel.

Also, wouldn't recommend using the tyre sealant. If you use sealant on a puncture, then the puncture can't be repaired by a tyre shop afterwards. Could end up binning a perfectly good £100 tyre that could have been reused with a £10 repair. Best place for tyre sealant is in the bin.

Toria J · 26 Jul 2020

fillyboy said:
Limestone is a popular colour too, that will be off white but not as 'yellow' as cream.
Why don't you take a close up photo and visit a tile shop, they normally have grout sample sticks on the counter, they might even let you take them home.

*sticks fingers in ears* lalala, it's ivory, it's got to be ivory...

In all seriousness, my plan is to take the bits I've cut out and thrust them in the face of the owner: 'DID YOU SELL MY LATE MOTHER THIS GROUT? WHAT COLOUR IS IT? May I buy a bag, please?'

Toria J · 26 Jul 2020

ReganAndCarter said:
Yes, rubbish idea. Luckily all the vehicles I've owned have had a proper spare. If they came with a can of sealant gunk I would bin it and at least get a space-saver.

Sealant wouldn't stand a chance on the flats I've had to change either - you could easily get your fist in each of the holes. (One happened while doing 120-140kph along the Costa del Sol - fortunately a rear. Must have been something in the road as there was a major smash in the same place when I passed on the other carriageway an hour or so later. Seeing that shook me up a bit, I can tell you.

)

Mottie · 26 Jul 2020

Mottie said:
Just come back from the allotment - been picking the veg for the week plus our Sunday roast. I’ll be using my own carrots, spuds and cabbage plus I’ll be using my own cauliflower to make cauliflower cheese. Those, along with my home made horseradish Yorkshire puddings, will compliment my medium rare topside of roast beef.

Apologies. Just had to post a photo of the finished product. Those veggies were living and breathing only this morning before I cruelly ripped them out of their beds. Bloody ‘andsome!

ReganAndCarter · 26 Jul 2020

Toria J said:
Sealant wouldn't stand a chance on the flats I've had to change either - you could easily get your fist in each of the holes. (One happened while doing 120-140kph along the Costa del Sol - fortunately a rear. Must have been something in the road as there was a major smash in the same place when I passed on the other carriageway an hour or so later. Seeing that shook me up a bit, I can tell you.)

Exactly. Any more then a nail sized puncture and you're screwed/stranded.

securespark · 26 Jul 2020

When's the next train to Mottietown?

securespark · 26 Jul 2020

ReganAndCarter said:
Any more then a nail sized puncture and you're screwed

Don't you mean nailed?

What have you been doing today?

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