What do you do?

[Werneroeder]

Senior Project Manager, building solar power plants in the UK. Grew up in Namibia, studied Nature Conservation and driven LC's all my life.

 

[StarCruiser]

Electrician, destined to be so since birth (received first 240v belt at 18 months, apparently).

Branched out about 12 years ago and invented an easier way of fitting armoured electric cables to electrical enclosures. EarthingNuts are the result, patented in 24 countries and licenced to a UK distributor (SWA Ltd) and available in Oz through Cabac.

http://youtu.be/Xi3ZiP-MjSs

Currently spend my time promoting EarthingNuts into other countries (pushing treacle uphill - in another country) and commercial electrical installations and machinery/vacuum furnace repairs.

 

[clivehorridge]

Nice one Rich !

 

[StarCruiser]

Thanks Clive, that was quick!!

 

[clivehorridge]

I had to chuckle at the end of the vid the professional electrician replacing the cover using a flat blade screwdriver on cross-head screws.

Wasn't you I imagine...

 

[StarCruiser]

Funny you should say that Clive, you're the first to spot that. However, in my defence (yes, you guessed it, those hands and legs are mine [emoji4]), many screws nowadays are made to a '+-' pattern and can accommodate either.



It was tricky however, doing all that 'sidesaddle' if you know what I mean, keeping out the way of the camera and seriously stable mount system. After take 6 I think we all decided I wasn't going to hit every '-' of all 4 screws and they had enough to edit.

As you can see, unless these things are totally right, the conversation is about inconsequential items instead of the product so we did try so hard to get it all just right. (Not having a rant here BTW) [emoji4].

It was a great day, I thoroughly enjoyed it with a professional studio, director and cameraman. The video has been (a lot of) money well spent too.

Thanks for watching it.

 

[Pumpy]

genious Rich, wish I'd seen that a couple of yrs ago when I was rewiring the marina! I didn't realise you could strip back the outer sheathing quite so far, I cut mine within a couple of mm of the nut, imagine the fun I had never mind the extra hassle without your simple earthing solution!

 

[StarCruiser]

Thanks Pete, I'm guessing you were using the outdoor 'CW' type glands and not the indoor 'BW' type shown. They need to be cut close otherwise the wires end up outside the outer rubber part of the cable gland. That can be tricky to do.

You'll know what to ask for next time though eh. [emoji4]

 

[Pumpy]

That can be tricky to do.

I still have the scars

You'll know what to ask for next time though eh. [emoji4]

Every days a school day

 

[clivehorridge]

I was only teasing Rich, I thought the video was very well done, a highly professional job IMO.

It just made me smile that's all and nice try, but the extra length slot on the screws is no defence. The screwdriver used was way too small to fit those screws, period .

Anyway, it all beats my usual attempts, when I'd shout to the missus "pass me a knife love" and I'd go ahead thankful of the longer slot, so a dinner knife would turn the screw

Good stuff and yes, a very inventive solution to the fiddly bit of connecting earths. Too many times do I see no earth, just because the fitter couldn't be bothered.

 

[Rodger]

I hadn't seen this thread until today. So here goes!:

I’ve always loved cars but for various reasons ended up training as an accountant. Not that I wanted to be an accountant – I really wanted to be a lion tamer! (Monty Python). I messed about with cars, did a bit of club racing but never had enough money and then was introduced to hot rods in the early 70s. In ’75 we moved back north from London and I became a founder member of Rainy City Cruisers. The club wanted to promote itself, so the chairman and myself formed a company and created the Belle Vue Rod & Custom Shows. In 1976 I first saw a 40 series and wanted one but it would take a while. The shows became a success and by ’81 we were running shows at Belle Vue and the NEC, the latter in conjunction with partners from America, and our company became the first, and to date only, none North American continental member of the International Show Car Association’s Hall of Fame.
In ’83, with the demise of Belle Vue, it all went pear shaped and I started suppling the European shows with centrepiece vehicles – Blade Runner VW, Helicar, etc while we also developed, in conjunction with Ford, a replica GT40 – the GTD40. By ’86 the GTD40 was becoming a success but I needed a change, so I went back into accountancy until…
I was head hunted to become the GM of a small publishing house that had three motorcycle magazines and within four years that had grown to fourteen magazines and it had become a minor plc. But a number of us were unhappy and in ’91 left to form our own magazine – AwoL (Alternative Way of Life). I was the MD and publisher. When we started the news trade gave us a life expectancy of three months and we lasted for seven years. During that period I was the consultant for Birmingham Museums and Art Galleries on their BikeArt exhibition and also founded the National Association of Supertwins (bike drag racing). But all good things come to an end and once you are over 50 magazine houses don’t want you. So I retrained as an HGV driver, mostly European and then for Sainsburys, and we set our sights on retiring to Spain.
We bought our 40 in 2002 and our house in Spain in 2003 and retired here in 2011. Time now is devoted to the house, the 40 and writing. I have one book on Amazon – Scars on Your Soul – and, an award winning one, about the halcyon show days through my website –www:streetrodandcustomshowtime.net
For me the outstanding conversation of this century was with TonyS: we were talking about Tom’s Farm and I suggested that what we needed was someone with a farm in the middle of the country where the club could go and play. His response was ‘I’ve got that.’ And Lincomb became reality. Well done Tony.

 

[StarCruiser]

I was only teasing Rich, I thought the video was very well done, a highly professional job IMO.

It just made me smile that's all and nice try, but the extra length slot on the screws is no defence. The screwdriver used was way too small to fit those screws, period .

Anyway, it all beats my usual attempts, when I'd shout to the missus "pass me a knife love" and I'd go ahead thankful of the longer slot, so a dinner knife would turn the screw

Good stuff and yes, a very inventive solution to the fiddly bit of connecting earths. Too many times do I see no earth, just because the fitter couldn't be bothered.

I know you were teasing Clive. If you saw the attempts at changing screwdrivers and getting the thing to look right, it's hell for us actors you know…[emoji6]

I have seen many cable glands not earthed, and the perpetrators defending why they've not earthed them or the armouring. It's part of the reason I tried to make the job easier. Alas there's different reasons for using or not using the nuts. In countries other than the UK where labour is cheaper, it doesn't make financial sense to use them, so they are unlikely to get used, never mind if they save a life or two, it just doesn't happen.

Still, we're hoping to try and get into the oil and gas sector. So, what happens, the biggest downturn in oil price for as long as I can remember.

Aside from this we have a patent in the UK for any system that uses the EarthingNuts. Where this is used, a company can get their corporation tax down by as much as half by using the EarthingNuts. I am working on finding takers for this at the moment but trying to stand out from the tide of scams, and get to speak to FDs and heads of engineering is almost impossible. Most people just pay you lip service, some are rude, many just ignore you whatever you try. It's tough, and I shouldn't take it to heart but I do.

 

[StarCruiser]

I still have the scars
:

I know exactly what you mean. How many times did you skin your knuckles trying to tighten thin locknuts?

We've got a long way to go. There's far more potential customers don't know about them than do, despite our licensee and us investing probably approaching £100k in advertising and promotion and downsizing to a two bed bungalow in the process.

 

[StarCruiser]

Sounds like you've had a great time Rodge. [emoji4] very interesting indeed.

 

[Pumpy]

I hadn't seen this thread until today. So here goes!:

I’ve always loved cars but for various reasons ended up training as an accountant. Not that I wanted to be an accountant – I really wanted to be a lion tamer! (Monty Python). I messed about with cars, did a bit of club racing but never had enough money and then was introduced to hot rods in the early 70s. In ’75 we moved back north from London and I became a founder member of Rainy City Cruisers. The club wanted to promote itself, so the chairman and myself formed a company and created the Belle Vue Rod & Custom Shows. In 1976 I first saw a 40 series and wanted one but it would take a while. The shows became a success and by ’81 we were running shows at Belle Vue and the NEC, the latter in conjunction with partners from America, and our company became the first, and to date only, none North American continental member of the International Show Car Association’s Hall of Fame.
In ’83, with the demise of Belle Vue, it all went pear shaped and I started suppling the European shows with centrepiece vehicles – Blade Runner VW, Helicar, etc while we also developed, in conjunction with Ford, a replica GT40 – the GTD40. By ’86 the GTD40 was becoming a success but I needed a change, so I went back into accountancy until…
I was head hunted to become the GM of a small publishing house that had three motorcycle magazines and within four years that had grown to fourteen magazines and it had become a minor plc. But a number of us were unhappy and in ’91 left to form our own magazine – AwoL (Alternative Way of Life). I was the MD and publisher. When we started the news trade gave us a life expectancy of three months and we lasted for seven years. During that period I was the consultant for Birmingham Museums and Art Galleries on their BikeArt exhibition and also founded the National Association of Supertwins (bike drag racing). But all good things come to an end and once you are over 50 magazine houses don’t want you. So I retrained as an HGV driver, mostly European and then for Sainsburys, and we set our sights on retiring to Spain.
We bought our 40 in 2002 and our house in Spain in 2003 and retired here in 2011. Time now is devoted to the house, the 40 and writing. I have one book on Amazon – Scars on Your Soul – and, an award winning one, about the halcyon show days through my website –www:streetrodandcustomshowtime.net
For me the outstanding conversation of this century was with TonyS: we were talking about Tom’s Farm and I suggested that what we needed was someone with a farm in the middle of the country where the club could go and play. His response was ‘I’ve got that.’ And Lincomb became reality. Well done Tony.

Brilliant

I went to a couple of your shows at Belle View in the late 70's when I was 12 or 13, I remember it because I wasn't allowed to go because it was too far, I went anyway took 3 busses to get there Just reminicing to myself about it now and I'm imagining my 80 in black with bright flames down the sides... wonder how much it would cost to chrome the ARB bumpers and sliders

I think we had free tickets for putting one of your posters in the window (we lived in a newspaper shop)

 

[clivehorridge]

Good potted history Rodger.

May I say, yours is one of the finest 40's I've ever seen and it's good to see you using it.

Long may you enjoy your lives in sunny Spain!

 

[Shayne]

Brilliant

I went to a couple of your shows at Belle View in the late 70's when I was 12 or 13, I remember it because I wasn't allowed to go because it was too far, I went anyway took 3 busses to get there Just reminicing to myself about it now and I'm imagining my 80 in black with bright flames down the sides... wonder how much it would cost to chrome the ARB bumpers and sliders

I think we had free tickets for putting one of your posters in the window (we lived in a newspaper shop)

I don't know why but that reminds me of my first leather jacket i was probably about 5 and it was 50p in Ashton market , probably the hottest day of the year . My gran eventually explained i would end up in hospital if i didn't cool myself down so i removed my t-shirt put my "Fonzie" jacket back on and suggested icecream might help

 

[clivehorridge]

In countries other than the UK where labour is cheaper, it doesn't make financial sense to use them, so they are unlikely to get used, never mind if they save a life or two, it just doesn't happen.

Tell me about it Rich, here is classic. The Specifications are in place, on paper everything is 100% safe, yet there's no redundancy built in. Not only, only half the electrical jobs you see done, even comply with the spec, let alone being done right.

There was a fuse box in our apartment that I wouldn't even touch. The last time the lights went out, the damn thing caught fire, literally, flames and all. They were old ceramics with screw-in type fittings (light screw in light bulbs), with trip and re-set buttons. The ceramics were filled with a sort of bitumen type insulation, which oozed out when they got hot, and then caught fire Jeez, I ask you

 

[Rodger]

That's right Pumpy, any shop in the northwest that displayed one of our subtle dayglow show posters got free tickets and newspaper shops were a prime target as they carried regular repeat visits.

Over the years we built vehicles for Subaru, Hyundai, Ford, Mack trucks, Magirus Duetz, Foden, Maserati and more but I never thought of an 80 with flames!

 

[StarCruiser]

...They were old ceramics with screw-in type fittings (light screw in light bulbs), with trip and re-set buttons. The ceramics were filled with a sort of bitumen type insulation, which oozed out when they got hot, and then caught fire Jeez, I ask you

Never seen ceramic fuses filled with compound. All sorts of other stuff but not fuses.

You clearly don't mean these


Or these


I visited the Electricity Museum in Funchal Madeira last week. Great little museum in the old power station. I was like a kid in a sweet shop with no signs saying 'no entry' or 'do not touch'. The old DC switchboard was brilliantly preserved. They even painted round the scorch marks on the ceiling where the breakers had arced.



Lynn couldn't contain her excitement and had to go for a coffee and a nap. [emoji4]