Isuzu C240 powered Series 3

Received a blow yesterday.

I was taking over as MD of a company at the end of this year. The retiring MD decided he wanted to stay for a few more years and through the parent company got my current position retrenched.
This is a person who was a friend, who I have defended, backed up, promoted, stood up for etc. etc

I have 5 kids and a good few years before retirement, he has moved to a retirement village and was set to retire. I'm still trying to understand his motives (apart from greed bacause he's on a bloody good salary)

Anyway, 5 weeks 'garden leave' then I get paid out.
I do have an interview with a competitor on Monday, it was a bit of a knee jerk reaction but I have to pay the bills.


On the plus side, 5 weeks paid to work on Land Rovers:)


Colin

Not a good situation!
Best of luck with your interview tomorrow.


Cheers, Mick.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mick88

Not a good situation!
Best of luck with your interview tomorrow.


Cheers, Mick.

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Thanks Mick,

I have to be careful because I'm on full pay for 5 weeks serving notice. If the offer is good enough I might consider starting earlier although I'm looking forward to 5 weeks with a whole lot less stress.


Colin

Interview went well plus there are another couple of offers. looks like I need to make the most of the 5 week break.

I haven't started on Wallit yet, I've been gardening and decided to work on a rocking horse for my youngest daughter. I started it a couple of years ago but it got sidelined.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/09/1614.jpg


Once the carving is finished it has to have many coats of Gesso, then paint then you need to make the harness & saddle and add the mane & tail.
The stand for it was finished some time ago.



Colin

G'day Colin,

Great craftsmanship on the horse Colin! By carving do you mean 100% mallet/maul and chisel or did you use one of those "Arbro" or similar sounding name of a disk that goes on a 4 inch angle grinder for roughing out first?

I have seen the disks and always wondered if they were any good? When the first came out they were poisonously expensive so it put me off getting one.

Don't rush back into work if you can possibly avoid it. Remember it will be 12 months before you can get holidays again. :eek:

Kind Regards
Lionel

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lionelgee

G'day Colin,

Great craftsmanship on the horse Colin! By carving do you mean 100% mallet/maul and chisel or did you use one of those "Arbro" or similar sounding name of a disk that goes on a 4 inch angle grinder for roughing out first?

I have seen the disks and always wondered if they were any good? When the first came out they were poisonously expensive so it put me off getting one.

Don't rush back into work if you can possibly avoid it. Remember it will be 12 months before you can get holidays again. :eek:

Kind Regards
Lionel

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Lionel,

All done with a mallet & chisels.
I'm in a local woodwork club and on Wednesday nights there is a group of us that make rocking horses.
Everyone else uses various cutting/sanding discs on a angle grinder, clouds of dust, noise etc. I always wanted to make a traditional horse using traditional methods.
Taught myself carving, cheap chisels followed by some better quality ones. I researched traditional Gesso (rabbit skin glue & chalk), sourced a double boiler and the first two horses had about 20 coats of Gesso applied. Oil based paint applied by brush, dappled by brush, leather harness sewed by hand, cow tail (on skin) for the mane & tail.
If you had to make a living at it you'd need to charge $5 -6K or cut a lot of corners.

This one needs finishing off. It got too big to get into the car to go down to the club. It is painted grey but needs dappling.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...017/05/411.jpg



Most of the people make the traditional type on a 'safety stand'. I did one of these first then the bow rocker above and currently working on a Jubilee Rocker.

Here is my first.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...017/05/409.jpg


I'm enjoying the time off but have to knuckle down and do a business plan to follow up the interview earlier in the week. Hopefully back employed before too long.


Colin

The horse is nearly ready to start applying Gesso then painting so I decided after fixing the fence and a few other chores SWMBO wanted done I'd work on Wallit.

The horn doesn't work, probably because it stood outside for 3 years waiting for me to come along there have been a lot of problems with corroded electrical connections.
Removed horn and connected across a battery, OK but a bit quiet.
Tried in situ, no earth, removed the screw and found it rusted. Replaced and still nothing. cleaned up the Lucar connectors and pinched them tight, still nothing. Multimeter clipped into the two wires and 12Volts OK when the button pushed.
Still the horn wouldn't work but I noticed that the connections were hot. Remade the earth lead, still nothing. Multimeter back in and..... nothing.
Turns out that the indicator/horn button assembly had died, luckily a new one was supplied with Wallit.


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/09/1304.jpg



About an hour chasing an elusive problem, found out what it was and now more work.....must fix the ignition switch as well while the cowling is off the steering column.


Colin

My Missus saw that FB has spilt the beans.

Congratulations! hope it all works out for the better.
.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

My Missus saw that FB has spilt the beans.

Congratulations! hope it all works out for the better.
.

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Thanks Arthur,

I start a new job in a couple of weeks in direct competition to the company that retrenched me, let the battle begin......


I've finished carving the rocking horse and just need to find my double boiler to get the Gesso brewing. It looks a bit 'bare' without paint, saddle, harness, mane and tail. Lets hope it doesn't get sidelined for another few years once I get back to work......


https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/09/1169.jpg


The feet are padded because when it gets lifted off the stand it rests on it's feet which were getting damaged. I've had to make a box for it to sit on while I Gesso & paint it.


Colin

Amazing skill on the Horse! Congratulations on the new job as well.