The weather has been iffy all day, giving me an excuse to fiddle with the spindle moulder between outside jobs. This made the day quite productive: I got the fence timber work finished at Warland Lower Lock and cleared the site; and the moulder is now working.
By judiciously applying heat, thumps, emery and wax, all of the individual parts came free and got cleaned. The wiring was a momentary puzzle but, once the switch cover was off, straightforward. A quick test with the rebate head showed that the machine is solid and accurate, producing a superb finish with adequate safety from the universal guide. The shavings came out of the back; I need to investigate that to design a way to catch them. The bearings sound dry so I’ve ordered a grease gun and attachments. I need this to fettle the other machines so it will repay the cost. It will be good news to know that the PK saw is properly lubricated.
Monica has been hard at work, too, chipping away the cement pointing on the end wall in preparation for re-pointing with lime. The stonework is in pretty good condition—not very rounded by damage—so the end result will look great. We think we have identified the source of damp around the end of the house. There isn’t a major problem but the cement and plastic paint emphasise that water is getting in behind the castellations on the toilet roof. If we can hack out the cement flashing and replace it with lead, I think the ugliness inside and out can be repaired.
It has been useful for us both to go on lime pointing courses. We can agree on problems and solutions quickly and aren’t phased by getting on with the work.
Tomorrow, Saturday, is my day for farm maintenance—lower loop this week. T’Other Bit might needs some weed control so the scythe will go with me, though the rosebay willow herbs isn’t too nasty. It’s the brambles I need to stay ahead of.
In the meadow, the mown area is much less lush than where I knocked off early last year, hence the extra flowers, I guess. While working at the lower lock, I noticed one red poppy growing wild; I hope it spreads.