Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference. - Page 44

**Bunkerbarge** · 09-06-2006

That is one of the things I particularly like about this forum, when we touch on something that sets off another memory that I hadn't visited for many years!!

**wonwinglo** · 10-06-2006

How thick are the girders, plates, etc? Recent-build Meccano parts are stamped from several different thicknesses of steel. Perforated strips are 0.041" thick. Flat and angle girders are 0.033" thick. Larger flat plates are 0.026" thick, and about .001" of that is paint. Remarkably enough, the older girders I have (from as far back as the early Thirties) were thinner and obviously not as strong. Flat plates made by Exacto (an Argentine firm making Meccano- compatible spare parts; see below) are .043" thick and substantially stiffer than the Meccano-made parts. Rigidity is sometimes a problem in building cranes that work, and I have more and more been requesting Exacto parts, simply because they’re thicker and more rigid. What sort of finish do the girders and plates have? Finish on Meccano parts has varied a lot over the years. The girders I have from the 1930’s are lack steel,unpainted and not plated. They’re handsome in their way but they will rust in damp climates, as I’ve discovered. Until 1964 Meccano parts were an ebullient Christmas-y red and green, red for the plates and green for the girders. In 1964 the color scheme was changed to bright nickel plate for the girders and yellow for the plates, to make Meccano models of cranes and construction equipment look more like real life. Some parts were given blue or black painted finishes, and other oddball color schemes were used here and there over the years. The yellow-and-silver color scheme is used to this day by Meccano of France. Temsi and Marklin Metall, (two Meccano-compatible construction set manufacturers) however, retain the red and green finish used by Meccano until 1964. And Exacto (another Meccano-compatible manufacturer) girders are a rather handsome battleship gray, while their plates are a bright Meccano yellow. One problem with the painted finishes is that they chip and scratch very easily, and after a few go-rounds your parts will look very lived in. This may or may not matter, but given the price to be paid for the parts, many builders use a plastic washer under bolt heads and ahead of the nuts to keep bolt-to- paint contact to a minimum. This works well and the washers are tolerably inexpensive, but it makes construction considerably trickier, especially in tight spots. The zinc plated girders get blotchy after some handling. One advantage to zinc in certain circumstances is that the girders can be soldered to, with a hefty iron. This can really help when you need a good electrical ground. What gear sizes and pitches are available? There is one mainstream Meccano spur gear pitch size: 12 teeth to the inch. A large number of gear wheels and pinions is available from either Meccano or Exacto and are all compatible. Gear wheels may be had with 45, 50, 55, 57, 60, 65, 95, 133, and 152 teeth. These gear wheels have a 1/16" face. A 38 tooth gear wheel is available with a 1/4" face. Pinions are available with 10, 11, 15, 19, 20, 22, 25, and 30 teeth. Most pinions have a 1/4" face but a few may also be had with a 1/2" or 3/4" face. Two sizes of crown (contrate) gears are available to mesh with the pinions, 25 and 50 tooth. A 1/2" diameter single-cut worm is available. Two sizes of bevel gears are available: A 26-tooth gear that works in pairs, and a two-gear set that must act together, with a small gear of 16 teeth and a larger gear of 48 teeth. There is a linear rack on the same pitch, 6 1/4" (160mm) long. Helical gears are available, with a 35-tooth helical gear and two sizes of helical pinions: 12 and 14-tooth. The helical pinions are available in both right and left hand orientations, both of which mate with the larger helical gear. There is a sprocket system with chain and sprockets, with 14, 18, 28, 36, and 56 tooth sprockets available. Exacto makes a pinion that mates somewhat gamely with the sprocket wheels, and more importantly, the 3 1/2" ball roller bearing assembly, which has sprocket teeth around its rim.

**wonwinglo** · 11-06-2006

Threaded rod is available in several sizes to 12 1/2", and a coupling is available to match threaded rod to plain shaft. The threaded rod can act as a lead screw because most Meccano hubs and couplings have setscrew holes at 180 degrees, threaded together so that a threaded rod can run freely through them. (It’s a s..l..o..w lead screw, however, at 32 threads per inch...) How are Meccano parts identified? Each unique Meccano part has a unique part number. These run>from 1 up into the several hundreds. There are also alphabetic suffixes in some numbers; for example, part 1 is a 12 1/2"" flat girder, and part 1a is a 9 1/2" flat girder. This was done to allow later additions to the parts line to have numbers within a single block of related parts. Are the Gilbert-built Erector parts compatible with Meccano? Not really. Gilbert Erector isn’t that interesting these days except to toy collectors. Although the parts were roughly the same size and used similar sized holes and shafts, there were niggling differences that made certain combinations impossible. Gilbert parts were generally not painted and rusted very easily, the gears were very coarse, and the girders were thin and not especially strong. Many parts were made of aluminum. All in all, compared to Meccano, the old Erector comes off looking more than a little shabby. What is Exacto? A small manufacturer in Argentina began making Meccano-compatible parts (but not sets) under license from Meccano for the Spanish- speaking market many years ago. Today, most are exported to English-speaking countries. These are called Exacto (no relation to the American tool company) and in some respects are even more interesting than Meccano to enthusiasts. In addition to manufacturing parts identical to or better than Meccano’s, Exacto has expanded the line with a bewildering array of additional parts designed to be dimension-compatible with existing Meccano parts. They are extremely well-made and are very popular with adult hobbyists who can afford to import them. Of interest to experimenters are Exacto’s broad line of gears that far exceeds Meccano’s: Exacto makes 14 different pinions, 10 different gear wheels, a left and right hand worm, two sizes of contrate (crown) gears, three sizes of bevel gears, both right and left hand helical gear pairs, internal gears, and several (large) sizes of toothed discs which are basically hubless gears. (Hubs may be bolted onto them.) Exacto also manufactures Meccano-compatible shafts in very polished, very rigid stainless steel. Perhaps Exacto’s most significant innovation for serious experimenters is a second, larger 5/16" shaft size and compatible parts for use in applications where the Meccano 4mm shaft simply isn’t big enough. A 5/16" shaft of 2" length is available with a high-precision 4mm bore all the way through, so that you can have the thin shaft turning freely inside the thick one.

**wonwinglo** · 12-06-2006

A Saudi order for Eurofighter jets will keep RAF waiting for an unknown length of time.
Fighter pilots will be kept waiting even longer for the nation's long-delayed new jet because dozens will be sent to Saudi Arabia instead.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that a £5.4bn deal to sell 72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to the Saudis will have a startling knock-on effect on the Royal Air Force.
Planes earmarked for delivery to the RAF by manufacturers BAE as part of the next stage of the programme to equip Britain with more than 230 Typhoons over the next decade will now be heading for the Gulf.
Opposition politicians last night warned that the decision to snatch fighters from the RAF could have a critical effect on the nation's war-fighting capability over the next few years.
BAE is poised to conclude a groundbreaking deal with the Saudis in what would be the most significant contract signed with the oil-rich kingdom since Margaret Thatcher led trade missions there in the 1980s.
Both Tony Blair and former defence secretary John Reid are believed to have discussed the Typhoon Acquisition Project with Saudi leaders during separate visits to the Gulf in the past year.
The deal is seen as crucial to maintaining thousands of jobs in the UK defence industry - particularly the BAE plant in Lancashire, where most of the Typhoon work is carried out.
But the agreement carries special significance as it would be a much-needed vote of confidence in the plane, which has struggled to win orders around
the world.
The first Typhoons - the product of a joint operation between Britain and three other European nations, came in over four years late and billions of
pounds over budget. The RAF has already taken delivery of the first of the £65m aircraft, part of a first batch of 148.
The MoD has committed itself to two further batches, of 89 and 88 aircraft respectively. But the pressure to sell the plane abroad has forced the department to agree a reduction of at least 24 in the number BAE pledged to include in the second delivery, in order to satisfy the Saudis.
The RAF will at least have to wait longer to get its full complement. But defence sources last night suggested the Saudi order could be used to get
the MoD off the hook, and allow the government to cancel the third batch without incurring huge cancellation fees.
Defence minister Adam Ingram conceded the MoD and BAE had been in close negotiations over the impact of the Saudi order. But he refused to comment on the full implications for the RAF's operational capability.
Ingram said: Negotiations continue between Her Majesty's government, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and representatives of BAE Systems. Until these
negotiations have concluded it is not possible to define precisely the implications for the Royal Air Force.
Tory defence spokesman Gerald Howarth insisted the government should not allow the Saudi order to affect the UK's strike capability.
I know the RAF need these aircraft and we need them to maintain our strike capability, he said.
The real question they should ask when they are delaying the RAF order is what dangers will we have to face in the future and will we be able to deal
with them?

**wonwinglo** · 13-06-2006

Originally planned for today was another installment of the Meccano system explained,but seeing as it is another year gone of my life in the blink of an eyelid, I think that it would be more appropiate to talk about modelling days of yesteryear.
It is difficult to believe these days that a model shop was once the hub of the model building scene,it was more than a mere shop but a meeting place on Saturdays for modellers,the model shop proprietor would usually be the respected secretary or treasurer of at least one of the local clubs,not like today whereby many would not wish to get involved with club activities,being more concerned with mega bucks rather than mixing amongst the modellers.
One particular shop I remember well had excellent connections with his customers,even his wife, who could be seen with building board laid out on the counter building a model in readiness for the weekend would be on hand to give sound advice,service with a smile was the key word as the shop territory was closely guarded ! imagine the uproar when a local sports shop that made cricket bats decided to produce their own kits and open a shop as well !! war was on in no uncertain way,and whilst todays rat race of businesses sells items from their neighbours inventory,this was unheard of then.
The local balsa wood and kit suppliers would be informed and supplies cut off at the request of the long established retail model shop who threatened to go elsewhere,this is hard to believe now but it really happened,the shops ruled the distributors then and not as it is today with the distributors holding the shops to ransom with those pathetic minimum orders.
There was also more honour attached to stock that did not sell,usually an agreement whereby the stock would be taken back and a refund given even given dusty boxes as well,it did not matter because the trade relied so heavily upon the local shops for business of the manufacturers wares.
Reps would do their job from Skegness to as far north as Newcastle upon tyne,sometimes travelling by train and staying overnight before returning the next day with several shops to deal with on the homeward leg,they were normally on the staff of the larger kit and material manufacturers with a neatly packed suitcase of their wares tucked under their arms,I remember some new speed pans ( metal cast units whereby the diesel engine bolted into place ) that came in from Italy,the word got around and the reps could not cope with the demand and orders,control line speed was very popular then whereby the marshall would pull on the lines with an enormous load being registered for safety,some failed as well.
When diesel engines became popular after WW2 the demand for larger model kits was met by companies such as Keil Kraft at Wickford,Essex and Veron down at Bournemouth,the Super 60 became the most popular design ever for beginners to free flight, and later early unreliable radio control systems ( that is a story in itself for another day )
Whilst there were dedicated model shops there was also a lot of ironmonger type businesses,even one shop selling pet supplies that had a model department ! that had dedicated model departments and did very well at them as well,sometimes with a queue coming from outside the main door on a Saturday,something not seen today in what is left of the high street businesses,it was not unusual for a good Saturday business to wipe out the stock and the owner needed to re-order quickly on the following Monday morning.
The heady post war period was probably the busiest in modelling history,especially just before the advent of popular television which did slow things down a bit in terms of alternative entertainment,there were plenty of factories working flat out to keep people in good employment,the car manufacturing business was building up nicely in the midlands and there was plenty of surplus cash available for hobbies,as the mass exodus on Friday early factory closing,many hobbyists headed straight for their favourite model shop, to buy a brand new kit tucked under their arms for building over the weekend.
One thing that killed off a lot of business around 1953 was an heavy purchase tax which migrated towards modelling goods,despite parliement being involved it never recovered,it was argued that such goods should be exempt from the heavy tax incurred but it certainly did not help to have it stacked on top of ordinary modelling materials,the first signs of what we now know as VAT ( Value added tax ) was on the books.
Another important factor was the state of lack of finesse of early modelling goods,in particular kits would have parts printed on the wood,these needed great care in cutting out and finishing before any adhesive was even needed or could be applied,die cutting and stamping ( or die crushing as it was nicknamed with often blunt dies ) came in much later,what I am saying is early modellers accepted that there was more work expected of them to get towards the finished products,many of these kits would not get even get a look in today especially in the moulded pre-injected world that we now live in.
It is easy to forget the early social history of our hobby,it has changed beyond belief,if one looks around your local area it is easy to see the diminishing signs of trade in many different areas,the multi combines rule today,but do they offer the service we once got from the friendly high street independent who relied on your business ? well having experienced both services first hand I very much doubt it,the circumstances and the way the world has changed so much are light years apart and will never return,that history can only now be recoded for posterity.

**Bunkerbarge** · 13-06-2006

Barry,

As always a very interesting read. It brings back many fond memories of my early days working in a model shop, the 25% discout was carefully factored into my modelling budget of the day. That was £1.50 per week for my paper round and £1.50 for a Saturday in the shop. School holidays, especially Christmas, were a bonanza!

I thought I was well off in those days as well, mainly as an Airfix Series One was still at about 25p!! I could afford a big kit most weeks.

Your comments regarding the progression of the business makes me smile as I remember my fathers attitude towards plastic kits. As far as he was concerned if you didn't have to saw it and rub it down with sandpaper it wasn't a proper model and these 'new fangled' plastic kits were not proper models as all the work was done for you.

**wonwinglo** · 14-06-2006

Exacto girders and plates are generally thicker and stiffer than equivalent Meccano parts, and I recommend using them for frames or anything that must carry a lot of weight. What is Temsi? Temsi is a metal construction set manufactured in the Netherlands, and is basically a metric Meccano system. The smaller parts are very similar; however, the larger parts do not align completely with English-measure Meccano parts. What is Marklin Metall? Marklin is a German manufacturer best known for expensive electric trains. The firm also makes a construction set toy called Marklin Metall. It is mostly compatible with Meccano, and whereas there is not the breadth of parts available, the parts in the line are more precisely made than Meccano’s and the girders are stamped from significantly thicker steel. The dimensions seem to be English-based, so even the longer parts will mesh with standard Meccano. Alone of all the metal construction set manufacturers, Marklin at one point manufactured a theme set devoted to a single model, however a lot of these are very expensive and are no longer made. On the other hand, there is nothing in the Marklin sets that cannot be duplicated with ordinary Meccano parts. What complete Meccano sets are available? Meccano and Erector are mostly thought of in terms of sets that include a selection of parts, a little bin of nuts and bolts, and an instruction manual showing how to build various models. The sets are mostly slanted toward children in terms of the models presented in the manuals. Meccano and Meccano/Erector sets are numbered, with the larger numbers indicating the largest sets. At their peak of popularity in the 1950s there were 12 separate levels of sets, from 00 (which were almost useless and sold mostly as kid bait, to get them agitating for something larger) to 0, and then from 1 to 10. The 00 and 0 sets have not been made since the late 60’s. The progression of complexity of the models in the manuals went up smoothly through set #9. Then there was an awesome gulf to the #10 set, which had more than twice the parts of #9, and models of tremendous size and complexity. It was plain that the #10 set was meant for adults. Several years ago, Meccano ceased to manufacture sets past #6. Collectors are quickly snapping up the larger sets, and prices have begun rising. An unused #10 set now routinely sells for over $2500US. Used sets of all vintages are still available, but you have to look for them, and they are not cheap unless they are heavily damaged from rust or missing most of their parts. What are the Meccano upgrade sets? In the old days, each set from 00 to 9 had a companion upgrade set numbered with an "a" prefix (3a, 7a, etc.) that converted that set to the next highest set. I received a #6 set for Christmas 1959, and for Christmas 1960 I received a #6a set, which converted my #6 to a #7. This system still prevails, although they are now called "complementary sets" and have a "C" prefix rather than the "a" suffix. * How appropriate are Meccano sets for modelling work? in a word just brilliant especially for those unable to turn or make their own engineering parts but still want to make elaborate working models. Meccano sets are keyed to boys making cranes, trucks, tanks, and things like that. No single set is ever likely to have enough "stuff" in it to enable the enthusiast to piece together a reasonable chassis,and you’ll be paying for realistic steering wheels, windshields, and other specific gimmicks of zero usefulness. Get yourself a set to become familiar with the idea of Meccano; build the silly truck and tank models, and decide whether it feels like something you could think in to design something more worthwhile, from an engineering perspective. The owner of Exacto calls his business miniature engineering, and there’s a lot of truth to that. Once you become familiar with the parts system, buy only the parts you need for a given project through the mail-order dealers,some parts are getting scarce and others abound,keep your eyes open in the ads,you never know what you will find ?

**wonwinglo** · 15-06-2006

Now if we do not take the trouble now to record the past,no matter how indsignificant it may at first appear to us,things will be forgotton forever,but if something is etched into your mind and reminds you on occasions of how things started then they are worthy of recording for our children and childrens children to read.
This is one such story of how a single business, pioneered in its own way amongst other things the importation of what were the very first American plastic kits into the UK,what we accept today were then a revelation but apart from Airfix the Lindbergh,Revell,ITC,Hawk,Kleeware models were only to be seen in the model mags of the U.S.A.
Situated at 94 Far Gosford Street,Coventry the 'Enterprise & Variety stores' was the first 'Stack em high' model shop that I came across,around 1956 their first shop was set up in Hinckley and the Coventry shop followed very quickly the owners two sons running each shop,imagine a tiny hole from which the shop keeper seemed to emerge from the surrounding stock which was built up all around,every conceivable modelling item was there somewhere,you just had to ask and the item was placed onto the counter with a resounding 'Anything else sir !' the shop window was also stacked with goodies to draw you in from the street,I can never remember anyone leaving that shop without something under their arm,too much to see and make you get your wallet out.
Apart from the modelling side they sold jokes,games and other bizarre bits and pieces,this was an Emporium with a capital 'E' a real fun shop that was soon the talking point of the town,in those days Gosford street was one long run of thriving shops,unlike today were it is derelict,dirty and uncared for,the scene has changed so much with only one shop of interest,a secondhand book shop which looks all lonely and on its own.
So what happened to the Enterprise & Variety stores ? well a very sad ending I am afraid,one night the shop suffered a large fire which just about lost everything,the scene the next day was the strong smell of styrne in the air as thousands of kits just melted into nothing,some did survive and the sale in the coming months saw kits with singed boxes and sometimes a few melted items inside,the most remarkable thing that surprisingly survived was the paint racks,although the tins were sooty black the contents were perfect and some I are still in use by me today.
The shop did not last very long afterwards,and there was a very sad story about the owner as well who was found living rough inside a vehicle in Glasgow,it seems that his empire had folded after the big fire and never recovered again,such a pity as it was a great shop,the last time that I saw it was a cafe,but many years later the shop alongside was taken over by Wyatt & Tizzard selling model trains and kits,I often wonder if the owner of this shop knew the history of the shop next door ? very doubtful,even more the reason to be writing this rather than let the details fade into oblivion.

**Bunkerbarge** · 15-06-2006

It's funny you should say that Barry as I am finding more and more nowadays that I am remembering things that no-one else knows about.

I don't even consider myself old yet but there are things that I shared in my youth with the older generation who are now no longer with us and I am the keeper of such memories.

One thing that made me smile recently was when I was talking to a younger engineer on the ship about what I was doing when a man first landed on the moon. We were all gathered in the school assembly hall and we watched it together, as a school, on a big black and white telly on stilts at the front of the hall.

When I finished he told me that he wasn't born for ten years after that happened, yet it hadn't even occurred to me for a second that he wouldn't have also been around!!

Time creeps up on us all and, as you say we must share our memories in writing and, just as important we must read other peoples writings!!

I have just finished a book called "Miracles on the Water" by Tom Nagorski about refugee children during the war who were on thier way to Canada when thier ship was torpedoed. Of the 90 that set out only a handfull survived and I defy anyone to read about them being dropped into the North Atlantic from lifeboats that became stuck in thier falls without shedding a tear.

We owe it to writers such as this to share the experiences and reflect on what makes us what we are today. Strangely enough a very close freind of mine is married to a lady whose grandfather was on the last ship to pick up survivors, eight days after the sinking. It was only talking about the book that brought this to light.

**wonwinglo** · 15-06-2006

Well there you are then Richard,you see deep down we all have a story to tell,people think that to be a writer you need to dream things up and write a novel,far from it as I consider that writing about things in our ordinary life is far more important,I once went to a very interesting talk by a member of the press who had become a successful freelance writer,someone asked how he got started and knew what to write about ? his words were to go out into the street and look around you,on every corner there is a story just waiting to be told,sometimes it would be considered a mundane thing ? however it is our everyday life and what we do in that time that interests myself and obviously many others,I really do believe that if we just let these simple tales go by the wayside we will be the looser of everyday knowledge in the near future,you just do not have to be famous either to relate a story about something that has happened to you,I bet that the lives of many people here are far more interesting than some film stars.
I am currently reading the life story of Kate Adie,now there is a woman ! one of her quotes made me think last night,she mentioned that every story of war and danger cannot be fully appreciated,and why ? because she says there is always a constant filter to us the viewers,you cannot see people ducking the shells and anyway both the cameraman and the reporter cannot duck otherwise there would be no report for us to see ! perhaps sterile on receit is the wording but I understand what she means.
As I mentioned yesterday,anyone can write,it just takes a few minutes to sit down and relate something in your own words and your own personal way,that is how we all develop a style just like an artist paints a picture.
A world withut the written word and without the aid of images would be a very boring place indeed.
I did think about doing a sketch of that shop.
More interesting shop stories to come.