Friday, 27 August 2010
Caring for your furniture.
General Care.
All antique furniture requires a little care from time to time. For most items this is just a wax polish using beeswax once a year. This helps to protect the timbers from drying out and builds up to a wonderful patina over time.
Whilst this takes care of the general appearance of your antiique furniture you should also remember the parts that are not seen. At least once a year you should dust the back and the inside of your furniture. This will help to prevent any infestation, which although not a common problem in most circumstances, it can still cause problems if it goes unchecked.
Once a year you should take a candle and rub it on the drawer runners. This will make them operate smoothly and will also help to prevent wear.
Ifyou manage to break or chip a piece then it should be glued back and held with clamps as soon as possible. Remember to use a good quality wood glue. This willensure a good tight repair.
Some tips we have picked up over the years:
Mahogany furniture. Mahogany can be wax polished as with most woods once or twice a year to keep up the general appearance.If the piece is tired and looking dry it will usually respond well to a coat of boiled linseed oil (mixed with a little stain if faded) available from any DIY store. This should be applied generously and left for an hour before wiping off the excess. The day after you should buff lightly with a soft cloth. You can repeat this process many times to build up anice and resilient sheen. Do not apply linseed oil to anything make from plastic, it will melt it! For lightscratches and scuffs you shouldcover using a good mahogany stainthen apply a little linseedoil to finish.
Oak and PineFurniture. If you oak furniture is looking tired or scuffed/ scratchedthen follow the steps above. For pine furniture you are best avoiding linseed oil and just coating with a clear wax and polishing. You should always remember that period oak willusually have a very deep colour and almost mirror-like patina. Under no circumstances should you attempt to clean this. A light wax should be all that is required to ensure your furniturecontinues to look as it should.
Rosewood Furniture. For general polishing you can use either beeswax or petroleum jelly. It is worth trying both out on a small area to see which works best.
Teak Furniture. Apply a light coat of teak oil and follow the steps as per Mahogany furniture.
Gilt Mirrors. These should only ever need a light feather dusting. Never get glass cleaner on the frame as this will wear away the finish.
This guide is an on-going item. We will add to this as often as possible.
There's Faeries and then there's Fairies
I sell a wide range of Fairies and Fairy related items. I sell Fairies because I love them. They're whimsical, magical, colourful and bring smiles to everyone's faces!
Recently my husband and I attended the Spring Trade Fair at the Birmingham NEC, a famous yearly show held for retailers. It's an opportunity to meet and greet with the vendors who supply my online shop.
The NEC is HUGE and there were hundreds upon hundreds of vendors to visit and place orders with. Decisions, decisions. We knew which Fairies we wanted to stock and were amazed at some of the new lines we discovered. We held the fairies, carefully inspecting their structure, their colours, their consistencies and their quality. At first glimpse, many Fairies looked very nice but the quality and workmanship weren't what we wanted in our shop. Sure we could have bought some butt ugly fairies and flogged them really cheap, but at the end of the day, the customer would not have been totally satisfied to find the pretty fairy in the photo was basically a piece of quickly molded, painted and cheap materials that would never last for long.
After many hours and many visits to the different vendors we settled on the Nene Thomas Faeries, Country Artists Butterfly Fairies and The Fairy Way Fairies, Christine Haworth Faerie Poppets, Nemesis Now Faeries, Leonardo Fairies, Shudehill Fairies and loads of other Fairy accessories like Journals, tiles, mouse mats, gift wrap and so much more.
What do we look for when we purchase our Fairies?
QUALITY
Ceramic - Techniques Of Decoration - Dream Art Gallery
Ceramic - Techniques Of Decoration - Dream Art Gallery
The manner in which colours have been applied to a ceramic surface offers reliable clues to dating an item, clues which can be seen by the nacked eye or better still under a normal lens with a magnifying power of three to ten magnitudes.In the past the paintbrush was the only means for painting pottery. The loaded paintbrush empties the paint continuosly and the layer of paint becomes thinner as it moves across the surface. This gradual reduction in the quantity of paint on the brush creates subtle differences in the shade of colour lending greater liveliness to the images.The rising labour cost faced by factories in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries led to a widespread search for new mechanized means of decorating pottery. The first to introduce transfer printing was the english ceramicsindustry. The first transfer prints were black and wear applied over or also under the glaze. After 1750 cobalt blue was preferred and used under the glaze. Pieces using this technique cannot therefore have been manufactured before 1750. This technique consists of coating a copperplate with a thin layer of acid-resisting was onto which the etcher draws his design, exposing the bright metal underneath. The plate is then immersed in a bath of diluited acid. The Etched plate is inked and the surface wiped, leaving the ink only in the design. Finally the plate is passed through two rollers and pressed against absorbent paper which, while still wet, is pressed against the surface to be decorated, transferring the engraving to the pottery, which is then put in the oven.The deeper the incision on the copperplate, the greater the amount of colour transferred.Modern printing techniques, like those using photomechanical processes,were applied almost contemporaneously also for the decoration of pottery. The application of colour is uniform.The variation in thickness of the layer of paint and the consequent range of shades created permits a handmade brushstroke to be clearly distinguished from a printed pattern.Towards the end of the 19 th century the four-colour lithographic process was introduced for transfer painting on porcelain. A piece decorated by this method can therefore not dated to before 1880. In modern reproduction we can see the tiny coloured dots typical of the printing process instead of the touches of colour left by a brush.The quality of the painting is of prime importance in determining the commercial and artistic value of a ceramic item. It would be advisable however to adopt different criteria for assessing Asian and western production. Brushstrokes of the fineness we can admire for instance on chinese and japanese pieces can be executed more easily by the skilled hands of Asian painters than by european artists as the art of using the paintbrush for writing is taught to the chinese and japanese from childhood.
Authentic Rare Antique Ceramic
Speed Up Windows Vista using ReadyBoost
ReadyBoost - Using Your USB 2.0Flash Driveto Speed Up Windows Vista One very cool feature of Windows Vista especially for machines not natively equipped with the kind of horsepower to fully enjoy the rich visuals of Windows Presentation Foundation (Avalon) applications is ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost enables you to plug a USB key into your machine and have Windows Vista use it as memory.
Installing/Configuring the USB 2.0Flash Driveas Memory First I took a standard USB 2.0 key (Ill list the prerequisites shortly) and plugged it into my machine. Upon plugging the USB key into my computer, I was greeted with the standard "AutoPlay" dialog box asking how I wanted to the operating system to treat the USB key. However, with ReadyBoost I get the additional option (circled below in the screen capture) of using the key to "speed up my system".
Once I click the "Speed up my system" option, the Properties dialog box for the device is displayed where I can specify to start/stop ReadyBoost usage of the device and how much space I want used as a memory cache. (Actually, according to one of the Product Specialists here, this space is used more as a flash-based page file than true RAM, but the impact is that the more space you choose here, the more benefit youll get in terms of overall system performance.)
(In order to return to this dialog box, open the Computer window, right-click the drive (F: in this case) and select Properties. From there, click the Memory tab (as shown in the previous screen capture and adjust the settings as needed).
For the inquisitive, opening the drive in an Explorer window reveals that ReadyBoost has created a cache file of the specified size.
Things to Know About ReadyBoost If you have a USB key configured to use ReadyBoost and then insert a second key, Windows Vista will display the Properties dialog box where youll see the message on the Memory tab as shown in the following screen capture.
While ReadyBoost will work with other devices such as SD Card, CompactFlash, etc. Ive only used it with a USB key and here are the baseline requirements the team gave me regarding what ReadyBoost will work with:
The capacity of the removable media must be at least 256 MB Devices larger than 4GB will have only 4GB used for ReadyBoost The device should have an access time of 1ms or less The device must be capable of 2.5 MB/s read speeds for 4 kB random reads spread uniformly across the entire device and 1.75 MB/s write speeds for 512 kB random writes spread uniformly across the device The device must have at least 235 MB of free space NTFS and FAT32 are supported The initial release of ReadyBoost supports onlyONE device
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Q
Why do members think its ok to rip you off
RAY-BAN SUNGLASSES
I feel the time has come to write a guide for people looking for authentic Ray-Ban Products.
Please be aware that Ray-Ban Sunglasses are manufactured by Luxottica and nobody else. Luxottica hold this license and all NEW Ray-Ban Sunglasses and Frames are manufactured in Italy.
If you see a Ray-Ban Product that interests you and you see it at a price that is well below the recommended retail price FIRST check that the lenses are the correct colour for the code that is listed.
I have found a Ray-Ban RB4081 710/13 listed on a US site with a gradient grey lens which is incorrect it is and should be a gradient brown lens.
Do not be fooled by fabulous photographs this does not make the product genuine it is just a good photograph.
Go to the official Ray-Ban Site and CHECK that the colour is correct.
A seller may at some time make a mistake with a listing and forget to put the correct code in, check with the seller, but if the photograph shows the wrong colour frame with the incorrect lens you can be pretty sure this is not genuine.
Ray-Ban Sunglasses are superb if they are genuine and a disappointment if they are not. Only buy the genuine article and you will be delighted.
Prior to Luxottica having the license for Ray-Ban it was Bausch
Wired
Home Or Office NetworkingWith most homes or offices having a fast broadband connection and an increasing number having more than one computer, more and more people are starting to investigate setting up a network.
Setting up a network is a great way to get more use out of your computers and peripherals, and to have more fun with them. With a network, you can:
Share a single Internet connection among multiple computers.Share files among computers.Use a printer connected to a different computer or to the networkPlay recorded TV, videos, and digital music stored on your computer on your Xbox 360
Choosing which type of network to install can be tricky. A wired network? or a wireless network?
Wired networks, also known as Ethernet networks, connect your computer to your Internet connection and other computers using cables that look like a thick phone wire.
Wireless networks use radio waves to transfer data between computers and peripherals.
While both have their advantages, they also have their disadvantages.
As you will see below, there are many ways in which you can set up a home wired or wireless network. The same applies in an office environment.
The range of equipment available is mind boggling. It varies dramatically in price and function. Having installed well over 500 wired or wireless networks I have come to rely on certain products which, while they may not be the cheapest (but they are far from the most expensive), have proven to be very reliable.
If you would like to know more about setting up a home/office wired or wireless network, or you already have one and would like to make sure it is set up securely and correctly, or you have any questions about computer related issues, then feel free to mail me.
Wireless Networking
Portable
Getting Your Megadrive Working - Simple Fixes
Here are some simple things to try if you are having problems getting your Megadrive working.
Firstly make sure that all leads are connected securely. This is especially important in the case of Megadrive II RF leads. It is an easy oversight to make thinking that the connecter is in the socket when actually it is not all the way in. Make sure you push them firmly in.
Once everything is connected correctly make sure that there is power. Megadrives do have power indicator lights on them but please remember that these consoles are 15 years old so the lights may no be working, a good seller will list any minor problems like this.
Megadrives go through the RF input on your TV. This input is not the same as SCART or PHONO where you just turn the TV to the appropriate AV channel. You need to tune a spare channel into the RF frequency of the Megadrive the same way you would tune in a normal TV channel.
If all of the above is okay but you still do not get any joy when trying to play a game or the game freezes, again please remember the age of this classic console. They would have probably been stored away in the attic, under the bed, in the garage and so may have got dusty. Try giving both the cartridge slot on the Megadrive and the connecter edge on the cartridge a good blow out or try wiping the connecter edge with an anti-static wipe.
If all of the above fails then there is more than likely a fault with the console or the game. To rule out either try several games. If all fail it will be the console but if only one fails it will be the game.
At 8 BitHeaven we test and clean all of our hardware, games and accessories prior to listing them. They are then tested again prior to dispatch. We appreciate that without you, the customer, we would not be able to what we love so much. It is with this in mind that we do take the time to make sure that all of our items reach you in exactly the condition that they are described in the auction.
We hope that this guide was useful and wish you many happy hours of RETRO GAMING.
Please click the following link to view our Megadrive items for sale.
MEGADRIVE CONSOLES, GAMES
Cheap BRAND NAMES and DESIGNER GOODS
Ebay and TK Maxx i have found to be exceptionally good for buying my brands.
On ebay: TRY:
Mispelling some brand names to pick up the unrevised misspelt listings. EG: Moshino instead of MosChino. A few bargains can come up
....TRY:
Looking worldwide and broading where you want to look for your items. This can be changed down the left hand side in the search tools and brings up worldwidebargains where people forget to look.
... TRY:
Looking on Ebay shops as well as the main auction
....TRY: typing in many different ways of saying what your looking for, as sellers may word something slightly differently than you'd think. Also type TK Maxx as hidden brands can be listed under this store without consern for the major brand label inside the item.
In TK Maxx in UK or TJ Maxx in USA
... TRY looking in the clearance and looking for different brands to sell on, Spot popular makes at 60% less than the retail at.
.. TRY rumaging through, it looks daunting but there is order in this store, size and type- ie smart, fashion, sport. ETC/ looking through physically is like searching on here and bargains can be picked up what someone else has missed.
BARGAIN BRANDS AVAILABLE .. if you just know where to look,... now you do.
Stompgrip tank pads
PLEASE VOTE ON THIS GUIDE AT THE BOTTOM!!!
I purchased a set of these for my K4 gixxer 750 as I was suffering with aching wrists after long rides, and I needed grip on the tank to make cornering easier.
Fitted them no problems at all, just clean the tank with alcohol wipe then stick them on. Best when warmed up a bit, and make sure no bubbles underneath!
Highly recommended product!
Gordon Ramsey - Humble Pie
At first I thoughtGordon Ramsay was a rude idiot, that was until I started watching his F word and reading his Autobiography book Humble Pie. My girlfriend thinks he's great and with his drop dead gorgeous eyes (she says) she is oftenin the kitchen cooking recipes from his cook books which is great for me as I don't need to lift a finger. The book details his childhood and how his abusive father could never hold down a job let alone keep an house, Gordon was forever on the move and never stayed in the same place too long. He comes from a very poor background and originallyhemade hiscareer in football until he had an knee injury to which he then turned to cookery. The book also talks about his drug user brother Ronnie, how Gordon met Tana and how rough Gordon was treated when he was a young chef (properly explains why he swears alot now). The book has lots ofnitty gritty inand is a great read. Now Gordon has gone to the US topromote Hells KitchenI can't wait to watch andread his next book.
Make honest money on eBay.
Everyone has an idea on how to make millions on ebay
Stop now
There are some very simple rules and if you follow them you can make good money, but not millions.
Here we go
Know your product. It is vital that you know what you are selling.I love Psion computers and know them inside out. That wayI know what to pay and what the value is on resale. I can even repair and upgrade Psions. This adds more value on resales
If you do not know your product you are doomed to fail.
If you do not know your product research values well before listing.
Know your market. It is very easy to get sucked in to high volume markets but your profit margin is much reduced and you risk the dreaded relist if you do not sell. Smaller nich markets do well.
Persistant relists will reduce your profit margins very quickly.
If you have a listing price of 1.50 and a sale item of 40. 5 relists will cost you 7.50
If you have a listing price of 50p and a sale item of 6. 5 relists will cost you 2.50
You can see the profit loss.
Don`t look for massive profits. Buyers will feel they are being done. A profit of 20% is good. Remember that what every you make, profit is profit.
I have tried and tested many ways of sellling and this is my advice:-
Write a profile of yourself. This will allow buyers to know a little about you and your philsophy as a seller
Low value items should be listed at the 99p start with no reserve or buy me price
Mid value items should be listed with a realistic initial bid but with the price you want as a buy me pric
High value items should belisted inthe same way but ensure your start price is realisticfor the item
Don`t use reserves as they put people off. state in your ad that the initial price is the lowest you will accept and that there is no reserve. Your initial price should be your reserve pric
Be aware of the reserve trap. most mid value items will atract a reserve of 50. Most ebayers know this and will wait until the last minute to put in a bid of 50. It will also put buyers off as they may be happy to pay 45.
Remember profit is profit and don`t get greedy.
Watch your P
Nokia Mobile phones UNLOCKING
Nokia have in the last few years introduced a code named BB5 into these and similar handsets, the codes to unlock the handsets to allow other simcards to be used, can only be obtained from Nokia via the network.
These phones CANNOT be unlocked by a mate or high street shops or on the web.
The sellers claiming these phones are easy to unlock are lying, eveybody knows an unlocked handset can fetch a higher price than a locked handset so ask yourself why if it's so easy to unlock, the seller hasn't done this?
The general rule is if the handset is on the 3 network only the the original registered owner can apply for the unlocking code.
If the phone is for example on T-Mobile ,Orange,Vodaphone or O2 anyone can apply for the unlocking code and will be charged a fee of around 20.00.
If you have brought a handset that is on 3 that the seller has claimed can be unlocked firstly contact the seller if they're the original owner they maybe able to help, if they can't or wont help contact Paypal and demand a FULL refund.
So the general rule is if the handset is a Nokia on the 3 network unless you intend to use a 3 simcard STAY WELL CLEAR.
If in doubt call me on 0785 989 7184.
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How do I check my tension?
As I've stated in my measurement guide, this is a vital part of making your garment. Knitting instructions always give a tension guide but sometimes we choose to ignore this in our keeness to start a new project.This can be a fatal error and is really worth the time spent on it.
Work a sample using the yarn and recommended needle size for the project. If the instructions specify 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10cm/4" I would cast on30 or so stitches and work 36 rows. The instructionsshould say if the tension guide is worked in a specific pattern otherwise presume its the main pattern used in the instructions. Lay the swatch flat without stretching it. Count4 stitches in from the edge and place a pin between this and the next stitch. Count across the row the number of stitches stated in the tension i.e 22 and place another pin there. Be careful with this - even one stitch over 10cm multiplies to a big size difference over the whole garment ad the results could be verydisappointing. Now measure the distance between the pins.If your tension is correct it will measure exactly 10cm/4". If the distance is less, your work is too tight- try again with larger size needles. If it is more, your work is too loose - try again with smaller size needles.
The horizontal tension is the most important to get right if you can't match both stitches and rows by altering needle size, as vertical tension can be usually be corrected by adding or subtracting rows.Some knitters find it easier to count the 'bumps' on the reverse of a stocking stitch/ stockinette tension swatch rather than the smooth side.
If you suspect the yarn you are using may shrink, it is important to wash your swatch and repeat the measuring.
Core 2 Duo/Core Duo - Blasting the myth!
Considering purchase of a Core 2 Duo laptop (or Core Duo)?
Many of our customers (both on ebay and in our shop) have questioned us about the latest Core 2 Duo laptops and why they are so expensive given such a low speed compared to older Pentium M Centrino laptops. When making such a sizeable investment of up to 4 figures it is important to understand what you are purchasing and why your expections probably won't be met.
First point of note is that multi core processors are still not fully utilised by software companies, in order to gain anything like a noticable speed gain from this technology both the operating system and the application need to be specifically compiled and developed to access the dual core functionality of Intel's latest processor. Here is a classic example.
Sony Core Duo 15.4 widescreen laptop 1.6ghz = CPU speed rating index of 4.1 under Windows Vista Ultimate.Dell D800 Centrino 15.4widescreen laptop 1.6ghz CPU speed rating index of 4.1 under Windows Vista Ultimate.
These machines have 24 months between them in production dates, use different technologies and yet produce identical results in Windows Vista performance tests. This is the situation, if you have money to burn be our guest, it's your money to waste. However Core Duo is a marketing mans dream and for twice the money for atleast the next 12 months will not actually give a noticable increase in a correctly configured machine.
Spend your money on a laptop with more memory, matched pairs of memory (to enable dual channel mode for even greater speed) and a faster hard drive of 5400rpm. You will find you have money to spare and still have a future proof laptop which will happily run the latest version of Windows for the next 4-5 years. We don't like seeing people get ripped off or wasting their money.
Vista isn't required nor is Core 2 Duo unless you are encoding raw video files 24/7 or rendering the next animated Walt Disney blockbuster movie on your laptop, save time, save money, avoid both believe me.
Painting Unfinished Wood Miniatures
Here are some basic guidelines, by no means exhaustive, to start you off.
Unfinished wood miniatures offer a great opportunity to personalise your house or diorama and so to create a unique project.
Remember the golden rules:-
There are no mistakes, ideas just change and evolve
Dont be afraid to experiment
Basic guidelines
Always sand the pieces first and dont forget to wipe them over to remove all dust before painting
Always apply the paint thinly several thin coats will give a much better finish than one heavy layer
Lightly sand each layer
If you are building something try to paint the individual pieces prior to construction. This will give clean lines, and if you are working on a small scale, will prove much easier to do.
Never use gloss paint
If you wish to create a shiny finish a thin top layer of transparent varnish is ideal.
Wood varnishes from a DIY store work well but need careful application in order to create a wood grain effect.
Emulsion paint and modelers paints are the best paints to use.
Do not be afraid to mix colours. Eg adding some white emulsion to a darker coloured one, adding a stain to emulsion
Do not mix water based and spirit based paints.
Childrens paintbrushes are ideal for application.
To create a distressed effect use a small amount of black or brown on your finger and gently rub over the area.
When you have finished snag and runs or blotches.
Invest in some masking tape.
ABOVE ALL, read the labels and be careful. Do not allow children or animals in close proximity when you are painting or mixing.
When I am painting I use a white emulsion as an undercoat. This soaks into the wood and adds depth to the colour. I use taster pots of emulsion from DIY stores, leftovers from family and friends decorating projects and occasionally model, water based paints.
Most importantly have fun and enjoy your creations.
What is healthy eating
Are you still confused abouth food and health, there is no need any longer. For at least 20 years nutritionists, dieticans and doctors have provided the same diet information and recommended the same basic foods and health principles to guide us all to healthier eating. Research will confirm what you already know ignore the fad diets and follow these simple steps below to reduce risk of weight related illness and manage your weight.
Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. This can include fruit juice
Change the way you cook. Grilling instead of frying this makes a hugh difference alone, steam those vegetables instead of boiling this way more of the goodness is saved.
Reduce the amount of fat and sugar in your diet. Always check the food labels for amount of fat and suger.
Increase your intake of starchy foods. This means more pasta, rice and potatoes.
Just as good food and health go hand in hand, you also need to combine all this with a more physicallifestyle to improve your overall health. It is also very important to enjoy healthier eating as you are more likely to stick to the changes you make.
So in quick more fruit and veg less salt and suger, grill instead of fry more pasta and rice less bread and chips.
More walking or cycling less car and bus.
All of the above is achievable but remember it is a lifestyle change and you will need to keep trying, the results will be positive and you will not look back. If you have a moment of weakness please think moderation.
Hope this guide helps you, please click enabling this guide to be more visable to others. Thankyou.
Volvo 340
The Volvo 340 comes with either a 1.4 or 1.7 engine.
The 1.4 is by no means a sporty car; by today's standards it's rather sluggish and staid. It comes without power steering and can be a bit heavy to drive at times. Whilst the 1.4 couldn't be described as a gas-guzzler it isn't as economical as other later, small engined cars it's no better (or worse) than the 1.7. For their size they're a surprisingly heavy car. 30 mpg is the norm.
They are boringly reliable and tend to plod on year after year. The styling is now quite dated and second hand, they are not a particularly popular model. Servicing and parts are relatively inexpensive. At present, breakers yards are still a good source of second hand parts. There doesn't appear to be any inherent faults with these cars. Just keep an eye out for rust around the rear arches.
The plus point is they're so cheap to buy now. 5 years ago (2003) it was possible to pay 300 for a 1989 one-owner, 26,000 mile example with complete service history. There's still plenty of low mileage examples out there, and they are worth very little indeed. It's a buyers market. A couple of hundred quid should get you a very good tidy example indeed with service history.
Car auction prices? (like British Car Auctions or the Scottish Motor Auction Group). Early 2007 an example with 50,000 on the clock was sold for 35. Yes, that's thirty five pounds. The second hand value of these cars is almost non-existent. They're almost impossible to get rid of because of their very dated styling and image. The reality is that it's difficult to give one of these cars away.
If given the choice, go for the 1.7 engine model. They're no more expensive than the 1.4 variant.
Don't goby the year of the car - it makes no difference to the price. Condition, length of mot and service history is the yardstick. They're cheap to insure as well.
If this guide has been of any interest/use to you please vote for it. You may help another member.
Driving lessons on Ebay- be carefull!
For christmas 2006, I really wanted to buy my partner driving lessons but they are so expensive. When I came across driving lessons on Ebay for a cheaper price tag, I couldn't believe my luck. The lessons were from the AA, and were in block of hours. I was abit unsure about bidding but the sellers 100% feedback gave me the confidence to bid. He claimed to work for the AA and recieved massive discounts for buying block bookings. He provided a refrence number so you could check your lessons existed and you recieved a welcome pack from the AA. I went ahead and bidded, after bidding over 350 I won. I spoke to the seller on the phone and he seemed friendly and genuine. He said he didnt have a paypal account and I was to pay the money into his bank account at Natwest. This striked me as a bit odd but he said it was for work resons. If i didnt pay he would leave me negative feedback. So I paid the money into his account. A couple of weeks passed and no welcome pack arrived. I started to worry but yet again the seller reasured me my lessons were still vaid. A couple of days passed when we recieved a letter from the AA, they had found out about the man selling lessons on E-bay and it was being investigated by the fraud squad, all lessons bought with the same credit card were cancelled. By this time, rumours were flying round E-bay. All the people who had bought from this man had lost there lessons and a lot of money. So i wasn't on my own,I feelt cheated and stupid for paying the money into his accont. He carried on to sell lessons on E-bay and I e-mailed the people bidding and urged them not to bid or part with there money. Afterward the sellers account was removed and his mobile was didconected. He was gone along with all the money he took. I did report to it the police station and E-bay but never heard anything back. When buying driving lessons, be carefull. There are alot of genuine sellers out there but also con artist... as I found out
10 Most Common Cleaning Questions
10 Most Common Cleaning Questions
1. Should I dust or vacuum first? Some people say that you should vacuum first because the vacuum spews dust into the air. My answer to that is to get another vacuum! Definitely dust first and then vacuum anything that might fall to the floor. I also believe in top to bottom logic, putting the vacuuming at the bottom makes it the last thing to do (before mopping). 2. How can I make housecleaning go faster and not turn my morning into a cleaning marathon? I think the easiest way is to do it in stages. Some 80% or more of cleaning time is spent just putting things away and straightening. That can turn a morning of cleaning into an all-day event!When I think of cleaning, I think of the actual act of cleaning, not putting away items or straightening and picking up clothes off the floor, for example. I also dont like to lump laundry into cleaning either. Personally, I spend time picking up and straightening the night before I clean. Then, the next morning Im ready to scrub, dust, vacuum, and mop strictly cleaning.3. How can I get my kids to clean? Generations of mothers had the credo that before you could go to play or go to a friends house, your chores had to be done. Seems fair and it reinforces the life principle that you cant do what you want to do until you do what you have to do. 4. How can I get my husband to help around the house? Divvy up the chores. Tell your husband that vacuuming is like indoor mowing! Really. And, just plain ask. Many women just expect their husbands to see them huffing and puffing and just know to help out. Instead of getting mad because they didnt read our minds, we should instruct them on how to clean a toilet, run the vacuum, and wipe counters.5. Does more (soap, bleach, detergent, ammonia, etc.) mean more clean? No, in fact its a case of diminishing returns. If you put too much soap in the mop water, for instance, the floors will be sticky and that actually attracts more dirt, making the floors get dirtier faster. Not only that, but its wasteful. And, depending on the cleaner you use, you could just be dumping excess chemicals into your home environment, which can be aggravating if you have allergies or someone in your home has asthma. I usually recommend using half of the recommended amounts that manufacturers suggest because these are at the higher end of effectiveness which makes you use more product and buy more. 6. The dishes in my dishwasher never look clean and sparkling. Why? One of the problems here is that the water temperature isnt getting hot enough. An effective way to handle this is to check the temperature of the water during the wash cycle. It should be about 140 degrees or higher. Be sure to run the hot water in your sink before starting the dishwasher to make sure the washer pulls in hot water when it fills the tub. If the water isnt hot enough, you may need to turn up your hot water heater higher. Another problem could actually be too much soap. Most people overfill their soap receptacles. More isnt better. Try using half your usual amount. Lastly, check to be certain your dishwasher drain is clean and that food and other items arent trapped in the drain.7. I hate laundry. What can I do to make it easier and faster? Me, too! I like to do laundry on a Friday night. How exciting is that? I like to watch TV on Friday nights and this is a good time to fold laundry. Then by early Saturday morning its all done and ready to put away. I dont believe in doing itty bitty loads all the time, either. Its a waste of time, water, and energy. Save laundry up enough to do full loads. And, clean the dryer lint trap every single time it reduces drying time significantly.8. Stains are all over my carpet. What can I do about it? Well, that depends. If you have pet stains, read my article Keeping a Clean Home When You Have Pets. Pet stains need to be treated with odour blockers and enzyme cleaners especially for cat urine. If you have run-of-the-mill stains on your carpet (red wine, mud, coffee, etc.), try spot cleaning with an Oxiclean Carpet Cleaner. Its my hands down commercially-available product. Treat stains as they happen. Dont let them sit and your carpets will look like new for years. 9. My walls are stained and nasty. How can I clean them? Wipe the walls every time you clean with a damp microfiber cloth. Regular cleaning is the best way to keep walls looking good. If your walls are painted with flat paint, use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to get up stubborn stains. This is truly a miracle cleaning product. One of the best ways to keep your walls looking good is to make them cleanable. Few flat paints are cleanable, so dont waste your time with flat paint. Consider painting as many of your walls as possible with cleanable paint. Its the best way to keep walls clean.10. It always seems like I need to sweep. Why do my floors get dirty so fast? It may be incomplete sweeping that causes the problem. Few vacuums really get the edges of where the floor meets the wall good and clean. This dirt can find its way out to the main walkways. Take out your vacuum hose and sweep the edges of all your floors when you vacuum. The extra five minutes you spend doing this will help keep your floors cleaner. Also, be sure to have doormats at every entrance and rugs or mats inside, too. Another idea to keep floors extra clean is to ban shoes. Have everyone leave shoes at the entrances and dirt will be greatly reduced. Lastly, get a small vacuum that works on smooth and carpeted floors for quick touch ups. I do all of these things and Im not constantly sweeping, I know it can help you, too!
Wholesale Bargain Store
mini moto history
Minimotos are now one of the fastest growing categories in motor sport, because of the low running costs involved and closeness of the racing. Whether its just a quick thrash around the local airfield (with permission of course) or a full on assault on the track the sense of excitement and fun you can get from minimotos is awe inspiring.
Origin of the minimotoThe first series of minimotos originated from Japan, with modest power outputs these were quickly superseded by the superior performance of the European models, particularly the Italian Polini engined variety which is one of the quickest accelerating minimotos. The Chinese have now jumped on the bandwagon and have produced a series of easily affordable minimotos priced below 200, with all the features and capable of speeds upto50 miles an hour in some cases in standard trim.
Minimotos or as the Chinese call them gas scooters are scaled down versions of true GP racing motorcycles. The latest minimotos run cutting edge technology with a floating disk brake at the front and a single disc at the rear, running on racing compound slick tires. The bodywork is beautifully styled with both full fairing versions and half fairing models. Not to be out done by their big brothers these miniature racing bikes come with a hi-tech polished aluminium/magnesium alloy cast frame with integral swinging arm.
Minimoto performanceMost common engine sizes for minimotos are 47cc to 49cc, generally a two stroke air cooled motor requiring unleaded fuel premixed with fully synthetic two stroke oil. The higher performance minimotos are notably water cooled.
Minimotos are available in two sizes: a mini with a 27" wheelbase and a midi with a 30" wheelbase. Engine horsepower choices are available from a 4.2 HP model up to the 15 HP race machines that can actually reach speeds of upto 75 miles an hour which feels more like 150 miles an hour when you are so low to the ground Transporting your minimoto also represents very few problems due to there compactness 1m - 1.3m long and weighing in at only 23kg., if you have a spare suitcase it will not be a problem
Minimotos are suitable for children aged 7 and upwards but only under the strict supervision of a responsible adult. Even though these machines are small miniature works of art most will carry a 250lb adult.
Most successful stars of today in World Superbike and MotoGP started there racing in the minimoto category many moons ago. The best example is Valentino Rossi. He was Italian pocketbike Champ twice before becoming 125, 250,500 and MotoGP World Champion. So give it a go and who knows!!
Before purchasing buy one get one free tickets...
... check the auction very carefully for clues.
I am planning a trip to Blackpool soon with some friends, and went on to ebay to search for promotional vouchers.I found one advertised as buy 2 wristbands and get 1 free.
I received it, and the vouchers seemed genuine, however the following week i got a voucher book from leisure vouchers with the exact same voucher in it. What the seller failed to tell me was to use this voucher, you must first purchase leisure vouchers, and use them as part payment when redeeming the vouchers. So yes i can use it, but i would have to buy some leisure vouchers first, then take them with me. Not as easy as just going to the ticket kiosk and handing over some cash and the voucher.
It is therefore, worth asking the seller if there are any other requirements to use the vouchers!
Hope this helps you save a few pennies!
BEWARE OF EBAY ACCOUNT THIEVES, ACCOUNT HACKERS
We recently been a victim of un-authorised bidding activities in our auctions, All genuinesellers and buyers be aware of ebay's latest fraud members. Who is hacking hundreds of ebay other members account. Using it to buy or bids on hundreds of items on ebay. This thieves are buying like crasy on ebay and not pay for it. In just two weeks alone we had 4 listing with buy it now, that bought by a hacker or account thieves people. luckily ebay refunded us all our listing, because we reported it to ebay. Also luckily we managed to relist the item without starting the process from the very beggining again, because we use turbo lister and save all our templates on each listings.
My tips to sellers Specially new sellers, Use turbo lister and Save your templates on eash listings. Because when your item will be removed by ebay due to the un-authorised bidding activities. ebay cannot re-list it authomaticaly for you. You have to do it again for yourself. Also another tips is that save your photographs as long you can.
Recent account hackers: are from Germany, Australia, and Wales.
My best ps2 games ever
Here are my all time best ps2 games in the different categories
role playing games
1) Kingdom hearts 2- Amazing graphics and outstanding gameplay- a masterpiece.
2) Final Fantasy 12- the wait only made it more rewarding when it finally came. One of the biggest of them all.
3)Dragon quest- The characters look great. An epic.
4)Dark chronicle- Another great game
5)Rogue galaxy- brilliant plot and it looks good too.
Platformers
1)Ratchet and clank 3- Colourful graphics, amazing weapons and action packed levels.
2) Psychonauts- weird and wonderful. The levels take place inside peoples minds are some levels are really original
3)Jake 2 renegade- A massive world (which the psp game daxter expands on ) Great!
4)Sly 3- Cartoony graphics and animal characters make up a peculiar but wonderful game
5) Jak 3- The tonnes of vehicles make this game great fun.
Shooters
1) Timesplitters 2- Fast and furious, this is the king of shooters
2) Black- realistic graphics, and although linear at times, still an excellent game
3)Resident evil 4- Blowing heads off spanish sounding zombies with a shotgun with all the lights off. Genius
4) Call of duty 3- Best world war 2 shooter. looks good on ps2, great on ps3.
5)Half life- very good shooter
Driving
1)Gran tourismo 4- stunning level details. especially the tracks e.g. the canyon and great handling vehicles. A must buy.
2) Burnout denominator- Extremely fast, smooth and action packed. Brilliant
3)Toca racing driver 3- even more types of cars than gran tourismo 4
4)Outrun 2006 coast to coast- sublime graphics, gameplay and that feel good factor
5)Need for speed most wanted- I think its more original and exciting than its newer sibling need for speed carbon.
Action games
1)Spartan total warrior- bloody and great, the levels and weapons in this are really varied.
2)Metal gear solid 3- full of meaning as well as action
3) god of war 2-another epic- you have to learn fast as it starts amazingly think big)
4)Resident evil 4- packed with awesome bossess. Scary.
5) Grand theft auto san andreas- so big its unbelievable.
Sports games-
1)virtua tennis 3- addicitve gameplay and minigames are funny.
2)ssx3- beautiful courses and awesome tricks to do.
3) Pro evolution soccer 6- the best football game out there.
4)Tony hawk's pro skater 3- the first and arguably best tony hawk skating game.
5)Fifa 07- still a great footbal game, let down by gameplay.
The top five ever ps2 games.
1)grand theft auto san andreas
2) Spartan total warrior
3)metal gear solid 3
4) resident evil 4
5)ratchet and clank 3
Thanks for reading, hope you have seen some of your favourite games on my list too!
Friday, 6 August 2010
ERA Mini Turbo
The
E.R.A Mini Turbo was conceived as a 1980s replacement for the Mini
Cooper S. A car with all the key characteristics of the Cooper speed,
handling, excitement - but one which would introduce into the concept the
refinement
and comfort lacking in the original, but so necessary for modern
motoring.
E.R.A set out to engineer a car to the highest automotive standards.
There would be no compromise on engineering quality. The car should
use as many tried and tested standard Austin Rover components as possible.
It should minimise the use of special tooling to avoid lengthy testing
and uneconomic
production batches. It should be easily and readily serviceable by any Austin Rover dealer.
The car should be styled so as to be instantly recognisable as a Mini, and
yet to be distinctive. It was to be trimmed and equipped internally to modern
standards, but with a hint of classicism no digital instruments or
super modern gimmicks.
It was to be the fastest ever production Mini, but not by using an intractable
high revving competition engine. It must have excellent torque and mid range
performance to cope with modern traffic conditions.
It was to be safe and predictable in the hands of the inexperienced.
E.R.A believes that these demanding criteria have been met satisfactorily.
The body modifications and spoilers were styled by Dennis Adams, the designer
of the Marcos sports cars and the Probe concept car.
It is aggressive without being boy racer. And the body kit is properly tooled to
provide a good fit on the Mini shell and be of considerable strength.
The interior is almost totally changed. Gone are the standard Mini seats and
the 'bus driver' position. Gone also is the noise and harshness of the standard car.
Specially designed and tested sports style seats have been installed, giving excellent support and
comfort.
The car has a full range of VDO traditional dial instrumentation on an entirely
new instrument panel. A sunroof lightens the interior and the car is trimmed
in a careful combination of best Connolly hide, cloth, ambla and deep sound
deadening carpet.
The power for the E.R.A Mini comes from the well tried Austin Rover A series
1300 turbo engine which gives a smooth and reliable 94 bhp at 6200 rpm but,
more important than out and out power, the mid range torque has been matched
by careful testing on the E.R.A test beds to suit the required performance of
the car. It is easily sufficient to provide excitement and satisfaction to the
user, yet docile in traffic.
Installation of the turbo unit in a Mini involved modification of the body
shell and many hours of development to ensure that the tight squeeze did nothing
to impair reliability. Modifications to the water and oil cooling systems ensure
that the power unit and transmission remain adequately cool even in high ambient
temperatures.
Of course more power in a Mini would be useless and potentially dangerous without
adequate suspension and brakes. Suspension modification was planned using computer
simulation and then tried out in practice at racing speeds on high speed test
tracks and at Castle Combe race track.
Specially made lower front suspension arms provide the necessary 1.5 degrees
of negative camber which, combined with increased front wheel toe-out, minimises
torque steer; a common problem with powerful front wheel drive cars. New adjustable
damper units and bump stops are fitted all round and the car is lowered.
The car is fitted with ventilated front discs and four pot callipers and modified
drum rear brakes. A servo system ensures acceptably light pedal pressures. Extensive
development work has been carried out on the braking system to optimise stability
under harsh braking conditions.
All alloy, one piece, 6 x 13 wheels are used all round with
either Goodyear or Dunlop 165:13:60 section, low profile tyres HR rated. The
wheels have been fully impact and fatigue tested
and each wheel is fitted with a disc type knave plate and tamper proof lock.
One of the press pictures.
The ERA Mini is far more than just an engine conversion, although
just swapping the engines seems such a logical move that you wonder why there
isn't a thriving cottage industry engaged in making demon Minis, like latter
day John Coopers.
As we'll see, there's rather more to it than just dropping in the engine
and ERA are determined to do it properly, reworking other elements of the
car to
produce a car that can handle the extra power and performance as though it
were
made for it. Although out of the public gaze for so long, ERA have a reputation
inside the industry to protect and have to get this car right as it has to
be
a success to allow them to carry on and build the next project, which will
have far more overt ERA content.
Nevertheless the foundation of the ERA Mini
is an ordinary Mini City selected off the production line, painted and
with glass fitted. Once that's
arrived at ERA's Dunstable works, a team of three descends on the car and
the conversion unfolds.
The engine is the standard Metro Turbo unit, the old
A-Series (or rather A Plus after its update of a few years ago) in
1275cc form. Despite the
presence
of
a substantial Garrett AiResearch T3 turbo, it runs a 9.4:1 compression
ratio without complaint.
The ERAs plush interior.
Reproduction Metal Shoulder Titles
With the prices currently being fetched for British Army Metal Shoulder Titles it is perhaps little wonder that an increasing number of 'reproduction' titles are appearing. I despair day by day that the fakers have moved in. Not a new phenomenon, even before Ray Westlakes excellent work appeared in the early 1980's, I can remember being offered (and sad to say obtaining)such unworthy specimens as T/RFA/R.W.KENT and T/RFA/WELCH. In some cases original dies are used, and most of the TYNESIDE/SCOTTISH offerings fall into this category from a rash of restrikes in the 1980's, and more recently the HMRR HUSSARS/DRAGOONS
A quick guide to buying import video games
Before you buy import games, make sure your system can play them:
For your reference
UK, Australia, New Zealand and other parts of Europe - games are PAL format, consoles accept PAL games only
USA and Canada - games are NTSC format (referred to as NTSC U), consoles accept NTSC U games only
Japan, Korea and Asia - games are NTSC format (referred to as NTSC J), consoles accept NTSC J games only
The consoles that I know of that play games from all regions are:
Neo Geo, GameBoy (Original, Pocket, Advance, SP, Micro, DS) and PSP. These consoles have no region protection.
Why buy import consoles and games?
Most Pal consoles pre-Dreamcast (1998/1999) ran games at 50Hz,games running with borders on the top and bottom of the picture on the TV- giving the game a widescreen, squashed kind of look!! If this wasn't bad enough - the games also ran 17.5% slower than the NTSC version of the game!!
NTSC consoles ran games at the originally intended full speed at 60Hz and usually at full screen.
Things to watch out for..
Please note that if you buy games from abroad, then items 18 or over(declared as 'merchandise' on the customs label) or 36 or over (declared as 'gift' on the customs label) are subject to custom charges. Parcels sent by standard airmail over these values will generally be charged 17.5% of the value of the parcel plus 5 handling charge from Royal Mail. If the parcel is sent by EMS (Express Mail Service) - the parcel will be delivered by Parcelforce Worldwide once in the UK. Parcels sent by EMS over these values will generally be charged 17.5% and about 10 handling costs - so watch out!!! You could buy a game for 20 and if sent by EMS then you could pay 20 + 3.50 + 10 = 33.50 for 20 worth of games!!
Some sellers from abroad offer postage discounts but take in account the total costs of the games first before choosing combined shipping. For example, if you want 2 games, 1 priced 15 and 1 priced 17 and the seller offers combined shipping (probably save yourself 1.50 in postage costs), the total price of the 2 items in 1 parcel will be 32. If the parcel is declared at this value as merchandise and customs notice it, then you could be paying an additional 10.60 in customs fees. But if you had the items sent separately, then you would not have had any custom fees as each parcel was worth less than 18 - so bare this in mind, combined postage does not always save you money!!
In general, not all parcels are declared at their true value and Royal Mail/Parcelforce do not always bother if the value is slightly over 18.
All custom fees are the responsibility of the buyer NOT the seller. I usually have my games sent by registered airmail. This is a very cheap service and is safe and insured. Delivery time is usually between 5 to 10 days.
Good luck and thanks for looking!!
BUYING LINGERIE FOR YOU OR OTHERS - HOW TO GET IT RIGHT
Firstly, lets deal with the issue of guys buying Lingerie as a present for their partner. In order to make sure you select the right sort of lingerie start off by knowing her sizes, if you don't just check out a few of the labels in her wardrobe for the correct size. If she is between a UK Size 8 - 14 you will find it much easier to select a correct sized item if you purchase an item that is ONE SIZE FITS MOST as it takes the guess work out of most of it. Secondly, think about what your partner likes, her favourite colours, styles etc i.e. does she prefer a thong or full back pantie bottom etc and choose an item you think your partner will want to wear and that will make her feel sexy and desired, would she like a Bodystocking or would she prefer a Sexy Cami Set
Grow Bamboo Plants From Seed
Buy RARE Bamboo Seeds
Propagation from seed is a cost effective and efficient way of propagation. When bamboos flower and set seed, which can take place over a number of years or even decades , the natural regeneration and survival of the bamboo is ensured through the millions of seeds that the bamboo produces. In the year following the flowering of the bamboo (or years in the case of gregarious flowering), blooms tend to be concentrated in the months between November and April. Seeds tend to be generally available then from March to April onwards, however seeds in the period May to July tend to have better viability and reproductive ability.
Plants originating from seeds do take longer to develop into mature clumps than plant material derived through vegetative methods of propagation. However seed based propagation does ensure diversity of the bamboo."Different bamboos have different sized bamboo seeds
" The seeds of the Bambusa Tulda and Bambusa Nutans produce very small seeds, typically there could be 125,000 seeds per kilogram
" The seeds of the Dendroclamus Species tend to be larger than the bambusa species, however each individual type of Dendrocalamus seeds does in itself vary in size
" The seeds of Melaconna baccifera are very large and a kilogram of seed may only contain 65-70 seeds. These are around the size of a guava or small apple
Seed Quantities
The quantity of seeds produced by a clump or over a certain area (depending on the type of bamboo) also varies from species to species.
" Bambusa bambos produces seeds in large quantities, which can form dense carpets on the forest floor,
" Dendrocalamus strictus - a clump of this bamboo can produce around 30-35 kilograms of seed
However, some bamboos species do not flower at all, or it may be that there are no recorded instances of flowering as there is much still to learn about the flowering of bamboos particularly in the extremely remote areas where access is limited . Some species of bamboo do flower but do not set seed, other bamboos do produce seed but only in very small quantities, therefore seeds from these species are very difficult to obtain particularly if the seed is scattered over a large area.
As previously discussed there are problems with relying on bamboo seeds as a means of propagation as it is only available on rare occasions and its predictability cannot be guaranteed since the flowering cycle of many species is extremely long.
Two of the most common Bambusa are Bambusa Balcooa and Bambusa Vulgaris, these species flower but only very rarely. So when flowering does occur, it is extremely sporadic in nature and the seeds tend to be scattered and confined to just a few bamboo clumps at a time. Such flowering does not result in setting of seed, these species can therefore only be regularly multiplied vegatatively through traditional propagation methods. Although an alternative to this method is to propagate them from tissue cultured plants,
Q. How Are Seeds Collected?
After flowering the bamboo seed falls to the ground, although the bamboo culm can be shaken to dislodge any ripe seeds, this latter method of collection from the culm does result in a cleaner collection of seeds than if they were picked from the ground. Seeds that does fall to the ground is at risk from insects, birds, rats and other animals. It is also often difficult to collect seed from the wild as concentrations of growing stock tend to be in dense forests, and the fallen seeds of common clumping species tend to germinate in just a few weeks therefore the seed must be collected as soon as possible to ensure the quality and viability of the seeds is at its maximum.
Therefore seed collection is easier if it is controlled, this can be done by clearing the bamboo clumps of other vegetation and placing a large clean cloth or tarpaulin onto the ground where the seeds may fall, the fallen seeds will stand a better chance of survival from the elements and will be cleaner than if left to fall on the ground. Any seeds that do fall to the ground should be cleaned by shaking free any dirt and removing any insects so that the rest of the seeds during storage do not become contaminated or eaten!
Seed Storage
It is essential that seeds are stored immediately and in controlled conditions as soon as they are collected as fresh bamboo seeds germinate better than those that are stored but provided that the correct storage conditions are maintained the viability of the seed can be maintained. Seeds need to be stored in low moisture and in cool dry conditions. The seed must not be stored in humid conditions where it is warm and damp i.e. like that of a greenhouse.
It is important to process and transfer seeds to the ideal storage conditions as quickly as possible to avoid any loss in viability. Only those seeds of a high quality with high viability rates should be chosen for storage. Care should be taken to ensure that the seeds are clean from insects, dirt and any fungal debris so as not to infect or damage other seeds which may be in stor
THE COMIC PRICE GUIDE FOR GREAT BRITAIN 4 (C-D)
(see The Comic Price Guide for Great Britain 3) Please vote if you find it interesting!
CATWEAZLE ANNUAL. World Distrbutors. 1971-1972Scarce, collectible annuals based on children's television series starring Geoffrey Bayldon. The copyright indicia inside says the previous year ie MCMLXX as the first annual was published around September 1970 for the Christmas market but is regarded as a 1971 annual. Longer shelf-life, more sales is a very common thought behind dating annuals.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1971 black cover, Catweazle close-up photo cover.50 2.00 4.00 8.00 12.50 25.00CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN. Strato. 1-4. 1960'sPR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1 reprints classic Challengers with outstanding Jack Kirby art.50 2.00 4.00 10.00 20.00 40.00CHAMPION. Fleetway. 26th Feb 1966-4th Jun 1966 (15 un-numbered issues, joins Lion)A very surprisingly short-lived title and one that is very collectible for the Jet Jordan strip and artwork featured by Eric Bradbury and Carlos Cruz. A companion paper to Hurricane. The free gift is issue #1 Screamer Balloon is very scarce and would add 75-90 to the value I would have thought. Only ever seenone Near Mint copy of issue #1. The 1967 and 1968 annuals don't show up that often either.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 26th Feb 1966 Jet Jordan, School for Spacemen, Return of the Stormtroopers by Eric Bradbury, When The Sky Turned Green by Carlos Cruz all begin1.00 2.00 5.00 10.00 20.00 40.00CHAMPION THE WONDER HORSE ANNUAL. Daily Mirror/World/Purnell. 1953-1962PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1953 based on televison series.50 2.00 4.00 8.00 12.50 25.00CHARLIE'S ANGELS ANNUAL. Stafford Pemberton. 1978-1981PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1978 based on televison series; includes photo profiles of Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jacyln Smith.50 2.00 4.00 8.00 12.50 25.00COMBAT PICTURE ANNUAL. Micron. 1962PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1962 rare, 256 pages, comes with dust-jacket1.00 3.00 10.00 30.00 60.00COMBAT PICTURE LIBRARY. Micron/Smith. 1 Mar 1959-1212 Jun 1985The 'forgotten' war picture library comic but still very collectible.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1 68 pages pocket size; Sea Hunt1.00 2.00 5.00 15.00 30.00 60.00COMET, THE. Allen/Amalgamated Press. 1 20th Sep 1946-17th Oct 1958 (580 issues, numbered to 566. Joins Tiger)Popularity for this title has wained as early readers who collected it are now much older and dying off. Notable for comic strips like Kit Carson, , Dick Barton and Strongbow the Mighty. If you could find a first issue, 50-75 in VG perhaps. Kit Carson began in #113 (16th Sep 1950), Dick Barton in #247 (11th Apr 1963).COMMANDO LIBRARY. D.C. Thomson. 1 Jul 1961-present (4050 as at Oct 2007)This is a title that has exploded in collectibility in recent years with issues under #100 of particular interest and value. In fact issues up to about 500 seem to sell well. #478 was the last cover price one shilling before decimalized 5p cover price in 1971, an important cut-off point in my opinion. Never liked those dual cover priced issues anyway! There were annuals published in 1989 and 1990 featuring 7 new stories in each. Today you can buy softcover collections at most large bookstores. I've seen four: Anzac at War, True Brit, All Guns Blazing and The Dirty Dozen. Fifteen stories reprinted at 15.99. Can't be bad! A recent E Bay sales: #1 in VG with tape on spine for 460. #1 in VG with cover crease for 510 (Jan 2008). #1 in FN- for 550 - it looked like a nice copy and at this price may be considered a bargain. The Buy It Now Price as 750 which was about right!PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1 Walk or Die with art by Amador Garcia7.50 40.00 125.00 300.00 450.002 They Call Him Coward with art by Armando Banato2.50 15.00 50.00 125.00 250.003 A Guy Needs Guts with art by C.T. Rigby2.00 10.00 35.00 90.00 175.004 Mercy for None with art by Gordon Livingstone1.50 8.00 30.00 80.00 150.005 Hellfire Landing with art by Ortiz1.50 8.00 30.00 80.00 150.006 They Came By Night with art by Ros1.25 6.00 20.00 60.00 120.007 The Ship They Couldn't Sink with art by Savi1.25 6.00 20.00 60.00 120.008 Red Runs The River with art by Rafael Auraleon1.25 6.00 20.00 60.00 120.009 Jungle Fury! with art by Madaigan1.25 6.00 20.00 60.00 120.0010 Hun Bait with art by Gordon Livingstone1.25 6.00 20.00 60.00 120.0011 Closer Than Brothers with art by Ortiz1.00 5.00 17.50 50.00 100.0012 The Desperate Days with art by Gordon Livingstone1.00 5.00 17.50 50.00 100.0013 Death in the Sun1.00 5.00 17.50 50.00 100.0014 Fly Fast, Shoot Fast1.00 5.00 17.50 50.00 100.0015 J*p Killer1.00 5.00 17.50 50.00 100.00COR!! IPC. 6th Jun 1970-15th Jun 1974 (196 un-numbered issues)Early issues (#1-10) more difficult to find. Annuals (1972-1979) and Summer Specials (1972-1979) very plentiful on E Bay. The 1977 softcover Book of Gags is harder to find.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 6th Jun 1970 Gus Gorilla by Alf Saporito, Tom Boy by Brian Lewis, Ivor Lott
How to tile a wall - ceramic tile : kitchen splashback
Hello and welcome to : How to tile a kitchen splashback using Ceramic tiles.
In this first guide we will cover:
Tools required for job
Initial measuring of project to determine tile amounts
Setting out of tiles
Correct adhesive application
Cutting tiles
Difficult cuts
Grout application.
Finish
Tools required for job.
To tile a kitchen splashback you will need the following.
A sharpened pencil
A tape measure
A calculator
A level (we recomended a Rubi 50cm and a Rubi 70cm) - obviously both of which are available from our shop.
One- 4mm wall trowel (different trowel sizes are used for different jobs wall, floor, mosaic)
One tile cutter - We use Rubi TS tile cutters in our professional fitting and of course we recomend the same, you can buy other tile cutter tools obviously from ebay. which may be cheaper than a Rubi, but for atruly professional cut use Rubi.
1 x tile nippers
One bag of 2mm tile spacers (inc. 500 spacers)
Onegrout float
One tile sponge (excellent for cleaning car once rinsed completly of grout residue)
One plastic spatula
WD40 - or similar
Lint free cloth
Twoclean buckets
Ready Mixed Wall Tile Adhesive
Grout (powder)
A foldable workbench
2 x screwdrivers - 1 x phillips - 1 x straight edge - (really depends on the screws on the plug and fuse sockets).
1 x roll of brown wrapping paper and 1 x duct tape.
latex gloves (adhesive and grout are irritants to the skin)
optional1 x tile wet cutter (for a truly professional finish.)
1 cup of tea / coffee one or two packets of biscuits. We prefer chocolate digestive. I once fitted a job where the customer insisted that I stop work for thirty minutes in the morning and afternoon, so I could take tea and biscuits in her kitchen and we could chat. (I love my job).
onto the next section...
Initial measuring of project to determine tile amounts.
Break the wallinto seperate squares or rectangles.Of course if you are only tiling behind the cooker, then the measurement should be quite straight forward.
An area of a rectangle or square is determined by multiplying two sides, (for the rectangle it will be the lowest side then the shortest), when the full area to be tiled has been calculated, add an extra ten percent. I'm sorry if this feels like a Maths GCSE, but the extra ten percent is necessary for any cuts that may have to be made, or miss cut tiles.
This calculation will know serve three purposes, it will determine the amount of tiles you require, the amount of adhesive and the amount of grout.
One tub of10ltrTile Adhesivewill cover roughly 10m2 on a perfectflat, smooth wall. 1litre = 1 metre (visit- ardex.co.uk -and use the tile adhesive and grout calculator to determine the correct amounts for the job - this is not a link to sell outside ebay)
One bag of 10kg Wall Grout will grout 32m2, based on a 10cm x 10cm tile 6mm thick with a 2mm jon space between tiles. Other tile sizes and joint spaces will differ grout amount, we will of course advise you of the correct amount of adhesive and grout based upon your calculations.
Bearing in mind also that site conditions and wastage will also effect the amount required. (Not to try and deter you,but its not to late to call in the professionals.)
Setting out of tiles.
There are two ways to determine the laying out of tiles: centre tile and tile edge. Using your tape measure find the centre of the wall you are going to tile, mark it with the pencil and then run a plumb line down using your level and pencil, do the same across until the centre of wall is found. Take your tile and determine where you get the least cuts, if any hopefully, by either; placing the tile centre or from thetile edge.
Once this has been completed, place on tile on two 2mm spacers, one on each corner, level on the counter top. mark the top with your pencil. Remove tile, then with your level, draw a line horizontally, left to right, this will insure your row of tiles are level. We recommend you keep doing this step both vertically and horizontally to enable you to have a guidance line, to tile to.
Correct adhesive application.
So you have decided were the tiles are going to go, we are now almost ready to put them on the wall.
This next step is important. before you even open the tub of adhesive, we recomend you unroll the brown paper on the work top and cover cover it, sticking the paper down accordingly using the duct tape. The last thing you need is adhesive on your counter top or oven.
Using the trowel place the adhesive on the wall, when this has been achieved run the notched edge through the adhesive ,holding the trowel at a 45 degree angle and working left to right, to insure nice even tram lines through the adhesive. (remember -always tile from the bottom and work up.)
With this task done, take a tile, placeon the bottom middle, pushand twist lightly into the adhesive to insure full contact and you now have your first tile.Insert your spacers (they look like this ) into each corner and continue tiling, left or right then up, adding more adhesive as you finish one piece. We recommend only tiling 0.5 m at a time, until you get the hang of it. The adhesive will be workable on the wall for about 45 minutes.
So your going along nicely, when you reach a cabinet edge and you only need half a tile, so you take your pencil flip the tile over, with the back facing you and mark of thelength required. Now when you cut the tile, you will be able to place thecut edge against the cabinet, thus insuring you get a professional finish.
Cutting tiles.
This part is made easy, with the use of the tile cutter. Set up the work bench and assemble the tile cutter (tile cutters come in various sizes and various price ranges and without getting into too mush detail, I will assume you are using a TS40 - a tile cutter that will take a tile upto 40cm in length), place the tile at the far end, above the breaker point, take the cutting wheel handle and cut the tile, move the cutting handle back, grab the breaking mechanism handle, pull down and 'snap' a clean cut tile.
Difficult cuts.
For uneven shaped cutsthe use of a wet cutter could be used, a wet cutter consists of a diamond coated blade that is cooled by water. The blade will cut through ceramic, porcelain, slate, stone. However, for a first attempt at tiling I won't go into detail, but if your feeling brave, remember to always follow the manufactures advice, oh and please only use outside, not in the house.
It possible with a bit of practice to cut a tile into an L shap, using only the tile cutter and tile nippers. draw out the shape you need on the tile and then using the tile cutter, scour up and across on the piece you wish to cut, so you are left with a section covered in small squares, take the nippers, hold the tile firmly on a flat surface and nip away at the the cut section. AsI say, a bit of practice may be required, but it is possible.
Grout Application.
Well done, you have reached this far, now stand back and let the tiles sit and the adhesive dry off overnight before attempting the next stage.
Ready to go, then take one bucket, insuring it is clean and fill it to the top with clean cold water, put aside with the sponge.
Take the other bucket and mix the grout as per the manufacturers instructions on the back, the grout should be slump resistant (that is when you pick it up using the rubber grout float, it should stay on the float).
Again, we recommend working only a small piece at a time, the grout will dry quite quickly and it is difficult to removeonce it has dried.
Work the grout into the joints, removing any access grout from the tile surface, leave for a minute for the groat to dry slightly and now take the sponge, soak it in the clean water and thenring out as much water as possible. Now run the sponge over the tiles in a figure eight pattern, firm and slow, and the grout will be removed from the tiles. This step will probably have to be repeated several times butjust change the water regularly to keepitclean and remember tosqueeze the sponge before use.
Again this part can be messy, and we always recommend the use of gloves to protect the skin and any other safety equipment recommended.
So there you are, a nice beautiful tiled wall.
TRADE TIP.
You often find that after all your hard work the tiles will be covered with a dusty grout film, butdon't worry. Take the lint free cloth and spray lightly with WD40 - or similar and thenwipe over the tiles, to achieve a polished finish. It can be quite dusty so a face mask is recommended.
Insure you spray the cloth and not the tiles, we dont want to stain the nice white grout.
Job done (almost). At the bottom edge, where the tiles meet the work top and any corners, you find over time that movement cracks will appear in the grout, sowith thetube of silicon sealant, run a line along the bottom, where the tiles meet the counter top and also any corners.
Job Done. Make tea, sit back, invite your friendsand be proud of your accomplishment.
THE COMIC PRICE GUIDE FOR GREAT BRITAIN 3 (B-C)
(see The Comic Price Guide for Great Britain 2) Please vote if you find it interesting!
BEEZER SUMMER SPECIAL. D.C. Thomson. Jun 1973-May 1992Beezer
Summer Specials happened relatively late in the scheme of things
(likewise Topper) so they are very plentiful on E Bay - none of this
scarce and rare stuff that you get from vendors. They're not!! In very
high grade however it's fair to say that they are tough, particularly
the first couple.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.01973.25 .50 1.50 4.00 7.50 15.00BERYL THE PERIL ANNUAL. D.C. Thomson. 1959-1977 (bi-annual), 1981, 1987, 1988.Following
the success of the Beano spin-off Dennis the Menace into a separate
bi-annual publication, Beryl appeared in Sep 1958 in her own first
annual for the Christmas market though it is the 1959 annual. From 1961
the covers were laminated in line with Dandy and Beano books. InMar
2007 Comic Book Postal Auctions sold the first Beryl annual in VFN for
170.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1959 no date on cover; Beryl appears through hole she's cut out with a saw2.00 10.00 20.00 60.00 120.00 250.00BLACK MAGIC. Arnold Book Company. 1 1952-16 1954PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1 68 pages; reprints from Prize Publishing featuring fantastic artwork from Joe Simon and Jack Kirby2.00 12.50 25.00 65.00 110.00BLACK MAGIC ALBUM. Arnold Book Company. nn 1954Only ever seen one on E Bay and it sold for 63 in VG condition (Nov 2007).PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1954 no
number on cover, 160 pages, rare. Pre Code horror stories stuffed full
of Jack Kirby artwork. This comic was cited in a campaign against
horror comics in the UK at the time as being too violent and certainly
"Not for the Squeamish" as the sub-title celebrates!3.00 20.00 60.00 125.00BLUE PETER ANNUAL. IPC/BBC. 1 1964-presentThese
annuals turn up a lot on E-Bay though not so much #1. The demand was
under-estimated for this and quickly sold out. Issues thereafter are
pretty common but less so in very high grade.PR GD VG FN VF NM MINT1.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 9.0 10.0 1 scarce2.50 12.50 25.00 75.00 125.00 200.00BOYS' WORLD. Longacre. Vol 1 No. 1 26th Jan 1963-Vol 2 No. 40 3rd Oct 1964 (89 issues, joins Eagle)An
under-rated title as a sort of poor man's Look
FAKE ALERT - CLEVELAND WEDGES
Be aware of fake cleveland wedges, the clue is in the price!!!!! I recently bought a set of 3 CG10 satin finish wedges which proved to be copies. My local PGA pro said they were very good copies but they were not right because the shafts were 3/4" short and the steps were not in the right place for Dynamic Gold wedge flex shafts. Also the grips were too thin and the lofts and lies were more than 3 deg out. We compared them with the genuine product and the differences became much clearer. The seller gave me a 100% refund but you may not be so lucky.
A Buying Guide To Pocket Sprung Mattress
A pocket sprung mattress is quite simply the very best that money can buy and a sounds nights sleep is the most sacred thing money can buy. When you consider that a quality mattress will last between 8-10 years the overall price is not a great deal more than buying 2 or 3 inferior quality mattress that will lose tension and sag and may cause sleepless nights and back problems.
Each spring acts independently to allow the contours of the body to be gently supported.
Consider that a standard mattress has 325 springs and when buying a pocket sprung mattress you are ranging from 1000 upto 3000 springs, though in reality you don't need greater than 2000 unless your over 30 Stone.
View are range of beds and mattress - a perfect combination
DON'T BE FOOLED BY MATTRESS MYTHS - marketing will baffle you with numbers. Quantity does not equal quality. You can cram inferior springs into a mattress that have no added benefit to comfort but the higher number givesplays to popular thought that more is better. Advertising will also make claims such as 'orthopedic' or ' postuerpedic'. These terms just mean that the mattress has more springs than average and will give increased support, they are not a medicalcurefor back problems.
The Pocket Sprung Mattress is ideal if there is a weight and size variation between you and your partner. The individual springs will act to take the weight of your partner only so you won't be lifted or roll due to the impact of your partners movements. In a traditional open coil system the springs are interwoven, so when pressure is applied to the spring at one end it can have an effect on the springs at the other end causing the 'roll together' and a feeling of being bounced up when your partner sitsor moveson the bed. These are problems eroded by a pocket sprung mattress.
The Pocket Sprung Mattress is perfect for a slatted bed frame. Memory foam and Visco foam mattress are not a suitable choice for a slatted base bed as they don't offer the same support.
Pocket springs are rows of small diameter, 16 to 17 gauge wire, parallel or barrel-shaped springs, each housed separately in a fabric pocket. The rows of springs are then clipped, tied or glued together. The spring count of a pocket sprung mattress can vary considerably depending on the diameter of the springs.
double pram needed?-I love my mutsy!
Firstly I need to admit to being a pramaholic! This being my 5th purchase in 2 years, but it will be my last!, I just wish I had found the mutsywhen had my first child.
I bought a mutsy as i was having my 2nd child and needed a double pram/buggy as child no 1 is only just 2 and wasn't walking far. The mutsy was the only system where i could alternate between a double and single seat and isn't the size of a small minibus!
I have the urban rider chassis, a single seat, the duoseat and a maxicosi baby car seat which is also compatible. When just taking the baby out its dead easy to put the carseat on the chassi without waking her up. When I have both childrenthe duoseat is fab and can easily fit through doors etc. Although easy to push anyway I bought some whizzy wheels which are great for doing tight turns in shops. The single seat can go on the chassi forwards or backwards so is great for keeping an eye on small babies but also good for nosey toddlers.
There are really only a couple of downsides. Although it all fits in my car easily (a 307) I have struggled if we have been in other smaller cars. Also the duoseat is heavy to lift in and out of boot, so if you are always in and out of car, this is probably not for you. Finally my son is tall for his age and is nearly touching the hood of the front seat of the duo, however the hoods are removable so I can easily take it off and then it is fine.
I plan on getting a mutsy step up board as my son is now walking more, then I can continue to use the mutsy with my youngest and the single seat as I really love it.
The mutsy isn't cheap but is sturdy, looks fab and really versitile. It is ideal for a first child if you intend having more children, as you can buy extras as you need them,however if you are someone who uses public transport or has a small car I think you would be better off with the traditional double buggy.
Beware of fake Bape and Billionaire Boys Club clothing.
Mobile Phones Scam: Bulk, Brand New, Beware!!
Hi, Here's a story about how i was scammed out of my hard earned money by some devious criminal. After buying and selling many mobile phones on ebay, it was becoming like a business, so i was looking to use my profits to expand.. anyways, i saw a lot "Sony-Ericsson P900i Brand New Job Lot" I took a look, all seemed good. even positive feedback. Contacted the seller, even spoke to him on the phone.. arranged to put a special lot on ebay for me to purchase.. which i did "3x Sony-Ericsson P990i" BIN 300. Payed via Bank Transfer to his account. All good, said he would check his account and dispatch, and that's where the fun and games began...
I phoned him and he said he wanted proof that the money had gone from my account.. so i scanned a statement (less all my bank details except my name and the line containing the relevant transaction). He recieved it and said ok, will post tomorrow Royal Mail Special Delivery.. Next day.. nothing.. waited incase he meant the next day.. nothing still.. Emailed and rang to no avail. Starting to panic at this point i rang him again, this time he answered.. and assured me they would be posted that day and i would recieve them tomorrow. Still nothing the next day so i tried to phone him, but nothing. He had also became a non-registered ebay user. After another day of trying to contact him, i went to the police with copies off all mine and his messages, the item ID, uername, bank details, address
False Russian / UK keyboards
Beware of sellers selling dual Russian/English keyboards.They are nearly always US layoutso expect many of characters to be either missing or/andcompletely inthe wrong place. Oh, and say goodbye to the sign too! You'll have to tell Windows that you are using a US keyboard too otherwise many of the keys wont match up, and again.... UK specific keys will be missing.
One seller in particular, "valeriakomarova", is selling them claimingthe following:
SPECIALLY MADE AND IMPORTED FOR RUSSIAN SPEAKERS IN THE UK
Actually they are not"specially made" at all. They are standard US keyboards and luckily if you look closely at the picture you can make this out by the missing sign.
I emailed the seller about this and asked to make it clearer that they arenot UK spec, after an initial attemptto fob me off, afollowing email contained the following:
1 mind your own business. 2 get a life of your own and stop interfering with others, especially as its none of your business. 3 dont tell me what to do. 4 dont bother replying as it will simply be deleted. bye bye
I doubt that the seller is really Russian at all as we're much more pleasant than that usually! We call such people either"matroshka" or"muzhik".
As I nearly bought one before realizing that it wasn't"SPECIALLY MADE AND IMPORTED FOR RUSSIAN SPEAKERS IN THE UK" after all, I figured thatIwas in fact justified in asking the seller to make it clearer for genuine UK users.
Incidently, using cyrillic stickers is fine. I've had a set that cost me 1 for four years on this very laptop that I'm on now. I simply wanted a full size keyboard but I just bought another UK one for 5 and a sticker set again. It was cheaper too!
Good luck and keep an eye out for Matroshka!