I took the train down to see my girlfriend and stay with her before we go on holiday to Austria. I find that normally the train ride is quite difficult because you're essentially sitting there and waiting till you arrive. Even with a magazine or a newspaper, it's tedious. I had decided to buy a magazine for the train in the hope of occupying my mind for at least some of the journey. On this occasion however, I passed a discount book store (The Works) and picked up a new copy of Bret Easton Ellis' outspoken 'American Psycho' for £1.99. I thought that this was amazing value considering Amazon don't do as good deals as they used to on even used books as the minimum delivery cost is £2.80 now (14/08/11). This was part of a 3 for £5 deal on books and fiction works.
I started reading from the moment I got on my first train (it's a long journey) and I started to appreaciate the appeal of reading a book over say, a newspaper or a magazine. With a newspaper, one skims the text and can't really get involved unless the subject matter is particularly cultured or concerned with some gripping theme. With a book, the mind is constantly building the environment described in the book and working hard to mould freeform thoughts into a coherent scene. This mental activity pulls you in and immerses you in the book. It is this drawing the reader into the book that makes time fly by. I tend to block out the environment around me when I read as I focus so heavily on the book and what's going on in the story. This makes for some telling offs when the missus tries to talk to me whilst I read. But this induced ignorance is exactly what is required for travelling because then one doesn't notice the other people on the train or the time. This is what makes reading books such a good use of one's time whilst travelling. The pages turn, the mind races and time rushes on. Before you know it, you're at the terminus of your journey and a large portion of your book is read. I'll certainly be reading a book on my return journey.
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Wood-burning stoves
Fuel bills have increased astronomically over the last few years. You can combat these increased costs with a dual-fuel / woodburning stove. These stoves are usually made from cast iron or steel and can be routed into existing chimney systems. They can be operated with many different kinds of fuel. From simple wood and paper fuels to woodchip and bitumen bricks. They can also burn heavy grade tar if it is first preheated in a bowl in the stove by already burning wood.
As a result, this kind of stove is really appealing to survival nuts who feel they'll need to be able to burn anything 'when the end of the world comes'. http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=11297564&fh_location=//catalog01/en_GB/categories%3C{9372014}/categories%3C{9372037}/categories%3C{9372162}/specificationsProductType=stoves/specificationsSpecificProductType=solid_fuel_stoves&tmcampid=4&tmad=c&ecamp=cse_go&CAWELAID=754382696
Fuel
For normal people, this represents a really useful stove which can provide (after purchase) nearly free heat over the winter months. I say nearly free as you must invest in a hand axe http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002W5VM8A/ref=asc_df_B002W5VM8A3821946?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B002W5VM8A to obtain the fuel for your stove. This can be any wood that isn't treated with chemicals as these will be released into the air if you burn it. You can obtain wood from fallen logs in forests and old fence posts which haven't been treated with preservative. This act also serves to protect the delicate ecosystem in a forest to
ensure that no one species get the upper hand in that environment. To ensure an uninterrupted supply of wood, pile loads of dry wood up under a water proof tarp near your house. This will make finding wood in winter easy and ensure you don't have to go for to get it.
Use
Obviously, a stove can be used to heat your home but it can also be of another use, heating water. some stoves come with a built in hotplate which you can use to heat an iron kettle. This allows you to avoid using electricity during the winter months as it is charged at a higher rate. It can be safely used as central heating overnight while you sleep too. To do this safely, you will need a carbon monoxide alarm to ensure that you're stove isn't malfunctioning. position this near the stove and test it regularly. To use overnight, simply load up your stove with fuel then close the air intake to half way. This will reduce the burn rate of your stove and allow it to burn through the night. To continue use in the morning, simply add more fuel and open the intake to full to give full burn of fuel.
Savings
Over about a two year period, your stove will have paid for itself through gas and electricity savings. This goes forward on the premise that you'll use a few hundred pounds in energy to heat your home over winter. As these stoves are normally of very high quality, you can be sure to save that figure annually. The money saved will soon mount up on paper though in reality, you'll be able to use it for other things you want, rather than need.
Environment
Some of you may think that using a woodburning stove harms the environment but consider this, a woodburning stove uses fuel from local surroundings and ensures that waste wood doesn't build up. It also takes the transport energy costs out of heating your home. What I mean is that the natural gas you would have used formally, would have come from the Middle East or Australia or Russia. At least some of this gas will have arrived via pipeline which involves large machines to compress the gas for transport. This is without mentioning the energy costs involved in obtaining the gas in the first place. Drilling for gas is very energy intensive work and is another negative which is avoided totally with the use of a woodburning stove.
As a result, this kind of stove is really appealing to survival nuts who feel they'll need to be able to burn anything 'when the end of the world comes'. http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=11297564&fh_location=//catalog01/en_GB/categories%3C{9372014}/categories%3C{9372037}/categories%3C{9372162}/specificationsProductType=stoves/specificationsSpecificProductType=solid_fuel_stoves&tmcampid=4&tmad=c&ecamp=cse_go&CAWELAID=754382696
Fuel
For normal people, this represents a really useful stove which can provide (after purchase) nearly free heat over the winter months. I say nearly free as you must invest in a hand axe http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002W5VM8A/ref=asc_df_B002W5VM8A3821946?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B002W5VM8A to obtain the fuel for your stove. This can be any wood that isn't treated with chemicals as these will be released into the air if you burn it. You can obtain wood from fallen logs in forests and old fence posts which haven't been treated with preservative. This act also serves to protect the delicate ecosystem in a forest to
ensure that no one species get the upper hand in that environment. To ensure an uninterrupted supply of wood, pile loads of dry wood up under a water proof tarp near your house. This will make finding wood in winter easy and ensure you don't have to go for to get it.
Use
Obviously, a stove can be used to heat your home but it can also be of another use, heating water. some stoves come with a built in hotplate which you can use to heat an iron kettle. This allows you to avoid using electricity during the winter months as it is charged at a higher rate. It can be safely used as central heating overnight while you sleep too. To do this safely, you will need a carbon monoxide alarm to ensure that you're stove isn't malfunctioning. position this near the stove and test it regularly. To use overnight, simply load up your stove with fuel then close the air intake to half way. This will reduce the burn rate of your stove and allow it to burn through the night. To continue use in the morning, simply add more fuel and open the intake to full to give full burn of fuel.
Savings
Over about a two year period, your stove will have paid for itself through gas and electricity savings. This goes forward on the premise that you'll use a few hundred pounds in energy to heat your home over winter. As these stoves are normally of very high quality, you can be sure to save that figure annually. The money saved will soon mount up on paper though in reality, you'll be able to use it for other things you want, rather than need.
Environment
Some of you may think that using a woodburning stove harms the environment but consider this, a woodburning stove uses fuel from local surroundings and ensures that waste wood doesn't build up. It also takes the transport energy costs out of heating your home. What I mean is that the natural gas you would have used formally, would have come from the Middle East or Australia or Russia. At least some of this gas will have arrived via pipeline which involves large machines to compress the gas for transport. This is without mentioning the energy costs involved in obtaining the gas in the first place. Drilling for gas is very energy intensive work and is another negative which is avoided totally with the use of a woodburning stove.
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Solar Power
I've just got back from gallavanting around the country and I've noticed that solar energy systems, harnessing the power of the sun to heat water or by converting the light into electricity, are becoming more and more popular.
I was sat on the train for a few hours ( a long, long journey) and I saw that every so often, a battery of photo-voltaic cells or a solar water heater would be mounted on someone's roof. Ironically, as I made my way north, the number and frequency of panels on rooves in residential areas seemed to increase. This was an interesting trend as it's counter-intuitive to think that it's a good idea to put solar energy systems on the roof at higher latitudes. But there they were, glinting in the sun.
This is a good example of how high energy prices are driving a domestic energy generation revolution. There has been a unilateral price increase by energy providers in recent weeks and this will serve to squeeze the pockets of the average Briton even harder than they were in the winter when prices were high and there was a massive need for fuel to rebuff the awful cold. Homeowners (as you need to own your roof to get solar panels installed on it) have been
slowly moving toward and adopting solar technology to power / heat their homes. This works well for two reasons: one - the panels on your roof remove the need to buy electricity / gas to heat water for domestic use, except on the darkest / coldest of days. This means you can have all the hot water you want without needing to worry about that next huge post-winter energy bill as it simply won't arrive. However, this is countered by the cost of installing the system in the first place.
The second point only applies to solar photo-voltaic (electricity generating) panels and it is that the energy that your panels collect which isn't used in the home can be sold back to the national
grid. The money you generate from your redundant energy is sold per kWh (kilo-Watt-hour) at pennies per unit.
This adds up over time and can, whilst cutting your electricity bill to zero, earn your household an extra £2,000 a year depending on the capacity your home can provide.
The standard set-up for an average house is a 3-5kWh system, costing around £10,000. This means that the money that your roof-based power plant provides through electricity generation will help pay off the cost of the system in around 5 years or so. Considering that by having solar panels, you can have essentially free electricity for 25 years (the average life of a system) and the potential to generate an extra income to help you live your life without money worries. The only care that either system requires is that you keep the panels clean to ensure maximum light
capture.
I was sat on the train for a few hours ( a long, long journey) and I saw that every so often, a battery of photo-voltaic cells or a solar water heater would be mounted on someone's roof. Ironically, as I made my way north, the number and frequency of panels on rooves in residential areas seemed to increase. This was an interesting trend as it's counter-intuitive to think that it's a good idea to put solar energy systems on the roof at higher latitudes. But there they were, glinting in the sun.
This is a good example of how high energy prices are driving a domestic energy generation revolution. There has been a unilateral price increase by energy providers in recent weeks and this will serve to squeeze the pockets of the average Briton even harder than they were in the winter when prices were high and there was a massive need for fuel to rebuff the awful cold. Homeowners (as you need to own your roof to get solar panels installed on it) have been
slowly moving toward and adopting solar technology to power / heat their homes. This works well for two reasons: one - the panels on your roof remove the need to buy electricity / gas to heat water for domestic use, except on the darkest / coldest of days. This means you can have all the hot water you want without needing to worry about that next huge post-winter energy bill as it simply won't arrive. However, this is countered by the cost of installing the system in the first place.
The second point only applies to solar photo-voltaic (electricity generating) panels and it is that the energy that your panels collect which isn't used in the home can be sold back to the national
grid. The money you generate from your redundant energy is sold per kWh (kilo-Watt-hour) at pennies per unit.
This adds up over time and can, whilst cutting your electricity bill to zero, earn your household an extra £2,000 a year depending on the capacity your home can provide.
The standard set-up for an average house is a 3-5kWh system, costing around £10,000. This means that the money that your roof-based power plant provides through electricity generation will help pay off the cost of the system in around 5 years or so. Considering that by having solar panels, you can have essentially free electricity for 25 years (the average life of a system) and the potential to generate an extra income to help you live your life without money worries. The only care that either system requires is that you keep the panels clean to ensure maximum light
capture.
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
Bike Maintenance Basics
So you've got your shiny new bike and you've ridden it all over the place. You've been up and down and round and back home. Your bike has definately had a bit of hammer and will need support in the way of maintenance and regular upkeep to ensure you can go many miles further together.
Chain Reaction
Depending on how long you've ridden your bike for and where you store your bike day-to-day, you can work out how much maintenance you need to give your chain to ensure that your drivetrain will continue to work effectively.
If you ride your bike a lot, over great distances, it will be important to keep your chain well lubricated to keep the wear on the bike components down. There are many different lubes out there for this purpose but there is a runaway favourite of mine which is Finish Line Teflon Lube http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=317 . This lubricant is for use really only in the dry conditions and this may be impractical in old blighty so there's also a wet conditions equivalent: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1041 and at roughly 3 quid a pop, it's not gonna break the bank.
Working at the.... Bike.... wash (Seamless :D)
As important as it is to keep your chain in good condition, it is also a good idea to keep your bike relatively clean as this will prevent transfer of muck to you from the bike. A good fluid for this is the Muc Off Nano Tech bike cleaner (£5.99) : http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=520 . I really like this product because it's a no gimmicks fluid with a spray bottle container. It's really just a point and shoot system which works great if, like me, you have a busy life and just want to keep your bike in good working order.
Stop!!
On the more mechanical / physical side of bike maintenance, it's important to keep an eye on your tyres and brake pads. I'll deal with brake pads first as they're more likely to go before your tyres do ( again, like so much in this article, it depends on the type and frequency of the riding that you do). Brake pads are the traditional way to stop a bike and there are specific types of brake pads for different bikes. Mountain bikes generally have longer brake pads and road bikes have smaller pads mounted in a side-pull fashion. These can be picked up at Halfords or from Chain Reaction Cycles for little money and especially with CRC, there is a massive selection to choose from.
Tyres, again vary depending on the bike and type of riding you do. If you do a lot of mountain biking then slick tyres are not for you. Likewise, a knobby tyre on a road bike lends the it to more cyclo-cross type riding rather than a fast morning commute into the City. A good thing to watch out for with the commuter tyre is whether it has kevlar in it. Kevlar in this application is the same stuff used in bullet proof vests and will go a long way to help protect you from punctures.
Chain Reaction
Depending on how long you've ridden your bike for and where you store your bike day-to-day, you can work out how much maintenance you need to give your chain to ensure that your drivetrain will continue to work effectively.
If you ride your bike a lot, over great distances, it will be important to keep your chain well lubricated to keep the wear on the bike components down. There are many different lubes out there for this purpose but there is a runaway favourite of mine which is Finish Line Teflon Lube http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=317 . This lubricant is for use really only in the dry conditions and this may be impractical in old blighty so there's also a wet conditions equivalent: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1041 and at roughly 3 quid a pop, it's not gonna break the bank.
Working at the.... Bike.... wash (Seamless :D)
As important as it is to keep your chain in good condition, it is also a good idea to keep your bike relatively clean as this will prevent transfer of muck to you from the bike. A good fluid for this is the Muc Off Nano Tech bike cleaner (£5.99) : http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=520 . I really like this product because it's a no gimmicks fluid with a spray bottle container. It's really just a point and shoot system which works great if, like me, you have a busy life and just want to keep your bike in good working order.
Stop!!
On the more mechanical / physical side of bike maintenance, it's important to keep an eye on your tyres and brake pads. I'll deal with brake pads first as they're more likely to go before your tyres do ( again, like so much in this article, it depends on the type and frequency of the riding that you do). Brake pads are the traditional way to stop a bike and there are specific types of brake pads for different bikes. Mountain bikes generally have longer brake pads and road bikes have smaller pads mounted in a side-pull fashion. These can be picked up at Halfords or from Chain Reaction Cycles for little money and especially with CRC, there is a massive selection to choose from.
Tyres, again vary depending on the bike and type of riding you do. If you do a lot of mountain biking then slick tyres are not for you. Likewise, a knobby tyre on a road bike lends the it to more cyclo-cross type riding rather than a fast morning commute into the City. A good thing to watch out for with the commuter tyre is whether it has kevlar in it. Kevlar in this application is the same stuff used in bullet proof vests and will go a long way to help protect you from punctures.
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Pimp your ride
It's summer time and the weather is perfect for doing anything. Riding your bike for example. But your bike is rusty and ancient. Summer time is also good for painting as the dry conditions allow you to air dry things quickly outside without fear of water spots. So you're bored with your bike and want something a bit different? Well you could follow the example of many people who are staying one step ahead in cycling chic and buying hipster fixed gear bikes. You could follow the examples put forward in Patrick Kingsley's blog, start shopping round the independant cycle manufacturers in London for a sharp, garish two wheeler and look the height of hipster bike fashion. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jun/09/cycling-grand-designs-custom-built?INTCMP=SRCH.
Cost
However, like clothes fashion, it's not a cheap thing. So if you're wanting that custard and rhubarb coloured ride but don't want to pay £££ for it then read on. This post will tell you how to get the bike your heart desires on budget by stripping down your old bike or a frame you have spare and painting it to look the coolest thing screaming through the streets. All this can be accomplished for a fraction of the price.
First and foremost, you'll need access to tools. There aren't many, simply a few sets of wrenches, pliers for uncooperative components and plently of marked bags so you can find all the bits that come off the bike after painting
Dissassembly
Use your tools to disconnect all the systems from the bike, that means saddle, gears, handlebars, brakes; the lot. As you remove components, carefully put each set of components and associated nuts and bolts into their respective bags and seal them to avoid their loss. Also, remove the wheels to make the frame easier to work with.
Pre-paint Prep
To get a decent paint job, make sure that you have the right kit to begin with. You'll need:
Sandpaper / aka glasspaper - various grades coarse to fine (200 grit to 800 grit with a few grades in between to give your steed a full deep colour)
paint stripper
thick waterproof gloves
dustmask - to avoid breathing in paint fumes and paint dust
various paints - White primer to give an even base coat
Any colour spray paint you want
clear laquer spray ( to protect your nice new colour scheme)
Masking tape (to a specific colour scheme onto your frame)
newspaper (to cover any great areas of the bike you don't want to be sprayed)
cardboard (to protect the surroundings from spraying)
Firstly, sand your frame and apply paint stripper. Do this in a well ventilated area and be careful with the paint stripper as if it can remove paint from a bike, it's liable to do worse to you. I recommend Nitromors, available from most DIY shops. Apply with a sponge / rag and with gloves applied. Use till the original colour is dulled and the surface of the frame is roughed up so the paint will stick.
Now wash the frame with soapy water to remove any dust and remaining paint stripper. Allow to dry. Get your primer and give the frame 2 / 3 good thorough coats with sanding with the coarse sand paper and washing in between to ensure the primer is sticking and giving good cover. I got my spray paints from
Once priming is done, sand and wash the frame again to give a surface for painting with the top coat. Apply your top coat in about 4/5 layers with sanding in ever finer grades of sandpaper, finishing with 800 grit 3(the finest grade). After this stage, your bike should have a deep rich colour and any semblance of the original colour should be a distant memory.
To finish the job, use a couple of coats of clear laquer to cover the bike in a thick, scratch resistant coating to prevent your 'new' bike from being scratched. Be warned that all of the spraying stages should be performed in a well ventilated area to avoid the toxic effects from the spray paint propellant.
All Done
Afterward, reassamble your bike and ride around in style on your garish new ride. Should be able to accomplish this for less than £60.However, if this is too much effort for you and the garish colours aren't your thing, send your frame off to a chromers and they'll coat your frame in chrome for ~£250-300 http://www.ashfordchroming.com/get-chroming-prices
Good luck. Send in your photos and comments.
Cost
However, like clothes fashion, it's not a cheap thing. So if you're wanting that custard and rhubarb coloured ride but don't want to pay £££ for it then read on. This post will tell you how to get the bike your heart desires on budget by stripping down your old bike or a frame you have spare and painting it to look the coolest thing screaming through the streets. All this can be accomplished for a fraction of the price.
First and foremost, you'll need access to tools. There aren't many, simply a few sets of wrenches, pliers for uncooperative components and plently of marked bags so you can find all the bits that come off the bike after painting
Dissassembly
Use your tools to disconnect all the systems from the bike, that means saddle, gears, handlebars, brakes; the lot. As you remove components, carefully put each set of components and associated nuts and bolts into their respective bags and seal them to avoid their loss. Also, remove the wheels to make the frame easier to work with.
Pre-paint Prep
To get a decent paint job, make sure that you have the right kit to begin with. You'll need:
Sandpaper / aka glasspaper - various grades coarse to fine (200 grit to 800 grit with a few grades in between to give your steed a full deep colour)
paint stripper
thick waterproof gloves
dustmask - to avoid breathing in paint fumes and paint dust
various paints - White primer to give an even base coat
Any colour spray paint you want
clear laquer spray ( to protect your nice new colour scheme)
Masking tape (to a specific colour scheme onto your frame)
newspaper (to cover any great areas of the bike you don't want to be sprayed)
cardboard (to protect the surroundings from spraying)
Firstly, sand your frame and apply paint stripper. Do this in a well ventilated area and be careful with the paint stripper as if it can remove paint from a bike, it's liable to do worse to you. I recommend Nitromors, available from most DIY shops. Apply with a sponge / rag and with gloves applied. Use till the original colour is dulled and the surface of the frame is roughed up so the paint will stick.
Now wash the frame with soapy water to remove any dust and remaining paint stripper. Allow to dry. Get your primer and give the frame 2 / 3 good thorough coats with sanding with the coarse sand paper and washing in between to ensure the primer is sticking and giving good cover. I got my spray paints from
Once priming is done, sand and wash the frame again to give a surface for painting with the top coat. Apply your top coat in about 4/5 layers with sanding in ever finer grades of sandpaper, finishing with 800 grit 3(the finest grade). After this stage, your bike should have a deep rich colour and any semblance of the original colour should be a distant memory.
To finish the job, use a couple of coats of clear laquer to cover the bike in a thick, scratch resistant coating to prevent your 'new' bike from being scratched. Be warned that all of the spraying stages should be performed in a well ventilated area to avoid the toxic effects from the spray paint propellant.
All Done
Afterward, reassamble your bike and ride around in style on your garish new ride. Should be able to accomplish this for less than £60.However, if this is too much effort for you and the garish colours aren't your thing, send your frame off to a chromers and they'll coat your frame in chrome for ~£250-300 http://www.ashfordchroming.com/get-chroming-prices
Good luck. Send in your photos and comments.
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