The Tension Mounts

As promised, I've been busy making the tensioning hardware for the saddle this week. I am fortunate in that I have a Brooks saddle from this period in my possession so I have been able to make exact fac similes of the components relatively easily. This is convenient because I had a brain fart and neglected to take any measurements of these bits on the original.

 Too much tension, or more likely just shrinkage from 125 years of neglect 

has caused the original leather to part company at the nose piece.

Lots of photos but no measurements. 

Unfortunately, this week I did the exact opposite, I took loads of measurements but no photos. So you'll just have to look at the finished bits and imagine the steps involved. Sorry about that.

 Some fiddly filing fun.

 I have some nice copper rivets ready for these holes.

Now that the saddle frame is finished, I'll probably

 make  a new seat post at the correct angle this time.

The camera has made it appear worse than it is.

I still need to polish and plate all the saddle stuff which will take a little time, then I need to have a little think about what to do next.


In other news, it is with some degree of sadness that I must report the death of the pub argument. I am a member of a pub quiz team, quite a successful team as it happens. But that is incidental, the pub quiz is merely an excuse to go down the pub and talk nonsense and escape from reality for a short period of time. Our particular pub quiz only actually runs during the winter months, however we still attend the pub on 'pub quiz nights' throughout the year. We have a loose collective of professional members and whoever turns up turns up. It is suspected that certain members have not told their respective wives of the winter only thing. As a team we can generally clean up on the 'real' questions on science, geography, literature, proper sports, decent music from our youth etc. However, we are utterly hopeless on the 'fluffy' questions. Who won American 'X' Factor Idol Got Talent last year? Not a clue. I hesitate to suggest that it may be because we enforce a strict 'no girls allowed' rule.

In these off season evenings certain topics come up from time to time that cause discussion, sometimes heated but always cordial and enjoyable. Classic pub arguments. These would often last until the next week when somebody would have looked it up to prove the point and get a free pint. This is now a thing of the past, what happens now is that somebody whips out one of these modern "electric smart phone" devices and the prosecution rests m'lud. Not as much fun...