So, it’s been a bit of a bits day. I was meant to be on a training course, but it got cancelled, and the message didn’t get to me (although I suspected it’d been cancelled). Being a goody-two-shoes as I am, and being as I was on-site I went in to the department and checked if they’d like me to work. They did want me to. So I did a ‘short shift’, and there was enough to keep me nicely busy for a few hours. A few sickies, a septic chap and a chap with heart failure.
I sometimes quite enjoy working in Resus.
Then I headed back to Slough and made a happy little lunch before heading to the Bank, Maplin and finally JetWashing the mogglet.
Maplin was it’s usual depressing self, each time I go there it seems that components are moved further into a small corner and the shop fills with more cheap plastic tat. They didn’t have the battery for one of my watches (the little grey and orange one I used to wear full time ’til I got the chunky, dykey Colombia one – but I like to have a ‘grubby’ watch for wearing working on things). They did though, thankfully, have the battery for my little cheap Fob Watch. I’ve been without it for months and have only just got around to spending the £1.25 required to get it going again. I’ve missed it at work :)
I also spent some time staring at fans. The DAF doesn’t have a fan on it’s heating system, instead relying entirely on the engine fan which, obviously, only runs when the engine is hot. Not such a problem in summer, but in winter… It *is* very effective when it’s running, as I discovered when I took the car out and was suddenly showered with dead leaf. But when it’s not the screen doth mist up something terrible.
So the plan is to build a little fan-insert to go inline with the pipework and with which one can force air through onto the screen. However, my initial thought (which was basically to slap a 60mm fan inline with each 60mm hose) was rethought as I stood with the fan in front of me. See, the problem is, the fan is, well, mostly solid plastic. I want as much air-transmitting-space as possible. I’m thinking that maybe getting a pair of 80mm ones might work better, and putting one inline on each side (there are two ducts), with a box around the fan (obviously) but – that might give enough space for the normal system to work, and then provide enough effectiveness when it’s cold and the engine fan isn’t running.
But I decided I wanted to have another look in the engine bay before I did such things. And look at the routing of the tubules. And so on.
This weekend we’re off for a wander and a food (my treat, I think, since it’s work) in a place which has turned out to be about 10 minutes from my mum’s house. This is slightly annoying, in that I assumed it was nearer where I work. But it ain’t. So we might pop in and see my mum (I shall ask Kathryn’s opinion on her arrival at home). I should also have asked for my workmate’s phone number ‘cos that way we could reconsider in light of the fact that the walk we’re going on is about an hour from our house. Still, it’s socialising, in’t it. :)
