This is so funny....it's like listening to myself. I used to work with a guy, everything he tightened, and I mean everything whether it was a plastic cap or a bolt was wrenched to the point of breaking...and he did break a lot of stuff. But trying to undo stuff after he'd got his mitts on it was nigh on impossible. The thing is...all screws, bolts, fastenings have torque limitations....you go beyond the limitations and you are putting that fastening under stress. Parts under stress will fail. Having empathy and feeling for the tightness of a fastening is the sign of someone who has understanding of mechanics. I'm with you 100% Tom.
Excellent!!! Absolutely!!! Take care of your bolts and nuts. When I was working in a Citroen workshop the oldest and wisest mechanic when he came acros a difficult bolt or nut he always yelled; ‘Grease the bolts!!!’ And started laughing! Learned hell of a lot from this wise man! Chris was his name. Wonder how he’s doing now…
What a beautiful Bentley. Having spent five years on a frame up restoration of a classic Land Rover Series, I can heartily agree with you. Now the owner of my first Sailboat I will hope it was lovingly put together by the same craftsmen who built your classic car. Thanks for sharing, and I’m much enjoying your insightful advice and the entertaining yarns each time I tune in to listen. All the best from across the big pond. Ian
Oh Tom you did make me laugh, as a sheet metal worker/ engineer i fully understand where you are coming from as I have to deal with people like this on a daily basis. Best regards jim.
Well said Tom. Half a century ago I raced something called an international moth. Yes the madness of youth that dragged my parents around the United Kingdom for competitions. John Claridge sold me his 1972 model but without a mast. A year ago we sold our house in Essex and there in the garden was my old mast. God only knows why it followed me South from Middlesbrough but there it was. My wife, a girl from York, stood with her hands on her hips instructing me that it and the rest of my workshop precious items had to go to the tip. The point of my note is that when I came to remove the s/s items from the aluminium Needlespar each one came out first time as John had guided me on its construction and had added a touch of Vaseline.
I wish someone had done that with the mast I inherited on my current boat. A special place in hell is reserved for the guy that put it together and didn't bother to do a proper job.
I nearly bought an International Moth, gave it a test run, and was scared to go about, went for about three miles, dodging through the moorings of Cardross, must have got back somehow, I was kinda glad my offer of £80 was not accepted!
Of course Tom has an old Bentley. I wish i could build a bugatti type 37 replica. Since anything like that is so far away from my grasp. Id love a type 37 chassis style and body with some kind of old school engine. Im only in my 30s but i long to feel what these cars where like in their day.
I met one of these beefy cretins once. At a filling station I jumped out to open my new locking cap for the attendant but he arrived just before me and with a flick of the wrist wrenched off the cap leaving the flanges twisted!
Deepest sympathy, but there is a positive side. When you and I arrive in hell at the end of our lives of crime, we won't be able to see the fire because those heavy-handed guys will be hogging the front-row seats.
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns Thanks Tom, I will console myself with those thoughts! Btw, I have dug out your books on coastal and astro and am reading them again!
This video may be several years old, but I've only just come across it after watching some of your more nautical videos. Watching you describing Bentley screws, you sound just like myself, I'm a year younger than yourself but as a qualified engineer find myself ranting if only to myself. " Why the hell would anyone even think about doing that" is one of my rants. Don't even get me started on touch screens in cars, the latest Audi's Volvo's etc. all have them, try changing heating with your left hand in a RHD car. Anyway, look forward to watching all your other videos.
Hear hear! When things were made to last decades, not years, and they thought of the people who will be working on them after they are gone. It's a good philosophy to try and stick to.
Absolutely! Well Said, as always. It's almost as Big a Job to change out the spark plugs on a New Model as it is to change out the clutch on Reggie. How is THAT Progress?
Nice comment indeed! I did change the clutch on Reggie six years ago. Actually, we had to take the floor out of the car to do it, but this gave us the opportunity to inspect the chassis and tackle all sorts of tricky jobs of the 'whether it needs it or not' category. There were about 100 machine screws holding the floor down. After nearly 70 years not one of them was seized. Real British engineering.
Tom, I dearly love all of your videos however I must protest in saying you car by the fact that it is a machine should have a female name. All machines are female.
In principal, Wayne, I'm in agreement, although I named the pilot cutter I had built 'Westernman' in honour of those men who sailed on them. Of course, in France all boats are masculine and many a fine Yankee pilot schooner carried a man's name, such as 'Moses H Grinnell'. Somehow, Reggie has always felt masculine to both Ros and I, but you'll pleased to learn that when referring to Westernman we always used the female personal pronoun. What a tangled web! Tom
Yes Tom, finesse is sadly lacking in many aspects of our busy lives. It's as though the robots who build stuff today know that it's not to be repaired. Plugs don't even come with a 13amp fuse any more?
Oh my god, I'm dying laughing. What great therapy, oh how I have been so fusturated for the same reasons. But, to be able to get on UTube, give a proper word slap down. Good on you.
Just like my old Hudson. Lifted the carpet, unbolted the transmission cover plate, opened up the transmission top, replaced a gear throw bearing...put it all back and drove away.
Tom, you are so right, some people have a total lack of mechanical sympathy. Two dis-similar metals, it causes so much grief, and with a little thought it is so preventable
As an aircraft maintenance engineer I share your pain (lots of steel structure plus aluminium alloy 🙄) with the added fun of designers hiding components needing inspection/renewal in the most obscure place possible ....
This is so funny....it's like listening to myself. I used to work with a guy, everything he tightened, and I mean everything whether it was a plastic cap or a bolt was wrenched to the point of breaking...and he did break a lot of stuff. But trying to undo stuff after he'd got his mitts on it was nigh on impossible. The thing is...all screws, bolts, fastenings have torque limitations....you go beyond the limitations and you are putting that fastening under stress. Parts under stress will fail. Having empathy and feeling for the tightness of a fastening is the sign of someone who has understanding of mechanics. I'm with you 100% Tom.
Excellent!!! Absolutely!!! Take care of your bolts and nuts. When I was working in a Citroen workshop the oldest and wisest mechanic when he came acros a difficult bolt or nut he always yelled; ‘Grease the bolts!!!’ And started laughing! Learned hell of a lot from this wise man! Chris was his name. Wonder how he’s doing now…
What a beautiful Bentley. Having spent five years on a frame up restoration of a classic Land Rover Series, I can heartily agree with you. Now the owner of my first Sailboat I will hope it was lovingly put together by the same craftsmen who built your classic car. Thanks for sharing, and I’m much enjoying your insightful advice and the entertaining yarns each time I tune in to listen. All the best from across the big pond. Ian
your boat programes are brilliant sir
Tom, you should make something with James May!
Tom is as classie as his ride.
The general advice on torquing up fasteners is to apply the grunt until it shears and then back off half a turn.😉
It's caked engineering feel. Some people just don't have it.
Oh Tom you did make me laugh, as a sheet metal worker/ engineer i fully understand where you are coming from as I have to deal with people like this on a daily basis. Best regards jim.
Well said Tom.
Half a century ago I raced something called an international moth. Yes the madness of youth that dragged my parents around the United Kingdom for competitions.
John Claridge sold me his 1972 model but without a mast. A year ago we sold our house in Essex and there in the garden was my old mast. God only knows why it followed me South from Middlesbrough but there it was. My wife, a girl from York, stood with her hands on her hips instructing me that it and the rest of my workshop precious items had to go to the tip.
The point of my note is that when I came to remove the s/s items from the aluminium Needlespar each one came out first time as John had guided me on its construction and had added a touch of Vaseline.
I wish someone had done that with the mast I inherited on my current boat. A special place in hell is reserved for the guy that put it together and didn't bother to do a proper job.
I nearly bought an International Moth, gave it a test run, and was scared to go about, went for about three miles, dodging through the moorings of Cardross, must have got back somehow, I was kinda glad my offer of £80 was not accepted!
Of course Tom has an old Bentley. I wish i could build a bugatti type 37 replica. Since anything like that is so far away from my grasp. Id love a type 37 chassis style and body with some kind of old school engine. Im only in my 30s but i long to feel what these cars where like in their day.
Copper slip my way into this video knowing I do the right thing for me or the next guy or lady :)
I met one of these beefy cretins once. At a filling station I jumped out to open my new locking cap for the attendant but he arrived just before me and with a flick of the wrist wrenched off the cap leaving the flanges twisted!
Deepest sympathy, but there is a positive side. When you and I arrive in hell at the end of our lives of crime, we won't be able to see the fire because those heavy-handed guys will be hogging the front-row seats.
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns Thanks Tom, I will console myself with those thoughts! Btw, I have dug out your books on coastal and astro and am reading them again!
YES! I agree completely. Love your video's. Wes
Hear hear! Agreed 109%!
Tom has a mild rant!
This video may be several years old, but I've only just come across it after watching some of your more nautical videos.
Watching you describing Bentley screws, you sound just like myself, I'm a year younger than yourself but as a qualified engineer find myself ranting if only to myself. " Why the hell would anyone even think about doing that" is one of my rants. Don't even get me started on touch screens in cars, the latest Audi's Volvo's etc. all have them, try changing heating with your left hand in a RHD car.
Anyway, look forward to watching all your other videos.
Hear hear! When things were made to last decades, not years, and they thought of the people who will be working on them after they are gone. It's a good philosophy to try and stick to.
Vintage stuff, Tom (pun intended). Our Nicholson 35 is the Bentley of the small blue-water cruisers. I wholly echo your sentiments.
I know an electrician who says of his work, I always think about the next guy, who may have to fix this.
Absolutely! Well Said, as always. It's almost as Big a Job to change out the spark plugs on a New Model as it is to change out the clutch on Reggie. How is THAT Progress?
Nice comment indeed! I did change the clutch on Reggie six years ago. Actually, we had to take the floor out of the car to do it, but this gave us the opportunity to inspect the chassis and tackle all sorts of tricky jobs of the 'whether it needs it or not' category. There were about 100 machine screws holding the floor down. After nearly 70 years not one of them was seized. Real British engineering.
Yes, too bad few if anyone DOES that anymore.@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns
Amen. A beautiful metaphor of a simple truth.
Tom, I dearly love all of your videos however I must protest in saying you car by the fact that it is a machine should have a female name. All machines are female.
In principal, Wayne, I'm in agreement, although I named the pilot cutter I had built 'Westernman' in honour of those men who sailed on them. Of course, in France all boats are masculine and many a fine Yankee pilot schooner carried a man's name, such as 'Moses H Grinnell'. Somehow, Reggie has always felt masculine to both Ros and I, but you'll pleased to learn that when referring to Westernman we always used the female personal pronoun. What a tangled web! Tom
Who are these guys is right.
A little sympathetic handling of the tools goes a long way. Nice motor, by the way.
Is Reggie a Freestone & Webb ??
Yes Tim. Well spotted. 1949. 5 built on that body.
Yes Tom, finesse is sadly lacking in many aspects of our busy lives. It's as though the robots who build stuff today know that it's not to be repaired. Plugs don't even come with a 13amp fuse any more?
Oh my god, I'm dying laughing. What great therapy, oh how I have been so fusturated for the same reasons. But, to be able to get on UTube, give a proper word slap down. Good on you.
Well put Sir!
Spot on Tom
Just like my old Hudson. Lifted the carpet, unbolted the transmission cover plate, opened up the transmission top, replaced a gear throw bearing...put it all back and drove away.
Nice one Brian. Always have a crescent wrench handy, I say.
Amen, Tom!
Tom, you are so right, some people have a total lack of mechanical sympathy.
Two dis-similar metals, it causes so much grief, and with a little thought it is so preventable
Thanks for this Alistair. It really does drive me nuts. Tom
Oh copper slip.
As an aircraft maintenance engineer I share your pain (lots of steel structure plus aluminium alloy 🙄) with the added fun of designers hiding components needing inspection/renewal in the most obscure place possible ....