Ute Brakes

This is what happens when an engineer tries to do a mechanics job.

A blokey feeling that one should be able to do basic mechanical work on one's car and possibly a chance to involve the kids.

We started on the left wheel which was making grinding noises. Dan kindly helped to jack the car and remove the wheel while I watched YouTube videos on how to do it.

The brake caliper came off OK and struck snag #1 where there was an obvious difference between the brake pads I had bought and those already on the car. And not just with thickness of pad. Luckily supercheap exchange things easily.

BUT the cage proved more difficult with a seized bolt. Snag#2. The big gun Chris was brought in. Hammers, levers and muscle progressed the rounding of the head.

More YouTube videos resulted in heat, hammering, wd40, innox and even more levers and finally the offending bolt yields. Having successfully taken 36 hrs to do the LHD, the RHS took 20 minutes.

This was the best youtube video for showing how to remove rusted and rounded bolts
https://youtu.be/_EfLTszAr7w

The other end is a ring spanner.  Cut off the openender to fit into a pipe to get more leverage

Pushing the pistons back in

Remove the rubber top bit and keep an eye on it that it does not overflow.

New one (Left) shows the thickness of the pad.  The old one on the right has the pad totally worn away.

The rotor is ground / wrecked.  new one $58 probably cost more to machine this one.

2018 Centenary Rowing Camp - Day 2

Camp day 2.

Program	(Almost actual Times)
DAY #2 SATURDAY
5:30	Arrive.
	Bike and Erg warm up & practice sequence.
6:00	Erg
6:30	Rain stopped.
	Putting Tinnies down
7:00	Rowing
8:05	Breakfast
8:40	Going down to launch
9:00	All boats launched
9:20	Lightning. Turn around.
9:30	Some boats off
10:00	All done
10:09	Last kids picked up

It was one of those days where you hope the coach says "today's exercise is to lie on your back, close your eyes and listen to the rain".

We started with a warm up mostly on bikes and then some erg work. Everyone had their challenge. For some it was the ubiquitous 2k time trial. Some on sliders. And at the other extreme we had the challenge to row a consistent split. For everyone a focus on doing it right.

Then amazingly the rain stopped.

While the performance crew did a 2k (I think). The less experienced, who needed a change, put tinnies down. As we launched boats the rain came down. We kept going though and it settled down to a drizzle.

Back in and the breakfast crew had excelled themselves. Unbeknownst to us they'd scrubbed the kitchen. They'd moved the BBQ out so they could attack the dust grease mix behind it. Thank you guys. The food was great too. ☺️

Then back on the water for session 2. The kids were amazingly resilient as the rain can dampen enthusiasm.

Then disaster. We saw lightning. B@$&!!. So we turned around and rowed back. Boats away and once again we finished early.


A big thank you to everyone. Coaches - great job. Rowers - fantastic attitude. Cooks - wonderful food.

2018 Centenary Rowing Camp - Day 1

2018 Camp underway with 20 kids.

Program	(Actual times)
Day #1 SATURDAY
5:00	Frank & Jemma Arrive
5:15	Parent arrives to help with registrations
5:30	People had arrived
5:40	Tinnies were down
5:45	Upstair. Introduced and handed over to Mike
6:55	Squats & exercise session
7:12	Went downstairs. Got the boats out & ready
7:32	Boats ready to go. Went back upstairs
7:34	Start Breakfast
7:45	Started to launch boats.
8:10	LTR on water
8:30	All kids on water. Went upstream
9:00	Turn around
9:45	Almost all boats away
10:00	Finished. Most kids gone pretty soon.
10:30	Last kid collected.

--> 

We have had a introduction by Mike to give some big picture and the importance of posture.

Now we are getting the performance crew to demonstrate rowing consistent split every stroke. Next the rest of the crew will do similar (at a lower and sustainable power)

8am Launching boats - We asked the Performance crew to help the others launch.  I think in hindsight it was a good move.  It set a good example.  It set the atmosphere.  They did an outstanding job.

The end of the Trampoline

The end of the trampoline.

Way way back in the late 70's mum asked us kids what we would like for Christmas and the tramp was the result.  It came from "Action Trampolines" as I recall.

It provided great service up until a party in 2016.  Just shy of 40 years.  Out doors except for a week in the mid '80's where it resided in the Sherwood UC hall and I repainted the mat.

It died way back in 2016
http://thomsoneu.blogspot.com/2016/12/t3.html
It took two years to move it on to a new life.

Z1

Toshiba Z20t Keyboard Replacement

Toshiba Z20t teardown dismantle


The E key on my Toshiba Z20t had fallen off.  I bought a new keyboard off E-Bay.
Looked on the internet and I could not find any instructions on the procedure of how to replace it so I figured I would write down what I did.

Z20t showing broken E key.

Remove the screen

Turn over.  Remove screws.

I kept mine laid out so I would know which screw goes back where.

Fold the hinge closed.

Prize the back apart. 

There are little plastic bits that hold it together.  A bit hard to prise them apart.

Note do not remove any PCBs
No need to unplug the wire to the touch pad.

Disconnect the battery
(2 screws and two connectors)  Note the wire colours and orientations of the connectors for reassembly.

Disconnect 3 FPC (Flexible printed cables) that connect the keyboard to the Printed Circuit Board.  You do this by pushing the tabs on the connector toward the cable.
Then gently slide the cable out

Find a position and start to leaver the keyboard out.

Mine was stuck down very well and was destroyed in the process.

I was hoping not to destroy it but it's not like the laptops of old where removing the keyboard was easy.

Rip it out. End of the keyboard.

I got more and more rough with it as it was clear that there was no way to get it out and keep it functional.

Rip out this piece

NEW KEYBOARD
I prepped the new keyboard with three pieces of double sided tape.

The FPC cables could be slipped up by putting my finger on it and sliding back.

Then slide into the connector on the PCB and push the retaining tabs home to secure the cable. (3 cables)

After the keyboard is stuck in, turn the laptop over and slide the flat cables out.

The FPC seemed a little longer than the originals but they ended up OK after I reinstalled the battery










This picture shows the tools I used and the old destroyed keyboard.