228. Capped

Avignon

Very heavy rain, floor mats in awning soaked, lifted everything vulnerable up on to chairs and table so no damage done. Remembered too late in the morning that I had placed my new toy, the welder on the floor of the play tent, along with other electrical tools, tools and contents of front locker. Was very relieved to discover that the tarp that I had suspended over the play tent had done a sterling job and there was only a little water along one side, nothing harmed - phew.

Spent the morning working on a project tasked by Kendall, our board chair. Some of it is personal development and some of it company. The personal development bit is the hardest so I am tackling it first. Have set myself the target of completing in the next two days. Certainly not lacking for projects currently.

Visited the camp store again with the view to getting the lady to phone the workshop to rebook the Disco as I know that the workshop certainly won't be open tomorrow, May Day, as per the booking made last week. Rather than making the call, as she had yesterday, she dug her heels in and said that the garage won't be open tomorrow - frustrating, to say the least. Luckily her husband came in, rolled his eyes (behind her back) and totally understood me and phoned the garage as he spoke fluent french. He is a Brit and been working here for forty years. He phoned the garage (with her muttering) and rebooked me for Thursday. Saved me an hour round trip to the workshop today.

Four captive nuts per side

Capped beam

Rain finished in the early afternoon so I started again on the front locker. First job was to make captive the nuts that will be buried by the new double beam that will strengthen the cracked C section original. I also welded the cracks, using the two millimetre rod and delighted in the precision current control that this little welder has. It is rated to one hundred and sixty Amps and I haven't gone over thirty to date, grunty little machine. Writing this prompts me that I need to check that the jack mount nuts undo as I know I will be servicing the jacks at some point in the future. It certainly makes a difference when one is intending to keep the project long term. It is nice having the time to do the job properly and not constrained by having to pay labour. The job was interrupted by a family trip to the super market as tomorrow is May Day. Also a sports store for a new tube for Roman's bike and a front brake cable for mine and a frustrating fail, Jacqueline trying to buy sneakers for Audrey (probably better without me present). Went back to the hardware store and bought forty millimetre steel bar for capping (capping heaver than necessary but limited by stock) and thirty millimetre by two millimetre bar to weld intermittently across the old C section to strengthen it prior to installing the new beam.