Allan's modelling grotto

Allan · October 16, 2015, 01:57:41 AM

it's getting cramped on the desk and a little dirty so I'll do some tidying up and lay down a new sheet of clean cardboard

zenrat · October 16, 2015, 03:18:34 AM

Nice lamp.

NARSES2 · October 16, 2015, 06:14:54 AM

Quote from: zenrat on October 16, 2015, 03:18:34 AM
Nice lamp.

Very much so. Any details Al ?

Allan · October 16, 2015, 02:17:06 PM

while I replace the light from time to time, the actual lamp I bought in Japan in about 1978 when was a callow youth about to start two years study there...it is a Japanese lamp so uses Japanese voltage and will burn out if I plug it into the Aust socket, so have to use a step-down transformer to reduce the voltage from Aust 220 to Japanese 110...the transformer is the blue box you can see on the left
if anyone desperately needs something like this I can get one the next time I'm in Japan and send it to you...the base of the lamp attaches to the deck like a ping pong net

zenrat · October 16, 2015, 02:59:38 PM

Can you not get a 220v globe or does it have special japanese fittings and thin wires?

I have a similar lamp on my lathe so they are available in 220v.

Allan · October 16, 2015, 05:05:51 PM

not willing to give it a try Japanese internal workings I think....in any case the step-down transformer has worked well over the years..it's bloody heavy!!!

kerick · October 16, 2015, 07:13:30 PM

You really should do something with those "shelving units" They look a little unsafe.

Allan · October 16, 2015, 08:25:22 PM

nothing remotely heavy on 'em

zenrat · October 17, 2015, 05:15:08 AM

A mate of mine is a refrigeration and air con engineer who has worked for amongst others NATO and the US Military.
He tells me that when US Forces arrive in whatever country whose peace they are keeping they habitually connect all of their 110v equipment up to the local power supply and then wonder why it doesn't work.

PR19_Kit · October 17, 2015, 06:09:27 AM

Quote from: zenrat on October 17, 2015, 05:15:08 AM
A mate of mine is a refrigeration and air con engineer who has worked for amongst others NATO and the US Military.
He tells me that when US Forces arrive in whatever country whose peace they are keeping they habitually connect all of their 110v equipment up to the local power supply and then wonder why it doesn't work.

Tell me about it!

The engineers and execs from my old American employers used to do the same when they came to Europe.

Quite a number of them bought UK/US adaptors and were astonished that they weren't 240/110V transformers as well! We used to keep a number of laptops in our office that they could use while their PSUs were replaced with unfried versions. Nowadays the PSU's can handle both voltages but it took a while for that to happen.

Captain Canada · October 17, 2015, 08:48:10 AM

Looks good Allan ! Liberal use of cardboard as well

The box up front to the left in the pic looks the exact same as the ones I use. They were originally used to store shaped charges for oil well perforating, and are quite strong ! I have also found that the plastic trays my lovely wife used to bring home fit right inside them perfectly, making them double ( triple even ) strong.