Soldering irons - advice

I wish I had never bought a soldering iron with a tip like this:

Completely useless for directing the heat to the place where you need it. I would much prefer a flat tip for applying the heat so that you are kind of pressing the tip against whatever it is you're soldering.

Perhaps the pointed tip comes into its own in certain situations and in the hands of an adept.

The plan today was to prepare 3 sets of points for installation (Henry Ford Style).

By first severing the little connecting wires beneath each one:

Then secondly, removing the spring-loaded mechanism which accompanies the changing of the points from one position to the other (one needs to do this to accommodate the smooth action of the Tortoise points motor). Managed to cut my thumb doing it.

And thirdly to solder little connecting wires underneath the points. A foul experience.

There was a fourth, fifth and sixth step that I had intended doing as well but the cut thumb and the stupid-shaped soldering tip dispirited me from doing them.

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Alfred Brendel:

Listened to Alfred Brendel talking about and then playing Schubert's Piano sonata in C minor, D958; which he described as "forbiddingly dark" or was it "darkly forbidding" - I can't remember.

I once saw Brendel at an art exhibition in London -  much taller and more gangling than I had imagined he would be. Toyed with the idea of asking for his autograph but for 3 reasons didn't:

1) thought it might be a bit of a naff thing to do;

2) was scared of a very public rebuff; and,

3) was only 95% sure that it was actually him.

The exhibition was of the German expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.

Unbearable Tension.

Bit of an exaggeration, but the Gare du Nord has now been completely glazed and there is no guarantee as to how the glazes will turn out in the firing. After this long journey of all those night-classes I have made something that I never thought I'd be able to - it is exactly what I want for my layout; it has survived the first firing: it has survived being left on a shelf in a busy arts and crafts classroom; and now everything could be ruined by the glazes turning out too darkly.

With dark glaze on windows.

Applying the "so called" lighter glaze.

Completely glazed.

I suppose the new glaze is lighter than the glaze that colours the windows of the facade.

By now the facade will have been fired and I suppose I could go into the college before next Tuesday to see how it fared. But won't.

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James Aitken Whyte:

I was loaned this book by my boss today: it has the intriguing sub-title: Sermons on Healthy and Unhealthy Religion.

Right up my street. I love a good sermon.

Will report back in days to come.

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Tonight I am having dinner with the most devout person I know.

For years I used to assist him in the running of a weekly prayer group devoted to the Polish Saint of Divine Mercy, Faustina.

In the end, domestic pressures meant we had to give it up; but I do miss the atmosphere of mysticism and the divine that was engendered there.

A Ceramic Relief - in more ways than one.

Terrible accident in front of me on the motorway yesterday evening meant I was an hour late for my ceramics class and so was only able to part-glaze my Gare du Nord.

The good news, of course, was that it emerged from the kiln completely intact. Unfortunately, a day-time student had accidentally knocked off two of the little statues that sit atop the piece - but they can be simply stuck back on. Apparently, the student was very upset and reacted as if she had knocked over a vase from the Ming dynasty.

Here it is:

The next stage was to mix up a light green glaze with which the main body of the facade will be painted. The windows will be glazed with something called "Evening Shadow".

In fact, I began with the darker "Evening Shadow", ran out of time and will come back during the week - as a special arrangement - to apply the light green glaze.

I'll have to be VERY careful  to make sure the light green glaze is just that   -  "light".

Here is the facade with the "Evening Shadow" applied.

PS The little green tile that I had hoped to take home has still to be given its final glossy glaze and fired so it's still as it was in yesterday's blog.

PPS The technique I described in a much earlier blog whereby one takes a terracotta tile and "paints" it with a pale glaze which one then scrapes away can be seen to great effect in these two tiles by a fellow student.

I'm still minded to use such tiles as part of the background scenery for the layout with a final tapestry background beyond them, and the 3D ceramic buildings in the foreground, like so:

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Osmo Vanska:

Was listening to an interview with the Finnish conductor Osmo Vanska who has apparently elevated the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra to be one of the most highly regarded in the world.

Vanska also plays clarinet in a small ensemble made up of other members of the orchestra. In that ensemble he is a mere player and takes the lead from the others.

He opined that it was good for him to switch between being the person who usually issued instructions to the orchestra  and (when in the ensemble) being on the receiving end of instructions from the same people.

It reminded me of the democratic arrangement in many religious communities where the leader of the community was rotated every few years by election of the members. But unlike in most secular situations, the leader didn't simply retire or resign but reverted to being a mere member.

Osmo and his orchestra

Tonight's the Night

The ceramics class resumes tonight and my pride and joy will have been in the kiln and now awaiting inspection.

Reminder of the pride and joy:

There are several possible sights awaiting me.

Worst case scenario: smashed to smithereens either having exploded in the kiln or been knocked off a shelf by a student in the interim.

Best case: in mint condition and awaiting the addition of various glazes (ie colours).

Most likely scenario: cracked and broken into 4 or 5 pieces but repairable by the clever lecturer, Pauline.

Also awaiting this smaller piece to emerge with a glossy glaze:

Will report tomorrow.

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Radio 1 Extra:

As far as I can see, dubstep is in some way a descendant of drum 'n ' bass and probably reggae.

Drum 'n' bass is what you hear at traffic lights emanating from those souped-up cars and the usual comment emanating from an in any way tolerant passer-by is something like "It's just a thumping noise - what can anyone possibly enjoy about that."

I have to say, I'm in that camp too.

However, one of the great features of Radio 1 Extra is they have these 30 minute iPlayer mixes of dubstep, hip hop, drum 'n' bass and other dance hall related genres. WITH NO STUPID DJ SPEECH OF ANY KIND. So basically one can get a blast of uninterrupted thumping aurally delivered adrenaline whenever one feels like it.

And I have just felt like it and imbibed a long and large shot of drum 'n' bass.

Comment: hypnotic and energising.

Still daunted after all these years.

Drove passed the construction work for the new Hydro Arena in Glasgow and for the umpteenth time marvelled at how all its parts - bricks, concrete, cables, cranes, scaffolding, lighting, lorries, trucks, portacabins, navvies, catering staff, pipes, girders etc etc - fit together and in the right sequence. The project management of civil engineering projects must be one of man's greatest achievements.

And I'm daunted by having to sort out a few pieces of track, some points, points motors and cabling!

On the other hand, look at the number of people working on the Hydro!

And for those in Latvia or Serbia who don't know what I'm talking about, here is an artist's impression of the finished arena.

Anyway, must press on. Perhaps it would help if I wore a fluorescent jacket when working on the railway.

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Paul Simon:

The following guests chose a Paul Simon record when on BBC's Desert Island Discs.

Derek Walcott

James Corden

Rob Brydon

Richard Madeley

David King     Chief Scientific Adviser, Chemist

Ann Leslie

Sue Johnston

Martin Bell

Richard Curtis

Alan Bleasdale

Rowan Atkinson who chose - Still Crazy After All These Years

 Anna Ford

Peggy Seeger

Glenys Kinnock

Douglas Adams

Antony Sher

Elaine Paige

Terry Jones

Jonathan Lynn

Orthodox Boys

When I look at this mess I just think: "What's the point?". The whole task of pinning down all the track and wiring up all those points motors takes on the character of insurmountability.

In other words, the hobby has acquired an inertia that I don't seem to have the strength of character to overcome.

Naturally, I have tried to tackle the situation. After all, this is meant to be an enjoyable hobby not a trial to be battled through.  I tell myself to take it step-by-step, don't try and do it all at once, break it down into manageable goals and then realise the pleasure of achieving each of those goals.

Instead, I look at the mess then leave the room and do something else.

Sometimes a radical clear out is necessary - a clearing of the decks. A friend of mine was finding his business was getting on top of him, his office was a mess, he felt sick even going  near the place. A tidying up or even re-decoration wouldn't be enough to lift the rock that was sitting on top of him and crushing his resolve. So, he upped sticks and moved the business to another location with different views from the windows and a new route to drive in the morning and he hasn't looked back.

My solution was less radical; a literal clearing of the decks was all that was needed. I spent an hour doing it and this is the result:

Ready for action.

OK, that junk had to go somewhere; and it has - just off camera.

But it's all concentrated in one area and can be ignored.

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Dubstep:

Was talking nonsense yesterday about Dubstep having a rhythmic structure of 1,2,3,4 and 5 and 6,7,8,9. Listened to a few tunes today and NONE of them fit that rhythm. Sorry.

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Bernard Perlin:

Orthodox Boys

For my 50th birthday (many moons ago) my late parents gave me a print of Bernard Perlin's painting, "Orthodox Boys".

The original is in a warehouse at the Tate, London, and it cost quite a sum of money to have the Tate  make a full-size colour copy of it.

If you scroll up the screen and look at the second photograph of my room  you can perhaps make out, on the wall, above the white radiator, the print covered with a shiny protective sheet of plastic. I got that sheet specially made by Stockline Plastics of Glasgow. I visited their factory a few times and very helpful they were.

Two years later, a massive explosion blew the place to kingdom come killing 8 people altogether. A tragedy.

For me this painting has everything and I never get tired of looking at it.

Great News! (in the Dubstep department)

The test track has been put away - might break it up for spare parts at a later date.

So now I'll have to turn my attention to the actual layout and get the track pinned down.

I'm pleased that I have stuck with my original plan for the layout - drawn up last November.

Here it is (there will in fact be a spare siding at the top of the layout, but that's the only change.)

And once more, here is the general idea - this has remained constant since November, and that reassures me that I will see the project through.

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Dubstep:

After months of trying, I've finally brainwashed myself into not just liking but actually needing Dubstep. That beat of 1,2,3,4 and 5 and 6,7,8,9 must correspond to my cardio-vascular rhythm.

After much dipping of the toe into the water I downloaded this compilation from iTunes.

I like its brutality and incessantness.

And here is a surprisingly erudite review of the album from somebody writing in July 2011.

"Things are heating up for bass music releases in the last leg of this summer. The largest and perhaps most well executed of these is Wheel & Deal Dubstep Vol. 1, offering 25 "dubplates" from a selection of well-known producers as well as some more recent additions to N-Type's stable of bass peddlers. The tracks that really stand out here are those that appear to advance the language and form of the genre at hand without losing it's original emphasis on sparsely populated, bass-filled and reverberant mindscapes. With its skanking chords, dark samples and grimey, wavering bass, Coki's "Madman" is a hands down favorite - though it will no doubt annoy the tits off of many a fan of dubstep's more melodic treatments. Up and coming producer Benton delivers a supremely enjoyable gangster wobble on "Videodrome" and N-Type and the Others combine cinematic samples and evolving bass mutations on a break-filled "Shadow". Kutz's collab with DJG on "Hella Tight" makes for a compelling match to the Coki track and should not be passed up by anyone looking to pick and choose from the digital release. Also worthy of mention, are some very lush, deep numbers woven together by Lemon D and Seven.

While there are a couple of misfires here and there - in my opinion it could have shed a good five tracks - this compilation is well worth a long listen simply for it's unequivocal representation of Dubstep's energy and complexity. Apart from the digital download, it's been packaged into two 12" releases and double CD (shipping today you lucky dogs!). Both the CD and digital album purchase offer a seamless mix done by the head butcher himself. Here's to another year of wheeling and dealing!"

But my ultimate recommendation is Jakwob on Radio 1 Extra. Unfortunately, these programmes are only available for 7 days, thereafter they disappear.