The Stonehead Curse leaves us smoked but not roasted...

[Stonehead]

So, there we were driving home from playgroup in the Land Rover Defender and were just pulling into our road when white smoke began puffing from under the car.

I pulled in, grab the Wee 'Un and got him clear. Fortunately, the smoke clears quickly and nothing else happened. Now, we've just replaced the exhaust so it's unlikely to be the problem and in any case the smoke was coming from just forward of the gearbox.

A cautious inspection with fire extinguisher to hand (yes, I do carry one) revealed that the nut on the fuel injector leak off pipe on number two injector had worked loose. Diesel (and boy am I glad it was diesel not petrol) was spraying all over the engine bay and dripping on the hot exhaust.

Turning the engine off had stopped the fuel being pumped out and the diesel on the exhaust had quickly vapourised off.

Phew!

So once again, something broke but not quite as badly as it could have. This sort of thing happens at least once a week and often twice or more.

I think I must have kicked a leprechaun!

Stonehead

[Shirley]

Bloody hell Stonehead... Think you better start leaving out presents for the leprechauns to try and appease them!!

Thank god it wasn't more serious.

I'm off out for the last time in my car - tax runs out today and then the MOT on the 16th June... can't find the £600 + to get it through the mot so it seems pointless spending out on the tax for 6 months... gawd only knows what we will do though as I don't really want to be without a car... could drive David to work in the morning in the landie and then collect him again in the afternoon after I collect Chris... but that would mean driving 70 miles each day - which seems a bit stupid!

[grahoom]

wow Stonehead - that was lucky, well also unlucky, but as you said it could have been a lot worse.

[ina]

I thought leprechauns only lived in Ireland?

Anyway, maybe it's not a curse - it's sheer good luck that in all your mishaps you get away with it. (Positive thinking... I do try.) At least it sounds like something that's relatively easy to fix.

[shiney]

You don't live a dull life Stonehead!

Lucky it wasn't anything too serious. Mind you, any smoke coming from my car would freak me out, especially with the children in with me.

[Wombat]

You did well Stoney!

Years ago I was studying with a young lady, she had pulled up at the pub we were meeting at (along with another colleague) and came in complaining of a hissing sound coming from the rear of her VW bug. We investigated and found petrol dripping from a leaking petrol tank onto the hot exhaust!

We cleared out and the car got towed!

Nev

[Stonehead]

Now for today's instalment of the Stonehead Curse.

I was cleaning up an old fencepost for reuse, pulling out staples and nails, hammering the occasional larger nail in flush.

I was using my favourite claw hammer (heavy head, hickory shaft, nicely balanced) and started to hammer in a 6in nail. Bang, bang, whizzz...

Hmm, I was left with a shaft and no head - the wood had snapped clean off.

Okay, irritating but not too much of a problem as I have a couple of spare hammers. I got out the old steel-shafted claw hammer and resumed work on the nail. Bang, bang, crack...

Hmm, now a large section of the hammer head has cracked away.

Oh well, I'll get out the OH's hammer. One she bought from a certain DIY store, with an alloy shaft, bad grip and generally nasty feel. I managed to finish hammering the nail in.

Right, time to pull another nail out. Creak, creak, groaaaaaan...

This time, the alloy hammer shaft bent!

Now I'll have to buy a new shaft to replace the broken one and a spare hammer to replace the other two.

Three hammers in one afternoon? Definitely the Stonehead Curse.

Stonehead

PS Yes, I've come in for a nice cuppa - but will the mug crack? Will the kettle blow up? Will the floor collapse? Who knows... Stay tuned for the next enthralling episode!

[Shirley]

Nooooooooooooooooo - still... at least the first hammer head didn't fly off and hit someone, or break something!!!!!

Wondering whether we've got any spare shafts here - will have a look see and let you know.

[ina]

Mmh, I think I've got a spare shaft - but it's a long one, more for an ax or a sledgehammer. Anyway, I'll bring it up next time I'm going northwards!

[Stonehead]

Don't worry about shafts - I've already ordered a new hickory shaft for the 20oz hammer that broke and a new 16oz hammer to replace the steel shafted one.

My main problem was deciding what to buy. I prefer to get the best quality tools I can afford, but a good claw/framing hammer will set you back at least £25 and in some cases more than £80-90.

On the other hand, the £3 to £10 claw hammers sold in the DIY shops and many of the online stores are rubbish (just like the OH's alloy handled rubbish).

In the end I settled on a reasonable £14 forged and hardened hammer with a good quality hickory handle.

Ah, there I go again, rambling on about hand tools...

Stonehead