Blondihacks
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Thanks and Maybe Stickers?
🕑 Added 2022-03-02 15:00:34 +0000 UTCHey Patrons!
It's the time once again for me to say thank you to everyone, in the form of credits for new Rockstars and stickers. The credits have been updated in upcoming videos and on the blog to include everyone who joined as Rockstar in February. Normally here is where I say "stickers are in the mail!" but they will be a little delayed this month for unforeseen logistical reasons. Rest assured, you will get them! On that note, I sometimes get stickers returned to me with "Unable To Deliver" or similar stamped on them. For whatever reason, this mostly happens with Australia. When possible, I double-check the address with the Patron in question, but sometimes that isn't possible because the person is no longer a Patron, or their mailing name doesn't match their name on Patreon so I can't find them. In these cases, I apply fresh postage and send it again. So far, that has always worked (as far as I know- the letter isn't rejected again).
However, if you are someone who has not received your stickers and you still want them, feel free to let me know. For North America, delivery times are generally about a week. For Europe, generally about 4 weeks. For Australia and NZ, generally about 6-8 weeks.
This month's featured book is a fiction(!) novel called Trustee From The Toolroom. Believe it or not, I do occasionally read fiction when I'm not frantically consuming every piece of machine shop knowledge I can find. This novel was recommended by one of you fine folks and I picked it up at a used book store (it's out of print). I've only just started reading it, but it's evidently a story of international intrigue centered around.... a fellow who builds model steam engines. I mean, who doesn't wish their particular niche skill set would one day save the world? A little on the nose perhaps, but it's a good read so far. One can certainly guess at the proclivities of the authour, in any case.
Comments
Tim Hooper
Neville Shute Norway's books are readily available in Kindle format. His profession was that of aircraft designer, and novel writing was his evening hobby. Several of his novels were made into notable movies, including No Highway, A Town Like Alice and the post-apocalyptic On The Beach.
Peter W. Meek
Nevil Shute's _Slide-Rule_ (about the airships), _Trustee_from_the_Toolroom_ (about a hobby machinist who makes a bare living as a Creator - writes for a hobby magazine), _Round_the_Bend_ (about an aircraft mechanic who thinks that quality is next to Godliness) are some of his best that appeal to machinists. I like most of his books, but these are my favorites. (And _No_Highway_ - about metal fatigue. Made into a movie with Jimmy Stewart and Marlene Dietrich.) All available as Kindle books as well.
Paul Bastek
I read this about 20 years ago and re-read it about 3 years ago. Great unassuming mild-mannered "hero".
Andy Pomfret
I'm late to this thread - but Nevil Shute is reasonably famous among geeks here in the UK. He was an aeronautical engineer as well as a novelist, among other things being known as the chief engineer for the R100 airship (not related mechanically to the ill-fated R101). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevil_Shute
Blondihacks
Also- one of you let me know that the Internet Archive does have a copy of it, if you don't mind reading it in scanned PDF form: https://ia801602.us.archive.org/7/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.149264/2015.149264.Trustee-From-The-Toolroom.pdf AbeBooks also has a number of copies for very good prices (which is where I got mine)
Blondihacks
It's a surprisingly enjoyable read! My expectations were low, since it seems clear the author wanted to somehow cram "model engineering" in to a story of international grandeur, but I have to say he pulled it off. It really works.
David Coxon
That book brings back memories. I read it as a youth, because my father thought I would enjoy it. He had a mechanical background (maintaining and setting up lathes that were turning driveshafts for warships during WWII in England) and I duly learnt metalwork as part of an engineering degree, although ended up specialising in the IT side of things, although I do DIY and hobby fabrication in both wood and metal. I must see if I can find that book online somewhere.
