I needed to re-stock on aerosol paints over the weekend for some N locos I'm restoring, so I went to Halfords and bought some Rover Damask Red (crimson lake), Rover Brooklands Green (BR green) and Rover Metallic British Racing Green (for my Mini!).
Lad behind the counter: "Would you be painting a Rover by any chance, mate?"
Me: "Erm - I'm painting a train, actually!"
LBTC: "Blimey! I fink you're gonna need a few more cans, mate...!"
The thought of trying to spray a full-size loco with a rattler can did rather tickle me! ;)
If only they still sold Rover Teal (BR Blue)... :censored:
Quote from: Chris on September 14, 2015, 03:02:40 PM
If only they still sold Rover Teal (BR Blue)... :censored:
...or something suitable for LNER apple green.... :censored: :censored:
Just ask him where the exit door is. He will be searching for it for hours
Quote from: Chris on September 14, 2015, 03:02:40 PM
If only they still sold Rover Teal (BR Blue)... :censored:
Is Teal a match for BR blue?
I know that
VW Pargas Blue is recommended as a good match often.
Should have asked him for a can of tartan paint or maybe a long weight ;)
Quote from: newportnobby on September 14, 2015, 04:37:42 PM
Should have asked him for a can of tartan paint or maybe a long weight ;)
:laughabovepost:
To which my well-rehearsed, but alas never used, response would be: "Which pattern is Sir/Madam looking for?"
(http://www.verydesignersblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Stack-of-Tartan-Paint-e13527256501981.jpg)
Quote from: Ozymandias on September 14, 2015, 04:41:57 PM
Quote from: newportnobby on September 14, 2015, 04:37:42 PM
Should have asked him for a can of tartan paint or maybe a long weight ;)
:laughabovepost:
I know I shouldn't laugh but the 'tartan paint' has been successfully used on at least one person over the years.
Or a packet of bubbles for a spirit level
or
A box of sparks for a grinder :D
Quote from: scotsoft on September 14, 2015, 04:53:49 PM
Or a packet of bubbles for a spirit level
or
A box of sparks for a grinder :D
A long stand, left-handed screwdriver...
Or a bucket of Amps for main generator of a class 47 that has lost power!
Dodger
Where I once worked on maintenance we decided to paint the back of the maintenance fork lift with black & yellow stripes, we sent the apprentice off to the workshop stores for a tin of black & yellow diagonal striped paint.
Off he went we were in fits of laughter 10 minutes later he returned with a tin of 'paint' and a hydraulic jack with a message from the stores that they had only got vertical striped paint, so could we jack the one side of the truck up when we paint it!!
Tony
when I was on a course down at RAF St. Athan, the corporal sent me down to the stores for a rubber hammer. :no:
yer right corp, not born yesterday. :thumbsup:
down the NAAFI for a while, then back. :beers:
"They hadn't got any, Corp"
rapidly marched down to the stores by said corporal, where I was issued with a hammer, rubber headed :-[
don't know why, but I seemed to spend a lot of time going to and from the stores on that course :doh:
Quote from: A.Carter (BiG-T) on September 14, 2015, 05:36:06 PM
Where I once worked on maintenance we decided to paint the back of the maintenance fork lift with black & yellow stripes, we sent the apprentice off to the workshop stores for a tin of black & yellow diagonal striped paint.
Off he went we were in fits of laughter 10 minutes later he returned with a tin of 'paint' and a hydraulic jack with a message from the stores that they had only got vertical striped paint, so could we jack the one side of the truck up when we paint it!!
Tony
:laughabovepost: :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing:
That's my Chili and Rice all over the table!!
I worked with a man who had spent some time as a Halfords employee. He used to tell of the silly questions that customers would present. He set himself up with one of those old pocket calculators, the type with the glowing digits. It had been wired up to show two certain words inviting the reader to 'go away' (involved urination and travel)... It connected to a small electronics box in his pocket with a wire leading to the calculator in his top pocket facing forward. A touch on the switch on the lower box caused the 'message' to flash on for a split second. Probably not enough to be read but possibly enough to get the subliminal message across. He had come to work with me following his manager trying to borrow the calculator, and on finding the wires from it, demanding to know what was going on. I don't think the boss had a sense of humour.
I worked in Halfords on Saturdays as a teenager, but back then (mid 80's) the staff were all avid car fanatics and knew what they were talking about. Sadly these days most just seem to be uninterested sales persons. Mind you, Main Dealers aren't any better sometimes . . . :no:
Once went to Gates Ford to get a few bits for my Sierra XR4x4, when we got to "Engine size?" and I answered with "2.9" the pizza-faced oik behind the counter told me they "never made a 2.9 Sierra mate" :confused1:
In fact he argued with me for quite some time that it MUST be either a 1.6, 1.8 or 2.0L (obviously never heard of any of the V6-engined ones then ::) ), and it was only when I was just about to physically drag him over the counter and shove his head under the bonnet outside to prove it that the Parts Counter Manager intervened and quietly informed him that his car knowledge wasn't quite up to scratch and he really should listen to customers a bit more :D
Paul
We have a big store and now our Halfords is a bike shop with anything automotive moved out the way. Difficult enough to find a bulb or wiper blade now, nevermnd the paint counter. Halfords is just a cheap* bike shop for me now (*although you still do better elsewhere).
Quote from: scotsoft on September 14, 2015, 04:53:49 PM
Or a packet of bubbles for a spirit level
I was wondering when this one would come up. Technically the glass construction with the oil and the bubble in is called the bubble. So actually you can buy bubbles for your Spirit Level - and I did once to prove it.
Smellies tools near Victoria Station.
Interested in the alternative paints though - is there more?
When I worked in Her Majestys dockyard our store had some paint tins with professional looking labels marked '(insert colours) stripped paint'.
The best moments though was when some gullable newbie was sent to the bow of a ship to get a spur lash :D
Elmo
Quote from: Sprintex on September 14, 2015, 06:54:49 PM
I worked in Halfords on Saturdays as a teenager, but back then (mid 80's) the staff were all avid car fanatics and knew what they were talking about. Sadly these days most just seem to be uninterested sales persons. Mind you, Main Dealers aren't any better sometimes . . . :no:
Once went to Gates Ford to get a few bits for my Sierra XR4x4, when we got to "Engine size?" and I answered with "2.9" the pizza-faced oik behind the counter told me they "never made a 2.9 Sierra mate" :confused1:
In fact he argued with me for quite some time that it MUST be either a 1.6, 1.8 or 2.0L (obviously never heard of any of the V6-engined ones then ::) ), and it was only when I was just about to physically drag him over the counter and shove his head under the bonnet outside to prove it that the Parts Counter Manager intervened and quietly informed him that his car knowledge wasn't quite up to scratch and he really should listen to customers a bit more :D
Paul
Don't get me started on "professional" garages...!
I took my Mini (real one, not a BMW) in to a garage I'd been recommended because it wasn't running right - stuttering and misfiring all over the place. It's a 1.3 SPi (Single Point Injection).
After a day, they rang back to say they couldn't find any problem, but their Mini "expert" had looked at it, "tuned the carburettor", and that "well to be honest mate these old cars do splutter a bit."
I did point out that a) it had never run this roughly before and b) being an ECU-controlled injection motor it doesn't actually
have a carburettor or indeed anything you can tune (OK, except the valve clearances, but I'd already done that!!). Blank looks of "dunno mate" all round.
When I took another look under the bonnet out of desperation later to see if I could identify the problem, I heard a very loud TICK! TICK TICK! and saw a dirty great spark, which should have been going to the plugs, arcing across from the coil to the engine block. One new coil later, she runs perfectly.
:censored: garages!!!
Clare's Sierra went into a "professional repair centre" after an altercation with a garden wall (it was that or hit the fast-moving VW Sharan heading straight for her!). Didn't think it looked right when it came back and there was a knocking noise. On investigation found front strut/spring was off an Escort (2" shorter) and the nuts weren't done up either resulting in stripped thread ::)
Paul
Quote from: Sprintex on September 16, 2015, 09:32:03 AM
Clare's Sierra went into a "professional repair centre" after an altercation with a garden wall (it was that or hit the fast-moving VW Sharan heading straight for her!). Didn't think it looked right when it came back and there was a knocking noise. On investigation found front strut/spring was off an Escort (2" shorter) and the nuts weren't done up either resulting in stripped thread ::)
Paul
:jawdropping: That could have been lethal! I hope they fixed it and grovelled quick smart!
You think I'd let them near it with a spanner again after that? :no:
Paul
Quote from: newportnobby on September 14, 2015, 04:51:51 PM
Quote from: Ozymandias on September 14, 2015, 04:41:57 PM
Quote from: newportnobby on September 14, 2015, 04:37:42 PM
Should have asked him for a can of tartan paint or maybe a long weight ;)
:laughabovepost:
I know I shouldn't laugh but the 'tartan paint' has been successfully used on at least one person over the years.
Hi, Mick Many years ago I had a Triumph Herald That Was Tartan Red
nothing new under the sun
Graham