Munt Jacket

A brace of Muntjacs made their way to Diplo HQ a couple of weeks ago - much needed protein top up for the freezer and Diplo Junior has plans to make himself a jacket. The Fallow deer here-abouts are pretty easy to skin but I'd forgotten just how tenacious these little critters are. There's very little fat on a Muntjac and in places (around the flanks & shoulders particularly) the flesh and the skin are almost inseparable. Much swearing and delicate knife-work later we had them both stripped and ready for a few days hanging before making their way into the freezer.
The hides have moved on to Shed 2 for curing and tanning. A salt petre cure, after removal of any stray bits of flesh and the tricky membrane that remains attached, takes 4 to 5 days. This is followed by a week's drying - when dry the last few bits of membrane and sinew can be scraped and rubbed away. Next is a good wash in Sodium Carbonate solution and a few rinses through with fresh water.
Meanwhile the tanning solution of Ammonium Alum Sulphate, Sodium Carbonate and Salt is prepared and the hides dunked in for a 4 to 5 day soak. This is where we're at right now. Next stage is a good wash in a Borax solution, much rinsing, drying and oiling. Let you know how we get on. MORE PELTS !

Here We Go Again

The obvious course of action when handicapped by not enough workshop space is to jam another motorcycle in there. The charming little XT225 was rescued from the back of a 20ft container on Saturday morning and offered a new home at Diplo HQ. Missing a battery and suffering from a couple of punctures, the bike seems otherwise pretty sound. It's had the usual minor bumps associated with "field" bike life, nothing too serious and a surge of optimism is pointing us in the direction of applying for a V5 and getting an MOT test done - this little orphan may yet return to the streets.
Knowing the bike to have stood for at least three years with a half tank of av-gas it seemed prudent to whip the carb off and subject it to a thorough de-lousing. The air box is a bugger to get out but I'm very glad we persevered - it is in a shocking state, the filter is long gone, leaving a residue of decomposed crumbly element foam stuck all over the inlet tract. The carb is actually seized solid inside with fuel goo. I don't know whether av-gas deteriorates in a different way to regular un-leaded but I've never seen anything as bad as this before - the dark molasses coloured residue has the consistency of chewing gum and is equally reluctant to let go. The Diplo chemical cupboard has been opened and we've tried cellulose thinners, meths, paraffin, de-greaser, acetone and many more products which will have to remain unidentified. We've made a start on the tank - not so much a rust issue as a goo problem, well goo and rust combo.Let you know how we get on. MORE ETHER !

Room to Move

Having moved the Diplo workshop (or contents) to Diplo Hall it became apparent that you can't fit a firkin into a pint glass. I'm not sure that I ever thought you could but when the contents of a 300 m3 'shop are spread out on the driveway it becomes very obvious that there's no way it's all going inside a 24 m3 garage. One of the work benches alone is 16x6x3 feet and has had to be installed elsewhere on "loan". Interestingly the biggest headache comes when all the available space in the three extant storage zones is already in use, albeit very inefficiently and with no reference to a system of priorities. Moving stuff around was going to be the order of the day, it was envisaged that as part of this process, strict trash filtration would reduce the volume somewhat. In trying to plan the operation my heuristic algorithms were failing, permutation parities were way out until it was pointed out to me that we didn't have "the missing tile" or void block. This is the essential room for manoeuvre that we all recognise from the sliding tile picture puzzles. What's needed is an additional empty shed to play the part of the all important void or space. Re-calculating, allowing for the 4th dimension, produced all the answers. Given the fact that this entire process was to take place during the early C21 ice age, complete with much snow, the extra covered space proved to be essential and allowed for a smooth, stress free move. Needless to say, having completed the operation, the empty space, or void, can then be filled with some of the "marginal" skip victims. This means that to repeat the process we shall need yet another(5th) shed. One conclusion is that there'll always be demand for sheds. Here thanks have to go to Mrs Diplo who is obviously a tile puzzle expert, she spotted the problem and bought me a shed for Christmas. MORE LOVE !

2 Pounder

This is the famous and much sought after Culpin's Christmas Pie. Similar to their regular pie which itself is brilliant and featured previously on these pages (pic below). The main difference is this is the hand raised version using a VERY strong pastry. You could certainly kick this pie along the street without damaging it. I am a fan of both versions but Mr Culpin's reluctance to make the hand raised example through the year, because of time constraints, makes it all the more special when it does appear just before Christmas. I placed my order for a pair of these beauties a while ago and made a special trip to Uppingham this morning to collect them.

MORE ANTICIPATION !

Winter Tips 3

After a week of hefty breakfasts we at Diplo Hall find ourselves looking forward to a lighter meal on a Sunday morning. Pancakes with a slab of butter, a bottle of maple syrup and a rasher or two of streaky are a regular accompaniment to The Morning Service on the wireless. Today this little snack fills the gap nicely between the squirrel culling in the garden (from the warmth of the kitchen) and subsequent skinning and pinning out of pelts - perfect weather with a dry chill in the air.
We should of course take a lesson from our tree climbing friends and lay on a bit of fat for winter - this thick sub-cutaneous layer is built up around the vital organs above the hips and is just not present at other times of the year. Squirrel burgers for tea today then. MORE VARIETY !

Winter Tips 2

If you're a twelve year old boy and you prefer sleeping outdoors, rejecting the relative comfort of a bed, duvet and a roof over your head - this time of year you need one of these. The igloo itself will keep out the chillest of winds. A hole pushed through the roof is a good idea for ventilation. You may also need a current army issue Arctic sleeping bag (superior to the Pattern 58), these are not only warm but pretty tough. When you do make it back to civilisation I thoroughly recommend some of Mr Culpin's plain middle bacon, a batch of scrambled same-day eggs and a jug of hot chocolate. MORE IMPROVISATION !

Winter Tips 1

Top tip from an experienced open car campaigner. Blow the snow off the seats etc before it has a chance to melt, a casual flick with a rag is all it takes and you're sure of a snug drive to work. LESS IS MORE !