Pic of the Day

[Richie]

POTD:

for some reason the first thing that came to my brain was "There's an AL in there"

[Mike Bull]

Home-s.jpg

Ha, yes, Al was sat inside on the block for you wasn't he? Then our John there was countersinking, while Bill and Helen were getting covered in choccie sauce putting in the front former, which Bill and I riveted in for keeps the following day. All a bit samey POTD-wise at the minute, but some cracking progress and team work though.

[Terminator]

As usual Alain on his arse in the boat on the block top Man Al .I hope John was having more joy on that dam countersinking nightmare widget thing. I had trouble with it the other week as did Bill , bloody thing. Good to see Helen in the workshop Mike ain't seen her in a while. All about team work and I think they are more or less rivet's in that cover Mike

Novie
P.ss on the clutch!

[Mike Bull]

Good to see Helen in the workshop Mike ain't seen her in a while.

A combination of work shifts and life have kept her away for a few months, but she's keen to try and come down again at least semi-regularly. We'll see!

[Terminator]

Excellent pic of the day, Mr. Doddy Dodds giving the engine the once over. Had to remove his tools away from him though as we didn't want him tin bashing that exquisite piece of machinery now did we

Taxi for Mr. Dodds?
Novie
"I've gone"

[ace_chris]

Now I know what the P in BBP stands for 'prison'! Those bars and windows got some serious bars going on there, is it to keep the team in or the HLF mogwhoppits out?

Chris

[twhite]

Can't wait to see the Orph' running with the original fuel system!

[Dominic Owen]

I must say, I'm thoroughly enjoying the latest run of pics and look forward to the next diary entry being even more riveting than usual

*ahem*

"I'll get me coat..."

[Mike Bull]

I must say, I'm thoroughly enjoying the latest run of pics

I guess now as we move on there will be more and more shots like these, that the more general public will enjoy- that is, big recognisable chunks of Bluebird coming together as we rebuild her from the huge kit of parts that the team have spent so long repairing.

While everyone else has been busy crowded in and around the back end on the rivets, I've been wearing a rut in the concrete in front of the air intakes for weeks, gradually piecing them back together with Bill. There's so much going on here- original structure, extra parts added in '66 after the failure, and our own mods to further increase the strength- that it's become one heck of an assembly job. The famous 'thickened lips' stretched even Bill's hammer skills to the absolute max before they came back to the right shape AND fit!

Even the blanks for the throats have presented challenges- not least because the originals noticeably didn't fit the boat properly once the lips were thickened in '66, whereas we wanted a properly functioning pair that will keep the crap out when the boat is on the road/sat in the museum. So with those not being an actual part of the boat herself, I was free to use a little artistic licence to make something that will look right enough, but actually do the job correctly.

With the tail cover very well advanced, the engine cover now being built up and the intakes lump not far away, there's suddenly going to be a LOT of Bluebird to see!

Home-s.jpg

[rob565uk]

Having witnessed just a small part of the re-build of the intake lips, I was absolutely impressed by the dedication, patience, skill and sheer hard work that has gone into the intake area overall. Fantastic job Gents - take a bow !