New Barbeque grill

We are enjoying some beautiful weather here this weekend.  Clear blue skies; lovely warm sunshine; gentle breeze from the north-east to prevent it from becoming too hot; temperature around 23-25°C (75-80°F).  Around lunchtime last Friday we saw that the weather forecast looked good so we decided to prepare for a barbeque.

For many years I have not had a decent barbeque grill - always reverted to building a fire at ground level with a simple mesh grill placed on top, as you learn to do in the boy scouts.  So we decided now was the time to get a better option, given that I now have the large gas bottle for fuel, thanks to the heat treatment forge (see www.kayfaknives.blogspot.com).  The hardware store up the road had some ideal looking ones in stock at a very reasonable price, so later that afternoon we went up and bought one.  As it turns out, it was their last one of that model, so we made it just in time.  Yesterday we spent the day in the garden and used the bbq for its maiden outing.

It's fairly small as these things go, but for the most part it is just the 2 of us, unless Nicola comes to visit, so an ideal size actually.  There is the main grill area with 2 burners, which can be operated independently, even at different temperature settings.  There is the "keep it warm" shelf just a little above that, shielded by the lid.  On the right is a shelf for utensils etc. and on the left is another shelf that has a third burner built into it, suitable for a small pot.

Judging by yesterday's results it works really well.  The meal was delicious, the weather was glorious, the day was very relaxing.

Enjoy the photos!

Mobile phone stand

During Covid-19 lockdown we have all been using technology to stay in touch, with a noticeable increase in the use of video chats.  Recently Ann commented that she has to prop her phone up on books, boxes, or whatever is available, but it frequently slips or falls down during a chat, which is irritating.  So I made her a phone stand ...

Using scraps and leftovers that I had in the workshop, this is what I created.  The base is a block of wood ("Kerto" - thanks to a sample from Metsä Wood).  The vertical tubes are telescopic, allowing for height adjustment by securing with the black tightening screw.  The top is copper plate, which is adjustable for tilt with the white tightening screw at the back.  At the bottom of the copper plate, a grooved plastic tube pressed onto the front of the "shelf" prevents the phone from slipping off if bumped inadvertently.

The size of the copper plate is suitable for a mobile phone in either portrait or landscape orientation, and also perfectly sized to hold a tablet - although it was not an intentional design feature!

I think it has turned out looking quite nice, and most importantly, Ann is happy with the result.  At least now she can chat with the confidence that her phone will not suddenly fall over.

Enjoy the photos.