The radiator tap was leaking because I hadn't put any PTFE around the thread. I had to drain the system for the umpteenth time, which I don't like doing as the refilling entails dismounting the water pump and setting it at an angle to avoid an air lock at the top of the body. During the process, I've found that if I turn on the pump whilst at the same time opening momentarily the ½" drain tap, that somehow gets the air past the pump and into the radiator, so charging the body of the impeller and getting the water circulating again.

I popped over to The Great Collector's emporium to get some better pictures of the 12/60. Unfortunately, it started to rain as I got there, so I couldn't push it out to take some snaps.

The engine looks very tidy.

The Buick starter-motor saga had begun to get behind schedule, and with the Straker-Squire hood to do, I needed to make some positive progress to free up space. The idea for the heel operated engagement pedal was finalised with some input from The Other Wright Brother who came by to get help with a spreadsheet problem. The upshot of his visit was that I discovered how to put two functions into one cell to create a running total: =IF(C3=””,””,E2-C3)&””&IF(D3=””,””,E2+D3) - it's all about the ampersands. I should have known about them a long time ago.

Anyway, I knocked up a couple of plywood blanks to see if my guessing stick was behaving and had a trial fit. The pedal will bear down on the rod (when cut to a suitable length) which in turn will push the dynastart into the flywheel. My measurements were a bit out.

I plasma-cut the corrected pieces and then spent more time cleaning up the slag than I had drawing up and cutting. I've always had this problem and watching a YouTube video may have offered up a clue. It's possible that the machine's integral compressor may not be powerful enough to blow away the molten metal on anything over 14 gauge. I'll investigate hooking the machine up to the workshop's compressor.

Mr Slightly-Strange, on whose projects I can occasionally report, has sent a couple of pictures of his 'T' he's been working on for a while.

I understand that creature comforts will be at a minimum, the beast having been designed for speed - there's something interesting under the bonnet.

Talking of which, my laburnum has gone bananas in double-quick time this year.