Mongrels by name and nature

Well, we are back up to full speed after being struck down with the flu, our turn has come and now, hopefully, gone.
Typically last Friday afternoon, when we were just winding up our working week, things went pear shaped. Our 8o year old Bentley Komet machines were built to go and go, and strangely when we identify a problem with either of them, a lot of the time they still go fine when we know they ought not. Friday, a problem occurred, that we just couldn't nut out. Being late in the day, we put it in the too hard basket, and will tackle it again today, with fresh eye's. Our Mongrel sock machines remind me of old Holden cars and Harley's, they can chug along with all sorts of major mechanical defects, held together with wire, and cope beautifully with other improvised fixes but will give up the ghost over something relatively minor, like a loose screw. Today I'll have to check out the 50 odd sliders for any slight variations, this is incredibly tedious, especially as I'll be looking for a difference of only 1mm, but it has to be done. We have learnt over the years that it is far better to spend a bit of time on the less obvious, checking, checking, than get in and up to our elbows in grease, causing more problems than we fix. It's has probably been a good lesson to learn for not only our Mongrel Sock machines but life in general. As in not getting caught up over problems (real or imagined) with the big picture, we're better off looking after the little things that are all part of the big picture, and let the rest will take care of it's self.

Argh! One of those days!

Some days things just don't run smoothly. For no rhyme or reason, things just go pear shape. We're having one today. Wish I could go back to bed and start all over again. Good thing every day is not like this one. Generally, when we hit the sock shop, things are pretty predicable, chores that need doing, get done. Today we made the necessary changes to one of our old Bentley Komets to go in to the Pure Wool Arm/Leg Warmer mode. Nothing too complicated, but changes never the less. Every thing we did was standard but a little fault appeared. Nothing that affects the end product, but it does make it more time consuming in the finishing off process. Not something we want to continue, when time is money. With these old machines the smallest of adjustments can make a huge difference. Hard to believe that a quarter turn of a screw, will result in dramatic changes to the end result. The rigmarole involved in identifying the cause of our problem is particularly time consuming. With every stab at a solution we have to knit more test runs. This is all very slow, and eventually tiresome. Especially when we are running out of things to try.
Anyway, these things are sent to try us.
Best I get my backside down to the shed and get back in to it.
Typically, I did try to upload some photo's of the machine, but my blogger won't let me post any photo's. Why? Who knows. Although it does seem par for the course today. I'll try to get some photo's up soon, well, whenever the cyber gods will allow it.

80 years old-as good as new!

We love our old sock machines, they are vintage machinery as good today as they were in their heyday. These babies will be still going strong long after today's new fangled sock machines have given up the ghost. They were built in the 1920's and have been in service ever since. They are a tribute to their maker, The Bentley Company, who ironicly went from being the world's biggest sock machine manufacturer in the 1960's to receivership in the 1980's. We are so happy we've got them and will continue to make great socks today and in to the future, well, 'til we give up the ghost. We have no doubt it will be us who'll grow too old to work anymore not the Bentley Komet's, they'll still be thumping along.