Russian Cream

So bicycles are obviously far too serious a subject to be flippant about - I forget there seem to be a disproportionate number of serious cycling dudes amongst woodworkers. You should see my bike - it's actually worse than that freebie. At least I think it is; it may be fossilising by now considering how long it's been since I saw it last...

But enough of that - what d'you know of Russian woodworking practices? No, I don't either. But as a side-effect of asking about the "B" branded Russian copy of the Record 043 mini grooving plane a helpful soul on Woodnet not only translated the front of the instruction manual but also came up with this Russian site on tools. In case your reading of the cyrillic alphabet is as non-existant as mine, you can suffer the horrors of a rough Google translation here. So now there's no excuse for not knowing your Шпунтубель from your Калёвка.

I know it sounds pathetic and sad case material to say it, but the internet really is incredible. Here is little me, one day trip to Boulogne-Sur-Le-Mer to my name as far as foreign travel goes, and I innocently think it'd be nice to have a web page on the Record 040/043. Big deal. But as a result I've corresponded with numerous helpful folks and dipped my toe into waters concerning both Australian and Russian tool manufacturers that would have otherwise been as a closed tool chest to me. Extraordinary really.

Anyway, the festive season approaches and the newspaper tells me that in consequence there will be next to no work done in offices all next week. So what's new, say the non-office workers... Instead the diligent workforce will gossip, go to parties and generally slack off as though it was the end of the summer term and they'd just finished their exams. In order to help you get into this non-productive mood I think a few games could be in order, so first up the Christmas Lights. Just like the real thing, it's easy to end up with just one damn bulb that refuses to light...