Help me choose a heat pump

[Drew]

Yeah, it's impressive stuff. I used to be able to collect packing case pallets, from stuff imported from Indonesia. They were made out of planks 40mm thick by anything from 80 to 200mm wide, up to 4 metres long. It's all random rain forest timber, and I had collected several cubic meters of the better looking stuff when a friend spotted it. He's a naval architect, knows exotic timbers inside out. He was very surprised with what was there, came back a week later with some reference books and spent an hour cataloging the pile.

Most of the stuff I'd collected simply because it looked cool, with bright yellow and pink stripes through it turned out to be rose wood. Worth a bloody fortune for making reproduction antique furniture. I gave him a lot of it, but there's still some out back somewhere.

Get a thicknesse plane and fashion yourself something cool then big fella. Just remember to cut timber long. Can't weld up gaps with that shit.

[Ocean1]

Get a thicknesse plane and fashion yourself something cool then big fella. Just remember to cut timber long. Can't weld up gaps with that shit.

I have, from time to time.

and yeah, can't just weld it up and try again when you've fucked it up.

You do get to burn the mistakes...

[Grumph]

Yeah, it's impressive stuff. I used to be able to collect packing case pallets, from stuff imported from Indonesia. They were made out of planks 40mm thick by anything from 80 to 200mm wide, up to 4 metres long. It's all random rain forest timber, and I had collected several cubic meters of the better looking stuff when a friend spotted it. He's a naval architect, knows exotic timbers inside out. He was very surprised with what was there, came back a week later with some reference books and spent an hour cataloging the pile.

Most of the stuff I'd collected simply because it looked cool, with bright yellow and pink stripes through it turned out to be rose wood. Worth a bloody fortune for making reproduction antique furniture. I gave him a lot of it, but there's still some out back somewhere.

Our first house was in Diamond Harbour - across from Lyttelton. It turned out to have been largely built from Dunnage - the timber used to build temporary partitions and lock cargo into place in the holds of ships...then the PO had redone some interior walls using the shiplap Kauri from the old coolstores and copper nails, beautiful stuff.
Anyway, there was an anonymous piece of timber laying out back, just the right size for what I needed so i trimmed it slightly and thought shit this is hard...then predrilled some nail holes. About every 1/8in in on each hole there would be a "bang' as the dust and oils from the timber exploded...I've still got no idea what it was but AFAIK it's still on the house and has never rotted.

[Drew]

Our first house was in Diamond Harbour - across from Lyttelton. It turned out to have been largely built from Dunnage - the timber used to build temporary partitions and lock cargo into place in the holds of ships...then the PO had redone some interior walls using the shiplap Kauri from the old coolstores and copper nails, beautiful stuff.
Anyway, there was an anonymous piece of timber laying out back, just the right size for what I needed so i trimmed it slightly and thought shit this is hard...then predrilled some nail holes. About every 1/8in in on each hole there would be a "bang' as the dust and oils from the timber exploded...I've still got no idea what it was but AFAIK it's still on the house and has never rotted.

Sounds like the bit wasn't clearing. Happens with the hole saw pilot all the time.

[Ocean1]

Our first house was in Diamond Harbour - across from Lyttelton. It turned out to have been largely built from Dunnage - the timber used to build temporary partitions and lock cargo into place in the holds of ships...then the PO had redone some interior walls using the shiplap Kauri from the old coolstores and copper nails, beautiful stuff.
Anyway, there was an anonymous piece of timber laying out back, just the right size for what I needed so i trimmed it slightly and thought shit this is hard...then predrilled some nail holes. About every 1/8in in on each hole there would be a "bang' as the dust and oils from the timber exploded...I've still got no idea what it was but AFAIK it's still on the house and has never rotted.

If the PO had access to old marine materials it may well have been from some boat builder's precious stock of lignum vitae, you could have more or less named your price.

The above old gent used to buy old bowling balls, to carefully chop up and make block sheaves, (as in "block and tackle") and deadeyes. Like a lot of traditional boat building timbers, you simply can't buy it any more. The stuff is amazing, very heavy and almost indestructible.

[Grumph]

If the PO had access to old marine materials it may well have been from some boat builder's precious stock of lignum vitae, you could have more or less named your price.

The above old gent used to buy old bowling balls, to carefully chop up and make block sheaves, (as in "block and tackle") and deadeyes. Like a lot of traditional boat building timbers, you simply can't buy it any more. The stuff is amazing, very heavy and almost indestructible.

Yeah, I've worked Lignum Vitae, family built several boats incl 2 keelers. this was tentatively ID'd by an ex ships engineer across the road as an African hardwood which he thought was something like candlewood. Cut it and it was a bright yellow and almost waxy texture. Sharp drill clearing well - just the heat reached critical level and bang...

Well off topic but sheaves for yacht blocks - in fact the whole block assembly - were good earners for me in my high school years.
Tufnol rollers machined up on the family belt drive lathe in perspex sides with stainless fastenings.
Very light and lasted well. Ones I made went to two Olympics...

[Ocean1]

Yeah, I've worked Lignum Vitae, family built several boats incl 2 keelers. this was tentatively ID'd by an ex ships engineer across the road as an African hardwood which he thought was something like candlewood. Cut it and it was a bright yellow and almost waxy texture. Sharp drill clearing well - just the heat reached critical level and bang...

Well off topic but sheaves for yacht blocks - in fact the whole block assembly - were good earners for me in my high school years.
Tufnol rollers machined up on the family belt drive lathe in perspex sides with stainless fastenings.
Very light and lasted well. Ones I made went to two Olympics...

Block cheeks, I should have said, rather than sheaves.

Still great work if you can get it, very enjoyable, and Bruce used to send a bit my way but it's a dying market.

I've got his personal collection of drawings for most traditional fittings somewhere around here. Guess I should do something about that one day....