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Old 20th Oct 2017, 3:49 pm   #1
duncanlowe
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Default "Money for nothing". BBC TV Programme.

It's on in the background, but they have just rescued what looks like an Avo 8 from being thrown into landfill. I mean if nothing else the owner could have sold it on, but it might be a shame to see one wrecked to become something trendy.
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Old 20th Oct 2017, 4:00 pm   #2
The Philpott
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Default Re: Money for nothing BBC

It's quite early, and they are going to vandalise it in the name of trendy.

Mid 1930's, Model 5, quite a rare one. Philistines. I only watch this to swear at it.

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Old 20th Oct 2017, 4:43 pm   #3
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Default Re: Money for nothing BBC

This seems familiar. I saw an episode of this a few months back and someone had made a lamp (just for a change!) out of a meter by sticking two lampholders and I think two candle bulbs on the top. It's a bit of a joke in our house guessing what they are going to make out of the landfill rescues. The jerry can lamp was probably the most bizarre. (All PAT tested and checked out by a qualified electrician of course). I am a bit of a skip rat and thought it may be an interesting program but quickly lost interest...
Alan.
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Old 20th Oct 2017, 4:44 pm   #4
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Default Re: Money for nothing BBC

Yes, an early one with a red needle and screw heads instead of knobs for the ohms adjustment. Looked to be in very good condition.

Turned into the smiley-faced head of a robot guitar amplifier!
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Old 20th Oct 2017, 4:54 pm   #5
paulsherwin
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Default Re: Money for nothing BBC

It's a bit sad that rare items are being wrecked, but at least they're using items that would otherwise be destroyed rather than buying them on the open market (at least, I hope that's the case).

I don't watch this programme as I find the faddishness and superficiality irritating. Of course, I'm not part of the target demographic so that won't bother the producers and commissioning editors in the slightest.
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Old 20th Oct 2017, 5:12 pm   #6
MrBungle
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Default Re: Money for nothing BBC

I have no problem with things being repurposed or recycled myself. Sometimes the effort to return something to original condition without drastic compromise is unrealistic so getting some use out of it is nice. For example, and I'll probably be shot for this, there is definitely mileage in converting some of the wrecked vintage radio enclosures into a modern speaker system if the electronics are unrecoverable.

The line I draw though, is when the outcome is idiotic. I came across this the other day:
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Old 20th Oct 2017, 6:21 pm   #7
The Philpott
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Default Re: Money for nothing BBC

I'm with you on the new wine in an old bottle thing Bungle, if the old wine is undrinkable.

I had a problem with today's screening is 1) No apparent effort or interest in establishing whether the machine still functioned as originally intended.-and could thus have been swapped for a duff one if so 2) No effort to educate- even slightly- the viewing public. 3) I had concern about the apparent high centre of gravity of the finished article.

I know it's all 'chewing gum for the eyes', as Father Ted would have said (it wasn't me who switched the TV on!!) but- being the BBC i set a higher standard in my head for what they churn out than the expectation for certain other channels.
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Old 20th Oct 2017, 7:53 pm   #8
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Default Re: Money for nothing BBC

From be BBC, there’s always the Harry and Paul sketch called “I saw you coming” (see YouTube). That’s the other side of the coin
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Old 20th Oct 2017, 8:24 pm   #9
The Philpott
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Default Re: Money for nothing BBC

..The arms of the finished AVOBOT appeared to be Stanley hand drills- another sin,as
these really don't become obsolete- and the engineering is such that they last!
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Old 20th Oct 2017, 10:37 pm   #10
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Default Re: Money for nothing BBC

I know it's all bit dafty but some of the skills are quite interesting. You're all behind the curve on this and it does make money The reference point is Salvage Hunters on Quest where they turn it all into a vast [but generally honest] business] The skills there are well worth noting! "Money" is quite interesting [frustating] in the sense that the presenter has some great fabric abilites of her own but [like many politicians] seems unused to "ordinary" people. The most gob-smacking aspect is the amount that the people she out-sources work to charge and the world that they [all] seem to live in

I picked up several of those meters that they turned into fancy lamps a few months ago when my brother and I cleared out what had been the tech room in a Manchester Club. Sadly.... the engineer had died a few years before-we were only just in time [water damage].

Note that the phrase I used is not "sadly died" [as they say on the news all the time]. We never know if anyone was sad or otherwise at that point.... not even if we might guess

Dave W

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Old 20th Oct 2017, 11:42 pm   #11
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Default Re: Money for nothing BBC

There certainly is money to be made but not how they operate on that. I play a game which is done on a spreadsheet because I’m a sad individual and work out the expenditure versus return. It’s more profitable to work a zero hours contract at Tesco on some of the things based on the hours expended.

My vice in this space is manky old oscilloscopes that are broken. I seem to have magic fingers. They’re also worth a lot more working and I tire of them when the technical challenge is over.
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Old 21st Oct 2017, 10:41 am   #12
The Philpott
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Default Re: "Money for nothing". BBC TV Programme.

It did surprise me how much the illustrious presenter outsourced work (bearing in mind her own obvious skills) until I saw her using a handsaw and it almost went a bit 'Reg Prescott' - I feared for her fingers.

There was a previous episode where the specialist who was handed some moulding planes refused to hack them up, and used them instead to learn how to make wooden frames 'the old way'. A bit more edifying, but Yes, it did take him ages..
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