52. The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma...

Thanks Patrick for the title!

I'd like to say big things have been happening recently. . . but I'd be lying.

Btw, listen to this while you're reading...

Syblade templates are progressing slowly, as is the Mini restoration. Most of my time at the moment has been spent on my various music projects, especially Beats Working 2012 with Lee Bowater. Click the link!

Otherwise its been same old!

Offroading at Parkwood Offroad Centre with Blood Red Offroad was on the 15th (new videos to come in the next month before we set off for the next outing).

Here's a few taster pictures.

(Click to enlarge)

The "Swamp Donkey" claiming her territory post overheating. 

The Isuzu Trooper disproving that cars get properly mucky when off-roading.

Nick failing to clean his car and cleaning himself in doing so...

Next blogpost should have more music links, updates on my mini, perhaps on the syblade, and maybe even a new album cover!

51. "what did you just stick on my head? - A decorative iron hinge!"

Aaah Little Big Planet, how your limitless creativity amuses me. Shame it eludes so many other people...

Now to something a little more serious.

Today I found out that one of my idols of the music world passed away back in December. It is with great disdain that I say goodbye to Richard Lainhart, one of the greatest minds of the synthesis world . . . Whenever somebody passes away either close to my art, or close to my heart (rhyme not intended) there's always a feeling deep inside me that makes me want to continue their work and aspire to do as they did. If anybody reading this knew a Mr Ralph Stuart Moore, they'd know I've been doing just that for a long time . . .

Time to update on my mini!!

Last time you saw it, it had a front end... Now it doesn't! Its gonna look sweeeeeet when its done lol

Remember, click the images to take a closer look.

The inner wing (above and below) had to go. It was fitted too badly to even think about salvaging!

The rear of the driverside inner wing was... kaput, to say the least. Bodge job after bodge job has taken its toll... the only thing left was to remove all the bodge and see what i had left!

That's what is left in this corner of the metal that left the Mini factory in December 1965. 

Its not much use to me though, so off with its head!

With more rust removed, the dashboard corner was replaced with new tin aswell. Next up, door post repair, then to start properly on the front end!

I'm hoping to have the car painted by the end of spring... think I can do it?

50 "Saving a few seconds wont make a difference" . . . "But, seconds add up to minutes..."

Oh how observant my friends are... Seriously though, unless time is absolutely of the essence, try taking your time on everything. I'm not suggesting you be lazy or non-committal, just relax a little and be patient with those around you. Its amazing the difference it can make to ones mood : )

Anyway, on with the show.

Here's a new idea I may start offering in my venture into the self-employed world: Custom car renders.

Most artist impressions and drawings etc of cars are either photo-realistic and employ tens of hours and many years of practice. Either that or drawings more suited to the description "charicature's" than renders.
What I'm considering offering is the chance to immortalise a car in a simple but detailed render, whether it be your own car, a lifelong dream car, a restoration project... nearly anything can be done!

The examples below were done for friends who have given me more inspiration to do my own thing than anybody else!                      (Don't forget to click the images, enlarge them and relish in the details!)

Blood Red Offroad Toyota Landcruiser

Copley Recovery Rochdale GT Special

D.Diesels Bowler Wildcat

Here they are framed and looking really rather stunning!

More examples to come soon, in fact I might even start a render of my own car...

Lots of changes going on at the moment too with the building of a new workshop and progression all round on nearly every project . . . watch this space.

49. "Don't you have a goat to worm?"

Ok so the title isn't a quote from a friend like usual. It is infact from sherlock holmes. Went to see it the other day with Miss Natasha Aldred in a spontanious act of boredom! Well worth it!

One thing that surely isn't well worth it, no matter how much you love nacho's, hot dogs or popcorn, is... well, any of those things bought from the cinema! It may have been because I had my bag with me from 'work', but taking a sandwich, Thorntons chocolate, drink, frutella sweets and cream eggs, plus a torch to be able to see into the bag, seemed much better than crap crisps with a poor excuse for cheese on top!

Anywho.

Lots of things have been going on in the last month or so including the internet being worse than intermittent, hence abandoning the scheduled blogposts.

Music wise there are 5 projects on the go: (all links open a new window, so click as you go!)

JDStone - Experimental solo project

Mercurium - Duet with the very talented Jenny Kermode, some experimental, mostly symphonic, all epic.

Fall of Atlantis (might change our name...) - A six piece Metal band where subtlty is not its forte but, trust me, thats a good thing.

Drum Show with Lee ___ - The 3rd or 4th drum show which "needed something different"... I am that something different! It will be a combination of my solo efforts along with covers performed by a very talented female singer (and an as yet found guitarist!) plus new content written to back his students at the Ritz Ballroom in Brighouse on May 6th (write that in your diaries!!!)

Synth and Drum duo with Drum tutor Richard Wilson of Raw Studios - Don't know what to expect of this... but its going to be mega!

All these music projects will have something to listen to online by easter!

I'll stick to music for this post, as that's more than enough to keep anybody busy clicking links!

Thanks for looking.

48. "We should put all Southerners on top of a mountain, just coz its funny..."

I won't reveal who said that but I'll happily agree with them!

Last time I posted I said it would be frequent... and it wasn't. The day after I made the "mini mondays" post was when my internet decided to allow, on average, 15 minutes of usage per day. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Then ten days following, there was a power cut on my block...

Not all was lost however, as my camera still had some charge!

All these images were just taken on my Lumix digital camera, just with a 15 second shutter time.

I used to hate the dark... This was awesome though!

Here's a few other things I've been up to recently.

It was dads birthday earlier in the month, so I got out my old biro and sketched his favourite train.

Then came Christmas. I had planned on making about 8 cards and equal amounts of presents . . . I finished less than half that. Fluffy the penguin here was one of them! I'm quite happy with him, especially considering it was all hand sewn guess work.

Wednesday the 28th marked the first day my Syblade stood on a live stage. It may have only been a jam session, but it was still a proud moment.

Oh and, I bet this is the best thing anybody has drawn on one of those magic erasing slate things!

Feel free to prove me wrong!
Hope you had a good Christmas, and Happy New Year!

47. "Five is a Fifteen letter word" - Mini Monday

I've always considered my brothers as quite smart, but tonight my assumption wasn't entirely accurate . . .

As promised, Mini Mondays have commenced! Although come to think of it, it'll probably be at least Tuesday by the time you read this.
Oh well!

So this is how the project is progressing. I took some time off to get my head together with other things about a month back, also to decide whether to replace or rebuild the front left section. I chose rebuild!
The rest is pretty self explanatory!

I was surprised at how much metal had corroded here...

First repair section in place.

Second panel cut and put in place too.

This was quite a bit later, after adding red-oxide paint in and around the ready to repair section and in the previously welded floor area. Next I fitted the inner and outer A-panels...

...along with the door! First time it's looked vaguely car like in a long while! : )

To say it was the first time fitting, it was a pretty good fit! Even in the door aperture!

With the extra panels in place, the inside looks quite tidy too I think.

Next panel to go in was a nightmare to fit . . . and it still doesn't fit!

Did I say the previous panel was a nightmare? Ha! Nothing compared to this section!

I'd love to hear if anybody else is doing a project as ambitious as this on a shoestring budget! If you're reading this and know anyone, put a link in the comments and get your project heard about!

46. "only people with kitties can procrastinate"

You know, its been so long since I posted I can't even remember who I've quoted that from . . .

Post's will from now on be on Fridays and Mondays... and I'm not just saying it this time. I may be ill, but brain still works!
Before the regular posts though, I'll be doing one a day until I'm up to date with stuff, rather than bunching it all in one massive unreadable lump.

A few months ago I found a video of Devin Townsend Project on youtube and noticed in the corner it said "see him live in leeds on 5th November" . . . needless to say, I bought a ticket. THEN I found out it wasn't just a gig to see him, it was an entire prog metal festival! Here are some of the pics!

The ticket as it arrived!

Xerath, who I thought I'd missed, but played half an hour late. 

I haven't a clue who this is, but its pretty and blue...

This band was remarkable... yes, that is a saxophonist on the right, in a prog jazz metal band!!

Astrohenge were and are fantastic. Instrumental and without a bassist they may be, but by god their music has depth to it, and some!

Lol, Turisas . . . surprisingly awesome actually!

The signing section was actually just a corridor... it was brilliant lol

Don't remember which band this was, but I do remember that this stage had perfect sound!

Devin Townsend at the signing corridor. This was the best photo I got... nvm. I've met him before!

I have no idea which band this is either . . . I never saw them, just heard them!

This was Godflesh. Strange band. Just 2 people and an industrial drums backing track... only complaint? Too loud and not memorable for anything else.

ZILTOID THE OMNISCIENT... I know he has some relation to Devin's old stuff but I've never bothered finding out! If you're in the know, let me know too!

Before his set and during setup, Devin turned on Ziltoid Radio which hosted songs like Barbie Girl and Mambo Number 5, along with a rather interesting slideshow. Click here (when I make the youtube video) to see all the images of that!

Finally, here is Hevy Devy himself.

This was by far the most fun I've had at any gig. It was absolutely epic and genuinely inspiring.

Here's a question for YOU to answer in the comments. What's been your favourite live band performance?

45. "Ooooo its Friday the 13th except on a Thursday"

Thankyou again Marvin for another insightful comment.

Time for some Mini pictures!

 Door frame is now complete (ish). It'll need a bit more welding and a skim of filler before its done.

 On to the driver side floor. Definitely becoming a little more ruthless in what I cut out.

 I say ruthless... there wasn't really anything there to save!

 Thats the floor nearly removed along with all the cack-handed bodge jobs on the sill and inner wings.

 Thats Patch. One of the only... erm, things that I will allow to distract me at any time when im working on my car! Watching him climb in an out of a car that spins round when you climb in is quite amusing :P

 Patch leaves, Floor panels are in... I then got bored and moved onto another section...

 ...only to find that was bodged too. Great.

 Thats the driver side rear all welded and rust-proofed. The hole at the back is where the subframe panel will be mounted, but I need the subframe fitted to line it up properly! Thats a final job that.

 I went a bit mental with the welder here coz the metal is thicker... Couldn't resist!

After years of working on it, Mike has lost his first external body panel : (

I even video'd the event!

 My god I sound so upset . . .

I still dont understand why it ever seemed a good idea to bodge something that much...

Offroading videos and halloween costume pictures to come next time!