Craig Marston's Blog

Neat!

craigmarston — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:32:07 +0000

I had some of these for my lunch…

• Sent from my iPhone •
☏ +44.7799 82 42 30
✉ mail@craigmarston.com
➲ www.craigmarston.com

Reckon one of these would look great in our garden..!

craigmarston — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:31:21 +0000

Decorative tree at Center Parcs.

• Sent from my iPhone •
☏ +44.7799 82 42 30
✉ mail@craigmarston.com
➲ www.craigmarston.com

Skoda Octavia Door Courtesy Light Switch

craigmarston — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:45:19 +0000

01a – Pop the mirror control console out.

01b

02a – Remove the door panel retaining screw from behind the interior door-release handle.

02b – The door panel retaining screw from behind the interior door-release handle.

04a – Remove this piece from under the handle before attempting to remove the window control console. The protrusions lock the console into the frame.

04b – Window control console removed by brute force and ignorance…

04c – Broken component due to previous procedure!

04d – Broken frame (right hand side) due to the previous procedure.

04e – Overview of driver’s door handle and window control console location. You can see the green clips that hold the console in place, along with the (broken) bar where the handle is. The black electrical tape is attached to the wiring to aid retrieval during reassembly.

20 – Overview of driver’s door with panel removed. Note that the window is partially opened, and secured (just in case) with gaffer tape.

23 – Note the lock button and rod.

24b – The end of the lock-button rod being unclipped from the lock mechanism.

25 – Removing the (key-operated) barrel lock was a pig. The metal peg you can see at the bottom of the aperture rotates round on a cam, holding the barrel in place.

26a – One of these screws operates the cam which holds the barrel in place. I ended up drilling a larger access hole to this screw as my bit driver was just too broad..!

26c – The end of the cable that the exterior door handle pulls to operate the door-lock mechanism

27a – The door-handle cable preventing the lock assembly from being removed.

27b – The mechanism-end of the cable to the external door-release handle.

27c – The connector which you probably can’t see yet, looks like this.

27d – Removing the assembly now that the cable is free.

28 – To undo the assmebly requires holding one of the sprung levers out of the way.

29 – Separating the two assemblies.

30a – Note where all the parts sit — Take photos!!

30b

30c – The offending solder-joints (by the connector) causing the problem.

30d – That bush on the back-end of the motor had me foxed for ages when it fell off. Fortunately, I had taken a photograph..!

31a – When re-assembling, watch out that this fork meets up with the corresponding lever in the next photo.

31b – This lever needs to marry-up with the fork in the previous photo. This caused me to have to repeat EVERYTHING up to this stage again when the door wouldn’t lock!!!

32a – Checking the whole system works correctly.

32b – Push the latch (as if the door is closed) then pull the door-handle cable to test the lock.

33 – Electrical tape used for retrieval of cables etc. Do this before presenting the panel back up to the door.

Skoda Octavia Door Courtesy Light Switch

craigmarston — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:12:17 +0000

01a – Pop the mirror control console out.

Skoda door courtesy switch

01b

Skoda door courtesy switch

02a – Remove the door panel retaining screw from behind the interior door-release handle.

Skoda door courtesy switch

02b – The door panel retaining screw from behind the interior door-release handle.

Skoda door courtesy switch

04a – Remove this piece from under the handle before attempting to remove the window control console. The protrusions lock the console into the frame.

Skoda door courtesy switch

04b – Window control console removed by brute force and ignorance…

Skoda door courtesy switch

04c – Broken component due to previous procedure!

Skoda door courtesy switch

04d – Broken frame (right hand side) due to the previous procedure.

Skoda door courtesy switch

20 – Overview of driver’s door with panel removed. Note that the window is partially opened, and secured (just in case) with gaffer tape.

Skoda door courtesy switch

23 – Note the lock button and rod.

Skoda door courtesy switch

24b – The end of the lock-button rod being unclipped from the lock mechanism.

Skoda door courtesy switch

25 – Removing the (key-operated) barrel lock was a pig. The metal peg you can see at the bottom of the aperture rotates round on a cam, holding the barrel in place.

Skoda door courtesy switch

26a – One of these screws operates the cam which holds the barrel in place. I ended up drilling a larger access hole to this screw as my bit driver was just too broad..!

Skoda door courtesy switch

26c – The end of the cable that the exterior door handle pulls to operate the door-lock mechanism

Skoda door courtesy switch

27a – The door-handle cable preventing the lock assembly from being removed.

Skoda door courtesy switch

27b – The mechanism-end of the cable to the external door-release handle.

Skoda door courtesy switch

27c – The connector which you probably can’t see yet, looks like this.

Skoda door courtesy switch

27d – Removing the assembly now that the cable is free.

Skoda door courtesy switch

28 – To undo the assmebly requires holding one of the sprung levers out of the way.

Skoda door courtesy switch

29 – Separating the two assemblies.

Skoda door courtesy switch

30a – Note where all the parts sit — Take photos!!

Skoda door courtesy switch

30b

Skoda door courtesy switch

30c – The offending solder-joints (by the connector) causing the problem.

Skoda door courtesy switch

30d – That bush on the back-end of the motor had me foxed for ages when it fell off. Fortunately, I had taken a photograph..!

Skoda door courtesy switch

31a – When re-assembling, watch out that this fork meets up with the corresponding lever in the next photo.

Skoda door courtesy switch

31b – This lever needs to marry-up with the fork in the previous photo. This caused me to have to repeat EVERYTHING up to this stage again when the door wouldn’t lock!!!

Skoda door courtesy switch

32a – Checking the whole system works correctly.

Skoda door courtesy switch

32b – Push the latch (as if the door is closed) then pull the door-handle cable to test the lock.

Skoda door courtesy switch

33 – Electrical tape used for retrieval of cables etc. Do this before presenting the panel back up to the door.

Skoda door courtesy switch

DSCF2494

Skoda door courtesy switch

DSCF2497

Skoda door courtesy switch

DSCF2498

Skoda door courtesy switch

DSCF2500

Skoda door courtesy switch

DSCF2501

Skoda door courtesy switch

DSCF2512

Skoda door courtesy switch

DSCF2513

Skoda door courtesy switch

DSCF2519

Skoda door courtesy switch

DSCF2520

Skoda door courtesy switch

DSCF2523

Skoda door courtesy switch

What Did You Say the Prize Was..?

craigmarston — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:26:24 +0000

Using your own domain with Gmail on iPhone

craigmarston — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:10:07 +0000

This appears to be a common snag for those of us using a customised email address or specific domain, but wishing to use Google’s fantastic mail servers.
I feel that it’s safe to assume that if you’re reading this, you’ve set email up before but can’t understand what you’ve missed…

…and the answer is nothing!

It all boils down to the initial set-up when we selected “Gmail” because that’s what we’re using. But by choosing “Other” instead, we get the extra options we need to set the ‘from’ and ‘reply-to’ email addresses.

So, all you need to do is, delete your current Gmail account on your iPhone, then start from scratch, paying attention to the screen shown below.

It’s pretty much the same on the Mac too, but then how often do you need set email up if you’ve had the same email address for over ten years..?

Manfrotto 055 Pro Tripod Repair and Upgrade

craigmarston — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 13:22:02 +0000

The new clip in-situe

The Manfrotto manual showing the load loop / hanging ring.

The broken component, referred to as a hanging ring.

To access the screws which hold the main body together, we need to remove this clamp assembly — note the hole in the recess…

You can see the screws that we need access to, and the silver-coloured spring-loaded wedge which both retains and locks the clamp assembly. Make sure the locking screw is loose enough to allow the wedge to be easily depressed into the main body.

The clamp retaining / locking wedge / block

By lining up one of the holes in the centre clamp, we can depress the wedge and remove the centre clamp — requires a bit of wiggling..!

Loosening the screws on the main body, just enough to insert the (modified) D-clip.

The D-clip I purchased has a flat cross-section (most D-clips have a circular cross-section) which is absolutely essential as it needs re-shaping to fit.

The curve of its original shape was too steep to fit in the narrow gap provided in the tripod body, so using pliers I flattened the top.

*The British Military use Manfrotto tripods which puts them under duress not only during use, but whilst being thrown or bounced around in some form of transport.

Upside-down plants

craigmarston — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 15:33:09 +0000

I thought these artificial plants were brilliantly different!

Holiday in the forest, day 1.

craigmarston — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:59:24 +0000

A well-deserved break for all of us
I was working through the night on a physics assignment and went to bed for a few hours at 7:30am!
Reckon I’ll sleep well tonight…

Untitled

craigmarston — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:44:25 +0000

365 photographs of Sheffielders by resident ‘alien’ photographer Luke Avery, and I was fortunate enough to be a part of it. This is a great piece of work and it was fantastic watching it develop (pun intended) throughout the year.
Top job by a top bloke who likes Sheffield so much that after finishing his degree, he made it his home!

See the project in its entirety here: http://www.sheffield365project.co.uk/