Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 3]
Discussion
AlRaven said:
How do mortars work? it seems you just drop a shell in and then it shoots out - where's the propellant etc??
Generally, they all work in the same way. When a mortar bomb was dropped into the tube, an impact sensitive primer in the base of the bomb would make contact with a firing pin at the base of the tube, and detonate, firing the bomb towards the target.
Copied from Wikipedia!
Why are all the house numbers in my street non sequential?
We moved house last year to a recently built (within the last 5 years) street and immediately noticed that all the house numbers are all over the place. As you enter the street the house numbers are sequential until it gets to around Number 16 and from there on its a jumbled mess of numbers and "number a"...
So for example we are No.22 (detached), the others are either detached (D) or semi( SD). The sequence of houses go - 20(D), 21(D), 22(D), 22a(SD) 23(SD), 24(D), 24a(SD), 25(SD), 26(D), 26a(D)...
I'd understand if say a house had been built on spare land and to save confusion added an "a" number into sequence, however there seems to be no reason for the streets numerous "a" numbers. It did cross my mind if the developer had plans for fewer detached houses, yet the demand was such that smaller semis suited the market and hence messed up the plot numbering?
We moved house last year to a recently built (within the last 5 years) street and immediately noticed that all the house numbers are all over the place. As you enter the street the house numbers are sequential until it gets to around Number 16 and from there on its a jumbled mess of numbers and "number a"...
So for example we are No.22 (detached), the others are either detached (D) or semi( SD). The sequence of houses go - 20(D), 21(D), 22(D), 22a(SD) 23(SD), 24(D), 24a(SD), 25(SD), 26(D), 26a(D)...
I'd understand if say a house had been built on spare land and to save confusion added an "a" number into sequence, however there seems to be no reason for the streets numerous "a" numbers. It did cross my mind if the developer had plans for fewer detached houses, yet the demand was such that smaller semis suited the market and hence messed up the plot numbering?
Rickyy said:
Is tarmac an unpredictable material to work with? Just wondering because tarmac repairs always seem to be higher than the original road surface, or is their another reason for this?
My guess is that it is to allow for the substrate to sink slightly, as it often will when repairs are made.Vipers said:
If I dig up,some daffodil bulbs from my garden, and take them to Australia and plant them, will they grow in spring time UK, or spring time Oz, and if spring time Oz, how do they know it's spring.
You'll never know, because being UK daffs, their up will be down in Australia. They will assume you've planted them upside down and therefore do a u turn. 
Vipers said:
If I dig up,some daffodil bulbs from my garden, and take them to Australia and plant them, will they grow in spring time UK, or spring time Oz, and if spring time Oz, how do they know it's spring.
They won't get a chance to grow at any time; Aussie customs will seize and destroy them 
DervVW said:
Moonhawk said:
DoubleSix said:
Ok, so briefly how does that work on a commercial scale?
Don't know - but it must be. Every apple tree in existence that is used to produce apples of a known type has been grafted - apples do not seed true (i.e. planting a seed from a Granny Smith apple will likely result in a tree that produces apples other than Granny Smith).
This job involved putting domestic rose buds cut from a stalk into a cut on a wild rose stem.
There were tens of thousands of wild rose stems growing in massive fields outside of Nottingham.
This work was undertaken by lots of teams of two, the budder and the tier(sp?).
It was backbreaking work from sun up to dusk seven days a week but it paid really well.
AlRaven said:
How do mortars work? it seems you just drop a shell in and then it shoots out - where's the propellant etc??
In a simplistic way they're like a giant shotgun shell where there's a primer at the bottom of the mortar, the mortar tube can be set in 2 ways, one where the pin is triggered as soon as the shell reaches the bottom of the tube, the other way is with a firing handle whereby you drop the mortar into the tube and when you want it to fire you pull the trigger and it releases the firing pin.Tango13 said:
Why can't you buy Lindt Easter bunnies filled with turkish delight or a strawberry fondant type filling?
That way, when you bite it's head off you have a red gloopy mess the same as if you'd bitten the head off a real rabbit
Just how many kids have annoyed you that much you want to traumatise them!That way, when you bite it's head off you have a red gloopy mess the same as if you'd bitten the head off a real rabbit
Just think of the parents complaints!
Good shout though!
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