Soda capsules, electric cars and other missed opportunities
Stan Krawczyk • 15 January 2020
Soda capsules, electric cars and other missed opportunities - story of my life!
Yes Soda capsules , compressed CO2 gas bulbs used for Soda syphons and other applications! Read on.
The advantage of growing up in a house with no computers, mobiles, tablets and only 3 Black and White TV channels you have time to think, time to invent and create your own entertainment! No this is not going to turn into a Monty Python sketch (luxuries I used to dream of Soda syphons!)
Other than being fascinated by cars from an early age (3) I was always interested in how things work, hence my life long interest in taking things apart and sometimes managing to put them back together, mostly in the right sequence with only a few spare washers and nuts left over. Obviously not required after all!
As a typical 1970's boy I loved my bike and model train sets, no PS3 Playstations here!
My first train set was Lego for my sixth birthday then moved onto Hornby 00 gauge stuff which I purchased second hand from the Model shop in Bury.
Because of my interest in electrics I discovered soldering then managed to build a replica of one of the model steam engines totally from scratch, using brass sheet and soldering it all together. Spare time was not an issue then?
I did a lot of Airfix model kits, stunk the house out probably ruined my lungs from the glue smell, that and mum's endless clouds of hairspray.
Later I built my own twin record deck (still have it) from a plan in Practical Electronics magazine, when I started college, must dig that out? But I am going off at tangerines again, focus! All this practical hands on stuff has created the fool I am today.
So what have Soda compressed gas capsules got to do with anything? Because we had a soda syphon we used to buy them.
Once I purchased a Revel PT Torpedo Boat model kit, quite a large one. It had an electric motor and operated the propellers I intended to make it remote controlled.
Sprouting large torpedo tubes on the deck I had this great idea to fit soda capsules inside them and somehow build a release mechanism that would puncture them, force the gas out and of course shoot the torpedo's, sinking any enemy model boats in the local Lido!!! I was 9!
Have you ever seen these capsules? They are designed to be very tough due to the force of the gas inside. The metal end plate that you pierce in the soda syphon takes some force? Glad I never followed that one up or a visit to the hospital might have ensured! Could be a future drone alternative project for me? Hmm?
Maybe its a Polish thing but I hate paying for someone else to do stuff I can do? My wife wants to pay someone for everything and yes they are generally quicker than me but they wont care I do. Since it's for us I take my time and do it properly.
Because we didn't have much money we did everything ourselves on the house or when I passed my driving test I ended up doing all the work on my cars. Being old classics or Beetles they were fairly easy to work on but also it gave me the confidence to know what to do in the event of a breakdown? Have you ever driven home on a Friday at 5pm in the rain with no handbrake or no clutch, character building but can be done.
Once I had a 1958 Wolseley 15/50 (google it kids) driving to Wales to visit my Godfather. It cut out, but with the aid of the foil from a Wrighley's chewing gum wrapper I fixed the earth connection inside the dizzy, got me there and home (4 hour round trip).
I would be changing wheels, wipers, lights, batteries, oil everything stuff that people seem to have forgotten how to do or don't like getting their hands dirty these days?
I used to draw and paint a lot, something the art teacher at school encouraged me to follow up, she thought I had a natural talent. That was nice of her and she did inspire me but seeing myself driving down to the South of France in my 2CV with my paints, although nice, my practical side thought I could not make a living from it? Missed opportunity eh? I could have been an artist!! Some say I am already a kind of artist!
From age 10 I was thinking about electric cars or rather once I understood how petrol engines and cars worked I thought if they could put dynamos on the axles, when you drove they would charge up an extra battery then have an electric motor also connected to the engine. You could switch off the petrol engine and use the electric power you generated whilst driving to extend the range? Hmm sound familiar?
This was late 1970s people! Missed opportunities? I could have been the next Bill Gates or Dyson or that annoying bloke from Tesla?
My first IT job, because that was the dark side I decided to pursue, although some days I still think back to wafting through poppy fields En France with my paints and 2CV ! Merde!
So back to IT, the company I worked for was just around the corner from The Hacienda (famous Manchester Dance Club in the 80/90's).
The Hacienda - Click here
Harry Enfield sketch
I used to work shifts and finishing on a Friday around 10pm I would stop at the lights opposite the club but never knew what it was at the time? I did think the people were stupid queuing there for hours all the way around the block? Little did I know it was the famous club. Mind you at that time I was a Soul man (Luther Vandross, SOS Band), none of this indie Manchester 'Mad for it' stuff, well I did a few years later but there you go. Missed opportunity!
Some of my drawings from about age 11 or so above.
I still kept my folder with all of my drawings. I used to draw a lot it was very relaxing. Sadly I left it behind although sometimes when I am teaching at work I tend to draw to explain things. I am very much a visual person, can't say anything without waving like a demented Parisian!
Working in IT, its quite frustrating as you very rarely see the fruits of your labour.
I love Art Deco, Art Nouveau particularly Charles Renne MacKintosh designs and my love of Leaded windows I setup a leaded windows design and build business. I say business it was more just to pay for the materials as I enjoyed making them.
When my daughter was born that stopped but I intend to restart it someday? Missed Opportunity could have been a leaded windows millionaire by now then I could drive off to France in the 2CV (or Bentley maybe)!
Don't let missed opportunities stop you, keep looking and trying just don't waste your life in front of a computer screen get outside and actually talk to people.
Next thing you will be creating weird family web sites into the small hours, who would be foolish enough to do such things....................
Below that's me, first week in my first house with my first Classic 1958 Wolseley 15/50! That house needed a lot of work! Oh the 90's with turn-up jeans lovely and I was still super skinny then. Nervous energy better than diets.
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Mum's Polish Kitchen - Krawczyk stuffed pancakes - nadziewane naleśniki.
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