A Wargaming opponent

I was doing my usual Saturday afternoon gig with the Games Workshop stuff at the local FLGS when one of our counter staff said there was a man to see me. "A man ?" I said, thinking that I had no outstanding debts as far as I knew. It turned out it was a semi local looking for a wargame that wasn't Warhammer. Nap's, ACW and WWII were mentioned. One thing I have avoided like the plague is Napoleonics because I know just how many figure purchases that might lead to. ACW isn't really something i'm interested in although a pick up game could be entertaining. My interest was piqued though. Which leaves WWII.


WWII 20mm would be my scale of choice because I already have enough figures here without any extras. Although 15mm is enticing because of the sheer range available again its a slippery slope to another scale and range of figures I have to find homes for. But what ruleset to play?


Having come home and ruminated about it IABSM suddenly came to mind. It's a copy of rules that I've had for a little while but have had no reason to play so I may suggest these. Cheap as chips with room for gentlemanly discussion and period specific adjustments to the rules. Not for rules lawyers apparently so we'll see how I go with the sales pitch.
 
The I Ain't Been Shot Mum website is over at Lard Island.

Halloween in Australia

What is it with an US holiday getting rammed down our throats? This year the supermarkets have gone into overdrive and it just leaves me wondering when they will try Thanksgiving.  

When the wheels stop turning...

So i was riding along doing a couple of laps of the local park on my trusty Mountain Bike when a poor gear change resulted in the chain snapping. Huh? was my first thought as the pedals suddenly became very light and that tell tale sound of the chain running out onto the ground registered. Luckily all the parts were still hanging on, my trusty chain breaker was handy and I had it back together in about ten minutes.

My trusty no name chain breaker on the left and a Topeak one on the right.

Which leads to this post which is going to deal with Chain breaks, how to avoid them and how to fix 'em.

Bike chains come apart for a number of reasons. Wear will weaken a chain to the point were they will pop apart under shifting tension, stuff can get caught in them and twist them apart for example trail debris and poor or incorrect joining of the chain can also create a weak point that will come apart under stress.

How do you avoid the splits?

• keep your chain and chain rings in good condition and by that i mean clean and lubed with your choice of lubricant, they will wear quicker on a mtb rather than a road bike as all the crud does them no good
• when you're changing gears avoid putting too much stress on the chain by planning for shifts
• use a good quality chain that's designed for the chain rings you are using

 
 

to be continued...