The Queen's Knight Defence

Well let me start out by clarifying that the following blog has absolutely nothing to do with  the Queen's Knight defence move, I dredged through the vast empty confines of my brain to think up a suitable heading and this is how it ended up ... so be it

As an aside for those of you who may be interested in the actual Queens Knight Defence move may find it right here 

Queens Knight Bracelet

Philosophy and Construction of the bracelet

As if it wasn't hard enough to create the bracelet, I then hammered out a philosophy for the bracelet, although the basics were already formed in my head at the outset, the full story did not ferment until well into the project.

Philosophy

On the left are the Knights of the realm and on the right is the Queen representing the Monarchy.
This is a type of torque bracelet formed from solid silver.The body of the bracelet or torque represents the serfs or peasantry.  

The Knight facing the monarchy is bowing in greeting and subservience, the Monarchy bow back acknowledging the greeting.

The knights are landed gentry obtaining their land from both inheritance and from the Monarchy
Monarch and Knight will have peasants working the land for them and paying taxes, The peasantry are under the power of both the Knights and the Monarchy so I have the torque (peasants/serfs) underneath both Monarchy and Knights.
The knights will never become the Monarchy except by virtue of battle represented by the gap between the two.


Construction

The body of the bracelet was started with a 5x5mm square silver rod, this was then taper rolled from both ends so that it is thick in the middle then narrows to the ends, this is filed to make it all even.

Draw lines around the body at 10mm intervals then diagonal lines between them until the entire piece is covered.
Cut into the silver on the diagonal lines with a saw then using triangular and then round files cut deep into the lines.
Once you have a suitably deep cut you can start to round the piece up which finally gives the impression of twisted wire.

Pretty average technical drawing for the Torque

The Knight and queen are both carved out of a vast block of silver with a hammers and chisels and power tools .......... didn't believe me did you.....actually they are cast using small chess pieces as a model and then soldered into place on the ends of the torque, the whole is then polished.

Caveat Emptor.......*

Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the kitchen, and just when I thought I could put this blogging episode to bed.......

Was that a bit of an acrimonious telephonic discussion to be heard between client and owner of the kitchen supplier, where there rather strong words flung from both sides ... yes I dare say STRONG WORDS (read rather bad loud language).

And was it heard that said client must now accept that the supplier while giving a product that is to say sub-standard and we must accept it....... correct ..... indeed yes!

The fridge does not fit because the kitchen supplier measured wrong will the kitchen supplier give at least the amount in the form of a discount to the effect of at least the difference between full list price and their cost of the new fridge that has to be purchased due to the significant fault on behalf of the kitchen supplier ..... HELL NO!!! 

His solution is to cut down the size of the existing drawers and cupboards to almost dwarf size so that the current fridge can be accommodated, now let me back track a bit at this stage, during a face to face discussion the kitchen supplier agreed that cutting down the size of the drawers and cupboards would look rather ridiculous, however when in the safety of his office and over a telephone call suddenly he takes an about turn and says that the cut down is the only real option or we can purchase a new fridge THROUGH HIM ( I think not, wouldn’t trust him to boil me an egg out of it) and he would give it to us at cost - now excuse me, maybe I am not being very bright - but at cost means it is still going to COST me something....... I have to cough up more money ..... does he suffer NOOO!!!!!!

It was then agreed that we would meet on site, Saturday Morning 9 o'clock, does he turn up ....NO the gutless wimp / owner sends the designer who screwed up in the first place to face the music, or rather the wrath of the client.

Anyhow to cut a rather long now boring story down, there was a great weeping and gnashing of teeth over much of the kitchen - over the rest of the house it was however fine and mild.

Unacceptable Joins in the wood

Unacceptable Joins in the wood

Unacceptable cracks in the wood

Marked up faults for suppliers attention

Marked up faults for suppliers attention 

Marked up faults for suppliers attention 

There were numerous other faults with the work carried out, makes one want to go all medieval; build a pyre with the wood from the kitchen, tie the suppliers to a stake in the center of the pyre coat them in tar and sulphur and set them on fire, then I could distribute marshmallows on sticks to the by now cheering crowd (there is always a cheering crowd...... with marshmallows).

So the saga continues with four doors and two drawer fronts back at the factory to be repaired /remade - haven’t a clue which wouldn’t trust a word they tell me, the number of times the various doors have been returned beggars belief, last time five went back, this time six.

Abracadabra  *POOF* Doors gone

It has also been brought to my attention that during our absence; Mr. Goat on doing a small reconnaissance was horrified and perplexed as to the continuing incompetence of a so-called kitchen designer, a situation I am sure will continue for a while to come.

Mr. Goat takes a stroll to see what the commotion was all about

And into the kitchen I go

"WT% ....where have the doors gone:

"Lets see the Scullery"

"OMG Here too!!!"

"Shoo they put the freezer where the fridge was.....where I nearly was!!"

*Caveat Emptor..... Caveat emptor is Latin for "Let the buyer beware."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caveat_emptor

And so it did happen.......

And so it did happen.......

no great gnashing of teeth

no weeping and bleating

or  howling or squeaking

but rather.........

a quiet little sigh, the sound of a drill, a bit of a laugh

and the contractors gone

the work is all done

and so it did happen, 

the kitchen was done!!!

Tat about to do final scan......

"OK Guys... Move the temporary kitchen back to the main kitchen and don't break anything...."

Cat Tat Scanned

I feel it is very important at this point to mention as a side story to this whole kitchen operation, a very important member of the family our cat Tat had to at all steps of the work on the kitchen refurbishment carry out a detailed check or Cat Tat scan of the days work done or in most cases not done or re-done.


Now this scan while very intense covering every corner, top to bottom, inside and out, was of great importance as we received copiuos feedback on items that displeased her.
And so the kitchen progressed......

"Nice neat work... all true and square....."

"This dustbin drawer doesn't run smoothly.... get it fixed!!"

"Something not quite right down there !!"

Tat making appropriate comment

"So this is all they managed the whole freaking day !!!!!!"

"This drawer looks good so far, lets check the cupboard next door...."

"Hmmmm ... bottoms of drawers don't look even to me"

"Nice work guy's, you're getting the hang of it.... only taken you a month......"

Checking on the quality of the appliances

BLAH BLAH BLAH..... kitchen continues..........

Day  +30 or there about 

And so it continues with the kitchen.

We have made quite a large leap forward but this is in itself becoming quite boring in its own ineptitude, it isn't actually the kitchens fault, although one would like to drape that dubious honour on it when it is in actual fact the installers ineptitude.

I think it is important at this point differentiate as to who the players are and to who's shoulders said cloak of ineptitude should be draped; The tilers and painters.... NO, our new tilers (the last circus got fired)  have been fantastic and salvaged a once fast sinking ship kitchen, and their work looks stunning, enter the electricians.....NO, our new electricians (again another circus got fired) they are doing a magnificent job.... clean, neat, efficient.....

Plumbers are still due to arrive on site...... YES... you over there reading this in the quiet and comfort are correct; our new plumbers (again another circus got fired) are still due to come on site..... so no comment yet, but we do have high expectations.....

As a bit of a digression - I probably shouldn't call the ex-contractors a circus, as circuses exist for entertainment and have a valid purpose in life, it's the same as calling people animals when they perpetuate evil.... animals and circuses are good and necessary.... so my question now stands what does one call these individuals.....

So all that remains are the cabinet makers and fitters..... and so the saga and said cloak enters stage left....

Nothing fits correctly, doors and drawers have come and gone, meetings to discuss solutions have been held, most things can be corrected by refitting and reworking.
One cabinet leans at a slight angle to the wall and we will in all likelihood have to live with that, the amount of work to correct will be too large and too disturbing, - this is definitely not fine precision German engineering but rather good old fashioned South African - make a plan - type cobbling together... oh my bleeding eyes, and I have to point all this out to the fitter, we have a full  A4 sheet of snag list, one should be positive however it could have been two or even three A4 sheets of snags.
But be not afraid that the mere pedestrian diatribe above should be all ...... NO, not at all I save the best for last:

The area where originally the fridge stood in the kitchen, was again earmarked for the fridge to take up residence. 

The fridge was measured, the  area was measured and and all were measured again..... and in went the cupboards and in went the granite and up went the tiles ...... and ......... oh my bleeding eyes ..... the gap for the fridge is too small by a whole two centimetres, not too small to be in comfortably that we can still access the circuit breaker board located on the right hand side wall next to the fridge but rather that it be  be jammed in tight, to be in comfortably we are looking at a minimum of 5 centimetres.

So what can we do: we could leave it empty, a large toothless gap to remind us daily of the cloak of ineptitude..... NAH too boring......

Toothless ex-fridge gap

We could put a chair there so that I could sit there and  indulge my wife Pam in a bit of light pre-dinner philosophical discussion while she cooked.....NAH to heavy......

Philosophy chair

How about putting our beaded Mr. Goat there.... now there is a distinct possibility.....
Maybe not...... he would miss looking out of the lounge windows at the passing parade.......

Mr. Goat looking decidedly down in the hoof

Mr. Goat made his displeasure at being summarily re-located known, so was moved back to his original location....

Re - Re- located  Mr.Goat

We could leave the fridge standing in the lounge forever as a new fashion or design statement .......

Fashion statement fridge offsetting fashionable protective dust cloths on couches

Or we could buy a new fridge.... YES, why ever not, obviously to all those boring people who like to use and reuse their fridges continuously that would be a bad idea,  ..... NOOOOOO let us sally forth and make purchase of a sparkly new fridge..... and make the kitchen people pay for it..... now that is a much better idea!!!!!

How I wish that the job was done so I could go back to work...........