Bob of Small End (23 page)

“
That’s
exactly what I wrote.”

“
However
there’s a bit more to add I think Bob. You have a number of toy
sets already made. We could add their value to your incoming
equity, if you like.”

“
Well,
yes, I’d like that. But nothing more. There’s not much wood or
paint.”

“
Okay,
that’ll simplify things. Do you know an accountant to look after
the financial side?”

“
No. Do
you?”

“
Yes.
Simon Delare does my income tax each year and he told me he also
looks after several businesses. He could be our accountant if you
like.”

“
All
right. Is he expensive?”

“
I’ve no
idea what he’d charge to look after a business. Probably very
little to begin with.”

“
I’m
worried about all the money we’ll soon be spending Ken, mainly
because I’ll have to have a car. There’s not enough to buy one so I
think we should rent or lease. What do you think?”

“
You’re
right. Renting would be best, until we know how things are
going.”

“
All
right. I’ll talk to Tim about it the next time I see
him.”

Mary came in
with the coffee, put it on the side table beside Ken’s chair then
left, shutting the door behind her.

“
Let’s
drink it now while it’s hot,” said Ken. “I don’t have anything else
to discuss about the form. Do you?”

“
No.
However I’ve read the
Business Names
Act
. I’ve a copy for you. I don’t think there’s
anything to worry about with that. As far as I can see we just need
to use stationary with our business name and address on it, but you
should look through it in case there’s something I missed. We
should ask Arthur if there’s more we should do when we see
him.”

“
When do
you want to do that?”

“
How
about Wednesday? And what days do you want to work next week Ken?
Monday to Wednesday?”

“
I don’t
know. I might want to work full-time from now. I want to work on
the hedge jig tomorrow and maybe Tuesday. So Wednesday would be
good for me. I’ll call him tomorrow and see if he can see us then.
Anything else to discuss?”

“
Can’t
think of anything right now.”

“
Then
let’s ask Mary to join us and bring her up-to-date. We’ll have a
drink to celebrate. Do you like cognac?”

“
Yes I
do.”

“
So do
we. I’ll make some more coffee to go with it and light the
fire.”

Mary was very
interested in what she heard and wanted to know more about how they
would run the business.

“
Do you
know enough retailers Bob?”

“
Not
yet, but I can find them. Probably the librarian can help me. The
Chambers of Commerce in different towns will know which retailers
sell toys.”

“
Will
you be working in Bob’s shop while he’s out selling
Ken?”

“
Yes,
there’s not enough room to do it here. Of course, if we make lots
of money we could build a workshop in the garden.”

“
I don’t
want that Ken. This is our home. I don’t want it to become a
factory site!”

“
It’ll
never become that Mary. Okay, we’ll not build it here. Perhaps we
can find a barn to rent.”

“
Do you
think we’ll ever need something as big as a barn?” asked
Bob.

“
Who
knows! How about another cognac?”

“
No
thanks. It’s time I went home.” Bob stood up. “Thanks for a lovely
dinner Mary. I enjoyed it very much.”

“
You
don’t have to walk Bob. I’ll take you. We’ll go out the side door
and collect your Mac.”

Bob was too
tired to pack the village sets after waving goodbye to Ken so he
sat in his easy chair. He picked up the traffic book and started to
read but his thoughts wandered and he realised he was falling
asleep. He looked at the clock; it was nearly ten o’clock. ‘Oh!
I’ve forgotten to call the kids. Well, I don’t suppose they’ll be
worried, I’ll phone next Sunday.’

Chapter 9 Jigging up

Bob jumped out
of bed at 6:30, eager to box the villages. He did that and stored
the boxes in the shed before he ate breakfast. He updated his
inventory while chewing; ‘we now have twenty villages, five farm
and fourteen trains and we’ll make farms next.’ After washing his
breakfast things he went to the workshop, thought about where they
could position Ken’s jig, decided it should go on the left end of
his bench and began clearing it when Ken walked in.

“
Hi Ken.
Didn’t expect to see you today. Oh, you’ve got the jig. Want a
hand?”

“
No,
it’s not heavy. Ah, you’re making room for it. Good.” He put the
jig on the bench. “Yes, the bench is too low. I thought it might
be. We’ll have to raise the jig. Have you any four-by-twos? And
long screws, to fasten them together?”

It took half
an hour to fasten the raised jig to the bench. Ken then fixed a
length of the hedge-block triangle into the new holder. “Now, let’s
see how it works.” He started the routers, held the wood and it’s
holder above the jig then fed it through, slowly at first then
speeding up until he reached the end.

“
Look at
that Bob. It works much faster with your wood than mine. Now let’s
see if it’s okay,” and he pulled the wood from the
holder.

“
Hmm.
The hedge sides don’t quite match, nor does the top. A few shims
and a bend or two in the arms should correct that, I
think.”

“
Once
this works properly you’ll have saved hours of work
Ken.”

“
It’s a
good beginning. I want to make a jig to cut the blocks next. Two
band saws, set at an angle, would do it. The saws will have to be
adjustable, so they will cut both the hedge and the house blocks.
The wood to make the blocks can run horizontally, which means we
can use eight-foot lengths. I’d like to make a narrow bench that’ll
hold both jigs and put it at the back of the shop, where this one
is. So we’ll have to move this bench to the front. Do you mind
Bob?”

“
No not
at all.”

“
Okay.
The tool racks don’t have to be moved and you already have
electrical outlets on the front wall so that’s not a problem. Let’s
measure the shop to be sure there’s enough space then I want to
take this jig home, bend the arms and make the shims. I’ll be back
after lunch.”

“
What
can I do to help?”

“
You
could move this bench to the front if you like.”

“
All
right. Do you want coffee before you go?”

‘
No, I
don’t think so. I’d rather work on the arms and shims. Oh, yes, I
phoned Arthur and he said he could see us at ten on Wednesday. So I
booked that time. That’s okay with you?”

“
Yes,
that’s fine. Afterwards I’d like to go to the library and find
where the gift shops are in Southampton.”

“
Okay.
We’ll do that.”

They checked
to see if there would be enough room for the two benches then put
the jig in the car. Bob watched him drive off. ‘He sure gets things
done quickly. I hope he’s healthy enough to keep it up.’ He turned
and went to the kitchen; he felt ready for coffee and biscuits even
though he hadn’t done much.

Moving his
bench wasn’t as easy as he had expected. He had fastened it to the
wall with nails not screws and had to use a crowbar to break it
free. It was difficult to rotate but he eventually managed. This
time he fastened it to the wall with long screws since he didn’t
know if Ken would want to move it again.

Ken was back
just before one, carrying the modified jig and put it on the moved
bench.

“
Let’s
make the new bench now then screw the jig on.”

They made the
bench high enough to mount the hedge jig and just wide enough to
hold it and the future band saw jig. It took them an hour. Bob
fetched and cut the wood and Ken screwed it together. Then they
fastened the hedge jig to the left end of the bench.

“
Now
we’ll cut a couple of four-foot hedge block lengths and try the
jig.”

Bob cut the
blocks while Ken checked that the metal rods moved without hitting
anything.

“
Here
you are Ken.”

“
Thanks.” Ken turned on the routers, pushed the triangular
block the rubber-lined slot on the holder then moved it through the
jig. He took out the cut wood and handed it to Bob.

“
What do
you think? Good enough?”

“
Why
yes, they certainly are, and there’s hardly any sanding to do. This
is great Ken. We’ll quadruple our production!”

“
Even
more, when I have the other jig I think. I’ve another idea too,
it’s about the houses. We could make them with the roofs
overhanging the walls. They’d look better that way.”

“
Yes,
I’d also thought about doing that but didn’t want to increase the
time it took to make houses so I never did it.”

“
All
right, then we’ll not do that now.”

“
Okay.
What do you want to do next Ken?”

“
I want
to make the band saw jig. It shouldn’t take too long. I just need
to make a base to hold the saws since they’re already adjustable.
I’ll also have to make a couple of guide arms to keep the block
straight as it’s pushed through the jig. What are you going to
do?”

“
We need
to make more farms, we’ve only got five. We’re okay on villages and
trains for now. I’d like to have a stock of fifty of each to draw
from. But right now I’m going to have a mug of tea. Want
one?”

“
Ah no.
I’d rather work on the saw jig. I’d like to have it ready to try
tomorrow. Can I have a key to the workshop?”

“
Yes of
course. I’ll give you the spare one.”

It took Bob
the rest of the afternoon to cut a hundred and eighty four-foot
triangular hedge blocks. ‘That’ll be enough to make forty five
farms. I’ll let Ken use his jig to trim them.’

He cooked a
salmon filet for supper and opened a bottle of Chardonnay to go
with it. ‘Is it too early to start living a life of luxury?’ he
wondered. ‘No I don’t think so. If I drank one glass a day a bottle
would last a week. That’s not so bad. I wonder what the last glass
will taste like?’

After washing
the dishes he took his tea and the traffic regulations to the
lounge. His Dad’s railway lamp looked rather grand in the window
with the light on. He sat in his chair and read, finishing all of
the parts of the book that referred to car drivers. ‘No point in
reading about motor bikes or towing trailers,’ he thought. ‘I’ll
skim it again before the test but I’ll make a summary now. That’ll
help me remember the significant parts.’

Bob had
written most of what he though important when there was a knock on
the door. It was Jack, who had a large envelope in his hands. “Hi
Bob. Here’s t’labels an’ me invoice.”

“
Thanks
Jack. Come in and have a beer won’t you?

“
Nay
Bob. I ain’t yet had supper. Rose said t’boxes ‘ul come Wednesday
mornin’.”

“
I’ll
collect them then, Jack. No, I can’t, Ken and I’ll be in
Southampton on Wednesday. Ask Rose to hold them for me and I’ll
come as soon as I can.”

“
Aye, I
will. Tarra Bob.”

“’
Bye
Jack.” He closed the door, put the envelope on the kitchen table
and climbed the stairs to bed.

Ken was
already in the workshop when Bob entered Tuesday morning.

“
Hello
Bob. Thought you wouldn’t mind. I wanted to see if the saw jig
would fit so I came at seven. I think it’s ready to try now,” and
he pointed to it.

“
I
wondered how you were going to hold the band saws. Do you think the
clamps will be strong enough?”

“
I think
so. They held it when I used my wood and it’s easy to move the saws
if I use clamps.”

“
I see.
What are you going to make first?”

“
I saw
you’ve already made the hedge blocks when I came in so I’ve set the
saws to cut the small house blocks. I was just about to try one.”
He switched on the band saws, placed the block on the guides and
began pushing it through the blades. “Yes I thought that might
happen. The wood twists as it comes out. I’ll have to put guides on
the exit side. Hold the wood as it comes through Bob. Yes, there,
thanks,” and Ken pushed the wood through the blades. “Well what do
you think?”

“
Pretty
good Ken. Should be perfect with exit guides.”

“
I’ve
been thinking about sanding Bob. You know, a belt sander isn’t the
best tool for the job. I’ve an idea I’d like to try out. I like to
make a kind of flayed-sander that would sand by pushing the wood
against lots of rotating strips of sandpaper. Something like the
rotating brushes used in a floor cleaner. I don’t know if it would
work but I think it should. Perhaps there’s already something like
it we can buy.”

“
I’ve
never heard of one. If you could make one you should patent
it.”

“
Maybe.
How about me using the jigs and you sanding?”

“
Sure.
There are the rest of the houses, the shops and the other bits to
make and the hedges to run through. I’ve left them all for
you.”