Any question answered...

I want to start 3d modelling on my basic b Windows laptop. Absolutely no experience. Do people have recommendations on what program to start with.

Three of my double glazing keys have snapped in the locks. I’ve got some fairly stout laboratory tweezers which I can get in down the sides of the bit of key, but they’re not stiff enough to get a good enough hold of it and pull it out. Any ideas?

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Proper key extractor kits are cheap.

Edit - I guess you could try to fashion a tiny hook from something like a wiper blade but it would take a lot of work.

Not to worry. I couldn’t use the scissors trick because the stub was too far in, but I did manage to slide it out with the bent end of a scriber.

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Key extraction kit would be my first port of call..

What kind of things do you want to model?

Depends what kind of modelling. For product/technical things Fusion 360 or similar. For more creative stuff then Blender. Watching a few youtube videos of each should give you a good idea what they're suited towards.

Probably modelling small to medium things to 3d print eventually. Mostly bike or tool related stuff.

I love an excuse to buy a cheap new tool/toy

Autodesk Fusion will do that - it’s a slight simplification to say this (especially in a world with 3D printing) but if you are modelling “real” things that you’d make in a workshop from wood/metal/plastic then Fusion can do it.

If you want to model living things or abstract patterns it will struggle.

I have a professional license but I think the free hobbyist version gives you everything you’d need.

I think there is also now a SolidWorks hobby license which is offered for not crazy money but I’d stick with Fusion.

General tip on 3D modelling - there are normally many ways you can achieve the same outcome through different combinations of commands/tools. Sometimes there is a best practice to keep the file size smaller or help with software computation but if you’re just making simple things without loads of components it’s unlikely you’ll face any issues.

Don’t worry too much about doing things the “right” way, in general the fewer mouse clicks the better but you’ll work things out over time. Unless you’re billing by the hour it doesn’t really matter.

I don’t have any YouTube recommendations but I’m sure there are loads out there, get your head around the basic workflow and tools then start modelling your own projects. Doing endless tutorials is boring and also doesn’t get you in the mindset of thinking how you’ll model something, they can end up being button clicking exercises that don’t really stick in your mind.

Super, thanks for the response.
I'll go hunting on YouTube.

For future reference, you can heat up the end of a glue gun refill and use that to pull a broken key out too. Works like a charm.

I've tried this with CT1 and superglue unsuccessfully

Anyone dealt with claiming for stolen post? Had a pair of shoes sent from Sportpursuit that were left outside my house ("Delivered" by RM 48hr) and gone when I got home.

I don't think you have to, raise with sports pursuit as it's their contract, so they need to do the leg work with royal mail.

Which one of these, if any, can also be used with a rear derailleur in non-indexed (friction) mode?

https://www.sturmey-archer.com/en/products/rear-shifters

Pretty sure they're all indexed only, Microshift do an 11 or friction thumbie.

@RonnieOatmilk is correct. Sports Pursuit should refund you then they can do the claim with Royal Mail if they want.

The microshift ones are decent too. I'm using the advent 9 speed one in friction on a 10 speed mech. I think miroshift stuff is all 1:1 too, so it works perfectly with SRAM 1:1 actuation stuff too.

The other alternative is the Uno, but that's £165.

@RonnieOatmilk I hope you're correct. I had another item stolen from behind our wheelie bins and ebay / evri did absolutely nothing to help me.

This is a very good reason to use a credit card for couriered deliveries.

@peter_v I've changed indexed sun race thumb shifters to be friction, pretty sure the principle would be the same for all. Unscrew the top screw, gently tap it apart (gently to keep the parts on order) remove the ball bearing that/does the indexing and add washer(s) to fill the gap. Put back together.

I'm off to the lake district next week. Any suggestions for places near Morecambe Bay/ Lake Windermere for mountain bike hire? Also recommendations for mountain bike routes (for someone who's fucking terrible at it) appreciated!

If they give you any shit, quote CRA2015 at them.

"The goods remain at the trader’s risk until they come into the physical possession of—

(a)the consumer, or

(b)a person identified by the consumer to take possession of the goods."

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/29/enacted