Lecture «Leaving Home Function» in Münsingen BE

Today we visited, together with Hansjörg and Res and all our wives, the lecture of the artist collective «Leaving Home Function».

The three women and two men of "Leaving Home Function" drove four Ural sidecars from Halle (D) by land via Russia to New York. (Of course, they couldn't drive on the easternmost part of Russia and, of course, the Bering Strait.)

source: http://leavinghomefunktion.com/de/

We enjoyed two and a half extremely exciting and entertaining hours of a presentation held by the entire group. I would have liked to see a few more photos and films - but they will probably be used for the book and the movie  to come.

The five young sculptors have experienced many adventures with their very puncture-prone Ural motorcycles ... but they had quite a naive approach to the matter. The choice of the motorcycle e.g. can hardly be justified with good research - the susceptibility of old Ural motorcycles - especially with the heavy load on this expedition - is commonly known. In addition, no one of them had ever driven a motorcycle before nor had anyone an idea about mechanics. But this is "only" a technical aspect, which nevertheless plays a decisive role in planning and executing a journey like this. The amount of time spent on repairs could be used for better. However, technical problems make it very easy to get in touch with the local population.

source: http://leavinghomefunktion.com/de/

It was impressive to me that during the two-and-a-half-years of the expedition, they always slept together under an open tent roof. They did not have any tents with them, but consciously chose a kind of common bedroom to shape the processes of the dynamic in the group. So you could not retire and had to face the group. Exciting - but also difficult, I think.

source: http://leavinghomefunktion.com/de/

In order to get further east from Yakutsk in Siberia, they had to transport the four sidecar motorcycles around 1600 km on a river because there is no coherent road network. That is also the reason why we had buried our original plan to drive to the Bering Strait relatively quickly.
Leaving Home Function has built a float construction and a small ship propeller driven by an adventurous construction on the cardan drive of the Urals.

Unfortunately, they did not come very far after this "boat trip" into a restricted military area due to technical problems and were evacuated by the local authorities. Through their media presence they had great support from the population and many authorities. The motorcycles were stored in a container somewhere in Siberia and are still standing there, waiting for some crazy adventurers to repair them and keep going - or back ...

They flew to Alaska via Magadan on the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and continued their journey with the four motorcycles they had started in Germany with and which they had had to give up the autumn before.

What an impressive adventure!

We have defined the itinerary more precisely

We have specified the itinerary because some countries require an early application for a visa, while others allow us to complete the application on arrival at the border.
We had help about current travel information from Mätteli and Fäbu of the Bernese team "Eye of the Taiga" (website mongolrally.ch), who drove this year with a Fiat Panda to Ulan Ude and back. 
Also one of Lorenz's many friends from Bern has been able to give us valuable information about the regulations in Russia. For Iran, we will have to deposit part of the vehicle value at the embassy. Turkmenistan we would have to leave within 5 days with a transit visa and entering and leaving the country is only possible at certain border crossings. 

We looked at the map and counted wrist times π how far we might get in a week and put together our preliminary route. This is not carved in stone and will be changed by local information, as we will not board the fastest routes, but like enjoy the most beautiful ones...;)

• On Saturday, April 5, 2019, we say goodbye. In the morning with a brunch in Bern and then in Basel with a small (?) Party.
• On sunday, 6th april, we start our journey.
• Over Austria, Hungary to Budapest in the first week. That's about 1000 km.
• Budapest - Romania - Bucharest - Bulgaria - Istanbul in the second week. That's about 1500 km.

• From Istanbul we travel along the Black Sea coast to Georgia. It is about 1700 km to Tbilisi, which we want to drive in about 10 days.
• On May 1st, we want to enter Azerbaijan and then travel comfortably through Iran, so that we can enter Turkmenistan on June 1st.
• In May, about 2100 kilometers are planned.

• In June, Turkmenistan is first announced. Asgabat is the capital we want to visit. And then of course the gate to hell or the "Crater of Derweze", a burning hole in the earth. These are within 5 days about 800 km.
• We continue through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
• In about 3 weeks we will cover this distance of 3800 km ... if that is not too much.
• At the beginning of July 2019 we enter Russia, but drive directly to the Mongolian border.
• It is about 2500 kilometers to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.
• Another 1000 km from Ulaanbaatar via Ulan Ude to Irkutsk in Russia.
• We want to arrive in Irkutsk July 15.

World Maps for the Sidewalls of the Shelter

We like the white basic color of our truck very well - but the "Muni", as it stands on his parking, looks a bit clinical.

There has to be some colour!





We want to place world maps on the two sides (or only on one). Then we can draw on our route (maybe it would be quite interesting to draw the planned route as well, Lorenz).
Such a world map is also a good means to communicate with people non-verbally or with a very limited vocabulary.


The map(s) are to be glued on with a frost- and water-resistant adhesive.

Lorenz has found two of these maps already laminated in second hand store


.

Pillows for the Smaller Benches

Lorenz made pillows for the smaller benches. 
Super easy and practical!
Two correspondingly large pieces of seat cushion foam, matching fabric for the cover as well as a little more than 2 meters of gaffer-tape.

Finito!

Since we are practical men, we do not need well-sewn covers for the seat cushions ... washing and changing is much easier and faster anyway.

In addition, we can then easily exchange the material with the one we will buy at the weekly market of a town in the Georgian Pampa just because we liked it so much.

Just a small update...

As I wasn't absolutely happy with the camera-mount because it didn't hold the camera straight, I modified it a little bit today.

With a small blade on it's mount for the mill I cut a slit of 1 mm thickness into the material and solded a piece of 1 mm brass sheet into it.

That now functions as projected...😎

November 15, 2018 | Smaller Table

The old table has been shortened by Lorenz and his son Max..

Before:

The classical combination with two benches and a table which can be lowered to transform it into a double-bed.

After:

Two bunk beds and smaller table and benches. The cushions still have to be made.

Just great!

November 14, 2018 | ActionCam-Mount with Shock Absorber

Since I had no success in the search for a practical mount for my ActionCam, I wanted to make one myself.

The requirements were: The bracket must:

• be attachable to the rear wall of the cab with a simple screw fastening.
• absorb vibrations and shocks while driving with the truck.
• have a small depth.

Axial Wraith with Trailer

Since the tuning of my remote-controlled model car, a modified (self-made body and trailer in brass) "Axial Wraith", I have the old shock absorbers left. So one should take over the work. I tested it on the digital scale, looking at what weight (pressure with the finger) it started to spring down. At about 250 g.  

The ActionCam weighs about 130g - where the rest of the weight should come from I already knew. The metal leftovers-box already glittered next to the lathe.

The idea was born - a holder had to be designed.

My favorite material for mechanical matters is definitely brass. From my left-over box I took several pieces and began to turn on the lathe and to mill on the mill.

When all the pieces were made, plastered, adjusted and sanded, I started flame-firing the aligned parts together with the flame.

It is certainly clear to every attentive reader what I have built here. Most people will say now: "Yes! That's exactly how I thought it would be! »😂


Sandblasted the work can approximately be seen, but only in the final state with camera mounted and shock absorber installed, the brass burnished, the construction is really understandable.


Et voilà...😎





The holder with a diameter of 25 mm moves fine and a bit of grease makes it even finer.

I have the feeling that the device absorbs the hand-simulated bumps and vibrations quite well...fine tuning by means of spring bias and oil in the damper, which I have temporarily removed, will be done later.



Looks a little bit steampunk-like...😉