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What is that Ernie?

In your position, I'd do whatever was necessary to keep the Chieftain mobile, and stabilise any further deterioration, but focus the majority of my efforts on the Plymouth.

Once the Plymouth is complete and drivable, then I would move over to the Chieftain.

You really don't want two projects undrivable at the same time.

Thought of you the other day as I wandered down past the workshop in Faversham on my way from the station to the Moonlight for breakfast. 👍

I use corded machines for the bulk of my work, but I have a couple of 18v brushless Hitachi ones for small quick light jobs. like others have said, they munch through the batteries really quickly, which makes them a pain for anthing else.

I have a Metabo 115mm corded one that was a 21st birthday gift, and it's seen heavy use in the near thirty three years I've had it. Like you, I have gone from just the one, to having three on the go with a variety of discs rather than continually swapping them out. The elderly Metabo just does skinny cutting disc duties now as I really don't want to break it after all these years. I have killed several Bosch, Hitachi ones in the meantime, as well as a Titan, an Aldi special and an Erbauer. A couple of years ago I bought a second Metabo to replace a dead Bosch, and last week my Hitachi one died, so come payday I will buy a third Metabo I think, which will bump me back up to three 115mm corded machines. I wouldn't buy another cheap one, because they definitely feel nastier/harsher in use, and if you're using them a lot that's a recipe for tendonitis or worse. Personally, I've found the intermediate quality stuff a bit disappointing too. Nearly all the big names do two ranges, one budget the other pro. Just because it says Bosch/Hitachi/Makita/DeWalt or whatever doesn't mean it's not going to be dissapointing if it's a budget one and you use it hard.

Liked, not for the progress, but for the reassurance that I’m not the only one who has things he put down a nanosecond ago and then can’t find.

Brings back memories. My mum had a new 11 back in 1986, a dark metallic grey/black GTL. First car I ever drove with 5 gears. I absolutely ragged the nuts off it every time I got the chance to drive it. 🤣

Smashing. 😃👍

I spent several months in Romania in ‘03. Poiana Brasov in Transylvania. Absolutely beautiful country and great people. 👍👍

Whatever you do, don’t let it fall down, or demolish it, because once it’s gone getting permission to reinstate it will require some significant hoop dancing, and building it back to modern standards. 

Personally, I’d stabilise it for the time being, then restore it a bit at a time; particularly as it looks like you have a lot of surplus building materials onsite already.