Leaks from a bathtub can be frustrating to diagnose. There are several different possible sources for leaks at tubs and most of them are behind drywall. A leak could be from the valve, the shower head, the tub spout or the drain.

Since each of these possible locations are different, it would be nice to isolate the problem. Before you start cutting drywall there are a few things you can do to try to narrow your choices. Then, even if you do have to cut drywall you will usually have to do less damage.

Teflon Tubing

It Might Not Be A Leak

First, make very sure that the water is not just running down the corner of the tub past the shower curtain while your someone is taking a shower. Take a very close look at the wall and floor corners at both ends of the tub immediately after they are finished. Pay special attention to the end the shower head is on. I have seen many “leaks” that wound up being caused by water running over the edge of the tub. Enough people have this problem that you can but special little dams that stick in the corner on the tub to block the water.

If you are sure this isn’t the problem the next step is to determine whether the leak is from the valve or from the drain.

Water Lines or Drain?

If the leak is constant, even when the tub has not been used, it is a leak on the hot or cold water line. These are under constant pressure and will leak continuously if they are the problem.

If it doesn’t leak all the time, it’s not from the hot or cold connections. If it only leaks after use you can rule these two connections out and start elsewhere..

The Bucket Test

The easiest thing to check first is the drain side. You don’t want to run the faucet because that will screw up this test. Fill a bucket up from another bathroom and use this to fill the tub. I know that’s a pain in the neck but it’s necessary.

Once the tub is full let it sit for 30 minutes or so and see if the leak shows up. If so, it is from the tub drain. Drain the water and fix the drain. It probably just needs to be removed and re puttied. Clear silicone, though harder to clean up, works great instead of putty.

Pull The Plug

If no leak shows up while the tub is full go ahead and drain the tub, again checking for leaks. If you see a leak now the problem is in the drain piping. You will need to cut drywall to find and repair this. You can start at the wet spot, but you may find that the water has run across the top of the drywall and the spot isn’t directly under the leak.

The Water Piping

If no leak shows up from the first test, that leaves the tub spout piping and the shower head riser and connection. The two most likely places to check for a leak are the shower riser and connection and the tub spout piping and connection.

The first thing to do is to pull the escutcheon (trim ring) at the shower head and see if you can see the connection inside the wall. You may have to open the hole a little, just enough so you can see but it will still be covered by the escutcheon. Now run the shower head while looking at the connection with a flashlight.

The Old Toilet Paper Trick

If you can’t see it very good, wrap some toilet paper around the end of a screwdriver and hold it under the connection for a minute. Check and see if the paper is wet. If so, or if you can see a leak, you’ve found the problem. Take the shower head off, stick the handle of your pliers in the end of the bent pipe coming out of the wall and remove the pipe. Put some new teflon tape on the threads, screw it back in and check for leaks.

If you don’t find a leak here check the tub spout. If you have the kind of tub spout with a diverter you have to pull to make the water go to the shower head it could be leaking where it connects to the piping and water could be running back into the wall. This is kind of hard to see but some brands have a small opening on the bottom side of the spout to tighten the spout clamp. You can use the toilet paper trick here too. If there is no opening you can try to unscrew the spout and see if the piping behind it is wet. If none of this works you may need to cut drywall behind the tub to really check it out (if you can get to it).

The Last Resort

If you try all of this and still can’t find the leak the next step is to start cutting drywall. However, if you can find the source of the leak this way you may be able to fix it yourself and save some money. Even if you don’t feel comfortable doing this, you will at least be able to let the plumber know what you’ve done and minimize the cost of the repair.

How to Fix a Tub Leak Like a Pro

Thanks To : MyCoolbookmark Kingbookmark

The mash tun is a vessel in which hot water is mixed with the grains in order to extract the sugars from the grains. This process is called mashing in home brewing. The grains then get lautered, or rinsed, with additional water to maximize the amount of sugars extracted. All of this is done to increase the efficiency and make better beer.

In commercial breweries, the mash tun and lauter tun are two separate pieces of equipment. For home brewing purposes, they are combined into one piece of equipment. The mash tun is typically a converted cooler. You can buy a mash/lauter tun, but this is one of the most common do it yourself projects in home brewing. Check out the home brewing forums on the net, and you can also Google and You Tube to find step by step instructions and videos showing you how to convert a cooler into a mash tun. This project isn’t that hard, and it is also cheap.

Teflon Tubing

There are many options as far as what cooler you want to use, as well as how to set it up. Chances are, you have an old cooler around the house already. Make sure to some research on recommendations of other home brewers to ensure you choose the right cooler. The debates are endless as far as what is the best cooler to use for a tun. Different factors apply such as size, shape, and what type of strainer/filter you will use.

What type of sparging you will do is also important. Cooler isn’t so important to batch sparging, but for fly sparging you will probably want a round cooler. For folks just getting started with all grain home brewing. the common question is how big does the mash tun have to be? This will depend on your batch size, efficiency and desired OG. These all work in conjunction to determine how much grain will be needed for the batch, as well as the amount of water to be used for mashing and sparging.

The cooler will need to be big enough to hold all of this. A basic way to calculate for mash tun size needed in quarts is (at 80% efficiency)…… (Desired OG X Batch Size) divided by 17 = mash tun size. For example, 1.085 X 15 gallons is (85 X 15) divided by 17=75 quart tun.

You may want to think ahead when purchasing a cooler to convert. Chances are you will start with 5 gallon batches, but at some point you may decide to try brewing a 10 gallon batch. In order to do this, your mash tun must be big enough to hold all that water and grains. You can start with a cooler big enough to handle the larger batches now, and still use it for the smaller batches until you are ready to make the jump to the bigger batches.

This way, you won’t outgrow your tun. Plus, it will also allow you to make higher gravity beers, which require larger grain bills. Don’t bother with a 5 gallon cooler because it is too small and will limit the beers you can make. If you never plan on making anything larger than a 5 gallon batch, or making higher gravity beers, then you can opt for one, but then you will limit yourself.

The design of the tun is dependent upon the type of sparging you will do. For batch sparging, tun design doesn’t really factor in. It is more important in fly sparging. Most brewers new to all grain home brewing will try batch sparging because it is quicker and easier. Plus, many people convert coolers they already have, which typically will be a rectangular cooler. Be sure to research both methods first, to see which one might be your preferred method.

For most brewers, they simply modify a rectangular cooler and batch sparge. With just a few items from your local hardware store, you can make your own mash tun for dirt cheap. Some parts needed include a ball valve, water supply line, washers, teflon tape and barb adapters. Look online and you will find step by step instructions and video tutorial showing you how to do it, and what pieces of hardware you need to get the job done. Besides the cost of the cooler, you will spend less than at the hardware store. You can even find resources online that have the necessary parts together in a kit.

The thermal capacity of the cooler, how well it is insulated and retains heat, is another important factor. The cooler needs to be able to hold a constant temperature for up to 90 minutes without losing too many degrees, so a well insulated cooler helps. Remember, they are designed to keep things cold, not warm. This is something to be sure to research thoroughly online home brewing forums to find what experienced home brewers have found to work best for them.

For fly sparging, round coolers are often the preferred choice. Fly sparging uses false bottoms for filters, and these usually come in round shapes. False bottoms evenly distribute the water over the grains, and help prevent channeling. Plus, the round shape of the cooler also helps prevent channeling.

A Common Home Brewing Project: Making Your Own Mash Tun

Friends Link : MyCoolbookmark Kingbookmark

Producing food products is a demanding science. All of the industrial supplies and equipment that are used to manufacture foodstuff has to meet stringent requirements of quality and sanitation. When it comes to industrial bearings, the food industry has to look at unique options. For instance, would you want lubricating oil to contaminate food on the production line? Or what if bacteria were to grow in a machine’s housing? Consumers would be put off to say the least.

While industrial bearings have to be carefully chosen in terms of cleanliness and sanitation, they also have to be evaluated in terms of strength, hardness, durability, and cost. It takes a special set of materials that can meet all of those criteria.

Teflon Tubing

Choosing Industrial Bearings And Inserts

The balls and rings themselves have to be made from high performance materials; regular iron will not meet the required FDA and USDA standards. A common choice within industry is to use stainless steel balls and rings. They combine high tensile strength with good corrosion resistance and will not contaminate food. However, they are one of the most expensive options, so other materials have been designed as balls as well.

Plastic blends and can be utilized by themselves or with stainless steel, especially in plain or non-rolled style industrial bearings. Coated iron is a less expensive option as well. A chrome coating will improve the balls’ hardness and corrosion resistance and increase their durability. Zinc coatings are also common for improving corrosion resistance and preventing contamination.

Housing Materials

Industrial supplies, like machine housings, also face strict standards since they will come into contact with food products during the production process. In general, housings have to be smooth surfaces to facilitate cleaning and help prevent the buildup of germs and bacteria that can occur in rough or porous materials. Polished housings are very common, and there are also anti-microbial coatings that can help protect industrial supplies and housings.

When considering materials of construction, housings are also typically stainless. The combination of strength, durability, and corrosion resistance is required. Industrial supplies in the food industry will be subjected to acidic and caustic wash downs and cleanings, along with oils and other organic materials from the ingredients themselves.

Again, less expensive options are available. Plastic and polymer blends are also chemically inert and will resist cleaning solutions and food products. Plastics can be created with high tensile strengths and smooth surfaces. Coated iron is also applicable for housings. A nickel or Teflon coating will go a long way to preventing corrosion and contamination.

Industrial Bearings And Lubrication

Using conventional oils and lubricants is clearly forbidden in the food processing industry. Lubricant contamination will spoil food, create a horrible taste, and is toxic if consumed. Always use FDA and USDA-approved greases for the food industry. These lubricants are called ‘H1′s’ and are free from odors and tastes and are nontoxic if any contamination occurs with the food being processed. H1 is also formulated to stand up to common food grade chemical washes and solutions used to clean industrial supplies.

Always keep industrial bearings well lubricated; this rule doesn’t change for the food industry. Purging and refilling lubrication reservoirs will also help to prevent cross contamination. If a particular machine is difficult to service, solid polymer lubricants can be employed. These solid strips slowly release grease while the industrial bearings are in operation to keep the system lubricated. This way, the lubricant can be refilled during outages and turnarounds when there is more time to maintain a particular machine.

Completing The Assembly And Other Supplies

There are some applications in food processing that require specialty seals as well. When high or low temperatures are used, such as during cooking or freezing, silicone materials will maintain a tight seal during those temperature changes.

For other parts of the assembly, stainless steel is still common. In particular, cages are typically stainless steel, or nylon to save on expenses. Set screws and grease fittings should be stainless as well. Flingers can be either stainless steel or iron and all collars should be corrosion resistant as well.

Mounted industrial bearings with graphite separators are also ideal for high or low temperature applications. The graphite material will act as a further lubricant at temperatures where other greases would fail. This type will increase service life while lowering maintenance costs in extreme temperature applications.

Overall, choosing the right industrial bearings and other supplies for the food industry only requires a little extra effort, but it goes a long way to ensuring clean meals for consumers.

How To Choose The Right Bearings: Industrial Bearings And More

Visit : Kingbookmark MyCoolbookmark

Make sure you have all the proper tools and materials you need to properly install a Hot Water Tank. Do the necessary research before attempting to install your hot water tank.

First you’re going to want to turn off the gas, power, and water supply to the tank. Then put on a hose on the bottom on the hot water tank to drain the left over water out of the tank. Now you will need to take off the inlet and outlet nipples off the water tank, you will need to use two pipe wrenches for this.

Teflon Tubing

If it’s a gas water heater use your two pipe wrenches and disconnect the union, that is between the supply pipe and the inlet pipe or it might be a flared fitting. You can take the flue hat off too as well since the tank is not running.

Now that you tank is disconnected move it out of the way, and put your new one where the old one was. Make sure that you can get to all the dials a buttons properly when you put the tank back. A good rule of thumb is to use about 6 inches around. So this means make sure that there is nothing flammable within 6 inches of your tank. Make sure too that it sits level on the floor, you may have to make some shims.

Put Teflon tape on the inlet and outlet nipples and then put them into the new tank. Make sure that the blue goes into the cold and the red goes into the hot. Also be sure that all the arrow indicators are all pointing in the proper direction of flow.

Attach flexible hoses on the inlet and outlet water pipes. If you don’t see a supply shut off valve on the cold side, I would install one, just to cover yourself. After you are sure that everything is connected back properly, open the valve to fill the tank up, while this is happening i would open up a few hot water faucets just to get some of the air out.

Put back together the gas pipes just like they were before… you might need to change it a bit, but not too much. Make sure that you use Teflon tape and pipe dope on each fitting, then tighten them back together with your pipe wrenches. Grab your manufacturer instructions to connect the gas supply tubing. After the gas is on test all your joints, making sure that there are not leaking. You can use soapy water to help with this; it will just bubble for you. Then you may need to go back and crank on them again.

How to Change a Hot Water Tank

Tags : Kingbookmark MyCoolbookmark

Clean Kitchen Water is a Must
Wouldn’t it be nice to have clean and good tasting water readily available from your kitchen faucet. One way is to install a under the counter water filtration system that can be designed to fit your needs providing you with water you can readily drink and cook with confidence.

Choose the right filtration system that will serve your needs.
This can be accomplished by taking a water sample and having it analyzed by a certified water evaluation company. Different localities have unique water supply systems. You may have a high chemical content or bacteria count that you need to address that others do not. You may find a water filter manufacture that will offer to design a system based on your water test results for you but be aware they will be looking for you to purchase a system from them.

Teflon Tubing

Water filter installation instructions
Your system will come with installation instructions and will guide you through the installation process. It will specify what tools you will need to do the installation. It should be said that this blog recommends you to use a certified plumber from your area, plumbing can be difficult and should be installed by a professional.

Tools you will need

1. screw driver flat heat and PhillIPS
2. Wrench
3. small pair of plumbers pliers
4. Tape Measure
5. proper plumbing fittings needed
6. plumbing sealant or Teflon tape

Step 1
Shut off the cold water pipe that feeds your kitchen sink faucet. It is always a good idea to shut the house water main off and drain the system to a point lower that your kitchen to prevent any back flow from the water heater or other fixtures.

Step 2
Mount your new in line water filter to the underside back of the kitchen sink cabinet. The filtration system normally come with all mounting hardware needed. Important Be sure to mount the filter system with enough vertical distance from filter to cabinet base so you can unscrew and drop the filter housing and change out the filter cartridges.

Step 3
water connections:
remove the flex connector tube going from your cold water shut off pipe going to your faucet this is typically 3/8″ compression thread at the shut off valve and 1/2″ IPS when it reaches the faucet. IPS means Iron Pipe size and is a standard measurement we use. Screw the adapters that came with the filter which is normally 1/2″ male by 3/8″ compression threads. So after you screw the 1/2″ IPS thread into the filter housing you will be left with a 3/8 compression male.

Measure and cut your 3/8″ soft tubing and connect it to the cold water shut off valve and run it to your filter inlet. Then you will install your 3/8″ piping from the outlet of your filter and run it to the 1/2″ IPS faucet connection. The 1/2″ IPS faucet thread is usually typical but could differ as faucet manufactures have many different connections these days.

When this procedure is complete turn the water on and test for leaks, it is a good idea to remove the faucet aerator from the end of the spout, run the faucet to clear any debris which may be in the line from the installation process.

Water Filter Installation

Visit : Kingbookmark MyCoolbookmark

Some time in the past 30 or 40 years, I remember an initiative to get truth in advertising. I don’t know how successful it was, but one industry that apparently wasn’t affected by it is the plumbing industry. I can’t think of any other industry that has as many definitions for what a 1/2″ or any other size pipes are. 

One would think that 1/2″ copper tubing would be the same, no matter what, but the sad truth is that 1/2″ rigid copper pipe has a different outer diameter ( OD), then 1/2″ flexible copper pipe. Fittings for one will not work on the other. If you want to use both you would have to purchase an adapter. The same thing can be said for plastic pipe, a piece of 1″ black ABS pipe is not the same size as 1″ white PVC plastic pipe. Again to use both, a home owner would need a buy an adapter.

Teflon Tubing

To help eliminate some of the confusion, here is a primer on plumbing fittings and connections.

Rigid Copper Pipe:

Used mostly for hot and cold water lines within the house. The best tool to cut rigid copper tubing is a pipe cutter. The pipe is placed in the cutter, and the knob is turned down, which brings the pipe into contact with the cutter wheel. As the cutter is rotated around the pipe, you continue to tighten the wheel, until you have cut through the entire pipe.

There are two ways to connect copper pipes together. The first is to solder or sweat the pipes together. The second is the use of compression fittings. Soldered fittings are much less expensive then the compression, but take a little more work to make a leak free joint.

When you sweat copper pipes, the first thing is to clean the ends that you are going to sweat together. then flux is applied to both the pipe and the fitting you are connecting to it. The pieces are placed together, and heat is applied to the union with a propane torch. When the union is heated enough, solder is applied to the joint, the solder is sucked into the joint, sealing the two pieces together. From experience, I can tell you take to make this work successfully, there must be absolutely NO WATER in the line, if there is the joint will leak. And once a joint leaks , there is no repairs without replacing the fitting and starting over. Professional plumbers tend to use a hotter source of heat, then the propane bottle can provide. But I’m always concerned about using any heat source inside my house. If you choose this method, be very careful with the torch in tight spaces. It might be a good idea to have a fire extinguisher handy.

Compression fittings do not require heat. A common place that compression fittings are used is at the water shut off valves beneath your sink, or toilet. But there are many other places that you can use them. To make up a fitting using a compression fitting, start by cutting the inlet pipe to length, using a pipe cutter. Place the compression nut and compression ring over the end of the pipe, as shown above, then insert the pipe into the compression seat. Then using two wrenches, one to hold the fitting and the other for the compression nut, tighten the compression nut completely. This forces the compression ring unto the pipe, creating a water tight seal.

Compression fittings are not fool proof. If the pipe is not seated all the way onto the seat, the joint will leak, thus it is imperative that the end of the pipe be cut flat. Compression fitting are designed as a one use only device, if it leaks cut out the offending piece and start over again. Also the pipe must be completely cleaned before you start, any dirt or corrosion on the pipe will create leaks. Tightening the compression nut in confined spaces may require to use of special tools like crows feet wrenches.

Flexible Copper Pipe:

This is used mainly to connect natural or propane gas to your house. It is normally connected to the appropriate devices with the use of compression fitting designed for the flexible pipes. Flexible copper pipe is suitable for being installed under ground. Flexible copper pipe may look like a great choice for indoors plumbing runs, but it is not recommended for that use. Also the limited amount of fittings available make this a less then perfect choice. Flexible copper fitting are NOT interchangeable with fittings for rigid copper pipe.

Some professional plumbers are currently installing flexible water pipes, but these require special tools and fittings, that are not available to the DIY’r. Not all municipalities allow for the use of flexible pipes for water delivery with in the home.

Rigid Pipe:

This pipe comes in either black iron or galvanized pipe. Black iron pipe is normally used to run natural gas inside the home, while galvanized is used mainly for water lines. The ends of these pipes are threaded, as are the connecting pieces. You simply screw the pieces together, after applying either plumber’s tape or pipe dope.

Plumber’s tape is made of Teflon, and is white in color. You should apply it to the male end of the pipe, by running the tape around the pipe several times. Install the tape in the opposite direction, then the male end of the pipe will thread into the female union. Before you thread the two pieces together, be sure to clean out any remaining Teflon tape on the inside of the female threads if you are re using the fitting. There is a Pink Teflon tape, that used solely for making up connection is natural gas lines. Pipe dope, is actually a thick paste that is applied to the threads using a brush. If you are reusing a fitting that has had pipe dope applied before, you must clean both the male and female threads, using a wire brush and a pick, much like the ones that the dentist uses to clean our teeth.

To connect two pieces of pipe together or to install an adapter or fitting, use two pipe wrenches. The first wrench is used to hold the pipe, while the second one is used to turn the fitting or adapter. While you may not use a pipe wrench all that often, this is not the place to go for the bargain priced tool. Sometimes it takes considerable energy to loosen a threaded joint that has been in place for several years. The cheaper wrenches tend to slip, which can cause injury to you or cause damage to you home.

Recently galvanized pipes have gotten some bad press, when used for water delivery. Apparently the insides of the pipes are releasing chemicals into the drinking water, so it is advised that you stick to either copper or the newer flexible pipes for water delivery.

Plastic or PVC/ABS Pipes:

PVC ( Polyvinyl Chloride) pipe is a white plastic pipe that is used to supply both hot and cold water to the interiors of many homes. This product is very flexible and easy to use. There are two ways to cut PVC pipe, either use a hand saw or miter saw to cut large diameter pieces. Smaller diameter pieces can be cut using hand held PVC cutters. To connect PVC pieces, you first cut the pipe to length, then using a cleaning solution designed for the pipe, clean both the ends of the pipe and the connecting piece. A special glue is then applied to both pieces, and the pieces are pushed together. The glue sets, within a minute, so it is vitally important that the pieces be aligned properly when pushed together. There is a very limited amount of time that you can maneuver the pieces. It is a very good idea to use a scribe line to indicate to proper orientation of two mating pieces.

ABS ( Arcylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is a black plastic pipe that is used for drain, waste and vent (DWV) plumbing in today’s homes. This product replaced the cast iron pipes found in many older homes. ABS is worked in much the same manner as the PVC pipe. It can be cut with hand saw or powered miter saw. It uses a cleaner and glue similar to the PVC pipes, only this is designed for the ABS pipes.

When you are gluing either of these products, it is recommended that you use a pair of disposable gloves to protect you hand, unless you like picking dried glue off your hands for several days. Also it is recommended that you work in a well ventilated area.

Generally, you will not see both white and black plastic pipes connected together. One exception to this is maybe found under the sink. A lot of manufacturers are making “P” traps, shown here in black ABS, for the sink drains out of white plastic.

Because of its flexibility you may find homes in earth quake areas plumbed with PVC rather then the conventional rigid copper pipes. There was a lot of bad press in the 90′s about PVC pipes breaking within the walls of homes, this was traced to specific manufacturers, and shouldn’t be seen as a condemnation of the product.

The PVC and ABS pipes are not sized the same. a 1 ” PVC will not connect to a black 1″ ABS fitting. This may have been done to keep us from inadvertently using the wrong pipe for the wrong application, but it sure is confusing. I mean a 1″ pipe should be a 1″ pipe.

I hope this helped clear up some of the confusion about the many options offered to us by the plumbing manufacturers. A word of advice learned the hard way, check to be sure that all your fittings do actually connect before you leave the store or you may find yourself making return trips to your DIY store as I’ve done many times.

A Primer on Plumbing Pipes

See Also : Kingbookmark MyCoolbookmark

If you’re a customizer of action figures or are thinking of starting this fascinating hobby then you should find these hints and tips useful in creating the look you want. There are hundreds of tips and techniques to customizing action figures covering everything from painting stripes to building your own diorama. Here I deal with some of the most basic parts of customizing which will hopefully prove helpful to you in starting this hobby. The customizing hobby is becoming very popular amongst hobbyists and collectors as it gives YOU the flexibility and opportunity to create the action figures YOU want. Many hobbyists subsidize their hobby by selling some of their creations on eBay, sometimes for a very nice sum of money but this option is really only for the more talented customizers.

1) Pinning Your Action Figures What is pinning? Pinning is a method used to “consruct” an action figure and is particularly useful for customizing your action figures. Using this method you can use the parts from several different action figures and pin them together to create your own ubique action figure. It is also useful if one of your action figures has a broken limb and needs reassembling. However, pinning needs time, patience and a steady hand. So what do you need and how do you “pin” an action figure?

Teflon Tubing

First you will need some drywall screws, two for each “joint”, the smaller the screws the better the better, about ¾ an inch long by 1/8 inch thick, as they will be more hidden.

You will also need some brass tubing; 1/16 or 3/32 is the best to use. It is best to use the thickest tubing possible for the joint you are making as it will make a sturdier and stronger joint but this will also be influenced by the size, shape and type of joint you’re going to make.

Cut and trim all the parts you are going to use at their logical “hinge” point.

Drill out a hole, slightly smaller than the screws or tubing for a tight fit, in each part where the “bone” would be.

Insert your tubing to act as the “bones” in the join.

Insert the screws and pin the two parts together.

2) Removing Helmets

The easiest way to remove a figures helmet is with a modeler’s knife or cutter to pry or cut off the chin strap, face mask and the face shield, but be careful with that cutter! Some straps can be quite stubborn, in this case use gentle continuous cuts, much like a saw action to cut through the plastic or material.

Next you need to heat the head in a small “bowl” of water for approx 2 mins in a microwave, on the high setting, to make it more pliable. But again be careful and heat it up in stages, you don’t want to end up with a lump of molten plastic!

The head should now be nice and soft making it easy to gentle remove from the helmet, you will probably need to use the cutter or modelling knife again here to help you gently pry it loose.

Should the head or helmet become slightly misshapened then reheat it for a short period, approx 1 min, to soften the plastic so that you can then reshapen it.

3) Brushes One of your most important tools is your brush, but it never ceases to amaze me the number of people who do not take care of this often abused and neglected item. To keep your brush/es in good condition follow these simple rules:

NEVER EVER leave brushes standing in water or thinners and ALWAYS clean immediately after use.

Clean thoroughly whenever you are going to use a new color.

Use the paint sparingly, DON’T use big globules on your brush, this will only make your brush messy and you won’t be able to apply the paint properly.

To clean your brushes rinse them in water and gently use a paper towel or similar to dry them off. DO NOT twist the bristles.

After use, use a brush soap to clean them thoroughly. Once you have finished cleaning your brushes store them in a brush stand, bristle way up.

4) Painting Stripes I find the best method to use when painting stripes is to use an “overlapping” technique from light to dark. This means that you start with the lightest color and apply it to the area where you require the stripe making it slightly wider than needed. The apply the next color on top of this again making it slightly wider than necessary and continue this for as many colors as you need to create the stripe effect you want.

5) Ankle Wrappings / Bandaged Wounds

The best material to use for apply ankle or arm wrappings on your sports action figure or a bandaged wound on a soldier or other type of figure is Teflon tape that is used to wrap pipe threads. This is flexible, thin and self adhesive and looks perfect!

6) Bullet Wounds or Holes

Bullet wounds or holes can be achieved by used the hot end of a matchstick. This will give it a unique look and will give it a scorched look.

7) Creating A Soiled or Dirtied Look

To achieved a “soiled” or “dirtied” look for your action figure dry brush earth color paint on your action figure.

Dry brushing refers to the technique of using a brush that has very little paint applied to it so that it is virtually “dry” or free of color.

This results in a very thin, almost transparent, and uneven “layer” of paint over the top of the applied area.

Dripping Saliva, Blood, Vomit or…?

To get an excellent look of a “dripping” liquid apply a small globule of super glue to the area, e.g. the mouth or fangs, and allow it to slowly “drip”. The super glue will harden in “mid-drip” and can then be painted or left transparent. Above all else enjoy yourself and have fun!

8 Tips For Customizing Your Action Figure

Tags : Kingbookmark

Silicone products in the kitchen intrigue me. I have a nice little collection of silicone items: pots and pans with silicone-coated handles, a silicone spatula, a silicone lid for capping bowls or lid-less pans, baking mat — like parchment paper for baking or lining pans, hot pads, and silicone cookware. And I love them all. I like them enough I’ve recently added a silicone bottle — for traveling with liquids — to my silicone rubber collection.

So far most of the silicone I’ve experienced has been malleable and soft, the spatula being the most rigid of my collection. I’m thinking more rigid might be good for bakeware as a “reasonable” alternative to non-stick pans, or even stainless steel or glass pans. My silicone hot pads are a bit thick for grabbing things out of the oven, but they work nicely as a trivet; maybe my WalMart source wasn’t the best and I can find thinner, more supple ones elsewhere.

Teflon Tubing

Don’t mistake silicone for silicon, the element. The term silicone is essentially a derivative of its formula. Variations of the formula give us variations of products that we are familiar with: glass aquarium joints, gaskets, grease for auto brakes, insulators (heat and electrical), caulk, tubing, spark plug insulation, bandages, breast implants, molds, toys, and cookware/bakeware. The list goes on and on.

Commonly I hear people express concern about silicone. They figure they’ll learn about the health or environmental problems associated with using silicone. But those very people use non-stick (like Teflon) kitchenware, and that has reports of health and environmental issues. So, I made that question part of my research.

I found lots of evidence of silicone being safe to use. At least the Dow/Corning manufacturing approach is designed to be sustainable too, focusing on the environment, health, and safety/security issues. It’s recyclable, though not biodegradable, and it doesn’t offgas over its lifetime or while in use.

Silicone is made of polymers of silicon, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and sometimes other chemical elements (as in those found on the element chart). Those are all natural ingredients, not man-made chemicals; a plus in my mind. It has low chemical reactivity, repels water, and is resistant to ozone, oxygen, and UV light. Furthermore, it doesn’t support microbiological growth, and has low toxicity (does that sound like a hedged bet, or careful marketing, to you?). I’m comfortable with the material, given my research.

But, back to my cooking focus. Here are just some of the benefits I’ve found in using silicone in the kitchen:

dishwasher safe, unlike some metal and all wooden items
insulates my hand from heat conduction on pots and pans
no more melted spatulas because of high cooking heats, like with candy
more resistant to food stains, like tomato or saffron sauces
long lived, unlike wood and rubber utensils
it keeps its “new” look much longer
no more shattering/breaking because of dropping it or adding cold water to a hot pan
I don’t have to grease my baking pans, saving prep time
easy clean up
it doesn’t take on odors or flavors of food, unlike plastic bowls I’ve used in the past
non-stick, so no need for non-stick pans, which I got rid of years ago anyway

I mentioned the silicone bottle for my travels. I do like it because it’s lightweight, not plastic, and it’s squeezable. However, the lid does leak slightly, so I keep it in a tiny Ziploc bag while traveling, which isn’t a big deal to me. I got mine at REI, and suspect they are available at a variety of stores.

Heck, now that I’ve done this research to share with you about the benefits of silicone bakeware, I think it’s time to expand my collection of silicone — for travel and cookware items. My list of goodies to pursue:

mixing bowls, aka pinch bowls
metal/silicone bundt pan and muffin pans
silicone cooking tongs

I have a ball whisk that my friend Brita brought me from Germany, and I love it. I see there is a silicone ball whisk available too, but would like to see it to understand if it’s as good as my all-metal German brand before adding that to my collection.

Silicone rubber products seem like safe and environmentally friendly items to use in your life, starting in your kitchen.

Silicone Bakeware

Recommend : Kingbookmark

Fastening systems are important in aircraft construction because of the shear number of fasteners used. Aerospace fasteners and fastener tooling or fastener installation tools are critical in the construction process and are often automated for cost-saving.

Fatigue strength is important for safety and durability, particularly in primary structures and assemblies. AN, MS and NAS are all quality standards indicative of strength, but also tolerance, dimensions, and finish. Blind structural fasteners, while historically lacking in strength, are being improved because they offer the advantage that they need access from one side only.

Teflon Tubing

Sealed fasteners that provide a sealed joint are used in wing fuel tanks for example. Composite fasteners are also being developed for the kind of advanced materials that are introduced for applications in an industry at the cutting edge. High strength fasteners for structures are frequently distinguished by the material they are made from, for example, alloy 600 or titanium fasteners. Titanium has the added advantage for aircraft fasteners, that it is light.

Stainless steel clamps have aircraft applications such as worm-screw clamps for use on fuel, oil, air and coolant lines. The worm drive provides uniform clamping pressure without distorting the hose.

Nuts and nut plates and panel fasteners are commonplace in the aircraft interiors industry. Floating nut plates can also be used to fasten to the fuselage of an unpressurised aircraft. Lockbolts and collars are a common method of fastening interior panels because they spread the load across a greater area, large heads and equally large flanges on the collars.

Self-locking nuts do not need a locking device. The most common method of locking comes from the use of inserts. Locknuts are used in high temperature environments or when subject to vibration.

Bolts are used for strength, but if strength is not a requirement, screws are fine.

Pins are used to secure two objects together. Holes are bored in one or both of the objects and the pins inserted. Pins can be straight, tapered, rolled or grooved and provide perfect alignment, holding parts in
absolute relation to one another. They also prevent slippage due to high motion.

Quick release fasteners are another type of fastener used in aircraft interiors, ie removing panels for easy access.

Aerospace hardware can include aircraft tooling generally, not just fastener installation tools.

Aerospace bearings.

Bearings are ubiquitous in aircraft, hydraulic actuators (rod end bearings), landing gear and wheels, flight controls (roller bearings), slats, flaps and flight control surfaces (needle roller bearings), joints, hatch and door mechanisms and aerospace fans.

Hydraulic fittings join titanium tube, stainless steel tube or braided steel hose and are usually subject to 3000 psi. or more.

Aerospace gaskets and seals.

Carbon-faced seals are mechanical face seals that mate up to the rotating mating ring, bearing, or shaft. The seal face in the stationary portion provides the low friction wear element that rides on the harder wear
resistant mating surface. Both the seal face and mating surfaces are typically lapped flat, providing a virtually leak tight seal.

Gaskets too have many varied functions among which is metal O-rings, made from a corrosion and heat resistant steel tubing which form tubular sealing rings. They are primarily for sealing fluid systems at
temperatures where the operating conditions are too severe for conventional elastomeric O-ring seals.
AS9100 hydraulic packings are seals for hydraulic cylinders in aerospace use, where durability is a prime consideration. Teflon O-rings cannot be melted and teflon is inert, with a very low coefficient of friction.

By using the latest inventory management systems and demand modelling software, companies in the aerospace hardware sector usually operate on a worldwide scale processing a huge number of orders daily.

What Does Aircraft Hardware Comprise of?

Recommend : Kingbookmark MyCoolbookmark

The word plastic is derived from the Latin word plasticus which means “capable of being molded.” Indeed, plastics are moldable synthetic materials made up of a large organic molecule that can be formed into a variety of products. Depending on its purpose, plastics can be made as hard as stone or as pliable and elastic as rubber. Plastic can also be made to be as strong as steel, impact-resistant and heat-resistant. The processes involved in manufacturing the different kinds of plastic varies, and like metals, may be alloyed, or even combined with other materials. The other qualities that make plastics more distinct are being lightweight, waterproof and chemical resistant; they may also be produced in almost any color. More and more types of plastic are being studied and developed daily to further enhance the quintessential product that everybody benefits from.

Plastics also come in a variety of kinds, although all share the common characteristic of malleability or plasticity, they differ in properties, production costs, and the process of making them. Although plastics may be classified in many ways, they are commonly categorized based on the polymer element that is used as the basis in their production.

Teflon Tubing

Common Plastics and How We Use Them

Inevitably, plastics have become a part of our lives. Life would certainly be very difficult without them. The countless kinds of plastics have found their way into industries and our homes and have gained permanency in both settings. The most commonly used plastics are: polyethylene, which has a wide range of uses and is very inexpensive; polypropylene used for the production of food containers and appliances; polystyrene (or Styrofoam) commonly used for disposable food containers; polyamide or nylon for toothbrush bristles and fishing lines; polyester for textiles. There are also special purpose plastics such as Teflon used in frying pans and water slides; polyurethane for insulation and upholstery foams; Bakelite insulation for electrical fixtures.

Despite all the advantages of using plastics, its threat on the environment has become increasingly intense since it degrades very slowly and when burned produces toxic fumes. Also, plastic production creates chemical pollutants which affect both the air and water and uses up the limited supply of fuel fossils. In order to alleviate the losses of the environment, it is always best to recycle plastics to either be used again to be re-processed into other products.

Useful Information About Plastic

Related : Kingbookmark MyCoolbookmark