Sunday, November 30, 2008

New Welding Helmets from Lincoln Electric

Lincoln Electric expanded it's Vista line of auto-darkening welding helmets and upgraded the entire line's headgear, making them more ergonomic and comfortable for use. Newly redesigned headgear features improved ventilation along with fore and aft adjustments for a more individualized fit.

Red Rod™, the first new design, features hot rod flame graphics over candy-apple red metalflake paint, to appeal to the classic car enthusiast. The new retro-inspired SurfRod® helmets, pay tribute to the pinstripes and matte black finish used by street rodders of the 1950s and today. Additionally, Lincoln now offers an all black helmet, ideal for factory orders and individuals who prefer a more traditional look.

The Vista line also features:
  • Solar powered auto-darkening, eliminating operator error and alkaline corrosion
  • Grind and TIG modes, as well as variable delay settings for greater operator control
  • Four independent arc sensors to ensure reliability
  • Different view sizes, for every budget and preference, including the 3000series, with one of the largest views in the industry
Other styles available in the Vista® line include Heavy Metal™, Patriot, and NASCAR®.

For more information visit their website at www.lincolnelectric.com

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Sunday, November 9, 2008

Tenon and Mortise Joinery the Easy Way


If you are looking for a fast, easy and revolutionary way of doing mortise and tenon look no further.
Festool has a revolutionary tool called Domino Joining System. The system consist of the Domino joiner and prefabricated tenons in various sizes. It offers a far more stronger joints that of biscuit or dowel joinery and has more area for gluing surface. Festool offers the tools in two models the Festool Domino DF 500 E (574258) or the Domino DF 500 E Set (574283) with additional accessories.

For more information on the Domino joining systems visit www.festoolusa.com


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Sunday, November 2, 2008

Enjoy Your Fireplace And Woods Stoves Safely

The high cost of energy are driving consumers to find alternative ways to reduce their home heating costs, they are rediscovering their fireplaces and wood stoves and using them more often to heat their homes. Although these are attractive alternatives there are many inherent dangers associated with using them.

Many times these fireplaces and wood stoves has not been used for a long time and may require some careful attention and inspections. It is recommended to contact a professional to inspect your fireplace, wood stoves and chimneys to make sure they are properly working and are safe to use. Careful attention to safety can also minimize their fire hazard.

Here are some safety tips you can follow before using your fireplace or wood stoves.

  • Be sure the fireplace or stove is installed properly. Wood stoves should have adequate clearance (36”) from combustible surfaces and proper floor support and protection.
  • Wood stoves should be of good quality, solid construction and design, and should be laboratory tested.
  • Fireplaces, wood stoves and chimneys should be inspected annually and cleaned if necessary, especially if it has not been used for some time to ensure that they are in proper operating condition, (i.e., no cracks in fireplace masonry or wood stove linings).
  • Keep children and pets away from fireplaces and wood stoves. They can be burned badly by touching such hot surfaces as fireplace screens or the exterior of a stove.
  • Do not use flammable liquids to start or accelerate any fire.
  • Keep a glass or metal screen in front of the fireplace opening, to prevent embers or sparks from jumping out, unwanted material from going in, and help prevent the possibility of burns to occupants.
  • The stove should be burned hot twice a day for 15-30 minutes to reduce the amount of creosote buildup.
  • Try to keep the fire at a moderate level. Continuous burning of wood at a low-fire level may contribute to creosote build-up, increasing the potential for chimney fires and the corrosion of metal parts. Inspect the chimney and chimney connector on wood stoves at least twice monthly and clean if necessary. Avoid over-firing the stove, since overheating may damage the stove and chimney connector or cause a fire in adjacent structures.
  • Don’t use excessive amounts of paper to build roaring fires in fireplaces. It is possible to ignite creosote in the chimney by overbuilding the fire.
  • Use only the proper fuel. Don't use charcoal in a fireplace or stove that is designed only for wood fires, burning charcoal can give off lethal amounts of carbon monoxide.
  • Keep flammable materials away from your fireplace mantel. A spark from the fireplace could easily ignite theses materials.
  • Before you go to sleep, be sure your fireplace fire is out. NEVER close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace. A closed damper will help the fire to heat up again and will force toxic carbon monoxide into the house.
  • If synthetic logs are used, follow the directions on the package. NEVER break a synthetic log apart to quicken the fire or use more than one log at a time. They often burn unevenly, releasing higher levels of carbon monoxide.
Photograph is licensed under GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2
Courtesy of Thomaswm

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