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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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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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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Reminder to Replace Smoke Alarm Batteries

This weekend November 2 2008 is the end of the Daylight Saving Time. As we change our clocks, it is also a good reminder to change the batteries in our smoke alarms.

It is important to have fresh batteries in our smoke alarms so they can continue protecting us and our families.

Here are things to look for when replacing batteries and maintaining your smoke alarms.

If you have a smoke alarm with batteries:
*Smoke Alarms powered by long-lasting batteries are designed to replace the entire unit according to manufacturer’s instructions.
*In standard type battery powered smoke alarms, the batteries need to be replaced at least once per year and the whole unit should be replaced every 8-10 years.
*In hard-wired, battery back up smoke alarms, the batteries need to be checked monthly, and replaced at least once per year. The entire unit should be replaced every 8-10 years.

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Have A Happy And Safe Halloween

In the spirit of Halloween and for Safety's sake we are going off topic to bring you a Halloween safety message from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Happy Halloween to all!

Everyone can make this year's holiday a safe one by following these safety tips on costumes, treats and decorations.

Costumes

• When purchasing costumes, masks, beards and wigs, look for flame- resistant fabrics such as nylon or polyester, or look for the label "Flame Resistant." Flame-resistant fabrics will resist burning and should extinguish quickly. To minimize the risk of contact with candles and other fire sources, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts.
  
  
• Purchase or make costumes that are light, bright and clearly visible to motorists.
  
  
• For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car's headlights. Bags or sacks also should be light colored or decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle and sporting goods stores.
  
  
• Children should carry flashlights to see and be seen.
  
  
• Costumes should fit well and not drag on the ground to guard against trips and falls.
  
  
• Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Oversized high heels are not a good idea.
  
  
• Tie hats and scarves securely to prevent them from slipping over children's eyes and obstructing vision.
  
  
• If your child wears a mask, make sure it fits securely, provides adequate ventilation, and has eye holes large enough to allow full vision.
  
  
• Swords, knives and similar costume accessories should be made of soft, flexible material.

Treats

• Warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has examined them carefully for evidence of tampering.
  
  
• Carefully examine any toys or novelty items received by trick-or- treaters under three years of age. Do not allow young children to have any items that are small enough to present a choking hazard or that have small parts or components that could separate during use and present a choking hazard.

Decorations

• Keep candles and jack-o'-lanterns away from landings and doorsteps where costumes could brush against the flame.
  
  
• Remove obstacles from lawns, steps and porches when expecting trick-or-treaters.
  
  
• Indoors, keep candles and jack-o'-lanterns away from curtains, decorations and other combustibles that could be ignited. Do not leave burning candles unattended.
  
  
• Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Discard damaged sets.
  
  
• Don't overload extension cords.

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Lincoln Electric's Ultimate Multi-Process Machine- The Power MIG 350MP

Featuring Stick, TIG, MIG and Flux-Cored Welding Capabilities

• Advanced Processes - Pulsed MIG, Pulse-on-Pulse and Power Mode

• Push-pull ready spool gun for enhanced aluminum welding

• 115-volt AC auxiliary power-easy to run lights or grinders

Cleveland – Lincoln Electric’s Power MIG® 350MP is the ultimate choice for process versatility and arc performance, featuring stick, TIG, MIG and flux-cored capabilities.

This multi-process wirefeeder/welder also features advanced welding processes such as Lincoln Electric’s Pulsed MIG, Pulse-On-Pulse® and Power Mode®, making the machine ideal for individuals involved in light to heavy job shop fabrication and manufacturing, especially involving aluminum applications.

Using Lincoln Electric’s Chopper Technology®, the Power MIG 350MP delivers high-quality welds with tremendous arc control – delivering enhanced starts, low spatter levels, excellent bead appearance, a wide operating “sweet spot” and improved stainless steel and aluminum welding performance.

This Power MIG model offers a robust output range from five to 350 amps for handling thin DC TIG welding through industrial sheet metal and medium structural applications. The Power MIG 350MP is the only machine, outside the Power Wave® family, to feature Lincoln Electric’s Nextweld® processes.

Its Waveform Control Technology® delivers customized welding parameters for every application with additional welding waveforms for download directly to the machine for future applications. Synergic control of voltage with the wire feed speed allows users to set weld procedures with only one control for simplicity.

Additional features include an extremely easy-to-use spool gun; a push-pull ready connection and a second gas solenoid to deliver gas to a spool gun or TIG torch without having to disconnect the main MIG gun. The Power MIG 350MP is the only model in its class to feature a 115 volt AC auxiliary receptacle, offering convenient AC input power for work lights, grinders and other shop tools.

Advanced Pulse-On-Pulse features improved arc cleaning action and reduces heat input on aluminum applications while delivering a TIG-like appearance to the weld beads. Power Mode maintains a stable, smooth arc for short-arc welding, minimizing heat input on thin materials. In addition, the Power MIG 350MP includes advanced parameter settings for maximum operability, including start, crater, pre/post gas flow, run-in and arc control.

The Lincoln Electric Company, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc-welding systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment and has a leading global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market.

This product is available at a welding supply store near you. Or, call (888) 355-3213 or visit www.lincolnelectric.com to obtain Bulletin E7.57 to learn about the Power MIG 350MP.

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Use GFCI When Using Electric Power Tools

The U S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends the use of a ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) with every power tool to protect against electrical shock hazards. Each year, CPSC learns of approximately 20 to 30 electrocution deaths associated with power drills, saws, sanders, hedge trimmers, and other electric power tools. Most of these deaths could be prevented by the use of a GFCI.

A GFCI constantly monitors current flowing in a circuit to sense any loss of current. If the current flowing through two circuit conductors differs by a very small amount, the GFCI instantly interrupts the current flow to prevent a lethal amount of electricity from reaching the consumer. The consumer may feel a painful shock but will not be electrocuted. Grounding may provide some protection for power equipment and double insulation of newer power tools presents lower risks of electrocution. However, GFCls are the most effective means for protecting consumers against electrical shock hazards.

Since 1973, homes built according to the National Electrical Code have varying degrees of GFCI protection. GFCIs were first required in outdoor receptacle circuits In 1973, bathrooms in 1975, garage wall outlets in 1978, some kitchen receptacles since 1987, and all receptacle outlets in unfinished basements and crawl spaces since 1990.

Three common types of GFCls are available for home use: circuit breaker, receptacle and portable types. The circuit breaker type needs to be installed by an electrician. The receptacle type may be installed by knowledgeable consumers familiar with electrical wiring practices. The portable GFCI needs no special knowledge to install Just plug the portable GFCI Into a wall receptacle and then plug the electric power tool into the GFCI. It is generally priced below $30 and is available at hardware stores, building supply centers and electrical supply houses.





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