The Lamp - Let There Be Light!
Simply put a lamp is a device that generates light, heat or some sort of therapeutic radiation (like the laser ones). The word that derives its roots from Middle English lampe or Latin lampas is one everyday device that can gets taken for granted but can slice through any density of darkness with a flick of the switch.
The humble lamp started out as far back as the Stone Age, historians suggest. Back then it was just a hollow rock, probably filled with absorbent moss or something similar that could be soaked with animal fat. Since then it has seen several modifications and has been improved upon to give it its present form and now the term is used for all types of lighting devices used for illumination. Though it’s shape, fuel used, the wick…all have changed forms, the basic working principle is still the same.
This simple illumination device has been part and parcel of mankind’s collective history and was used in various forms across cultures in ancient times. Egyptians and the people of Central Asia used terracotta saucers, the Greek invented torches, the Romans improvised them with multiple spouts and the Hebrews used the seven-branched candlestick. Most religious ceremonies use a lighting device of some kind because light is a universal symbol of everything sacred. These devices were usually cumbersome but now, you just have to press an electrical switch and there you are!
We use them in our everyday life to illuminate a room, to set a particular mood, to showcase our prized possessions or even to burn the midnight oil. This humble light source is traded in flea markets, dime stores, branded retail houses and even the Internet. Some people collect them others use them to beautify their homes. Whatever the reason, there is always need to let there be light.
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Richard Dornell for http://www.lamp-source.com. |
Using Concrete for Interior Applications
Concrete is an extraordinary material that is practical, expressive, and aesthetic all at once. From a primal and formless slurry, you can transform it into virtually any shape that becomes a solid mass. The possibilities for creative expression are endless. You can grind, polish, stamp, or stain it. You can embed meaningful objects within it.
Concrete has substance and mass, permanence and warmth. It feels earthy, and is at home in both traditional and modern settings. It assumes forms that irrevocably touch our daily lives-bridges, highways, floors, walls… even countertops. Concrete is also surprisingly tactile. Cast and shaped, it can feel like stone rounded by the sea. Textured and colored, it can echo the patina of timeworn tile.
It first occurred to me to make a countertop out of concrete in 1985, when a friend and I were hired to design and renovate a professor’s house in the Berkeley Hills. He gave us a modest budget and announced, “This is all I can afford to spend; do whatever you want.” Armed with this rare creative license (and plenty of youthful exuberance) we aimed to be as innovative as possible.
This invitation to imagine, play, and explore inevitably led me to experiment in my own kitchen, where concrete and I began what is now our nearly two-decade dance. My first countertop was a single piece containing 11 cubic feet of concrete. It weighed nearly 1500 pounds and took 10 people-and 2 engine hoists-to turn it over once it had cured. We barely managed it, but the piece came out beautifully and is still being put to good use today.
Because of its adaptability, concrete finds itself welcome in all areas of the home, especially in the kitchen and bath, but also in fireplaces, patios, garden paths, or water features. Concrete can also be used as a floor material with enormous creative advantages whether seeded, stained, stamped, broomed or diamond-finished. It can be a sole performer or play the supporting role to tile, mosaics, decorative aggregates, stone, wood, or metal. It is inexpensive, durable, noncombustible, impervious to decay, and also very effective for passive solar gain in the right application.
With vertical treatments, concrete gives us an opportunity to recapture some of the feeling of the monolithic wall-the feeling of substance, of protection. Walls are also a great place to explore form. A wall doesn’t have to be flat or straight, but can curve and undulate. It can be textured to be rough as stone or smooth as glass.
Surrender to the impulse… carve your initials in concrete.
Fu-Tung Cheng is an award-winning designer and author of bestselling book Concrete Countertops: Design, Forms, and Finishes for the New Kitchen and Bath (Taunton, 2002) and the new Concrete at Home (Taunton, 2005).
Learn more about Fu-Tung’s work and discover the endless possibilites of concrete.
Welding Basics For Beginners
Welding has been around for centuries, though not in the forms most commonly used today. One of the first welding processes ever used was known as forge welding. Forge welding attempts to join two metals through a process of heating, and then pounding and striking. It’s what blacksmiths did. But since then, there have been quite a few advancements in the welding world. With these new methods and techniques, welding has left the confines of industrial settings and can now be done practically anywhere - even underwater or in outer space!
As you can guess from the history of welding, the ability to join two or more pieces of metal together in a strong bond has been fundamental in our advancements in all areas of life, from housing to transportation; from manufacturing to repairs. Understanding welding basics can come in handy at work, but it will just as often come in handy around the house, in the workshop or on the farm. Because of this, welding is a skill that almost anyone can benefit from, male or female, young or old.
Why Weld?
If you own any equipment or machinery that is metal, welding will certainly serve as a useful skill. Some typical goals of a welding job include:
• Fixing stress cracks
• Reinforcing weak joints, and
• Cutting/shaping new parts and adapters from raw plating.
For chores like these, many welders rely on a process known as arc welding. Arc welding is a method where during the welding process, an electrical current jumps through an air gap (between a positively charged electrode and a negatively charged steel plate) and produces an enormous amount of heat. This heat is produced at the end of a welding rod, and when it does, metal can be melted. Well, it’s a little more complicated than that, but the concept is the same.
Perhaps the most common and economical welding method used today is AC (alternating current) arc welding. You can locate a simple AC welder just about anywhere, such as your local farm store or home improvement center. This welding process is ideal for most of your simple, routine welding jobs. Therefore, AC arc welding is ideal for those of you just starting out.
Minimize Your Risk
While arc welding isn’t incredibly complicated, there are a few risks and hazards that you should be aware of:
1. Exposure to radiation
2. Flying sparks (in the form of globs of molten metal)
3. Electric Shock
4. Fumes
5. Damage to your eyes, and
6. Burns
However, by wearing protective clothing and specialized welding helmets and other gear, you can greatly reduce the inherent risks of welding. Here are a few other tips to help keep you safe while arc welding:
• Make sure to work on a dry floor. Wear thick rubber shoes and dry leather welding gloves.
• Be sure to use insulated electrode holders.
• Check to make sure that your equipment is all properly grounded.
• Keep your work area properly ventilated to avoid inhaling any potentially toxic fumes.
• Be on the look out for flying bits of melted metal.
• Most importantly, be aware of any other people who are around you. If they aren’t wearing the proper gear, then keep them away from your project.
This will get you started welding safely - one of the most important things when learning a new craft.
Kenzie Thompson practices both ornamental and industrial welding on his 5 acre ranch in Northern California. For more information on Welding Basics, visit www.weldingadvisor.com
Advantages Of Wood Deck Railings
For Tranquility Indoors - Use Wood Railing
Wooden railing is the first choice for any owner or the
builder as the elegance and the style that you get from wooden
railings is nothing compared to other materials. Some time the
light reflection from all sources disturbs you. Wood does not
reflect light as much as steel does, a kind of sereneness, and
tranquility that you get from use of wood, you cannot get from
any other material.
Advantages Of Wood Railings
There are many advantages of wooden railings
particularly indoor railings.
- The elegance of wood is unmatched by anything else.
- Contrary to popular belief, wood railings are maintenance free, particularly those used
indoors. A nice polishing, a coat of lacquer while installing,
is all that is required, and no further maintenance is required.
- Another advantage of wood is that it massive in construction
and will last for several decades if not centuries.
- With its wide top, children (and some times grown ups too!)
enjoy the wood railing sliding down the railing for coming down
instead of coming down by steps. Oh what fun!
Choice Of Wood For Railings
Wooden stock rails, balusters and newel can be made in Burma
teak, Cherry, Maple, Red Oak, White Oak, Walnut, Mahogany,
Poplar, Beech, Yellow Pine, Ash or Cedar. Many manufacturers can
give you the top rail design that you desire or dream.
Manufacturers use CAD systems, CNC machinery, and hand artistry,
to give you any rail profile, baluster turnings or newel
post.
Care Of Wood In General, Railing In Particular
Wood when properly treated and cared for requires no
maintenance. The major enemy of wood is the life forms capable
of living and thriving on wood. The microscopic life starts
first and then it is like a jungle, where the food chain starts.
Therefore if you treat wood with chemicals to stop the growth of
micro-organisms and keep water away from it, the possibility of
wood rot gets much less. Regular cleaning, annual polishing,
waxing when the wood railing looks dull is all that is required
for caring the wood articles and railing in general. Out-door
railings may require painting to keep them looking new.
How Cellulose Insulation Is Applied
Cellulose insulation is natural insulation material. It is made from recycled newspaper and other recycled paper products. The recycled content is at least 75% or more. The recycled paper is then treated with chemicals to make it fire resistant.
Benefits of Cellulose Insulation
Because the material is made from mostly recycled paper products, it is considered to be less dangerous than other types of insulating materials. Fiberglass and many other insulating materials are considered to be carcinogenic. Cellulose is not a carcinogen.
The chemicals used to make the material fire resistant are all non hazardous materials. The chemicals most commonly used are boric acid, ammonium sulphate and borax. All these chemicals are thought to be safe and are not known to cause health risks. In addition, they are thought to help prohibit the growth of mold or mildew and isn’t a hospitable environment for insects.
Another benefit is in the energy needed to manufacture the material. Less fuel is required in the manufacturing process when compared to other materials. This is good for the environment and saves fuel. This is especially important with today’s high fuel prices. Cellulose was at one time quite a bit more expensive than fibreglass, but the cost is about equal now.
Because the material is largely recycled paper and uses less energy, it is often used in “green homes.” Green homes are new homes that are designed to be environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Cellulose meets the requirements of this type of building. More new homes are currently being built with this type of material than at any other time.
The material is energy efficient and allows less air to pass through it than does fibreglass. This makes it more effective for insulating than other materials. You will see a difference in your home heating bill. It is also more flame retardant than any other insulating material.
This material is better as a sound insulation for reducing the nose level in your home. If you are interested in soundproofing qualities as well as keeping warm, this product is more effective than other materials. The coverage is more uniform and better at muffling sounds from outside the home or the next room, for example, kitchen noises being heard in the bedroom.
4 Types of Cellulose Insulation
There are four ways this type of insulating material is applied:
o Loose fill
o Stabilized cellulose
o Wall cavity spray
o Commercial sprays
In new and existing home insulation, it is most often blown into the wall cavity or the attic. In general, it is blown dry in the attic and damp in the walls. Because it is blown, it is relatively easy to install in existing homes. Small holes are made in the drywall of interior walls for the spray and are patched after installation. For insulating exterior walls, the material is generally applied outside the house by removing small pieces of siding or roofing materials.
How Cellulose Insulation is Applied
The material is mixed with a small amount of water and is then sprayed into the wall. This slight dampness helps the material conform to the space and give a complete seal. This helps seal small cracks and hard to reach spaces in the wall cavity. For this reason, it is very effective for blocking air from escaping through smaller cracks.
Professional installation is recommended for this insulating material. To be most effective, it must be blown properly and evenly. In general, two people are needed for the process, one to fill the machine with dry fibers and to break up larger clumps and another to operate the hose. Masks should be worn to prevent any dust from being breathed in during the installation process.
Clinton Maxwell is a contributing designer for the www.soundproofing-tips.com internetsite. The writer is working on topics like cellulose insulation and others.