Guitar Pickups Heated Furniture Water Well Cylinders Nonconductive Tools
Guitar pickups were invented during the time of the big-band era. Jazz music incorporated both guitar and large brass sections. To offset a guitar's mellow tones, a pickup device was developed to amplify the vibration of the guitar's strings, generating a louder sound. The guitar pickup was invented in the early 20th century. The device allowed musicians to plug into a new sound that would later define rock 'n' roll. Production starts with an edged steel part. A technician applies glue to the spine and attaches plastic strips to the glued areas for full adhesion. He glues a second edged steel part to the first, creating a bobbin for wire windings. He applies clear polyester tape along the inner edges of the bobbin. The tape will serve as electrical insulation, supplementing an insulating coating that's been applied to the metal. Using an abrasive wheel, he scuffs off the finish on the end of the bobbin to prepare it for soldering. The scuffed bobbin is the one on the left. Then the bobbin is mounted to a winding mandrel. The craftsman wraps thin copper wire around the end of the bobbin and activates the winding mandrel. As the mandrel spins, the bobbin gathers the copper wire together to produce a wad that's 4,000 windings thick. The bobbin containing thousands of copper-wire windings has created a path for magnetic energy. Next, the ends of the copper wire are soldered to the bobbin. The craftsman applies a direct current through the coil and measures the electrical resistance. Once the current falls within the acceptable range, he solders connection cables to the windings. Then the coil is submerged in hot liquid wax. The wax will encase the wire windings to prevent mechanical vibrations. Next, the craftsman inserts brass pins into a press fixture. He places a steel channel on top of the pins, piercing the pins through the channel. He flattens the heads of the pins with the press while allowing the ends to extend through the channel. To stabilize the assembly, he places rubber and steel washers over the protruding pins. He mounts a brass plate to the pins and adds more washers to electrically ground the assembly. The craftsman presses the pins to flatten them, securing the plate to the channel. A second steel channel is attached to the plate on top of the first channel. The dual coil assembly contains a higher output and will counteract electromagnetic interference. While most pickups have magnets inside the coils, this pickup contains magnets on the outside of the coils. This design reduces hum from electrical interference. The craftsman solders a ground wire to the unit and applies more solder to one of the pins to connect the coil cables. The coils are inserted in the channels. A burnt-chrome finish can be applied to the pickup's outer casing. The burnt-chrome casing produces a discoloration that adds visual interest. He now pipes a generous amount of epoxy into the casing cavity and inserts the pickup. He solders wire from the cover to the pickup to ground the unit. The pickup is placed over the strings of a guitar, and he plugs it into an amplifier. once he confirms the tone is acceptable, he measures the resistance. The craftsman tests the direction the current travels through the pickup. This method is called phase. He also assesses the strength of the magnetic field through a method known as polarity. Even though it's taken just 15 minutes to make this guitar pickup, due to its sustainability, it should last for years, providing musicians with plenty of good vibes. when you're sitting outdoors and it starts getting chilly, you can shiver, put on more layers of clothing, or press a button to let the furniture you're sitting on warm you up. Designed for use in the outdoors and in colder indoor spaces, heated furniture is a hot new trend. This heated lounge is hip and practical. Discreet drain holes prevent rainwater from puddling, and the easy-to-reach heat control knob is located underneath the seat. Benches, multi-seat lounges, and single chairs can all be made into heated furniture. The first step is to coat a fiberglass mold with a release agent. Once a rubber insert is glued into the drain hole, a technician mixes the ingredients for the casting material together. Ingredients include pigment containing metal oxides, which prevent color fading, a concrete mix containing a blend of fibers for extra strength and resistance, and water containing proprietary additives. The ingredients are mixed together for about three minutes until the concrete is the consistency of cake batter. A thin layer is sprayed on to the fiberglass mold, and any raised areas are flattened to remove air bubbles. The chair's color will never rub off or peel because the pigment is mixed right into the concrete. Next, technicians add the heating element, a cable that is wrapped around the piece of furniture. The cable is tacked in place with a separate mix of concrete that has a higher fiber content. The entire heating element is embedded in a full coat of the high-fiber concrete. Then a finishing coat of the first mix is applied, and the structure is left to cure at room temperature for 24 hours. Now cured, this white chair is ready to be extracted. A technician pumps compressed air through the drain-hole insert. Due to the release agent application, the cast chair easily pops off the mold. The rough edges are smoothed with a diamond file. Then the drain-hole plug is removed. At another station, a technician coats the entire surface of another chair with a sealant that blocks moisture. Moisture penetration weakens concrete and draws out the natural salt, which leaves white stains. Meanwhile, a welder constructs the chair's frame with parts made out of stainless-steel tubes and plates. The chair has three legs, plus cross members that act as conduits for electrical wires. The cross members connect to a stainless-steel box, which will house the temperature control unit. A technician fills the channel with adhesive along the perimeter. He places the frame into the channel. The adhesive will take a day to cure. Next, the electrical wiring is assembled. The technician fishes two electrical wires through the frame. One wire connects the power-cord plug to the temperature control unit. The other runs from the temperature control unit to the temperature control switch. He glues the switch into a hole in the right front leg. All the wires are embedded in rubber, making them waterproof. The temperature control unit is installed in the box at the center of the frame. Then a temperature sensor is installed underneath the seat. The technician hammers plastic and stainless-steel feet into the bottom of the legs. This prevents the legs from scratching the floor and levels the furniture on an uneven surface. Lastly, a bronze drain is inserted into the drain hole. A quality controlled heat test measures the surface temperature with an infrared thermometer. If all is operating correctly, the sensor under the seat tells the thermostat and the temperature control unit when to turn the heat on or off. Ever since the ancient egyptians developed the shaduf around 4,000 years ago, people have been creating new ways to move water. Before people relied on electricity, windmills generated power using water-well cylinders. These simple but highly effective mechanisms are still in use today. Production of this water-well cylinder began in the late 1800s. The design was so effective, it hasn't changed since. To create the valves integral to water-well cylinders, the process starts with a specialized mold made out of compressed sand. These orange tube-shaped objects are called cores, also made from compressed sand. The cores allow molten metal to flow around them, ensuring that the valve cage remains hollow. With the top of the mold casing in place, the assembly moves to the next station on the production line. A robotic arm lowers the jacket and weight on to each mold to prevent the molten metal from escaping. A metal worker drops pieces of metal, called returns, into a crucible. When the temperature of the molten metal reaches 2,102 degrees fahrenheit, it's ready to pour. Another metal worker uses a device called a cradle to hoist and move the crucible. He pours the liquefied metal into a sprue hole, which flows into the mold openings. The molds cool as they head to a vibratory conveyor system. The vibrations break the sand apart, leaving in its place the newly formed metal parts. A technician removes the parts with a hook and mounts them on an overhead transport system. The transport system carries them into a blast machine. Inside, steel shot blasts the metal clean. When the parts emerge from the blast machine, the castings are ready for the next phase. Using a band saw with a diamond-tipped blade, a metal worker carefully cuts the castings into their component parts. Rough castings have a seam called a parting line, where the two halves of a mold meet. A metal worker grinds off the excess casting. The rough casting goes through a machining process. As the valves are assembled, a small piece of newspaper is placed inside to prevent any damage to the balls during shipment. These brass, precision-ground balls are crucial components that permit or prevent water flow as they move up and down inside the valve cage. These components are made of leather that's been pressed, formed, and coated with graphite to lubricate them. Water-well cylinders have both a check valve and a plunger valve. A technician tightens a follower on a plunger valve. While a check valve remains stationary and prevents water from escaping, a plunger valve isn't fixed, so it allows water to move out the top. A water-well cylinder requires caps and connectors. A cnc lathe machines a brass cap to the required parameters. As the component spins at 800 rpm, carbide-tipped cutting tools hone, bore, and thread it where needed. The cylinders are made from brass tubing. The 3-millimeter-thick seamless tubing is made from a brass billet heated until soft enough to draw through an inner and outer die. The result is a strong, corrosion-resistant cylinder that can handle water pressure and immersion for decades. A cnc device threads both ends of the cylinder to receive the cap and connector. A technician brushes a pipe-compound sealant on to the threads. The sealant ensures a watertight fit. Then he screws the cap to the bottom end of the cylinder. He adds the top connector and inserts both ends into a lathe. With the bottom held firmly in place by the lathe chuck, he places a wrench on the top end and lets the machine tighten the parts. Next, the check valve and the plunger valve are inserted into the cylinder. This clear acrylic version of the cylinder demonstrates how the process works. As the plunger valve slides up and down, the check valve remains stationary. It's hard not to be pumped about an old technology so good. Nonconductive digging and cutting tools protect workers from potential hazards such as underground power lines. When a nonconductive tool hits a live wire, the risk is neutralized. The handle blocks the flow of electrons and reduces the risk of unexpected shocks. Workers who need to dig run the risk of hitting live electrical wires. The nonconductive handles of these tools will counteract the flow of electricity, stopping danger in its path. The handles are made of fiberglass. They are made using a process known as pultrusion. A machine pulls glass twine through the stages of production. Each piece of twine is comprised of hundreds of glass strands. The twine unwinds through an orange resin bath, which permeates the glass fibers. A die compresses the resin-soaked glass to a specific length and width. The result is slightly larger than what is ultimately needed. The compressed fiberglass travels through a microwave oven for preheating. Then the fiberglass enters a second heated die. The process squeezes the handle to its final size, shapes it, and cures the material. As it's pulled forward, the long fiberglass form cools and solidifies. This machine, called the tractor, is doing the pulling. The tractor's treaded rubber pads grab the fiberglass shaft and deliver it to a circular saw. The saw slices the fiberglass shaft to a specified length. Since the fiberglass is only partially cured, the handles are cooled at room temperature for 24 hours. The handles vary based on the type of tool. A machinist cuts one end of the handle on an angle to fit the blade shank. Using a sharp disc, he carves spiral grooves at the base of the angle cut. These grooves allow the shovel shank to fuse with the end of the handle. Next, the handle is placed in an injection-molding machine with the grooved end extended into the mold. Glass-filled nylon pellets move through the machine's heated chamber and melt. An auger forces the thick liquid into the mold. The shovel shank takes shape around the end of the handle, and glass-filled nylon liquid flows into the grooves. The shank becomes integral to the handle. Next, a machinist clips the excess material from the newly formed shank. The glass and nylon shank is also nonconductive. The shank end is submerged in a cooling bath. Using a drill, the machinist removes bolts from nuts installed in the shank during molding. This leaves the nuts embedded in the shank. They'll be used to attach the shovel blade. Meanwhile, another technician applies a rubber gasket to the end of the shank. The gasket has holes that keep the nuts open. He places the shovel blade on the assembly, aligning the holes with the nuts. He secures the shovel blade to the shank with screws. It's nonconductive from the handle to the metal blade, so the user can safely grip it at almost any spot. Apart from being nonconductive, this shovel must also be heavy-duty. To test its strength, an inspector inserts the blade into a machine. Once he has determined the test area, the chain is connected to a container filled with sand bags that weigh 250 pounds. He lowers the platform that holds the load and observes the handle. If the handle bends but doesn't break, it's sufficiently strong. The inspector places the shovel in another tester and runs 10,000 volts of electricity through the tool to measure the leakage at the end of the handle. If it's minimal, he assigns the shovel a unique serial number and brands it as certified according to electrical standards. On site, a nonconductive tool can be indispensable, providing the user a safe handle on a potentially dangerous situation.