Sharpening Steels Bladder Pumps Ironing Boards Kayak Paddles
A well-made knife is an essential tool in any kitchen. Having a sharp blade can be the difference between a perfect meal and a culinary nightmare. No matter how expensive the knife is, it will dull with use. A high-quality sharpening steel can restore any knife to its former glory. Professional-grade sharpening steels have an oval shape. The shape provides more surface area for efficient sharpening and allows pro chefs to hone their blades frequently as they work. The manufacturing process begins with a machine that quickly cuts rods of oval steel. From handle to tip, the finished sharpening steel will be 12.5 inches. A custom-made lathe grips the rods and guides them inside a cutting area. The lathe rounds off one end to fit inside the handle. It sprays the steel with cooling liquid to prevent overheating during the cutting process. Next, they use a device called a drawing machine. Ultra-fine teeth scrape the steel to create an abrasive sharpening surface. The grain of the abrasions runs parallel to the length of the steel. The steel is still soft enough for a stamping machine to punch in the company logo. In an oven, they heat the steel rods to 1,500° fahrenheit. Then, a machine dips the rods in a pool of saltwater, to harden them. The sharpening steel is now 20% harder than the average kitchen knife. A worker dips the components in a series of baths to clean them. Next, a machine with multiple nozzles blasts sand onto the sharpening steels. The sand cleans off the residue left over from the production process and prepares the steel for chrome plating. The chrome plating protects the surface from rust. An enormous industrial- strength dishwasher cleans the sharpening steels. Then, workers conduct a quality-control inspection of the abrasive sharpening surfaces. The sharpening steels have been changed from their original oval shape. Using a set of high-speed, specially calibrated sanding belts, a preprogrammed robot smooths and shapes the steel. The final piece has a polished and rounded look. A grinding machine carefully tapers the metal to give the steel its sword-like shape. It takes more than 50 steps to create a sharpening steel. A machining tool drills and taps the rounded end of the sharpening steel. This creates a threaded hole for attaching a handle. The handle includes a section that folds down, allowing it to double as a hook. A worker applies glue and installs two rivets to hold the wood section of the handle in place. The wood handle is carved out of a 100-year-old oak wine barrel. A worker carefully sands the edges of the handle, ensuring a smooth grip. Another worker applies a protective coating of wax to the wood handle. A worker installs the third and final rivet. It bears the company's logo. They install this rivet last so it's not damaged during the finishing process. After a final cleaning, the sharpening steels are ready to be packed up and shipped out. It takes a lot of slicing, chopping, and dicing to make a great meal, but, with a good sharpening steel, cutting is never dull. Environmental laws require many industries to monitor groundwater for contamination. An engineering firm is usually hired to collect the groundwater samples for testing. Some firms collect samples using a bladder pump. It's a small device that pumps water using pressured air. It's called a bladder pump because the flexible tube inside works like a human bladder connected to a catheter. When compressed, it forces the groundwater out of the pump and into the sample collection container. The pump is made from polyethylene because it's flexible and inert. The plastic is immune to chemical or biological reactions that could contaminate the water sample. The extruder melts the polyethylene pellets and forces the liquid through a tube-shaped eye. Then, it uses cold water to cool and solidify the poly. This produces a 1-inch tube. A razor cutter slices the tube into either 15- or 32-inch-long pieces, depending on the pump size. They use a different eye to produce a wider pvc plastic tube for the pump's housing. This tube goes on a computer-guided lathe, which cuts threads on the ends. The same lathe works with a computer-guided mill to shape the pump's top cap. It's also made from pvc plastic. They make the pump's bottom cap and bladder cap the same way. The lathe also carves a solid rod of stainless steel into a small disc-shaped weight. The weight helps the pump sink in the water and collect the samples. A technician preps the weights for engraving. He sprays them to hide their shiny surface. Without this masking, the laser would bounce off the surface, instead of penetrating it. He loads the weights into the computer-guided engraving machine, then starts it up. The laser engraves the name of the manufacturer, the pump's model number, serial number, and other product information. When the engraving is complete, he separates the weights and washes off the coating with water. Next, they make the air supply line. They mix 2% concentrated blue polyethylene pellets with 98% colorless ones. They use the same extruder as before to create a narrow tube; as well as an opaque polyethylene tube, for the pump's discharge line. Then, they combine the air supply and water discharge tubes with a heat-bonding machine. It bonds them in 6-inch intervals. This lets engineers in the field cut the tubes to the length they need. Now, it's time to assemble the bladder pump. They fit the top of the bladder into a cap that has a hollow center rod. They place an o-ring seal around another cap and attach that cap to the bottom of the bladder. The o-ring will prevent water from leaking out of the pump and air from seeping in. They insert a ball-shaped valve in the top cap. Then, they attach a hose bar for connecting the discharge line. They insert the bladder into the pump's housing. They connect an air supply hose barb next to the discharge hose barb. They place the weight on the bottom cap of the pump and insert another ball-shaped valve. They complete the pump by attaching the bottom cap to the bottom of the bladder. When engineers submerge the pump in a well, water enters through the bottom and slowly fills the bladder. They drive compressed air into the pump housing via the air supply tube. The pressurized air surrounds the bladder, squeezing it. This forces the lower ball to close off the bottom of the pump, trapping the water sample inside the bladder. The trapped water moves the ball at the top of the pump, which clears the exit route. Then, they send bursts of air to the pump in timed intervals. Each burst squeezes the bladder. This gradually forces the water sample to the top of the pump. It's then collected in a container on the surface. It helps to have a flat surface when you're ironing wrinkled clothing. The first ironing boards were simple wooden panels held up at ends by chairs. Folding legs were added in the 1860s, creating a standalone structure that could be collapsed for easy storage. This professional ironing board is equipped for every pressing need. Its heated surface ensures that every garment is expertly steamed or ironed. Each board starts with a hand-drawn design that includes detailed measurements. They upload the information to a computer. Computer-guided tools cut the ironing board surface out of steel. Then, they drill 300 vent holes. A machine melts and molds plastic under pressure. It creates 20 different parts, including this control panel. The plastic is a strong polycarbonate that won't deteriorate when exposed to the heat of an iron. The molded components include the ironing board's base structure and numerous body parts and attachments. A worker assembles the fan's motor. The fan will blow the fabric for easy steaming or suction the fabric to keep it on the board. He secures the fan shaft to the base plate and motor. He flips the structure over and installs a small fan for cooling the motor. He fastens the cooling fan to the shaft with a clip. Next, he inserts a metal base plate in the ironing board's molded plastic housing. He places an electric coil underneath the ironing surface. He bends the tabs on the plate around the element to secure it in place. He then makes the makes the electrical connections. He installs the perforated steel plate on top. Then, he screws the plate to the rest of the unit. He flips the ironing board over and tucks the fan into a molded plastic slot in the back. He screws the fan to the rim of the plastic compartment. He transfers the ironing table to a rack until the next step. When the worker's ready, he places the central body part over the fan and electronics. He attaches the wired control panel to the end of the ironing board. He drives large pins into it to secure it to the molded casing. He connects the the control panel to the fan, the heating element, the thermostat, and the temperature sensors. He tucks the wiring into the central body part. He attaches a latch for accessing the mechanics of the ironing board. Then, he screws a molded plastic side plate to the central body part. He closes the control panel, encasing the mechanics of the ironing board. He secures the legs to the central body part using a pivot mechanism. In this professional ironing board, the work surface folds and unfolds. The legs will remain stable at all times. He secures the legs with the molded plastic structure. He turns the knob on the pivot mechanism to set the board's height. He peels the protective plastic off of the perforated steel structure. He fits an elastic cover snugly over the ironing board. It's made of breathable, synthetic fabric and foam padding. The worker tests the ironing board. He sets plastic-covered pods on the ironing board. He activates the blow function and the plastic expands. Then, he activates the suction option and the plastic collapses. The tests confirm that the ironing board works properly, ensuring that these ironing jobs will go more smoothly. Kayaking with a proper paddle can make the experience more comfortable and more efficient for a longer period of time. Paddle designs are different for flatwater kayaking, versus whitewater kayaking. Within both those categories, there are many different blade shapes and shaft designs. This is a premium touring kayak paddle. It's designed to be stiff, strong, and very lightweight. The angle of the blades is called the feather angle. Kayakers can adjust the feather angle for wrist comfort and aerodynamics. The first step is to make the mold for the blade. It's comprised of many complex parts. Each one is shaped out of a block of copper or steel. This is a high-precision process. Producing a mold for just one blade style costs about $100,000. Once all the components are ready, workers assemble the mold. The corners have long alignment pins. The pins guide the mold as it opens and closes on the injection press. Workers mount the mold on the press, then load transparent nylon pellets into the hopper. They position a black reinforcement rib inside the blade mold. The press closes and injects hot, melted nylon into the mold cavity. Then, the press cools the mold and solidifies the nylon. The mold opens and ejects the kayak blade, which is now reinforced with the newly incorporated rib. This entire molding process takes 3 minutes. The press only molds a preliminary shape. Next, they clamp the blade to a template and start up a computer-guided router. The computer contours the blade to its final shape. Here's the blade before and after this step. The shaft is made of molded carbon fiber. Each paddle is comprised of two connecting sections. Workers prepare a right and left shaft piece for each paddle. They saw each one to the required length and cut orientation slots in the end. The orientation slots correctly position the piece, relative to the feather angle adjustment mechanism. They roughen the surface area with a belt sander to optimize adhesion. They apply a fifth layer of epoxy glue... Then insert the shaft into the blade. They wipe away the excess, then let the glue dry for 24 hours. Next, they assemble the feather angle adjustment mechanism. They place a nylon retaining cap on a spring and insert the spring into a nylon housing. They flip the assembly over and put it into an ultrasonic welder. Then, they place another retaining cap on the other end of the spring. The welder uses high frequencies to generate heat. The heat melts the nylon and quickly fuses the second retaining cap to the housing. They attach the part to the rest of the paddle. Then, they glue it into the right shaft piece. They wipe away the excess glue and attach the final section of the adjustment mechanism. They wrap tape around the mechanism to contain the glue. After the glue has dried, they connect the right and left sides of the paddle with the feather angle adjustment. They put it in the lock position, which is indicated by a white line. They apply a decal denoting the feather angles; then, a second decal, illustrating how to select them. A third decal with the brand name goes on the blade. Adjusting the feather angle is simple. First, you push the left and right shafts toward the middle and rotate them to the desired angle. Then, you pull them apart, to lock it in the new blade position. Some paddle models do not have feather angle adjustments, however, every kayak paddle this company produces separates into two pieces, to make transporting easier.