Artist Brushes DEF Tank Heaters Game Tables Art Glass Wall Sconces
An artist's paint brush can have synthetic bristles or natural ones made of animal hair. Which type to use is really a matter of the artist's preference. However, painters often tend to use a natural brush for watercolors, a synthetic brush for acrylics, and either type for oils. These natural-hair paintbrushes are made of red sable, which is tail hair from a species of weasel. Red sable is renowned for its softness and for spreading paint thinly and evenly. An experienced head-maker performs the initial steps of making the head of the paintbrush. She unrolls and straightens out a bundle of red sable, then separates enough hairs for one brush of this size. She inserts the hairs into a metal band, called a ferrule, made of nickel-plated brass. She feels how they fit in the ferrule. If the fit's too tight, she removes some hairs. If it's too loose, she adds some. Brushes of different shapes require different tensions. The head-maker takes the correct brass mold for the brush shape she's making and inserts the hairs all the way down into the mold cavity. She ties the roots of the hairs together with a string... Then removes them from the mold. She inserts the brush head back into the ferrule... Then removes the string. Next, using a template, she adjusts what's called the length-out of the brush head. Length-out is how far the hairs protrude from the end of the ferrule. After removing stray hairs, she aligns the end of the ferrule with the edge of the nearly 1-inch-long template and pulls out or pushes in the hairs until their tips align with the opposite edge of the template. She completes her specialized work by suspending the assembled brush head from a rack. Another worker now fills a syringe with epoxy glue, then, with the syringe, fills the ferrule with enough glue to submerge the hairs. Once the glue has dried overnight, another worker taps the brush head against a strip of adhesive tape to remove any short hairs that didn't adhere. She dips the hairs into a solution of starch and water and works the solution into all the hairs by massaging the head on a towel. The starch allows the hairs to be trained to a permanent shape. She makes this particular pointed shape by spinning the head, then smoothing the hairs with her fingers. The starch dries overnight, locking in the shape. To make the paintbrush handle, a worker inserts birch dowels in a pegboard, then mounts the board upside-down on a dipping machine. This machine submerges the dowels in black lacquer paint. After one day of drying time, there is a second dip, partway this time, in silver paint. The machine has markings to indicate how deep to dip the dowels for each color. After another day of drying time, there is a third dip, this time partway in black paint. This creates a black handle with a silver stripe. Once the last coat of black paint dries, a worker uses a pad printer to stamp lettering on the handle with quick-dry silver ink. One stamp simultaneously applies the manufacturer's name, the brush-hair material, the size of the brush, and the series number. A worker glues the brush head onto the handle. Then the worker sets the brush aside for a couple of hours until the glue partially dries to a tacky state because the next step, crimping, would crack the fully dried, hardened glue. The worker inserts the ferrule into a crimping machine, which has been loaded with the dye that's the correct diameter for this brush handle. The machine crimps the ferrule tightly to the handle, attaching it permanently. Once that glue hardens, the paintbrush is finally ready. From this point onward, it's in the artist's hands. A diesel exhaust fluid, or d.e.f., tank heater, is a device which prevents diesel exhaust fluid from freezing. Diesel exhaust fluid is a solution sprayed into the exhaust system of a vehicle with a diesel engine to break down dangerous polluting chemicals the tailpipe would otherwise emit. Once the outdoor temperature dips to the diesel exhaust fluid's freezing point, the vehicle's computer automatically starts up this heater installed inside the d.e.f. holding tank. The heater warms the tank by cycling hot radiator fluid though its tubing. At the factory, workers form the heater tube out of lengths of stainless-steel tube. A computer-guided saw cuts a tube to the length required for the heater size they're producing. Cars have smaller d.e.f. heaters. Trucks and construction equipment have larger ones. A worker programs a robotic bender to bend the cut tube to the required shape. These bends are so complex that no traditional manually operated bending machine would be able to do them this accurately. The heater sits right inside the d.e.f. holding tank. That's why manufacturers use stainless steel rather than ordinary steel for this tubing. Stainless steel better resists the corrosiveness of the d.e.f. fluid. At the next station, a worker inserts the bent tube into the tank heater sensor unit. The tube fits through openings in the sensor unit's header. When connected by a cable to the vehicle's computer, the sensor unit detects the level, temperature, and quality of the d.e.f. next, the worker puts the tubing in a punch press, which shapes the ends. He puts those shaped ends in a bender, which curves them. Another tube made the same way siphons d.e.f. from the holding tank to a device that sprays the fluid on the exhaust stream. He installs a rubber o-ring onto this siphon tube and applies lubricant. He installs the tube into the header, and the o-ring fits into a notch. The worker then installs a bracket at the base of the heater, riveting it to the tubing. The bracket holds a rubber grommet that secures the heater in place inside the d.e.f. tank. Further up, he rivets on a second bracket to stabilize the sensor tube that runs down the center of the sensor unit. This prevents the tube from rattling. Then he installs the return tube, which feeds any excess unsprayed d.e.f. back to the holding tank. Retaining brackets apply pressure to all the o-rings, sealing the tube connections against leaks. He flips the heater over to attach the drain tube, which is the bottom half of the return tube. He caps all the tubes to keep them clean until the heater is installed in the vehicle. He attaches a nylon filter to the siphon tube, securing it in place with the retaining clip. As the siphon tube draws the d.e.f. from the holding tank toward the sprayer, the filter removes contaminants such as sand. Finally, this rubber grommet snaps into the bracket at the base of the heater. The grommet fits over a raised bump on the tank floor, holding the unit securely in place. Once connected to the vehicle's computer, the heater keeps the diesel exhaust fluid from freezing, no matter how cold the weather. In the 17th and 18th centuries, most wealthy people in europe and america had at least one finely crafted game table in the drawing room for cards and conversation after dinner. Today, game tables aren't just for the wealthy but for anyone who enjoys this fun and functional furniture. This modern game table does double duty. Flip the game top over, and it becomes a dining table. When it comes to space-saving, this table's a game changer. A saw carves kiln-dried maple boards into thick strips, helped by a laser scanner so the saw can make clean and judicious cuts. An equipment operator scrutinizes the strips for knots and other defects and marks them with orange chalk. Another scanner detects the orange marks, enabling a saw to cut around the defects as it chops the strips into shorter lengths. The next worker dips one side of the strips in polyvinyl acetate, a super strong glue. The next worker arranges the strips in a specific order, alternating the grain to balance the wood's expansion and contraction forces. He clamps them tightly together and allows the glue to set. Workers sand the top and bottom and trim the sides to produce one of the rim segments. A computerized router now moves from one segment to the next as it carves slots for poker chips and drinks. It then drills holes in the sides for the wooden dowels that will be used to join the eight table segments. The segments are now ready for assembly. A worker pipes high-strength adhesive in grooves along the edges and into the dowel holes. He inserts the dowels in the holes in one side of each segment. He arranges the segments in a circular pattern and inserts the dowels in the corresponding holes. He pulls the eight rim segments tightly together with a strap clamp and leaves the glued configuration to cure overnight. This permanently bonds the table rim segments. The next day, a computerized router rounds the outside of the rim. It also trims the inside of the rim and forms a channel for the insertion of the center of the game table. The game table rim is now complete. With the rim now game side down, the next member of the team pipes more of the super adhesive into the inner channel. He inserts the dining-table surface. This maple center has been precision-cut to fit into the groove in the rim. Using a rubber mallet, he taps the tabletop to entrench it more firmly in the groove. He flips the tabletop back to the game side and installs 16 screws on an angle to tighten the top to the rim. The screws serve as a clamp system to hold the table center in place as the glue cures. With the center now bonded to the rim, a worker sprays a base color and then a wood stain onto both sides. This highlights the character of the wood and gives it a warm tone. A worker then applies two coats of a urethane varnish and sands the finish between the coats. Then, workers assemble a pedestal base... And install a piece of laminate in a stained maple frame. This creates a storage compartment under the tabletop, as well as providing a foundation for the tabletop to sit on. The team transfers the pedestal base to the table foundation. They bolt them together, which creates the support structure for the tabletop. Back to the game tabletop, a worker installs a cloth-covered padded insert. This will serve as a smooth and cushy surface for card playing. And with that, workers finally transfer the game tabletop to the base. The games can now begin. The first sconces were candleholders attached to the wall by extending brackets to keep the flame a safe distance away. With the invention of electricity, sconces could be mounted flush to walls. This opened up new design possibilities, among them, art glass wall sconces. Art glass wall sconces can be used to both decorate and illuminate. Turning on these lights makes a design statement. At this factory, workers craft every sconce by hand. The process starts with scrap glass from a window manufacturer. The craftsperson measures the glass and scores it with a cutting wheel. Using special pliers, she applies pressure to fracture the glass along the score line. She manually completes the break. She cuts a large pane and a smaller one. She sets the large one aside and tapes the small one over a detailed sketch of artwork. She traces the lines of the sketch onto the clear glass using liquefied dark enamel, creating thick lines to mimic the look of lead veins in stained glass. Once the lines dry and harden a bit, she paints the designated colors within them. Each area of the sketch has a letter that corresponds to a particular color of enamel. She centers the painted pane on the clear larger one to feature the artwork more prominently. Then she transfers the two panes to an electrically-fired kiln. It will gradually heat the glass to over 1,400 degrees fahrenheit and then cool it over a period of 10 hours. This prevents fracturing as the heat fuses the two panes together and bakes the artwork into the glass. The baking also deepens the enamel colors. Next, a mixer blends clay to a pudding-like consistency. An employee pours the clay into plaster molds for the sconce's casing. The clay begins to firm up along the inside walls of the mold. He pours out the clay that's still liquefied. Now a putty-like consistency, he trims the excess at the top. He sets the mold on its side and opens it to reveal the newly shaped sconce casing. It cures overnight. The next day, the part is still soft but can withstand sanding. The worker thins the rim and smooths the outside. With a sharp knife, he cuts an opening for the art glass pane, first scoring the still-fragile clay and then making deeper cuts. He removes the clay cutout. Using a different knife, he now sculpts a chiseled profile along the edges that will eventually frame the art glass pane. He cuts a hole for the light socket and another one to mount the fixture to an electrical junction box. The clay casing now spends eight hours in a kiln, exposed to a temperature of over 1,800 degrees fahrenheit. This transforms the clay into a durable glass-like ceramic. He brushes a colored glaze on the outside of the ceramic, leaving the inside white to reflect the light forward. He bakes the ceramic in another kiln for six hours, and this fuses the glaze to it. The final finish is glossy, and the color is intrinsic to the ceramic. The worker now installs the light socket in one of the holes in the sconce casing and pulls the wiring through the back. He slides a brass washer over the wires at the back, followed by a second washer that's connected to a ground wire. He secures the washers and the wires to the back of the sconce with a nut. He screws a bulb into the socket. It's now ready for the art glass pane. He pipes adhesive onto the sides of the pane. Picking it up from the unglued ends, he moves the pane into place in the ceramic frame of the sconce window. He clips the pane to the ceramics around using clothespins and leaves the sconce overnight for the adhesive to cure. The next day, the art glass sconce is ready to shine, and after installation, the lighting is on the wall.