Cleaning & Finishing Metal Castings In The Hobby Workshop

{ February 7, 2010 @ 2:45 am } · { hobby }
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Every metal casting you produce will require some kind of finishing operation before it becomes a useful, serviceable casting. Finishing of castings can be a laborious job if carried out entirely by hand, luckily for the home metal craftsman or woman (yes. there are a few women who are involved with metal casting) there are a number of very handy tools which can be used to great effect to remove flashings, fins, sprues, risers & dags, which remain after the casting operation.

The number one tool in the workshop is a reliable 4″ angle grinder, they can be fitted with a coarse-grained resinoid grinding wheel which are known to remove aluminium, bronze or brass metal at a rapid rate with out clogging up.

The 4″ angle grinder will also eccept an abrasive metal cut-off wheel, which is used to cut off the sprues and risers from bronze or aluminium castings. The big 9″ angle grinders can also be used to cut & grind any large size castings.

Angle grinders big & small can also be fitted with the abrasive flap type wheel which are a multi layered grit wheel. Flap wheel finishing will give a very smooth lustrous finish on any type of metal, good quality flap wheels can be expensive to buy,they remove metal quickly and will last quite a long time, so they are worth the money.

Another machine metal finishing worth the expense, is the belt

linishing tool, of which there are several different brands available. They are supplied with belts ranging from coarse to fine, a handy feature of the machine is the ability to carry out a quick belt change.

Finishing and preparation of a number of castings can be done in

a very short time using this type of machine, the linishing machine is attached to a one horsepower bench grinder, and once you install and use one; you will wonder how you ever did without it.

They are expensive to buy, but as you do more & more castings,

you will need a faster & better finishing system for your castings. A very handy linishing belt is the scotch brite belt, this belt will give a beautiful finish on any type of metal, cast or other wise.

Now, we are not advocating for you to rush out tomorrow to spend a sqillion on new tools, as quite a bit of excellent finishing can be achieved with normal hand tools.There is not much sense in

spending a large amount of money if you don’t have a great need.

But you’ll know when it’s time to buy some good power tools, if

you don’t already own some.

And of course, once you finish with all of the initial grinding

and cleaning, you may want to give the item a high polish.

A calico cloth buffing wheel mounted on your bench grinder,

and some special buffing compound will put a mirror finish on

your unique casting creation.

And don’t forget to also buy and wear a pair of eye safety goggles, or wear a full face shield, plus a pair of thick leather gloves to protect your hands & fingers. Resinoid and abrasive cut off wheels throw a huge amount of hot particles of sharp splinter shaped metal…which could inflict VERY serious injury to your eyes and skin.

Metal craft hobbies can provide a lot of enjoyment but you need to be careful at the same time.

Col Croucher.

To find out more about hobby metal crafts and how you can employ the methods & techniques to build & create your unique projects visit our web site http://www.myhomefoundry.com to download a free ebook to begin your understanding, and intrigue of metal craft. This article is available for reprinting in ezines and other sources providing the above credit is given to the source.

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Deer Feeders and Feeding Tips – A Guide to a Safe and Enjoyable Home Hobby

{ February 5, 2010 @ 6:31 pm } · { hobby }
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All of us love deer and many people enjoy attracting them to their yards but some do not know how to do it well or at all. I have received many requests in regard to deer feeding and tips to do so properly. To begin with, feeding deer is very simple. Their sense of smell will direct them right to the feeder and your offering. When other food sources are becoming scarce, they will follow the scent of good quality feed over long distances. Once they have found it, they will be more than happy to stay around as long as there is a fairly consistent supply.

There are various aspects of feeding deer that need to be addressed before setting out a feeder. First and foremost. Deer are beautiful creatures and look to be friendly, cuddly and approachable. This is very far from the fact of the matter. Deer can become aggressive, although rarely, for many reasons and I advise to keep your distance and do not approach them for any reason. If you find a wounded deer, or any wild or domestic animal, call your local wildlife control organization and do not approach the animal. Any wounded animal is potentially very dangerous.

In order to feed deer properly and safely, pick a location away from your home with a good viewing area. Do not set a feeder near a doorway or other area that is or may be frequented by people or pets. If someone walks around a corner or through a doorway and comes face to face with a deer, that deer needs to make a decision. It will go into one of two modes, flight or fight. It prefers to flee and usually does but if it feels it cannot, it may decide to fight instead. Keep your feeders away from any area where people may come into close contact.

With that said, feeding deer is a wonderful hobby and one that can be done safely and enjoyably. Once you have picked a safe location for your feeder, it’s time to feed. We highly recommend whole shelled corn as the staple food. Whole shelled corn is the dried corn kernels that have been stripped from the cob as a whole seed. It is a high protein feed, readily available at any feed supply store and is the least expensive to buy. Most importantly, it remains edible for many days under high moisture conditions. When you start looking for suitable deer feed, you’ll find many types of deer feed on the market. Some are excellent and some are not. We’re often asked about commercial deer chows.

Deer Chow is a manufactured, pelletized product utilizing a mix of various feed types and may contain animal remnant by-products from slaughterhouses or the like. If these by-products are not processed correctly they may contain various diseases that can be introduced to the deer population through a feeding activity. Please do not use deer chows unless you are positive they are tested safe.

Another issue with deer chow, and my personal dislike for them, is their inability to remain palatable to your wildlife once it gathers moisture. Deer chow has no resistance to water and even humidity will render it worthless. Any rain, melting snow or high humidity will “puff” the chow into a mass of sloop. Think of a bowl of bran type cereal. By the time you have reached the bottom of the bowl, the cereal is mush. This is deer chow when it gets wet and your deer WILL NOT eat it. You have now wasted money on an expensive product and it must be discarded. Whole shelled corn is by far a superior food type. The encased kernel of corn protects itself from moisture and will remain edible for many days, wet or dry. Some people use cracked corn in hopes of feeding their turkeys or other large birds such as crows, blue jay and cardinals. Cardinals love my own deer feeder and use it all day long. This is a great idea as long as the feed is consumed quickly, within a day or so. Since the kernel, or pericarp or outer shell of the seed, of corn is “cracked” open, it losses its capability to protect itself from moisture. When exposed to wetness, it too will absorb water and my not be eaten by your deer. Turkeys and other birds have no issue with it though and if you have a good population of turkeys, they will readily consume your offering.

The MOST important rule of feeding deer is to offer one type of feed consistently. Deer are ruminants, like cows, and to properly digest their foods they develop a bacterium in their stomachs to start the process. Many unaware people start feeding their deer when the weather gets very cold or after other food sources are gone. This is a nice gesture but it takes many days for deer to produce the bacteria. Hence, your offering fills their bellies but they are getting little if any actual nutritional value. No matter when you start feeding, keep the same base food type available throughout the year or season. Once your deer have built up the appropriate bacteria, corn will become a premium food source. Its high levels of protein and complex sugars will do wonders in sustaining them through the hard months or helping them grow to their full potential.

Why feed deer? Besides the obvious reasons of our own enjoyment, Doe Deer that receive good nutrition throughout winter will produce the healthiest fawns in late spring. Most Does carry two fawns and it takes a lot of energy to grow them in a healthy manner. Feeding deer throughout the year will help hold them in your area which means they will bring their babies in late spring. Believe me, this is a treat you will not want to miss. Watching a pair or groups of baby deer feeding and frolicking around your yard will warm your heart like few other experiences. It is one of my most awaited wildlife moments of the whole year, I guarantee it will become one of yours too.

I highly recommend adding this new level of wildlife feeding to your home. It is easy and when done correctly, is perfectly safe and extremely rewarding. For more information regarding deer feeders and deer feeding tips, visit the web link below to read the full version of this article which includes some excellent information regarding white-tailed deer and their abilities to survive.

Peter Hurley has been an active nature lover all his life and is the owner of The Hurley-Byrd Bird Feeder Co http://www.hurleybyrd.com His vast experience with wildlife has produced some of the finest bird, deer and wildlife feeders in the world. Visit http://www.hurleybyrd.com/DeerFeederTips.html for more information regarding the white-tailed deer and the enjoyable way of feeding this beautiful animal. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to visit Hurley-Byrd’s site and write Mr. Hurley directly. You are also welcome to view some beautiful photos of deer, including white-tailed bucks, does and fawns plus world class mule deer at hurleybyrd.com/DeerFeeder.html

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Arts and Crafts For the Elderly

{ February 4, 2010 @ 2:05 am } · { hobby }
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The picture used to be locked in to an antiquated version of crafts for the elderly: they were relegated to cutting out construction paper Christmas tree chains and Valentines, making doilies, and fussing with clay or paints. Maybe crafts for the elderly were thought of as siblings to crafts for the mentally challenged, or maybe crafts for the elderly meant—since the elderly were completing the circle of life and returning to regressed stages—that only that which children were allowed to handle was acceptable for the patients in an elder care facility.

Guess what? Times have changed along with people, and crafts for the elderly are much more “advanced”…they are, too, as varied in medium and message and skill level as the individuals are. Yes, our elders are still offered the options of pipe cleaners and papier-mâché, but they are also invited to continue what they did when they were younger. Some elders still work as jewelers, making jewelry, for instance, while others still quilt, knit, and crochet. Many enjoy finely detailed needlepoint. Others sew. Elders make clocks, build birdhouses, craft workshop items such as dolls and toys.

And why can’t crafts for the elderly also include arts for the elderly? My mother paints in oils and watercolors; my friend who is retired restores antiques. Other elders I have worked with in memoir-writing workshops have continued to write and make their own books (the hand sewn kind) but have also published their own memoirs with small presses. In addition, some have made planters and plant terrariums, while others have done decoupage and wood-burning projects that have yielded family trees, poems, and images as gifts and honors for their loved ones.

Other possibilities as crafts for the elderly include (but are not limited to) hand-made greeting cards, pictures, and posters; arts and crafts kits; ceramics; weaving; cooking and non-cooking activities; gardening; gift ideas and baskets (from dream catchers to edible bouquets); miniature models and kits (airplanes, cars, trucks); etchings (in brass or on tiles); scrapbooking; science crafts; sand painting; paper dolls; botanical and other 3-d sculpting.

Granted, those with debilitating conditions or mental deterioration will not be able to nor have interest in gold-flaking the ceiling. But many of our so-called elders are still as active and engaged as they ever were, so they need not be limited to our idea of crafts hour in the rec room. The idea is that the elderly should continue to do what they did, what they love to do, and whatever they can do to keep their minds and souls healthy and happy. If that means rejecting a popsicle stick for a paintbrush, all the better!

For more information on the best Arts and Crafts For Elderly [http://articleseveryhour.com/articles] try visiting Arts and Crafts located at [http://articleseveryhour.com/articles] where you will find valuable information on art, crafts [http://articleseveryhour.com/articles] and other information.

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Cartooning – A Great Hobby and More

{ January 29, 2010 @ 1:54 am } · { hobby }
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Do you ever find yourself doodling when you should be doing something important like managing the core shut down at the nuclear plant? Maybe you’re always getting in trouble for daydreaming when you should be concentrating on landing that airplane. Are you plagued by feelings of failure because you just don’t fit in corporate America? If this sounds like you, maybe you should consider a career change. It could be that your subconscious mind is trying to tell you that you are meant to be a cartoonist. Single panel gag cartooning is a great career choice for several reasons.

No Heavy Lifting

In fact, the hardest part of the job is coming up with ideas. Now, I don’t mean to minimize this task. Generating effective cartoon ideas is not easy and many people quit after a few short brainstorming sessions. The one thing that will set you apart from the crowd is your tenacity. If you will set a weekly or monthly quota for yourself and stick to it, you will soon be seeing your work in print. A good goal for the part-timer to set is seven complete single panel gag cartoons a week. For the mathematically-challenged (and what cartoonist isn’t?) that’s one a day. At the end of the week, send your work off to publications that accept freelance submissions. There are loads of them – invest in a copy of The Artists Market to find which ones are the best fit for your work.

Start Immediately

You don’t have to complete a long, expensive course to begin. You can start by writing down all the funny things that have been running through your head for the past however-long-you-can-remember. Then see if there’s a way you can condense it into a single-panel gag that the general populace will “get”. Remember, if you think it’s funny, there are probably a lot of other people who will think so too. You’ll probably come up with a lot of stupid, unfunny tripe. If so, welcome to the club! We all do. Everyday. But the more you do it, the more you’ll develop your skills and begin to produce quality humor.

Start Part-Time

The start-up cost is extremely minimal. Chances are you can launch your career with stuff you already have in your house, or can easily steal from the office. You’ll need some drawing paper and a pen. Add some large manila envelopes for mailing in submissions and a few bucks for postage, and that’s really all the investment you absolutely have to make. If you really want to splurge, you could buy some pencils for doing up roughs, and maybe some page-sized cardboard inserts to help prevent your submission packages from getting bent up in the mail, but those luxuries should be considered optional.

You Don’t Have to be a World-Class Artist

Notice that I’ve yet to mention drawing. That’s because drawing is not the most important skill a cartoonist needs to possess. It’s not event the second-most important skill. Writing and idea-development are the most important. If you are letting your less-than-stellar art skills hold you back, remember the old cartooning adage: Good writing makes up for bad art; good art will never make up for bad writing.

Cartooning is a great hobby and, with the right amount of hard work and insatiable desire, it can turn into a lucrative career.

Ken Nelson is a freelance writer and cartoonist. He markets his unique brand of humor at the Flogwear site where anybody can purchase t-shirts, mugs, aprons, calendars, and many other items printed with his cartoons and writings. [http://www.cafepress.com/flogwear]

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