Tag Archives: Tool

Washer

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Washer

Washers do not wash… but they spread pressure around.

  • Washers are generally a circular shaped item, often thin, with a central hole used primarily to spread pressure from a central fastening point.
  • Some washers are used as a spring, spacer, locker or to prevent corrosion.
  • There are three main different types of washers: ‘plain’, used to spread load and to insulate objects; ‘spring’, to prevent vibrations loosening the fastener; and ‘locking’, to stop the fastener loosening by unscrewing.
  • Washers have numerous forms, which have been classified in the United Kingdom from 1968 using letters A-G, and further classified using diameter and thickness.
  • Washers, although generally flat, can be bevelled or indented, have curved edges or be a split ring.

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  • Washers are typically made of metal, often stainless steel, or plastic, as well as materials such as rubber.
  • Washers can reach sizes of 3 to 175 millimetres (0.1 to 7 inches) in diameter and 0.3 to 14 millimetres (0.01 to 0.55 inches) in thickness.
  • The first reference of the term ‘washer’ originated in the mid 1300s, although its etymology is uncertain.
  • Although generally circular in shape, washers can be the shape of a square, star or gear.
  • Washers are typically silver in colour, although they can be coloured copper or gold, the colour of which is often related to the material used.

 

Bibliography:
Washer (Hardware), 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washer_(hardware)

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Spinning Wheel

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Spinning Wheel

Spinning wheels may be old but still are interesting!

  • Spinning wheels are machines used to spin yarn or other fibres, that were invented to replace the spindle and distaff hand spinning.
  • Illustrations of spinning wheels have originated as far back as 1035, in Asia, while pictures of the machines emerged in the 1200s in Europe, China and Iraq.
  • Notable versions of spinning wheels include the Charkha, among the oldest machines and they have a wheel moved by hand; the ‘great wheel’, often larger and also with a wheel moved by hand; and the treadle wheel, that has a foot peddle that spins the wheel.
  • Spinning wheels are depicted in numerous art and literature forms, including fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty and Rumplestiltskin.
  • Spinning wheels were invented by the Chinese, and led to increased production of yarn that positively effected many industries including sail making and paper making.

Spinning wheel, brown, wooden, old, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Textiles, Peddle

  • The spinning Jenny was invented in 1764 and replaced the spinning wheel, due to increased efficiency, as it was able to spin multiple threads at once.
  • Spinning wheels can be run by electrical energy, and these machines are usually powered by an electric motor.
  • To produce yarn using a spinning wheel, the fibre is attached to a bobbin that is connected to the machine, and the yarn is fed and guided by the hand while it twists, as the wheel spins.
  • Spinning wheels are traditionally made of wood, but can also be constructed from metal.
  • Spinning wheels have been superseded by modern technology, however they are still used by home hobbyists who prefer to spin their own fibre.
Bibliography:
100 years of Spinning Wheels, 2014, Wild Fibres, http://www.wildfibres.co.uk/html/spinning_wheels_history.html
Spinning Wheel, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_wheel

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Lawn Mower

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Lawn Mower

Now you can mow your lawn with knowledge with these lawn mower facts!

  • Lawn mowers are mechanical or robotic devices used to cut grass, often lawns or grass fields, using blades.
  • Lawn mowers can be powered by hand, electricity or a fuel motor.
  • Lawn mower blades generally spin on a vertical or horizontal axis, and are named ‘rotary mowers’ and ‘reel mowers’ respectively.
  • Lawn mowers were first patented in 1830, by Englishman Edwin Budding, from England’s Gloucestershire in Europe, to replace the scythe, and Budding’s invention was inspired by the cloth cross-cutting machines that were used in the local mills.
  • Reel lawn mowers often have three to seven ribbon like blades that are connected together in a cylindrical formation, while those with rotary blades are typically limited to one relatively flat blade that attaches to the underneath of the machine.

Lawn Mower, Red, Black, Mechanical, Fuel, Lawn, Mow, Grass, Ten Random Facts, Backyard, hand

  • Steam powered lawn mowers were first patented in 1893 by James Sumner in England, although they could only be used after a few hours of heating to allow for pressure buildup.
  • Lawn mowers can propel items like stones, at high speed, that can cause damage, and while many other mowing related injuries can be prevented from wearing correct footwear, in 2004, at least 80,000 people in the United States were injured by mowers or mowing activity.
  • Many lawn mowers emit high quantities of pollution, comparable to domestic cars, and often produce loud noises that can be irritating and damage hearing.
  • Lawn mowers often consist of a motor, blades and a box called a ‘catcher’ that collects grass cuttings, although hand powered reel bladed machines typically have blades and a handle, and sometimes a catcher, although a motor is absent.
  • Ride-on mowers, that allow for a person to sit on the machine, are useful for mowing large areas, while robotic lawn mowers are becoming increasingly popular and only require minimal human interaction.
Bibliography:
Lawn Mower, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn_mower
Mower History, 2014, The Old Lawn Mower Club, http://www.oldlawnmowerclub.co.uk/mowinfo/mowhist.htm

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Hammer

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Hammer

Hear those hammers striking iron early in the morning.

  • Hammers are tools used primarily to imply a sharp force on to an object, often to force an item into another.
  • Hammers are often used to secure nails, shape metal or apply components, as well as crush and destroy objects.
  • Hammers have been used since the Stone Ages, and were made of rock, used for carving and breaking items including stone, wood and bone.
  • Hammers most often require a human force to become useful, although mechanical and electrical versions are available.
  • Hammers generally are made of a handle and a head, and the head is often shaped and has a flat sided knob that often impacts the item, and sometimes a claw on the opposite end.

Hammer, many, Four, Claw, Mallet, Flat, Knob, Invention, Construction, Ten Random Facts,

  • The head of hammers are generally made of metal, often steel, due to having a suitable mass, although they can be wooden, and these have a softer impact which helps to prevent damage to the item being hit.
  • The claw of a hammer is commonly used to grasp unwanted nails and remove them from the driven object, and there is increased power due to the leverage occurring.
  • Titanium hammer heads have been proven to absorb most recoil from the force of the impact, with recoil being up to ten times greater in typical steel heads.
  • Hammers are often used to symbolise mining, industrial and manufacturing workplaces, and they were adapted as a close combat weapon, used in the late medieval times, although they were larger and heavier than the modern device.
  • The most common style is the claw hammer, that typically weighs between 455 to 680 grams (16 to 24 ounces).

 

Bibliography:
Different Types of Hammers, 2014, Diydata, http://www.diydata.com/tool/hammer/hammers.php
Hammer, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer

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Pipe Cleaner

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Pipe Cleaner

Pipe cleaners were once a cleaner and now a craft.

  • A pipe cleaner is a long, narrow cleaning utensil that has an abundance of absorbent fibres attached.
  • Pipe cleaners are also know as ‘chenille stems’ and ‘chenille sticks’.
  • Pipe cleaners are most commonly used for cleaning narrow, hollow objects or used in craft projects, and they come in a variety of shapes and thicknesses, with the typical shape being cylindrical.
  • Pipe cleaners are commonly coloured in various bright colours and they can be bicoloured or metallic, while the colours are sometimes used to categorise different things or used for craft purposes.
  • Pipe cleaners are generally made of a few pieces of wire that secure numerous short strands of cotton, viscose, nylon, polyester or polypropylene, that form short bristles.

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  • Pipe cleaners were originally invented to clean tobacco pipes, but they can be adapted and used to clean many other items.
  • Many different pipe cleaners were invented in the 1800s, although most of them do not resemble modern style ones, although a pipe-stem cleaner, as it was called, with similar qualities, was patented in 1896 by Fredrick Frick, from Rochester, New York, in the United States.
  • Pipe cleaners typically range from 15 to 50 centimetres (6 to 20 inches) in length, depending on their purpose, with shorter lengths often used for cleaning, and longer lengths generally used for craft purposes.
  • The invention of the modern, chenille style pipe cleaner, is often credited to Charles Angel and inventor John Stedman, who was also from Rochester, New York, in the United States, in the early 1900s.
  • The BJ Long company was possibly the first to mass-produce modern style pipe cleaners, since the company was sold rights to Angel’s and Stedman’s design.
Bibliography:
Foster G, John Harry Stedman: His Busy Life and Weird Inventions, n.d, University of Rochester, http://www.lib.rochester.edu/IN/RBSCP/Epitaph/ATTACHMENTS/31_3.pdf
Frick, F 1896, ‘Pipe-stem Cleaner’, US566570, 25 August, p. 1, Google Patents, Google
I Raise my Pipe to the Humble Pipe Cleaner, 2013, rebornpipes, http://rebornpipes.com/tag/history-of-pipe-cleaners/
Pipe Cleaner, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipe_cleaner

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Chisel

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Chisel

Chisels, in the wrong hands, could destroy your creation.

  • Chisels are hand tools used to carve or cut objects or materials.
  • Chisels are most commonly used in the carving of wood, metal or stone, and are commonly used by woodworkers and stonemasons.
  • Chisels are typically accompanied with a force, either hand-propelled or mechanical, such as a hammer, to complete a carving action.
  • Chisels are generally made of a metal such as steel, with a wooden, plastic or metal grip.
  • Chisels are most often used to remove small to medium sized parts in projects, including models, devices or sculptures.

Chisel, Blue, Handle, Tool, Carpentry, Marples, Steel, Metal, Ten Random Facts

  • Chisels often have a rectangular shaped piece of metal that is quite flat and very sharp on the end, with a central upwards slope, although the ends can be various shapes, including v-shaped, and different shapes are used for different purposes.
  • Chisels originate from approximately 8000 BC, initially using a flint base material, and the appearance and use has remained virtually unchanged throughout the years.
  • Chisels come in a variety of sizes, which can make the difference between a perfect or destroyed piece of work.
  • ‘Chisel’ comes from the Old French word ‘cisel’, and originally from ‘cisellum’, which is from the common form of Latin, meaning ‘cutting tool’.
  • Chisels are often incorrectly believed to be an easy tool to master, however mastering the tool can take years of practice.
Bibliography:
Chisel, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisel
Lee E, History of the Chisel, 2014, eHow, http://www.ehow.com/about_4681861_history-chisel.html
What is a Chisel?, 2014, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-chisel.htm

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