I sincerely hope he’s not up to what this geezer in a Southampton fabrication shop has been up to:

A MAN who got his genitalia stuck in a steel pipe had to be cut free by eight firefighters using an industrial grinder. The heavy duty cutting gear had to be used to remove the three-inch long hollow pipe after medics were unable to release it. The painstaking operation, which involved eight firefighters, took around an hour.

The drama began after the man took himself to the accident and emergency department of Southampton General Hospital.

Restricted blood flow had left the man in a state of arousal, and unable to remove the pipe.

Staff there were so concerned that they phoned the emergency services and a crew from Redbridge Fire Station were initially dispatched. But they had to bring in backup from St Mary’s station which has a fire truck equipped with specialist cutting gear. A disc gutter cutter, with a four-and-a-half-inch blade, was used to slice open the stainless steel pipe.

The man, in his 30s, offered no explanation for his predicament but was said to be “quite concerned and anxious”. He had been given an anaesthetic to prepare for the procedure.

St Mary’s crew manager Adrian Johnson said: “It was a very delicate operation. We did not want anything heating up.

The person who did it deserves a commendation for his nerve and steady hand.”

Meanwhile, watch manager Greg Garrett from Redbridge station added: “I’ve only come across this type of thing three or four times in my 17 years as a firefighter. It’s not a daily occurrence.”

The man’s private parts were left bruised and swollen.

I’m generally fairly reluctant to post entire articles seeming it goes against Rupert Murdoch’s grain, but I really didn’t know which bits to cut out (as the fireman said to the bloke with his knob stuck in a steel tube). I mean, this is why you’d love to be a local journalist. Maybe a fireman as well, but not the guy doing the angle grinding or holding the pipe steady.

However, feel free to go and enjoy yourselves in the comments to the article.

We all know this is some feat of engineering. However, it’s extremely difficult to get a scale of the project. Not only is it impossible to imagine the sizes of particles whizzing around at beyond breakneck speeds, but it’s even more difficult to get an idea of how bloody big the thing is from the inside.

They’ve hardly started doing guided tours.

Thankfully, a certain Peter McCready has been allowed access to the Large Hadron Collider’s gizzards and has photographed some awesome panoramic views of the thing that you can swush around in full 360 degree loveliness.

Click here and give it a second or two to load. He’s even added sound effects to get a general feel of the ho and the hum of the place. [cap doff]

But, if you swing around for long enough you’ll notice the entire thing is held together by bloody duct/duck/gaffer tape. (OK, I’ll go as far as fancy aluminium tape.)

Your average roll of duct tape

Right, so if we take a look round the LHC then it appears we’ve got gaffer tape roughly every half meter. We can’t exactly say that it goes all the way round the circumference of the inner core, but by the looks of things it could very well do. The width of the inner core is approximately 3.8 meters leading to a core circumference of 11.932 meters with a total collider circumference under the Alps of 27 kilometers. [via]

So, by my reckoning (if we’re saying there’s duct tape every half meter that goes around the whole circumference), that means 644,328 meters of duct tape tops, at a rough cost of $336,227 if I were to buy it in 6″ (144 mm) wide 55 meter rolls costing $28.70 ea.

Let’s hope they got a bulk discount.

Oh what a joy it is to be given the 4th of July off as a holiday. But, like this fella, I’d much rather be working than have to traipse three hours up the highway to attend some thoroughly cheesy family function, which this year involves some really spurious talent show. Oh, the horror. I have bought kazoos and it’s either Rule Britannia, Sugar Plum Fairy or The Pyramid Song by Radiohead.

Anyway, is there anybody who can help a sheet metal brother from Western Massachusetts out this weekend? As he states in his craigslist post:

Does any body have a sheet metal brake that I can borrow for the weekend. Will return in same condition. Ready to pay small amount for the favor.

Come on, somebody have a heart. Maybe you can save him from some truly horrendous hoopla with the in-laws as well.

Click here for his details.

Oh, and Happy 4th of July.

Spring steel is a low alloy, medium carbon steel with a very high yield strength. This allows objects made of spring steel to return to their original shape despite significant bending or twisting.

Silicon is the key component to most spring steel alloys. An example of a spring steel used for cars would be AISI 9255 (DIN and UNI: 55Si7, AFNOR 55S7), containing 1.50%-1.80% silicon, 0.70%-1.00% manganese and 0.52%-0.60% carbon.

Most spring steels (as used in cars) are hardened and then tempered to about 45 on the Rockwell C-Scale.

According to Machinery’s Handbook, “The spring materials most commonly used include high-carbon spring steels, alloy spring steels, stainless spring steels, copper-base spring alloys, and nickel-base spring alloys.” According to the same, the most widely used spring steel is ASTM A228 (0.80–0.95% carbon) known as “music wire”.

I presume we’re not talking about slinky spring steel?

It makes a change to hear of somebody prepared to service the little guy…..as it were. Here’s Steve’s raison d’etre and combined mission statement:

Whilst steel mills regularly insist on minimum order quantities of up to 5 tons, and stockholders upwards of a ton, we have recognised the need of smaller engineering companies who may require as little as a single sheet to complete a project, or to replace a part in an aging piece of plant.

It can be frustrating and time consuming for an engineer to spend hours on the telephone trying to source small quantities of spring steel, only to find the supplier loses interest the moment he realises the small quantity involved. To be honest it’s as a big a problem often for the supplier as for the customer! Not for us.

So, if you’re looking to buy spring steel in small quantities I’d recommend you go and have a word with Steve over at Steel Strip as he’s a top bloke. Or, you can give him a bell on 01709 740166. (Yes, he can ship worldwide.)

Oh, and I can assure you I’m not on any commission. I just like it when people aren’t trying to stiff smaller companies – especially when they happen to be a mate.

IF civilisation is wiped out on Earth, salvation may come from space. Plans are being drawn up for a “Doomsday ark” on the moon containing the essentials of life and civilisation, to be activated in the event of earth being devastated by a giant asteroid or nuclear war.

Construction of a lunar information bank, discussed at a conference in Strasbourg last month, would provide survivors on Earth with a remote-access toolkit to rebuild the human race.

A basic version of the ark would contain hard discs holding information such as DNA sequences and instructions for metal smelting or planting crops. It would be buried in a vault just under the lunar surface and transmitters would send the data to heavily protected receivers on earth. If no receivers survived, the ark would continue transmitting the information until new ones could be built.

You’ve also got to be quite keen on the idea that should we be wiped out, we’d not only learn the important stuff such as splicing our DNA with cockroaches and how to set up an allotment, but making sure we can still make things out of metal.

However, I’ve always been one for believing that prevention is infinitely better than the cure; and I’m especially worried about the dregs of mankind struggling to build new receivers because they didn’t have the sufficient smelting knowledge as the ark was falling on deaf ears.

Thankfully, The Tinbasher is at hand to help educate anybody in the ways of smelting prior to any unforeseen cataclysmic event.

Of course you could read the metal smelting page on Wikipedia, but you know that’s not hard core DIY info.

Build a similar metal smelting furnace.

You need something far more survivalist, and we obviously have it in the above charcoal powered metal casting furnace. (You’ll have to scroll down the page.)

After an asteroid hit or nuclear devastation there’ll be more charcoal than you can shake a stick at, so fuel for your smelt furnace shouldn’t be a problem.

So, for the sake of humanity – read and inwardly digest.

*Next week: How to arc weld your way through Armageddon.

I bet you are:

On “The Salt ‘N Pepa Show,” VH1 will follow the ladies as they attempt to reunite on and off the stage in this funny, often touching reality series. They soon discover however, that achieving this is easier said than done since most of their past issues are still unresolved. Salt is angry about being unappreciated when they were together and Pepa blames Salt for breaking up the group. Their lifestyles are also polar opposites: Salt has indeed found God and is living a quiet life in Long Island with her husband while Pepa is still the party girl and up for anything. Can they overcome their differences long enough to heal their friendship and perform again?

To my eternal shame, I have yet to tune in to find out.

But not only am I bringing you what you’d wish for in your Christmas TV schedule, it wouldn’t be a Tinbasher Christmas if I didn’t tell you what to buy for that sheet metal worker or DIY enthusiast in your life. Ladies and gentlefolk, I give you the nut bolt and screw salt and pepper shakers:

These Salt and Pepper shakers are definitely something different. Pick them up, turn them whatever way and shake them, and….. nothing…. Bend then shake them however, and the Salt or Pepper will be sprinkled from the gaps that will have appeared between the coils. Once you are finished the shaker will return to it’s original form.

Designed to look like a hex-head-bolt and a countersunk head bolt these innovative devices bring a new dimension to your salt and pepper.

Features:

* Innovatively designed Salt and Pepper Shakers
* ‘S’ or ‘P’ to identify contents of the shaker
* Available in Stainless Steel or Black

Aye, I know; there are some of you thinking what a great thing these are to get your husband, and the husband half thinking they’ll only get lost in your toolbox.

Me? I’m off to push it good.

Nice information!
In the past I have built my own hydraulic press brake 60 Ton X 4 ft wide. I utilized dual ram’s salvaged from a catipiller, I utilized hydraulic dual selonoid valves to allow balance and stop control, not fancy but served the purpose up to 1/2″ plate and more.

I am looking for drawings of a similar press but with a professional touch. Are there professional drawings available?
The previous home built press handled only 4 Ft. width, my intentions are to build a six or eight foot press brake this time around! Is their any one out there that can help me with drawings of such?
I will share pictures if any one is interested!
Thank you for any help I receive from other like minded individuals!

You can email Ron at snyder[@]wispnet[dot]net – don’t forget to remove the brackets and change the dor to an actual dot as in period/full stop .

It appears as though he’s looking for something a bit more substantial than the last press brake project I posted.

I’m obviously something of a visionary. Well, when I say visionary, I mean I’ve found another blog post about stainless steel pocket cups after I’d touted a return to the vest-pocket ashtray.

Anyway, the above fella somehow got somebody at Boing Boing all excited because he’d made his own – wait for it – stainless steel pocket protector.

“The first thing I noticed when I met Dan is that he was wearing a aluminum stainless steel pocket protector. He said he made it himself after realizing that he was tearing through at least one plastic pocket protector a week. The side seams are sewn with copper wire and coated with cellophane tape so it doesn’t snag his shirt. I think it’s a real beaut.”

Well I suggest popping round to a see a seasoned sheet metal place that knows how to weld stainless steel if you’re having to cover the seams with sellotape. I also expect you’d come across quite a few other handy contraptions they may have rustled together whilst there’s a lull.

Anybody else care to share some little project they’ve completed to make their life easier round the workshop?

Here’s the listing of the books as it was provided to me in the email:

Antique books

1. sheet metal

a) Sheet Metal Work; Neubecker; approx 1912; fair cond.; sections include: tools and methods of obtaining patters, workshop problems, skylights, roofing, cornice work, index. 263pgs

b) [Practical] Exhaust and Blow Piping, a treatise on the planning and installing of fan-piping in all its branches; W. H. Hayes; 3rd ed. 1922 [copyright 1918]; The Sheet Metal Publication Company, New York; excellent cond.; chapters include: connecting dust separator and feeder, constructing the feeder nozzle and switch, designs for hoods and sweepers…; 200pgs

c) Sales catalogue for roofers and sheet metal workers; LD Berger, merchant and manufacturer, tinners’ and roofers’ supplies, 59 2nd st. Philadelphia; 1914; poor to fair cond; includes pictures, descriptions, and pricing for a wide variety of tools and sheet metal products, cornices; 255pgs

d) Warm Air Heating and Winter Air Conditioning; The Lennox Furnace Company; 1948; good to excellent cond.; chapters: different types of heating systems describedk designing a gravity warm air heating system, industrial and commercial wramair installations; good to excellent cond; 285pgs

e) Practical Sheet Metal Work and Demonstrated Patterns; Volume III – skylights; a comprehensive treatise in several volumes on shop and outside practice and pattern drafting; 1911; good cond; David Williams Company, New York; chapters: Making flat skylights; a novel method of building a double pitch skylight with gable ends; pattern for a valley bar, a turret skylight, details of a lifting sash…; 114pgs

f) Practical Sheet Metal Work and Demonstrated Patterns; Volume V – Cornice Patterns; a comprehensive treatise in several volumes on shop and outside practice and pattern drafting; 1911; good cond.; David Williams Company, New York; Chapters: Pattern for a Head to fill the end of a cornice cut off obliquely, pattern for mullion intersecting gable mold; pediment chart, pattern for a miter a different angles, pattern for bottom on bay window…; 112pgs.

g) The New Metal Worker Pattern Book, a treatise on the principles and practice of pattern curring as applied to sheet metal work; Geo W. Kittredge, David Williams Co. New York; 1907 [copyright 1896]; fair to poor condition; contents: terms and definintions, drawing instruments and materials, linear drawing, geometrical problems, principles of pattern cutting, pattern problems; 421pgs.

h) Standard Practice in Sheet Metal Work; National Association Sheet Metal Contractors, a reference book compiled for the use of architects, engineers, sheet metal contractors, installers of warm aair heating systems, and vocational training schools; by the trade development committee of the national association of sheet metal contractors of the U.S.; 1929; very good condition; Sections: roofing, gutters, skylights and ventilators, metal cornices, metal ceilings, blow pipe and exhaust systems…; 767pgs.

I don’t have any pictures of these, but I suppose some could be arranged if need be. I’d appreciate anybody who has any knowledge or interest in these to get in touch and I’ll pass your information on.

I’ve uploaded all the tool pictures to a flickr account and there’s 70 pictures (by my bad mathematic reckoning) of all manner of old school sheet metal tools including snips, pliers, calipers, saws, drills, tapes, set squares and a host of other bits and bobs – in fact, you can check the entire sheet metal tool collection out here.

If anybody knows exactly which certain tools are which and/or what they may be worth, please feel free to leave a comment under any of the corresponding photos.

Now I’m not on any kind of cut and nor are we necessarily trying to sell them off. We’d just like to get as much information on the collection as possible.

I also have the lady’s email address for anybody who’d like to get in touch with her personally.

Thanks.