Thursday, December 5, 2013

The tanalising of timber process




Alex Bennett-Ford


Tanalising timber
 
 The Tanalising process. 
 
tanalising process
 
 
 
 
Stage one
The Tanalising process involves placing the timber within the treatment cylinder and creating an initial vacuum within the timber cells.
 
Stage two
The cylinder is then flooded under vacuum with the preservative treatment.
 
Stage three
Hydraulic pressure is then applied forcing the preservative deep into the timber cells.
 
Stage four
After a pre-determined period of pressure depending on the species of timber being treated and its eventual use, the treatment solution is pumped back into storage and a final vacuum extracts any excess treatment solution from the timber.
 
Stage five
Low pressure inside the timber draws in surface solution when vented to the atmosphere and the treated timber is left for a specified period for fixation of preservative to occur.
 
 
Basic summary
Tanalised timber is a type of timber that is usually impregnated under pressure with highly toxic substances such as arsenic in order to protect it against rot and termites.  This treatment process ensures deep penetration into the timber cells, for a longer-lasting protective results against fungal decay and insect attack. The Tanalising process is environmentally friendly, also the residue isn't harmful. At times the process can leave green residue on the surface which will usually wear off with use. The treatment described above gives softwood the qualities of a long service life and long term protection from fungal and insect attack.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Thursday, November 28, 2013

Joints

Alex Bennett-Ford
 
Wood joints  
 
 
Corner mortise+tenon joint
 
 
Haunched mortise + tenon joint
 
Dowel joint
 

Corner briddle joint
 
Stopped mortise + tenon joint
 
 
Through dovetail
 
Finger joint
 
Lap joint
 
 
 
 



Steam bending


Alex Bennett-Ford

Steam bending
 
 
Steam bending is a woodworking technique where strips of wood are steam heated using a steam box which I have put an image of below. The heat and moisture being applied  makes the wood pliable enough to easily bend around a mould to create a specific shape, an example is producing for boats, violins and chairs. Steam bending is a traditional process step in history. It was once a vital method to the production of weapons, tools and water vessels such as boats during many wars. Due to the advance of technology the method has become less common in manufacturing. Steam bending is also a low energy method of manipulating wood. It doesn't need  drying time of glues to join together several wood pieces to make the desired shape. Steam bending also leaves lower levels of waste so can be beneficial towards the environment and not wasting material waste. Below is a jig for steam bending, they come in all different shapes and sizes due to how you want the wood to shape. After the wood has been through the steam bending process the wood is usually clamped firmly to jigs to take its shape, the length of time it takes depends on the thickness of the wood.
 
 



    Click on the link below to view the process of steam bending.
 
 


Thursday, November 7, 2013

Timbers, Kiln drying/Air drying

Alex Bennett-Ford


                                                                          Timbers/Theory 3
 
 
Air drying-
 
Air drying is a simple method where the various types of timber are stacked on top of eachother but are separated by something called stickers, this allows the air to circulate around it speeding up the process. The process requires a place where it is clean, cool, and dry. The process can take months and even years depending on the climate, so therefore it is a very slow process.
 
 
Kiln drying-
 
Kiln drying is where the timber is basically introduced to heat, this can be directly using natural gas and/or electricity or indirectly through steam heated heat exchangers. Bear in mind solar energy is possible. The timber is stacked in chambers, called wood drying kilns, the process takes place here which is an enclosed area where the temperature is deliberatly regulated.
 
 
 

Monday, October 14, 2013

Extrusion, compression and rotation moulding/Homework

Alex Bennett-Ford

Extrusion, compression and rotation moulding 

Extrusion moulding uses a standard extrusion machine. Plastic particles are dropped into a hopper and a screw thread sends them past heaters making them melt. The screw thread then forces them through a nozzle which produces a shape called a parson. The parson is put into a mould and trimmed at the top and squashed at the bottom. Air is then blown down the parson so that it takes the shape of the mould.





The compression moulding process is a method of moulding in which preheated polymers are placed into an open heated mould cavity. The mould is closed with a top plug and pressure is applied to force the material to contact all areas of the mould. Throughout the process heat and pressure are maintained until the polymer has cured.





Injection moulding is a production process for producing large quantities of identical items. Granulated or powdered thermoplastic material is heated, melted and then forced under pressure into a mould. Once in the mould the material cools, forming a component that takes on thenshape of the mould cavity. 

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Theory one/notes

Alex Bennett-Ford


Polymers

.Polymers come from crude oil, crude oil is a non renewable source 
.Plastics are manufactured using a process called polymerisation. Polymerisation occurs when monomers join together to form long chains of molecules called polymers. 

General summary of plastics
.Good electrical and thermal insulators 
.Good strength to weight rati
.Generally good resistance to atmospheric and chemical erosion
.Low melting point
. Lightweight 
Available in a wide range of colours and transparency
.Two main categories: thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics  

Fillers: These are added to the polymer powder to give the material some more bulk
Flame retardants: These are used to reduce the risk of combustion
Anti static agents: Reduce the effects of static charges that can build up in a product 
Plasticisers: These make the material less brittle 
Stabilisers: Reduce the effects of ultra violet light found in sunlight 







Friday, September 6, 2013

I wish I never bought...



 Apple headphones

Apple is a global company that are very popular and well known, they are based in California, America. They produce electrical products such as Computers, ipads, ipods and headphones.
On average they sell a product every 3.5 seconds.

The Apple headphones may be betrayed as something special because of their background as I stated above but in my opinion they aren't. I purchased a pair about 2-3 months ago and to be fair nothing was wrong with them to start off with but gradually they started messing up, by that I mean the sound started buzzing and making crackling noises. It was annoying considering I paid £14.00 for them. I thought if I left it a night it would be better. So the day after I connected my Apple headphones to my phone and started playing music, it started working and playing properly, I was so relieved but then unsurprisingly they completely cut out and my music stopped.

They still don't work to this day.

I'm sure all the headphones aren't like this but mine was. I never looked at any reviews or there history on the internet and was fooled by there background and presumed they would be good. They certainly looked attractive but didn't perform well at all.

I wish I never bought them.