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Showing posts from April, 2022

Gas Lubrication: Prism Spinners for Laser Research

 When Westwind Air Bearings Ltd began marketing air lubricated spindles capable of speeds in excess of 100,000 rpm in 1963, it was not long before the company started receiving requests from both public and private research centres to produce high speed rotating devices to meet diverse special needs. These ranged from tiny, finger-tip size, infrared choppers running on helium gas in skin cancer detectors to much larger machines capable of testing centrifugally-arming artillery shell fuses at speeds up to 30,000 rpm. One of the most challenging, as well as long-lived projects, however, was undertaken under contract to Britain's National Physical Laboratory (NPL). This involved developing machines to rotate glass prisms at the highest possible speeds for use in laser research. The design of the NPL prism spinners posed a range of interesting problems for the Westwind engineers. The prisms were made of special quality glass, cut with high precision, about 2 cm long and of hexagonal cr

Advice on How to Cook Basmati Rice

 For people that are not fortunate enough to be blessed with high-octane culinary skill, the thought of how to cook Basmati rice is sure to be met with an ominous mix of ignorance and trepidation. And matters are exacerbated by the fact that it invariably happens to be the most suited accompaniment for all cuisines in which rice rules the roost. Mildew Blighting The World Contrary to popular belief, cooking this supreme quality rice is certainly not a Himalayan task. So without obfuscating any further, here are the secrets that you always craved for but didn't know whom to ask: The grains of this kind of rice are long and lengthen further during the cooking process. And of course, they taste heavenly. Since the starch content is relatively high, the grains have to be rinsed in cold water several times before the cooking process. Soaking in fresh cold water for about 30 minutes after the washing process is considered ideal. Drain the water completely before putting the grains in a m

The New Wallpaper?

 Re-Decorating - Stop before you spend too much! Are you like me in the process of re-decorating? Have you spent the past few days, weeks, months trying to think of a really creative way to add some cool statement walls into your design. Well I think I'm one of the lucky ones as I've found a really cool alternative to the typical paint or wallpaper solutions that are the norm. That's right I found a solution to adding the wow factor to my walls and it's not going to cost me the £98 PER ROLL that I my girlfriend was struggling to justify to me, as we tried in vain to pick from a shortlist of rather expensive yet very cool designer wallpapers. What is it... Designer Wall stickers That's right, in one last ditch attempt to find an alternative, I stumbled upon designer wall stickers or wall decals as they are known in America. These are extremely cool, wall stickers made from thin vinyl plastics that have been cut out into patterns or cool graphical shapes and can be ea

The Cost of Terrazzo

 When was the last time you considered new flooring? Perhaps you bought a new business or home. Maybe the flooring in your current place of business is old and worn out or the flooring in your home has seen better days. People consider new flooring for many reasons. Whether you are considering adding new flooring now or anticipate that you may be in the future, cement terrazzo is a great option. Terrazzo has been around in one form or another since ancient times. Flooring found in neolithic Asia from as far back as 9,000 BC were called terrazzo because of their use of lime and red clay. They were combined and polished much like terrazzo is today. While terrazzo has certainly come a long way since those days it still holds the same appeal. It offers a unique, beautiful, and cost effective option. Adding up the costs Once you have decided that you would like to use terrazzo in your home or business it is important to consider all of the costs. Depending on the staining, design, and area