Walls in Need of Repair? First, Understand Your Walls

They are all around us...Walls keep the EleMents out and a Controlled EnvironMent on the Inside. Walls Separate Rooms, Closets, Restrooms, Dens, Living Rooms, Kitchens and other areas of our Home. When the Home is in the Construction Phase, Walls are Built out of 2x4 or 2x6 studs which are Douglas Fir (wood), sometimes Metal Studs or even Concrete is used for certain Applications. The Framework is Covered in a Variety of Materials like:

Walls in Need of Repair? First, Understand Your Walls

Walls in Need of Repair? First, Understand Your Walls

---

Walls in Need of Repair? First, Understand Your Walls

Walls in Need of Repair? First, Understand Your Walls

Drywall (known as Gypsum Board - finished in a variety of textured looks) Plaster (hard like concrete - in a variety of textured looks Paneling (wood or synthetic) Wood (usually vertical panels) Tile (porcelain or ceramic) Glass (in solid pane or window form)

The Different Materials used on the Exterior of the Home Consist of:

PuTTY (which is a Concrete material in a variety of textured looks) Siding (wood, vinyl or recycled materials-hung horizontal or vertical) T1-11 (plywood in 4 ' or 8 ' grooves-hung vertically) Glass Block (in a wide variety of sizes and looks)

Most of these materials whether inside or outside need to be sealed (protected) for a variety of reasons. With a variety of products. Mainly to last as long as possible without having to replace them from rot or decay. RepAiring walls inside or outside of the home can be done by the homeowner once they become familiar with the materials that they are about to repAir. In between the outer and inner walls there could be fibreglass insulation and possibly a vapor barrier on the outer wall to protect the wall and us from theoutside elements. Be careful not to damage or remove these barriers. They are there for a reason. If you do have to remove insulation or vapor barriers, make sure you replace them in full sheets and you wear the correct Clothing to work with these materials.

When attempting repAirs on the inner walls of your home, take note of what kind of material is being used and the thickness. Normally gypsum board (drywall) is used these days in 1/2 "thickness. Older homes can have a mixture of materials like plaster or vertical wood planking or even paneling. Paneling could be mounted to the wall on top of drywall or just mounted to the wall studs (framework). Wood planks are mounted to the framework, usually at the top and bottom and the hardware is hidden by decorative moulding, I know it looksseamless.

Wall repair, for the homeowner, is easier than you may think. Now we are talking about minor damage in drywall like, fist size to larger holes like a basketball in size. When sizing up the damage, pay attention to the thickness of the wall material and the framework inside the wall. Most wood framework, called studs, is put together on a 16 "(inch) on center schedule for Fastening systems purposes and strength of structure. That means when you measure the center of one stud, it should be 16 "on the center of the next stud and so on. This is also good to know for when you hang heavy objects on the wall. It gives you a measured map of the wall for securing to the studs. To complete this repair, visit my website below.

Walls in Need of Repair? First, Understand Your Walls

What Are ICF Insulated Concrete Forms?

The CeMent Association of Canada has developed standardized ICF training modules to help facilitate greater adoption of ICF construction. Two of their main objectives are:

(i) To facilitate greater understanding and awareness of ICF construction as a viable building alternative, that will escalate its adoption in the residential and non-residential markets.

(ii) To provide an industry baseline benchmark for required ICF training, ensuring adequate skills competence in the building workforce for the delivery of quality construction.

Today ICF construction is rapidly gaining popularity in both the residential and non-residential markets.

What is ICF Construction? Insulating Concrete Forms are energy-efficient reinforced-concrete walls that are dry-stacked without using mortar and filled with concrete, think of them like Lego blocks. The blocks, or forms as the are referred to, are stacked to form exterior and interior walls, reinforcing steel or rebar is then added into the openings and then concrete is pumped in to form the structural eleMent of the walls.

An Insulated Concrete Form can be made from a variety of materials:

(i) CeMent-bonded wood fiber (recycled waste wood and cement) (ii) Expanded polystyrene (iii) Cement-bonded polystyrene beads

One of the best ICFs are wood concrete forms, that is those that are made with cement-bonded wood fiber material that only uses natural ingredients. This combination of recycled waste wood and cement results in a better performing ICF wall system. When looking for an insulated concrete form you want to find ICFs that are environmentally safe, made from recycled material, do not contain nor emit any toxic elements, and are fully recyclable as well. Furthermore, insulated concrete forms that do not contain plastic, foams or polystyrenes are better for the environment than those that do contain these materials.

Benefits ICF construction has many benefits over traditional wood frame construction.

(i) Strength and Comfort In ICF construction the walls and floors form one continuous surface. This will help to keep out insects and create an environment free of allergens, dust, mold and other irritants. Furthermore the insulated forms are virtually soundproof and keep out unwanted noises and distractions..

(ii) Energy Performance Using insulated concrete forms means that your walls are already insulated better than any wood frame house. The ICFs will help to keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter and you can save as much as 50-80% on heating and cooling costs.

(iii) Structural Integrity A building built with insulated concrete forms can stand up to winds of 200 miles per hour and resist fire for up to 3.5 hours. ICF homes have been know to withstand hurricanes, tornados and a wide range of weather conditions from coast to coast. Furthermore concrete does not rot when it gets wet, making the upkeep and repAirs minimal.

(iv) Green Building ICFs are inherently green, from raw materials to installation. Depending on the product, you can find ICFs that have no CFCs, HCFCs or formaldehyde used in the manufacturing process and made from recycled material. Also, 100% of the installation waste, even the insulated forms themselves, are recyclable.

ICF buildings have higher energy savings, better fire resistance, and a superior structural integrity over traditional wood framed houses.

What Are ICF Insulated Concrete Forms?

What Are ICF Insulated Concrete Forms?

---

What Are ICF Insulated Concrete Forms?

Insulating Concrete Forms

This type of exterior wall system is becoming more popular due to the surge in green building construction. The first patent for the application of an ICF was registered in the 1960's. Insulating concrete forms or molds have built-in insulation for accepting reinforced concrete. ICF's are stay-in-place polystyrene forms that have proven to be energy efficient, cast in place reinforced concrete walls. This wall system can be used to create residential or commercial structures. Unlike conventional concrete forms, these stay-in-place after the concrete is placed in the wall cavity of the forms and serve as form, insulation, exterior wall sheathing, and in some cases wall studding. ICF wall systems allow for flexible design, and a vast array of architectural styles and treatMents. The wall becomes a high performing wall that is structurally sound, insulated, has a vapor barrier, and is ready to accept final exterior and interior wall finishes.

There are many manufacturer's of this type of stay in place wall system. The wall systems can be grouped into three different systems:

o Panel Systems are the largest units, as big as 4 feet by 8 feet. The panels typically have flat edges and are connected to one another with extra wall Fasteners.
o Plank Systems include units of long narrow planks of foam held a constant distance apart by steel or plastic ties. Typically, these planks are 8 foot long and 8 or 12 inches high. The planks have notched, cut, or drilled edges that they tie into. Additionally, the ties connect each course of planks to one above and below.
o Block Systems include units ranging in size from standard concrete block sizes and up to much larger 16 inches high by 4 feet long. Along the edges are teeth or grooves and tongues for interlocking. They are able to stack without separate Fasteners, in the same manner as children's lego blocks.

The various wall systems types have different cavity shapes - flat, grid, or post and beam. There are structural and architectural advanTAGes for each type cavity.

There are many benefits and advanTAGes of using these wall systems that promote greater comfort and lower energy bills. ICF's have a high R-value. Four inches of ASTM C578 polystyrene foam insulation combined with a five inch concrete wall would typically be rated a R-17. Nothing blows through the reinforced concrete, eliminating drafts, thereby have a very minimal Air infiltration into the building envelope. The thermal mass of the exterior wall envelope eliminates temperature peaks and valleys. Energy savings have been estimated to be 25% to 50% for an ICF building versus wood framed or steel framed buildings.

Safety and health benefits include no CFC's, HCFC's, or formaldehydes, and also no wood to rot and mold. Typically the structures provide a two hour fire rating and highly termite and pest resistant. Concrete homes have proven track record to withstand the ravages of nature - hurricanes, tornados, and fires. This safety facet typically relates into reduced insurance premiums. The structures can also eliminate outside noises due to their high sound absorption qualities.

DisadvanTAGes include adding or moving doors, window, or utilities after the building is complete. Concrete cutting tools are need to perform these tasks. Typically, initial construction costs be anywhere from 55 to 15% more than conventional wood built structures.

Look for a future increase in the use of the ICF wall systems. The durability of the system coupled with the push for a green environMent and greater energy efficiency will lead the way. Additionally, there are federal energy tax credits for this type of building system that many times stir the interest for utilization.

---

EDM Machining For Sinker and WEDM

The modern mould/die making tool shop relies heavily on EDM machining, both with the sinker and WEDM. It would be almost impossible to imagine competing in this highly technical field without using a comprehensive and integrated approach. This has also changed the nature of EDM Jobs.

This approach is much different than the way things were done only a few years ago. In this not-so-distant past, there were only manual EDM machines, usually an Eltee Pulsitron and the operator used a combination of black magic and science to achieve some pretty impressive results.

All you needed, back in the day, was a Bridgeport type vertical milling machine, a manual surface grinder, such as a Harig or Brown and Sharpe, and an engine lathe. The lathe was not really even that critical, it need not be a precision one, such as a Hardinge.

All this changed when the CNC EDM was developed. Soon, every tool and die shop had at least one of these new machines. Along with this came the developMent of precision tooling, such as System 3R and later Erowa. The automatic tool changer could be filled with copper or graphite electrodes and the machine could run for days, unattended.

Charmilles and Agie were early pioneers in EDM machining, and the developed many innovative electronic circuitry technologies that made the process more predictable and controlled. The black magic aspect began to vanish.

The Japanese became major contributors to this advancing process and soon companies such as Sodick, Mitsubishi, Hitachi, and Makino were pushing the process even further along.

The high speed milling machine also totally changed the way electrodes were manufactured. Instead of a mold maker spending hours performing complicated setups on the surface grinder or Bridgeport, the electrodes are made in minutes, more accurately as well.

These mills require some very advanced carbide end mills and insert cutters to do their Job. These ball end mills and bull nosed cutters can be coated with a huge variety of coatings, such as TiN, TiCN and TiAIN.

The influence of lean manufacturing began to affect companies as well, and soon there developed work cells. The EDM machining process is now done in a work cell that includes some very sophisticated machine tools.

The cell typically includes the sinker EDM, a wire EDM machine, a CMM, a high speed machining center, a manual surface grinder and an inspection area. There are many EDM Supplies that must be included as well, such as the Poco graphite, tellurium copper, Filters, industrial dust collection systems, dielectric fluid, and WEDM wire.

The wire EDM is a truly remarkable machine. It has completely transformed the way injection molds and precision metal stamping dies are designed and manufactured. By using CAD/CAM programs, such as Cimatron and GibbsCam Wire-EDM, operators are able to produce precision components that were only a dream in the past.

The various machines in the cell are all connected by the software programs, with the electrodes and workpieces being controlled by a pallet changer. The System 3R WorkPartner, and Makino's Track Pallet Magazine (TPM) are examples of the pallet changers that used to integrate the cell.

You could include the micro welder, or laser welder in this cell, but that means somebody is making mistakes! Mold repAir is, nevertheless, very important.

hardinge lathe

---