CD-4810 ultraljudstvätt från Kjell & Company - jodå, den är bra!

Efter att ha hört och läst mycket om ultraljudstvättande bestämde jag mej för att köpa en ultraljudstvätt. (För egna pengar - ingen har bett mej eller betalt mej för att skriva detta!) Valet föll på en ultraljudstvätt från Kjell & Company som är mellanstor (2 liter) och har inbyggd värme. Värme påskyndar ju allt kemiskt och naturligtvis även hur fort saker blir rena i en ultraljudstvätt. Modellen jag valde heter "Ultraljudsrengöringsbad 160W" och har artikelnummer 40499 på www.kjell.com. Enligt den fina texten på förpackningen har den industriell kvalitet på komponenterna. Tvätten kommer i en vettig kartong som är bra att spara för förvaring av tvätten. CD-4810 tycks tvätten heta i vissa sammanhang - det är det som står på kartongen med.


Hur ultraljudstvättar fungerar kan man läsa mer om på diverse sidor på nätet så om du inte vet är det bara att googla. Den korta förklaringen är att ultraljudet skapar kavitationsbubblor som sedan imploderar och "vibrerar" bort smutsen. Av det förstår man att det hänger på tvättvätskan att lösa upp smutsen så bubblorna kan få loss den, någon mirakelkur är det inte fråga om. Och därför har temperaturen också betydelse - dels uppstår kavitationen lättare i varm vätska och dels löser varm vätska smuts bättre. Tänk också på att nypåfylld vätska ofta har lösta gaser i sig så det tar ett par minuter att "gasa ur" vätskan innan full effekt uppnås. Att bara hälla på vätska och stoppa ner bitarna kan nog ge besvikelse över dåligt resultat. Kunskap om hur saker fungerar är viktigt - först då kan man använda tillämpad kemi och fysik till sin fördel. Nog tjatat!



Hur fungerar tvätten då? Bra, tycker jag. Ser man till effekten så är det 70W ultraljud i ca 1,8 liter vätska. Det är bra att tänka så när man jämför olika tvättar och även när man tvättar stora detaljer. Effekt fördelat på detaljernas yta och vätskevolymen i tanken.


Jag kommer att lägga till olika exempel nedan efterhand som jag laborerar färdigt.


Fettiga, smutsiga gångjärn:
I lägenheten vi flyttat in i var gångjärnen till badrummet svarta och kladdiga. Säkert många år av tveksamma smörjmedel, nikotin och smuts. När dom dessutom började gnissla var det dags att göra något åt dom. Jag lossade dörren från gångjärnen och skruvade loss gångjärnen från karmen, sen blev det plums i tvätten. Vanligt diskmedel och vatten gjorde inte så mycket på fettkladdet, men Biltemas grovrengöring gjorde susen!

Lägg märke till att jag tvättar i en glasburk - då slipper man smutsa ner själva ultraljudstvätten:

Förgasare:
Gräsklipparens förgasare tvättade jag i alkaliskt universalrengöringsmedel och sedan i T-röd en stund för att dra ut vatten. Efter urblåsning med tryckluft gick klipparen så fint så!

Sänk volymen innan du tittar på klippet:

Mässing:

Fosforsyra är killer på oxiderad mässing! Bitarna kommer upp rödtonade ur tvätten eftersom det är mer koppar än zink kvar i ytan efter att oxiderna (och antagligen lite zink också) är borta. Att bitarna är rödtonade beror på att koppar som lösts upp från oxidena pläteras tillbaka på mässingen medan upplöst zink inte gör det. Ett par tag med en mässingsborste eller lite putsmedel så är det fint skick igen på bitarna:

Före - iPhone 5s, beskuren

Efter - iPhone 5s, beskuren

Även rost försvinner med fosforsyran, jag testar citronsyra också men har spontant känslan av att den är lite mesigare. En positiv bieffekt med fosforsyra på järn är att det täcker ytan med järnfosfat som är en utmärkt primer och samtidigt ger ett visst skydd i sig själv. Om man inte vill ha det gråaktiga fosfatskiktet utan bara ta bort rost från ett föremål är citronsyran bättre.
Fosforsyra hittas i många kalkborttagningsmedel som med fördel köps hos städgrossister typ INPA (webshop). Leta efter "Sani Acid" så får du mycket fosforsyra för pengarna. Tar kalk effektivt dessutom - vem kunde tro det heh heh. På ICA får du mycket mindre syra för mer pengar...


Lut (kaustiksoda) löser upp färg. Akta hud och ögon!


Glasögon:
En väns glasögon åkte i tvätten i varmt vatten och någon droppe tvål. Det blev ett moln av gammal hud och smuts så fort jag startade ultraljudet! Både bågen och glasen blev helt rena! Det finns dock historier på nätet om hur glasögon tappat beläggning så man behöver kanske inte ha starka medel och full värme - better safe than sorry...


Rakhyvlar:
Min Feather Popular får åka i då och då för att få bort gammalt tvålskum och allt annat som stannar kvar även om man sköljer den. Jag tycker om att prova olika hyvlar så även en Gillette Super Slim Twist säkerhetsrakhyvel fick bada efter att ha fått lite puts:

Gillette Super Slim Twist - iPhone 5s, kvadrat

Insidan av huvudet, med trånga skrymslen:

Clean Gillette Super Slim Twist - iPhone 5s, kvadrat

Den blev riktigt ren och fin! Inte illa för en rakhyvel från 1971. Den kommer man kunna hitta på Tradera bland mina auktioner på denna länk: http://www.tradera.com/auktioner/minitan

Jag har märkt att det ofta räcker med en 10-minuters tvättcykel i ultraljudstvätten. Med värme och rätt tvättkemi behövs det inte långa cykler även om tvätten kan ställas in på upp till 30 minuter. Efter 45 minuter rekommenderas man låta den vila 20 minuter - vill man köra kontinuerligt bör man nog ha en industriell maskin.
Men är det mycket skräp vinner man på att ta det värsta med en gammal tandborste och låta tvätten ta de skrymslen man inte själv når.

Fler bilder och test kommer läggas till efter hand. Har du frågor eller önskemål? Använd kommentarsfältet nedan!

Bluebeards Revenge shavette - once again, stand aside Gillette Mach3! ....and it´s getting crowded.

As you might have read here, I opted out of the pay-lotsa-bucks-for-lotsa-blades-camp some time ago. My bucks, actually "kronor" since I´m Swedish, end up in shaving stuff to some extent anyway. I still buy soap, new brushes (The Body Shop one is good) and now also a shavette:

It´s getting crowded - iPhone 5s, cable release, flash

I have a large interest in sharpening things. Of course I´ve tried to sharpen a straight "cut throat" razor   too, and I´ve gotten it so sharp it kind of passes the "hanging hair test". But I wanted to try a shavette  so I can just change the blade when it´s getting dull instead of having to maintain the straight.

My theory is that the DE blade cuts the hair more easy because it is so thin. The safety razor blade still needs less force than the straight razor blade to cut a hair even if the edges are as sharp simply because it´s thinner. I like to think it´s pure physics - a thin wedge needs less force than a thick wedge, even if the tips are as sharp.  Of course a dull edge needs more force which brings us to the next point:

With a shavette for safety razor blades you get very, very sharp blades for little money. When the blade is getting duller you simply insert a new one. No sharpening, no hones, no strops, no stropping or messing around. Just pick up the shavette and start shaving. I know that many guys enjoy the straight razor routine and as I enjoy sharpening stuff I can understand that. And if you want the "old days" or "self sufficient" feeling the shavette is out.


Lets look at it from a "money spent" - perspective. I´d say a straight razor is about even with the Bluebeards Revenge shavette if you buy an old used one on ebay. If you buy a new, finer, straight razor you can spend some insane amounts of cash, so for this comparison we choose the used one.
The strop you need runs about $40-80 for a basic one and a waterstone around $90 depending on what you buy, both bought new from amazon. (These are just examples and you can certainly find both cheaper and more expensive alternatives.)

For about the same $150 you can buy 1200 Astra Superior Platinum blades here, that's 2400 blade changes for the shavette as it uses a blade snapped in half. That means you´re set for 23 years if you change blade two times every week. I doubt the strop will last that long...

Keep in mind when you read this that my hands are rather clumsy, I have limited sensory function so I find it difficult to apply just a little pressure which of course affects how my shave turned out:
The first shave with the Bluebeards Revenge shavette went quite ok. The Astra blade sliced through my beard effortlessly going along the grain. All you have to do is kiss the face with the edge, no pressure needed. I did cut myself a little on my upper lip. Lesson learned: don´t try going against the grain on the upper lip on the first pass. Actually you´re never supposed to go against the grain. The first pass should be along the growth direction and the second pass across it, if your skin can take it. Some people do go against the grain on the third pass. I do that with my



A few things about the Bluebeards shavette: The packaging is quite funny! "Not for girls" heh heh. You´ve gotta smile when you read that! Also quite funny website at Bluebeards Revenge.
The quality? I´d say you get what you pay for. Tiny cracks around the rivets in the scales, a little rough edges on the blade holder as its a stamping, a little crooked grind around the exposed edge. But it´s perfectly useable and the price is very fair so I don´t complain. I actually like that the scales are plastic as they feel warm to the touch.


Even though I like the shavette and the idea of shaving with it, the british aluminium Gillette Tech still is the best razor I´ve ever used. It´s very good, cheap and mild. It´s kind of a shavette but with built in protection so its much harder to cut the skin. The razor holds the blade and guides it and you simply drag it around your face. You can actually just view both as razor blade holders, one with guards and guides and one without.

The shavette has the advantage that it doesn´t care if you have one days growth or a full beard. It simply can´t clog since it´s an open razor. That´s why it´s also good for the neckline, more so than the safety razors.



Colclusion: The Bluebeards Revenge shavette with Astra Superior blades is an economical way to shave if you are willing to learn the skills it takes. The Bluebeards Revenge website has good how-to videos. The shavette is also just the tool to shave the neckline or a long beard.

UPDATE: I've gotten several ingrowns after using the shavette several times, of course I just had to go against the grain. Told you that was a bad idea. Changing the blade to a Derby helped some, the Astra SP in a shavette seems too sharp for my clumsy hands. Since the Gillette aluminum Tech gives me great shaves I think I'll stick to that, at least until I'm patient enough to use the shavette.
But I will still have the wife shave my neckline with the Bluebeards Revenge Shavette, so it's not a wasted purchase. Actually, if all you intend to do is trim your neckline I'd say the shavette is a perfect buy!

Linocell Elite Extreme Glass Screen protector - it works! ...and their quality control doesn´t?

I got tired of bubbly, scratched up plastic screen protectors on my iPhone, so when I got my new iPhone 5s I decided to try a glass one. It´s more expensive so hesitated a bit - after all the Linocell Extreme Glass screen protector is like 20 times the price of the cheaper plastic films.

But I bought one and put it on. One thing I noticed was that it was easy to get a perfect result. Included in the package is a piece of sticky film that you use to remove dust from the screen before you put the glass on. If you have a light colored surface in front of you and look at your phone at an angle its easy to see every speck of dust on the screen. Once the screen is as clean as possible you drop the glass in place and watch as it adheres to the screen.

Take care to line the glass up well. A tip is to center the home button and while holding the top end up a few mm away from the screen, press and bend the glass gently so it sticks around the home button. Then, while maintaining pressure around the button hole, align the top edges and let that end go so it gently snaps down against the screen. It can be a bit fiddly to move the top end sideways as you probably have to release the bottom end a bit. You´ll get there!

A tip is to do this in the bathroom after somebody has taken a shower as that cleans the air. And if the floor is wet that also lowers the amount of dust in the air. Fluffing around a towel does not. Its a balance...



Back to the reason I write this:

Busted screen? Nope, busted Linocell Glass! - iPad mini, some cropping

I fumbled and dropped my phone and, of course mr Murphy, it landed face down on the ground. And the asphalt was covered with coarse sand left from the winter season. Nice point impact.

I guess the saying is true, "The value of an item can be very different from the price paid for it"! In my case a 20-dollar screen protector saved my iPhone screen. 

However. After dropping my phone I bought two Linocell Extreme protectors, one for me and one for the wife, and the wifes one had this included:

Not so neat looking huh? - iPhone 5s, some cropping and adjusting 

And this is what it looks like through the loupe:

A grain of sand? - iPhone 5s + 10x loupe, cropped

Looking real close it looks like a small grain of something found its way between the glass and the adhesive film. Oh btw, they advertise this screen protector as 0.26mm thick, but that is just the glass. Add the adhesive film and you get 0,40mm instead. Not much difference but worth mentioning.

Here´s the great part: I contacted the vendor by email and they promptly sent me a new one free of charge. Thats the way costumer support is supposed to work! I bought these at Kjell & Company (in Swedish). In all situations like this it helps to take pictures and include them in the email. It makes things easier for the costumer support and it helps you get help faster.

The sum of it all: I´m real happy about this screen protector. Being glass it feels just like the original screen, and it doesn´t scratch as easily as plastic films. And since it has already saved me a screen swap, I´d say its earned its keep!



Update november 2015: I´ve bought several glass screen protector since this post was written. I´ve found them for as little as $8 sold under differet names. But the product seems so similar it makes me think they are all made in the same factory in China...

I´ve dropped my iPhone three times now breaking the screen protector. I actually had my iPhone 5s replaced since I dropped it into my ultrasonic cleaner while filming a clip for Youtube. Ooops! Luckily enough insurance covered most of the cost.



"The value of an item can be very different from the price paid for it". Word!

VW cylinder head machining - increasing compression ratio

Well this guy came to the shop with two VW cylinder heads that he wanted some machining done to. The idea was to remove 2 mm from the combustion chambers in order to raise the compression ratio. Not being a specialized VW shop, or a car engine machine shop for that matter, here's one way to do it:

First, find a a big faceplate for the lathe. Somewhere there's bound to be an old one with a roughly 4" by 4 tpi mount, so make a threaded stub shaft that fits, generously loctite the threads and assemble with a cheater bar and BIG hammer. Machine a slug with a centre hole. Make it so it just fits the cylinder seats, toss the faceplate-on-a-shaft in the three-jaw, pinch the cylinder head against the faceplate with a live centre pressing against the slug inserted in the cylinder seat, bolt it onto the faceplate with suitable fasteners and it should look like this:

Big faceplate with VW cylinder head - iPhone 5s

Remove the tailstock and slug, indicate the cylinder seat and tap it around a bit if you need to, tighten the bolts, mount some scraps to balance the faceplate, and bore 2mm deep. Paint the first bore with a magic marker so you can touch off and set your dials for diameter and depth, then bore to size and depth on all four.

Of course you need to use the slug and centre on all four holes while setting up. It's so much easier when you don't have to fight gravity. Depending on how flat the faceplate is you may also have to use shims. I did not want to add that fuss so I took a skim cut after assembling the stud shaft and faceplate. Next time around though, I might have to shim since I don't want to turn the faceplate into chips. It's only so thick to begin with.

Well the job was a success and I made myself a faceplate that can go in both of the big lathes without removing their chucks. Fun stuff!

iEngineer - handy pocket reference

...because you have your iPhone in your pocket, don't you?

And when you stand there wondering about what the recommended torque for a M12x1,5 grade 10.9 bolt is, whip out your iPhone and start iEngineer:

Start-up screen - iPhone 5s screenshot

And then select your bolt size:

Easy selection of screws - iPhone 5s screenshot

Hey, it even shows the pitch diameter! Nice! But swipe sideways on the top half, and soon you'll see

Ahh, there's the torque - iPhone 5s screenshot 

There! Now just oil the threads, set your wrench to 92 Nm and pull. What are those funny numbers instead of the signal strength bars? Field test mode!

Interesting that a bolt of this size and thread clamps five tons!

I find this app well worth having, packs a lot of useful info into your already crowded iPhone!
Couple this with MechTab if you need more thread data, like if you need to cut a thread in the lathe and don't have dies or taps. Those two apps can really make mechanical work easier.

Old Tech safety razor - stand aside Gillette Mach 3 Turbo!

This is a post about my "new" safety razor - a Brittish Gillette Tech made mostly of aluminium. The handle and blade tray is aluminium, the cap piece is brass with a nickel plating and it is a mild, quite "safe" razor. And cheap too!

I think it´s funny that you can have something that works fine, and then someone makes a new version with better specs, more features, a more high tech appearance, and of course a heftier prize tag. Well, it's marketing and sales of course. And to be fair, most of the time the new stuff is better, and smoother, and nicer looking. More convenient too. But still, the old stuff worked, and sometimes it worked very well. But that's not enough now that the new one is here, right?

I would like to have a new car. I currently drive a Volvo 945 (you know I'm from Sweden, don't you?) with more than 430 000 km (update 2015: 443 000km heh heh) on it. Yes, it really has driven that far! 5 speed manual, noisy, and roughly as exciting as an old ice box on the road. Rust spots too. But it's cheap, it gets me from here to there, and here in Sweden you can buy new brake pads next to the milk. No, of course you can't, I'm kidding, but parts are readily available and cheap. Headlight blown? That's like ten bucks at most. Blow a Xenon headlight on a newer Volvo however and it's more likely 200 bucks. I can swap the camshaft drive belt myself in a few hours or so. But the newer Volvo with the expensive headlights and costly services is smoother, more comfortable and much quieter. Still, my 945 was the new and better one a few years ago!

What am I getting at? Shaving. Razors. The Sensor Excel is great and has a small head that fits nicely under my nose. But then came the Mach 3, wow what a smooth razor! Larger head of course since it holds one more blade. It's really easy to rinse clean due to the more open construction. Really great shaves, but following the newer = usually better = more expensive rule, it costs more. And now there is this Fusion razor, and Fusion Power if you feel like it. Or why not the newest Fusion Proglide with FlexBall Techblah blah blah....

Now here's my point: Some time ago I got interested in safety razors. And I got even more interested when my older brother told me the blades are much cheaper! So, meet my new friend:

  

 

British Gillette Alu Tech Ball End - iPhone 4s, square

This is a Gillette Tech, a British made mostly aluminum razor. Made somewhere along 1950 or so. I paid a whopping $1,50 plus postage for it on the Swedish equivalent of eBay. Blades cost me about 21 dollars for 100 Astra Super Platinums. That's like two years if I shave every day. Oh yes, with the Gillette alu Tech I can shave every day, both with and across/against the grain, something I couldn't do with the Mach 3. This double edge safety razor is mild, meaning it won't cut you so easily or expose a lot of blade to your face. Since I´m quite ham handed the mildness is a plus. You still have to understand that it is holding a very sharp blade, and it can cut you. Press it hard enough against your face and it will happily cut into it!

My shave routine goes like this: wet the face or take a shower, lather with brush and soap, shave with the grain, rinse, lather again, shave across or against the grain depending on what the area can take. One more rinse and I´m done. On the right side of my neck I get ingrown hairs if I go against the growth, so I try not to do that. Ingrowns are a bad idea - if you get them, adjust your shaving technique. Sometimes I shave a little extra if I´ve missed some spot.

After shaving I apply after shave or balm if I feel like it. Smooth, close shave and very little money spent. And if you are into that kind of thing, a nice feeling of doing things like the old days.

Try this for an aftershave: 1dl water, 1dl 95% alcohol, 5ml glycerine and 5 drops of peppermint oil. Nice refreshing scent!   

You can get as snobby or in depth about shaving as you like, join the different forums such as Badger & Blade, buy $200 razors, slants, vintages, different soaps, brushes (oh yes even those come in $250 versions), after shaves, balms, pre-shave oils, different blades, have your favourite razor gold plated and on and on and...

What you really need is a razor, a blade, some soap, a brush and water. You could even use canned gel instead of soap for convenience, or a Mach something instead of the double edge razor. But the cheapest shave would probably be with a vintage razor of a common model such as the Gillette Tech (very little investment up front, or if you prefer a new one perhaps a Muhle R89), Astra Superior Platinum blades, a cheap brush and a run-of-the-mill soap such as the Palmolive stick.

No, no links since I'm not selling anything, the expensive brush link above was just for fun.

However. Depending on how good your technique is, it may not be as smooth going as with the newer, more expensive stuff. It may not be as fast either. You can nick yourself or get razor burn if you or your razor is too aggressive. That's the trade off between old style and new style. You lessen the risk of nicks and burn if you use a mild razor like the Gillette Aluminum Tech.

If you don't mind spending the money, the Mach 3 is great! The shave gel in pressurized cans is very convenient, no doubt. But if you want cheap, good shaving and are willing to invest some time and skill, a double edge or safety razor, brush and soap is the way to go in my opinion. 

For a comparison to a Bluebeards Revenge shavette check out this post.

If you have nothing else to do you can use the dull razor blades to practice TIG welding on. Don't forget to shield the backside as they're stainless...


UPDATE April, 2015: Yep, I bought one more Aluminium Gillette Tech Ball End. They´re so good!

Biicado Touch Pro - CAD for iPad/iPhone that works! Perhaps something for you?

The iPad is the perfect portable device for writing, simple photo- and video editing, web surfing, education and a lot of other things. In my case it has replaced the computer for some 90% or so, a figure that would increase if I had an AirPrint-printer, and more memory in my iPad. Recently it fills another "need" for me - technical drafting. Thanks to BiiCADo Touch Pro:

BiiCADo, showing magnifying window and snap point - iPad mini screenshot

While it's no match against say AutoCad 3D, BiiCADo Touch Pro is still a very competent tool for creating technical drawings in 2D. It sports layers, colors, snap points, ISO-standard measurements, the usual tools like move, trim, radius, grid and much more. You can export DXF or PDF by mail or Dropbox. If you are used to working with programs like AutoCad 2D, Solid Edge 2D or Draftsite you will quickly pick up Biicado Touch. You really can make professional quality drawings with the help of this app.


I'm not going to attempt a tutorial here, but you can be sure this is a potent application that packs a lot for the price! The drawing and manipulating tools are real tools, not some halfway-there effort made to separate you from your cash. This is a real CAD app.


It took some time for me to find it as there are a lot of apps that claim to be "the best" in AppStore. Well, I'm not missing anything since I bought this one. A good stylus helps though, but that's more a thing with the tablet format than this app in particular. I use the iPad mini, and while it's lightweight and compact I think the larger iPads would be easier to draft with - bigger is better when it comes to screen size. But if you favour light and small the mini works well. And I don't even have the retina display!



A useful feature I'd like to mention that works very well is the way Biicado Touch handles drafting and selecting points. Instead of trying to hit the exact point where you, say, would like to start a line, you tap and hold the screen until a magnifying window appears (it appears quickly), then you slide to the point you want with the aid of the magnifier and crosshairs and then lift your finger to select it. Sounds confusing? It's not, just select your tool, tap and slide into position and release when you are there. It's a very clever and precise way, and if you two-finger move or pinch zoom while you are drafting, the current tool pauses, and you just tap-and-slide to resume right where you left off. That way you can draw a line right across a large drawing without zooming out, you can two-finger move several times while drafting the same line or using any other tool.
The magnifying window is actually rather necessary since your finger or stylus is blocking the view most of the time. Clever idea, nonetheless!

You also tap-and-slide to select a start point and then enter lengths, angles, radiuses (depends on what tool you are using) and so on using the input field at the bottom and the keyboard. Or even enter the start point coordinates and everything else without doing any tapping and sliding.


The snap function can be set to your liking or turned off completely if it interfers with your style of drafting. You can turn on or off snap for different points independently of each other. You can set grid snapping units as well, helpful if you want whole number coordinates for objects.


I had an issue with the "move" and "rename" functions not working, but after contacting BAST, the Germans, there was an update a week later that fixed it. Way to go, these are serious guys!



Those of you that know CAD will find Biicado Touch a great tool, but if you only want to make sketches or simple room plans this might not be for you. If you've never used CAD-programs before you might be put off by the learning curve. I find Biicado Touch to be the perfect companion to SketchUp for my needs. Having access to real CAD in a very portable and lightweight format is a winner for me!


UPDATE 13 september 2014:

I have found a few minor bugs and contacted BAST about them. Very fast response and nice guys to deal with. Thumbs up! Biicado will get even better by the next update!