Have you learned anything interesting today?

[MildredHubble]

Artist's paints, like acrylic and oil, still contained them some time ago.

We as students learned of lead white and cadmiuns (yellow, orange and red), which are very prominent in painting. I don't know if paints still use toxic metals to this day, but we still are cautious around a few colors, since we don't know how they were produced.

I believe that alternative synthetic pigments are used these days. I seem to remember yellow oil paint contained lead. Of course there's Prussian blue. It's funny how people freak out over simply being around these things. 25 years ago I used to be covered in oil paint. I still use lead based solder as it's amazing to work with. The reality is that unless you are constantly exposed to these things, you likely won't end up with the metals/chemicals in your system in anything like a worrying number.

Lots of people I've encountered freak out about me not washing my hands after soldering. It's occasionally something I forget to do. But the very same people won't be worried at all about the deteriorating lead mains pipe supplying water to their home! Or then there's the anti vaxers who freak out over a trace of mercury in the COVID vaccine, but they will happily chow down on tuna containing massive amounts of mercury by comparison.

 

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We as students learned of lead white and cadmiuns (yellow, orange and red),

Printers inks use titanium for opaque white, most inks are transparent. Rhodamine, cadmium and manganese for reds, chromium for yellow, copper and cobalt for blues and greens.

 

[Outdated]

Lots of people I've encountered freak out about me not washing my hands after soldering.

As you mentioned, constant exposure makes a difference, and also what skin is exposed. The skin on your hands is fairly tough and doesn't absorb all that much. I used to teach apprentices that their mothers taught them wrong - you wash your hands before you go to the toilet.

Lead is a different story, it's the fumes that are dangerous. When I first started printing the old letterpress printing was still in common use and most print shops had a small smelter in the corner. By law we had to drink a pint of milk a day and the supervisor had to sign a book to say that they'd seen you drink it. It promotes a thicker mucus lining in your lungs. I liked getting a free pint of fresh milk every day.

 

[Angular Chap]

Lots of people I've encountered freak out about me not washing my hands after soldering. It's occasionally something I forget to do. But the very same people won't be worried at all about the deteriorating lead mains pipe supplying water to their home!

Or the same people that want lead solder banned don't realise the lead is in the solder for a reason and that products that use lead-free solder fail quicker and end up in the landfill quicker. The lead is far more malleable and can expand and contract. Lead-free is brittle and fails faster.

They also seem to think that the puff of smoke that comes off solder is lead fumes and not the rosin in the flux burning away.

I've also taken to calling lead-free solder "unleaded" I don't know why, but I just find it amusing for some reason...

 

[Stuttermabolur]

Technically yesterday, but I was too tired to post then.

I learned that the Purple Gallinus bird has long claws, which spreads it weight enough to allow it to walk on lily pads.

 

[Rodafina]

I learned that the cat Marlon Brando was holding in the opening scene of The Godfather was a stray cat Coppola found wandering around the Paramount lot. It was not in the script for the movie.

Thanks, @Forest Cat. I love this story. I really hope somebody adopted that cat. He looks so happy in a lap.

 

[Forest Cat]

View attachment 93936
Thanks, @Forest Cat. I love this story. I really hope somebody adopted that cat. He looks so happy in a lap.

It's a little amazing in a way, going from homeless unknown cat to being a star in one of the biggest movies of all time and acting on Marlon Brandos lap. That's a Hollywood success story.

 

[Luca]

No worries. I’m sorry if I came across as “too aggressive” on my profile at times, I have very strong opinions sometimes.

Me too lol, I’m always worried that I sound rude or irritated all the time or like I’m always angry about something

 

[grommet]

This is very esoteric but, today I learned that a dual gas nitrogen regulator has the high-pressure nitrogen at 2000psi enter the first chamber and the dial shows the high pressure. Then opening the main valve lets it flow into the second and that dial shows the pressure level based on the flow you are regulating with the main valve.

This all sounds pretty weird but what it means and why I find it so interesting is that the pressure in the tank is extremely high, dangerous. On connecting the tank that gas immediately enters the first part of the gage and the indicator needle jumps up but the gas stops there. Now you can control that dangerous pressure to something very light and manageable by just slightly opening the main valve allowing the gas to travel on to the second part.

I like the idea of being able to make something so high pressure and dangerous into something safe, so easily. I think it's a neat system.

 

[Rodafina]

This is very esoteric but...

That's what this thread is all about!

I like the idea of being able to make something so high pressure and dangerous into something safe, so easily. I think it's a neat system.

Fully agreed. Very interesting stuff.

 

[grommet]

That's what this thread is all about!


Fully agreed. Very interesting stuff.

I did not understand that but you explaining makes sense. All my life I have found so many things fascinating that no one else had any interest in so now I always think what I like other people won't.

It is not something I learned but something I did - I bought utility razor blades when I needed utility blades for my utility knife at home I use to cut up boxes. The kind I got you hold with your fingers but I needed the kind you can install in a utility knife.

I remembered that I like knife sharpening so I started sharpening the blade in the utility knife like it was a regular knife, not disposable. I have been using the same now very sharp blade so long I cannot remember when I started. I think that is neat.

 

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I remembered that I like knife sharpening so I started sharpening the blade in the utility knife like it was a regular knife, not disposable. I have been using the same now very sharp blade so long I cannot remember when I started. I think that is neat.

That impresses me. Much of the environmental damage from our modern society is caused by the "disposable products" mentality. In one simple act you are making yourself happy, you have a more useful product, and you are creating less waste.

I think it's very neat.

 

[grommet]

That impresses me. Much of the environmental damage from our modern society is caused by the "disposable products" mentality. In one simple act you are making yourself happy, you have a more useful product, and you are creating less waste.

I think it's very neat.

Thank you. I never want to throw anything away. It doesn't make sense to me most of the time. Even plastic bags only need a wash and let them dry by the window. They don't look as fresh as new ones but work very well I think. I wonder if we cherished what we had more, took care of them and lived with them longer if like you are saying, we would be happier. Also less stuff to put into the environment.

I do not feel I am being shortsighted in this not thinking of the jobs affected by less consumption. Other jobs would be created. There are no longer television repair shops. If we saved more things for longer lots of people could work helping to fix and maintain them. I think everyone would win.

 

[Outdated]

I do not feel I am being shortsighted in this not thinking

The world would be a better place if more people thought like you do.

 

[MildredHubble]

I did not understand that but you explaining makes sense. All my life I have found so many things fascinating that no one else had any interest in so now I always think what I like other people won't.

It is not something I learned but something I did - I bought utility razor blades when I needed utility blades for my utility knife at home I use to cut up boxes. The kind I got you hold with your fingers but I needed the kind you can install in a utility knife.

I remembered that I like knife sharpening so I started sharpening the blade in the utility knife like it was a regular knife, not disposable. I have been using the same now very sharp blade so long I cannot remember when I started. I think that is neat.

This is really cool! There's so much we perceive as disposable that really can be used many many times with a bit of maintenance!

I have also been sharpening my exacto knife blades with a simple diamond surfaced tool sharpener I picked up for maybe £2. I just sit and do this while watching a video on YouTube, like a documentary that lasts for about 45 minutes. I like having something to occupy my hands and it's quite relaxing. So I enjoy the documentary, I'm entertained, I learn stuff, I relax and I have a nice sharp exacto knife for projects later!

 

[MildredHubble]

I learned a bit more of Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits. It's just something I keep noodling about with when I pick up the new guitar my girlfriend got me for Christmas. A rather nice and also super thrifty guitar.

I found that once you start to get into it it's mostly double stops really and a bit of liveliness up and down the neck that can land you in the "cowboy area" to change it up a bit. I wish I wasn't so rusty as I would be really good at it by now. My right arm just ain't what it used to be. But the Squier Mustang is nice and light with a short scale neck so it's quite comfortable to play.

EDIT: Here is a pic so you know what I'm waffling on about! I added the racing stripe as, well it's a Mustang!

 

[Mr. Stevens]

I hate driving.

 

[Rodafina]

I learned that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the guy who can't run fast.

It seems like the one guy might be in need of a jet pack.

 

[Luca]

Learned that the American Kennel Club has changed the breed standard of the German Shorthaired Pointer to include black dogs and dogs with mostly white or patched coats, in addition to liver dogs and liver roan dogs.
Some of you know that dog coat colors and patterns are one of my areas of study.

This is another fantastic step the AKC is taking to be more inclusive of "odd" colors and coat patterns in dogs that are different from what you typically see.

(Not to be confused with the type of Pointer I have, which is an "English" Pointer or "Field" Pointer.)

 

[Luca]

I already know this, but here is something for everyone else to learn!

Can't find a better chart anywhere on the Internet, so this will have to do...
These are coat colors and patterns found in the ENGLISH Pointer.

Pictured: orange and white, lemon and white, liver and white, and black and white.
Tricolor, solid orange, solid lemon, and solid liver. Solid black is not pictured here for some reason but they do come in solid black as well.

The AKC standard for Pointers states that "No Pointer can be a bad color" and all colors and combinations are permitted in the show ring.

The main difference between orange and lemon dogs (besides the genes that make those colors) is that lemon dogs have a brown or self-colored nose, and orange dogs have a black nose. Orange dogs have black pigment and lemon dogs have self-colored or flesh-colored pigment. Orange and lemon dogs both come in a variety of shades of tan, but orange dogs still have a predominant black gene, and lemon dogs are actually a recessive of liver.
Enzo is a lemon and white Pointer. A solid lemon English Pointer would slightly resemble a Vizsla to someone who is not familiar with the breed.

Pointer colors are determined by two genes, typically referred to as the "B" gene and the "E" gene.

Black: B_E_

Orange: B_ee

Liver: bbE_

Lemon: bbee

The B gene is the "black pigment" gene. A black dog could be BBEE, BbEE, BBEe, or BbEe; an orange dog can be BBee or Bbee; a liver dog can be bbEE or bbEe, but a lemon dog can only be bbee.

*Fun fact about me is that I prefer the coloration of dogs with ee genes. My favorite Border collie color is ee red which is also referred to as true red or Australian red.

But I will emphasize that if you are going to breed dogs, never breed only based on color. The color shouldn't matter as much as the overall health, structural quality, and soundness of temperament of the puppies.

And the most ironic thing about this is that I am a Dogo Argentino breeder and my breed only comes in solid white with occasional black markings. Lol
Dogo Argentino genes will have to be a lesson for another day.

Hope this was interesting and not just a ramble. I do tend to infodump but hopefully that is acceptable in this thread!