macosupdates

9 Septiembre 2010

How to Build Your Own Padded Floor for Bouldering or Climbing?

Archivado en: Boulder — Etiquetas:, , — microenglish @ 17:42


Image : http://www.flickr.com

Why do you need a Padded Floor?

Rock Climbing? Bouldering? And what is the purpose and use of padded floor for these activities?

I think you got that in your head… SAFETY! What else can it be? And this article act as a guide to build your own padded floor for whatever reasons other than climbing or bouldering.

Before we start

Note: The end products can be mixed and matched to offer the right amount of thickness and overall landing zone area to meet your custom needs.

Recommended: Portable Landing Zone Mats (sometimes called crash pads or bouldering mats) are constructed with durable 18 oz. heavy coated vinyl. Breather fabric is located around three sides. Zippers make foam replacement a snap, while handles allow for easy handling.

A top layer of 1 3/8″ cross-linked polyethylene is bonded to a layer of high impact foam for a total thickness of either 4″ or 6″. The polyethylene provides a firm landing surface while the high impact foam bottom layer provides cushioned support.

Portable landing zone mats can be custom designed to your specifications for width, length, and total thickness. While a non-folding configuration is standard, it can also be made them in a folding mat style upon request.

Raw Foam Products

1. Polyurethane Foam (various sizes and thickness)

2. Bonded Foam (various sizes and thickness)

3. Polyethylene (rolls of 6′ x 42′ x –1.4″ or 2″ thick)

4.Proethylene Foam (sheets 4′ x 6′ — 2″ or 4″ thick)

5. Proethylene Foam (sheets 4′ x 8′ — 3″ or 6″ thick)T

he end product combines 18 ounce low pile plush carpet laminated to cross-linked polyethylene foam. This would be an ideal top layer for your custom permanent floor. Example will be Pro X Flooring comes in rolls that are 6′ x 42′ with three different thicknesses to choose from.

More information about bouldering padded floor can be found http://www.promats.com/product_climbing.html

Learn, Share and Climb http://bouldering-guide.blogspot.com/

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8 Septiembre 2010

Going to Las Vegas? Visit Hoover Dam

Archivado en: Boulder — Etiquetas:, — microenglish @ 13:17


Image : http://www.flickr.com

Hoover Dam is a marvel of construction – impressive and powerful, and it is the reason why Las Vegas can enjoy all the pleasures that Lake Mead has to offer. It would be a shame to come to Las Vegas and miss the chance to see Hoover Dam and enjoy life on the lake. This article gives some basic facts about Hoover Dam and tells you how to get there from Las Vegas.

Where is Hoover Dam? From Las Vegas, head south and east on US Route 93 (“The Boulder Highway”) Depending on traffic, you should be in Boulder in about 30 minutes, plus or minus. Boulder was the town created during the Depression for the construction workers, and it is right next to the dam itself. Public transportation goes there, too, and there is lots of parking.

The Colorado River snakes its way out of the Rocky Mountains and eventually comes far enough south to act as the border between a portion of southeastern Nevada and southwestern Arizona. Here the river runs through “Black Canyon,” and the dam was built at the southern outlet of this passageway.

Size of the Dam and the Lake. At 726 feet (221 meters), the drop from the top of the dam to the bottom of the river bed on the south side is roughly the size of a 75-story building. The span at the top is 1,244 feet (380 meters) across, and 45 feet (14 meters) thick. At the bottom, the dam is over 660 feet (200 meters) thick! Approximately 29 million acre-feet of water are held back by the dam, forming Lake Meade, which is 110-miles (177 km) long.

More Facts about Hoover Dam. You can visit the dam itself and take a tour. Hoover Dam is officially a National Park. Ten million tourists come each year. The tour shows you how the dam is built and how it works. You can see the enormous, six-story tall diversion tunnels for the current, and the turbines, which generate 2 megawatts of power daily. Water passes over them at 85 miles per hour. The visitor’s center (on the Nevada side) is comfortable and offers food and a gift shop.

Lake Mead has several different communities around its shore from which boating, hiking, camping and other excursions are possible. The lake itself is home for many recreational boaters and house-boaters. Water skiing and jet skis are permitted.

The dam started out as the “Boulder Dam,” but by Act of Congress was re-named in honor of Herbert Hoover, who so tirelessly promoted the Boulder Dam project as Secretary of Commerce in the Harding Administration. His main accomplishment was to obtain agreement from the various states about how the water and power would be apportioned among them. By the time construction began, Hoover was President of the United States. The project was completed two years ahead of schedule, in 1935. The art deco decorative touches were the last step of the process. It took years for Lake Mead to fill up. The lake is named after Elwood Mead, who oversaw the dam’s construction.

Benjamin Hughes writes for Vegas365.com, the authoritative source of information about Las Vegas, from hotels to restaurants, nightlife, gambling and many other activities. To get in touch with him, and for more information about Las Vegas, visit the following link: Las Vegas and go to the “contact us” page.

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6 Septiembre 2010

An Introduction to The Art of Bouldering

Archivado en: Boulder — Etiquetas:, — microenglish @ 13:18


Image : http://www.flickr.com

Bouldering is a kind of rock climbing which involves relatively short climbing distances made without a rope and without any special climbing equipment. While people climbing the face of a boulder are generally only going up a few meters, the surfaces that they climb are chosen for being particularly difficult to scale. In the United Kingdom, the routes that people use to climb on boulder faces are usually called “problems”, because it takes some thought to solve the problem of how to get to the top.

Generally the only piece of safety equipment that one will use for climbing a boulder will be a large thick pad on the ground below. This is called a crash pad – in addition, when someone is climbing on a boulder they usually have people below them on the ground who can reposition the crash pad to catch the person in the event of a fall. Most boulder climbs are also in the range of three to five meters, making it very unlikely that a fall onto the pad will result in any kind of damage.

While it is possible to climb many boulder faces without any kind of equipment at all, most climbers make use of a few basic items, such as climbing shoes, sports tape, and loose chalk which is kept in a bag on one’s belt and used to get a better grip going up. Boulder climbers may also make use of a brush to help them clean the places where they need to get a grip. All in all, however, the gear used is minimal and the only piece of really essential equipment for bouldering is a crash pad for safety’s sake.

The most popular place in the world to travel for bouldering is Fontainebleau, to the south east of Paris, France. The Fontainebleau system and the John Sherman V-Grade system are the two systems for rating the difficulty of bouldering ascents. The sport of bouldering continues to develop, and more and more difficult climbs are being located all over the world, with the most difficult one on the John Sherman V-Grade system being the Wheel of Life in the Grampians of Australia. While bouldering was originally just seen as a training method for rock climbers during the Victorian era of mountain climbing, the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century began to see the related skill sets of rock climbing, ice climbing and bouldering split off from being thought of only as necessary parts of mountain climbing and were pursued more in their own right as sports with their own specific challenges and focuses.

If Fontainebleau is too far to go for bouldering, there are also great locations to engage in the sport in Texas, California, Georgia, Alabama, and many countries such as New Zealand and South Africa. An increasing number of gyms are also making boulder classes available, so even if you live in an urban area far from a suitable climbing location you should be able to start trying it out and see how you like bouldering!

Chris Haycock is an information publisher, one of whose many hobbies is climbing. With recurring knee problems, including one replacement, making it no longer possible to physically climb, he spends a lot of time researching resources to help other climbers. For details of one amazing resource, go to http://www.climbingknowledge.com

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4 Septiembre 2010

Spiritual Resistance – Boulders in a Farmer’s Field Analogy

Archivado en: Boulder — Etiquetas:, , , , — microenglish @ 7:46


Image : http://www.flickr.com

I have an analogy that I like to use to describe resistance in my spiritual life. As a child I spent my summers with my grandparents who were farmers in northern Minnesota. I was always surprised that one job that occurred yearly was the picking of boulders from the fields; it never seemed to end. Over the years, the piles of stones grew larger and larger, but at a slower rate.

What I didn’t understand at that time was that with the changing of the seasons and the accompanying freezing and thawing, expanding and contracting, of the water in the soil, the dirt loosened and the stones would eventually work their way to the surface. While tending the fields, my grandfather had two choices when he encountered boulders; he could leave the stones in place and continue to plow, plant, and weed and reap around them. This was the chosen course if time was limited or if the boulder was too large or too firmly embedded to move without extra assistance. However, expediency comes with a price; leaving the obstacles in place made the field pattern very chaotic, caused inefficiencies and complicated the harvest. My grandfather’s second option when he discovered a boulder was to stop what he was doing and remove the boulder from the field. Initially, it was more time consuming than letting it remain in place, but subsequently, addressing the obstacle upon discovery allowed for easier plowing, planting, weeding and reaping, yielding a greater harvest.

I have found this to mirror my own spiritual life where the stones are various obstacles of resistance. At times I prefer to ignore what seem like overwhelming boulders. This usually results in chaotic avoidance patterns and is an enormous drain on my energy. Sometimes I just am not ready to let go of the boulder and face the hole that the removal would leave. Occasionally, I need the help of my spiritual companions to hold the tension with me as I unearth the source of my restlessness. At other times I am able to face and address the obstacles once I recognize the objects as resistance. Just naming and owning them has been a great help to tackling the stones. I am discovering that as my spiritual journey plays out, I uncover hidden obstacles less often and that I have developed more tools for easier removal.

I have also found that over the seasons of my life the types of spiritual resistance that I encounter have changed as well. I used to wrestle with God on doubt, trust and a fear of being loved. These normally showed up in the form of restlessness in prayer and an inability to sit with interior silence; when I am avoiding something I have a difficult time just sitting and being open and receptive to God’s presence. It was in this anxious and restless state that I was most likely to pick up a spiritual book and read about another person’s prayer experience, which always seemed more interesting than my own. Through my reading, I would end up getting a vicarious spiritual high and it would allow me to gloss over my own uncomfortable areas. These were precisely the times that I needed to put the books down and sit alone with God and face my own resistance.

Surprisingly, at this point in time, I struggle less with doubt and trust. My current resistance triggers deal with integrating my intuitive understanding of “the big picture” and my cultural background and training. This wrestling and avoidance appears in the form of a non–stop monologue with God during centering prayer and a desire to cut my prayer times short using a laundry list of mundane errands for excuses. Over all however, the boulders seem smaller and are less intimidating. I have grown into the confidence that even if I cannot dislodge them immediately, they will be removed when I am ready, and that it is OK to bring them along with me and sit with them in God’s presence.

For more information, please visit Companions for the Silent Journey at http://www.silentjourney.org and see one of our blogs at http://carolynssilentjourney.blogspot.com

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2 Septiembre 2010

Would You Like to Try Scuba Diving? Some Swimming Lessons Will Be in Order

Archivado en: Boulder — Etiquetas:, , — microenglish @ 21:46


Image : http://www.flickr.com

If you live in or near Boulder, Colorado and have never been scuba diving before, you will need to get some instructions in how scuba diving is done before you head out. For this purpose you will want some swim lessons. Boulder potential divers have many options for swim lessons starting out with beginners classes and possibly working up to become a professional diving instructor.

You will first want to start out with some introductory scuba swimming lessons. Boulder residents can enjoy a short intro course where the equipment is provided for you and you can give it a try in a safe swimming pool under an instructor’s supervision during the sim lessons. Boulder, CO children as young as five years old may take introductory classes to give a little safe exposure to being in water.

Children that are eight or nine years old can sign up for more introductory swim lessons. Boulder parents can give their kids lessons that allow them to go pool diving with an instructor. Boy scout and girl scout troups can also participate in swi lessons. Boulder troups can take part in classes that enhance their knowledge about diving and then provide them with introductory water skills training during the swimming lessons. Boulder children can also enjoy other activities during swim lessons. Boulder swimmers can, for example, also take introductory snorkeling classes as long as they have basic swimming skills already.

There are also classes available for adult swim lessons. Boulder beginning scuba divers may want to take open water swimming lessons. Boulder students will want to take a class with a low student to teacher ratio during the wim lessons. Boulder dive instructors will give you training in proper diving techniques, so that you will be ready for further education.

If it has been a while since your last dive, you can also take refresher course swimming lessons. Boulder divers will find classes that will review dive skills and emergency procedures so that you will be ready for your next diving trip.

More advanced divers will enjoy continuing education swim lessons. Boulder, CO instructors are ready to train you in a variety of areas during swim lessons. Boulder, CO divers can learn about advanced open water technique, emergency first response, rescue diving, equipment specialization, and several areas of specialty diving during their swimming lessons. Boulder, CO enthusiasts can train to become digital underwater photographers or videographers, or can learn about dry suit diving while taking swimming lessons. Boulder, CO instructors can also take you pro, so that you can become a divemaster, an assistant instructor or a master scuba diver trainer, among other areas covered during swim lessons boulder co dive instructors can offer all this, so contact a diving school today for more information.

Wayne Hemrick writes about–Swimming Lessons for scuba diving.

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30 Agosto 2010

Alternative Energy

Archivado en: Boulder — Etiquetas:, — microenglish @ 4:17


Image : http://www.flickr.com

Let’s start first by talking about 2 different categories of alternative energy.

The first is Renewable Energy. Renewable can be defined as energy that does not deplete natural resources. You may have heard the “cradle to cradle” analogy. Simply put it is reusable. Solar Power, Wind Power, Geothermal and Biomass are all forms of renewable energy, and they are alternatives.

The sun comes up most every day. The wind blows a good portion of the time. More in some places than others. Geothermal is right below our feet, and biomass is usable trash that otherwise clogs up our landfills.

These are the most talked about renewable energy forms. Solar has been used by the US government to operate satellites since the 1960s. Wind power has been used in the Midwest US farms since the 1920s.A geothermal system was first patented in 1912. Biomass is gaining in popularity. So it is not like these are secret technologies being pioneered in our time.

They are being perfected though and that is the thing to be aware of. The efficiency of these systems improve while the costs to buy them are coming down.

Now let’s talk about the other Alternative Energy Sources. First is Hydro Power. The US has about 2,000 operating plants. Boulder Dam was built back in 1936 and the name was changed to Hoover Dam in honor of Herbert Hoover. It was the largest at the time. Nine years later the Grand Coulee dam was completed. Although bigger than Hoover Dam it now ranks 38th in the world. The current largest dam in the world is the Three Gorges Dam in china.

Nuclear energy is probably the most debated source of alternative energy.One side points out that it is a highly efficient means of generating electricity.It’s emits Carbon Dioxide which is good for plant life. The other side sites the accidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island as being good reason to stay away from nuclear. Also the radioactive waste that can stay in the ground if buried for over a thousand years. In it’s defense safety issues are in place and nuclear plants still in operation appear to be safer than ever.

It is up to us to make wise decisions going forward so that our children can pass along a clean environment to their children. The buck stops here with us. Knowledge is power and what we do with this power will determine the quality of life for future generations. We can not stand blindly by and watch our world natural resources being depleted at record rates. There are Alternative Energy Resources.

Some of us are already working in these fields. Green Jobs are on the rise. Solar and Wind power installers. You can get online training for all sorts of things. Are you thinking of a career?

How about becoming a Certified Energy Auditor? This course takes home inspection to a new level. You can get training online. You can become a certified solar installer as well. Remember Knowledge is Power!

Dave has been involved in the Renewable Energy industry since 1981. His site offers information on many issues relating to Alternative Energy. You can visit the site here: http://www.alternative-energy-sources-info.com

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22 Agosto 2010

The Ontonagon Boulder – A Copper Country Legend

Archivado en: Boulder — Etiquetas:, , , , — microenglish @ 6:50


Image : http://www.flickr.com

As the Glaciers receded from the lands of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, they left behind a great boulder of pure native copper. On a branch of the Ontonagon river thirty-five miles from the mouth, it rested in the waters guarded by 50 foot cliffs and cascading waters untraversable by boat. To get to the boulder meant crossing harsh terrains of several hundred foot peaks and marshy canyons. The boulder rested there for thousands of years, held sacred by local Indian tribes who felt it a glorious gift from the gods.

As the early settlers caught bits of tales of the boulder, explorers would from time to time set off to find it. Those that did brought back stories of the boulder, but due to its location and size, none could move it. The first stories about the boulder held that it was five tons. One early explorer was able to chip a one hundred pound piece from the boulder. Whether many were able to do this despite the hardness of the rock, whether the stories had been exaggerated, or maybe a for a bit of both reasons, the boulder, when finally pried from it’s resting place, in actuality weighed 3,708 pounds.

There are several stories of how the boulder was eventually won. The one with the most evidence of truth is one of the most colorful stories of Michigan’s Copper Rush era.

When negotiations with the Indians were started in 1826, the Government commissioned a party to take the boulder, thinking that their negotiations would be successful. Neither the negotiations nor the recovery party were, but word about the expedition spread rapidly.

Julius Eldred, a merchant from Detroit, came into wind of the stories of the great boulder and grew obsessed with obtaining it for himself. He was not interested in it for the value of the metal, but had visions of making his fortune by putting the boulder on public exhibition. His vision eventually led him to search out the boulder with Samuel Ashmen, a justice of the peace from the Northern Michigan territory who understood the local Indian cultures and language. Julius, with the help of his companion, was able to make purchase of the boulder from the Indians for $45.00 up front and $105.00 worth of goods when Eldred’s crew had the boulder in their possession. Eldred then proceeded back home to gather up the manpower and supplies he would need to bring the boulder home.

Early in 1843 Eldred went back with full gear to retrieve the boulder. He did not realize that Colonel Hammond, of the Plattville, Wisconsin territory was also on the way with a party of men to retrieve the boulder. Little did either of these parties know that the Secretary of State had issued a Colonel White the first exploring permits issued when the purchase from the Indians of the Keweenaw Peninsula area had been signed at about the same time that year.

When White’s party reached the boulder they found Hammond’s party already there. After a bit of a ruckus, White sold his permit to Hammond’s company for an undisclosed sum. Arriving at the boulder with specialized equipment and a full and ready crew of workers, Eldred was surprised to find his boulder being guarded by Hammond’s troops. Of course a purchase from the Indians held no merit against a government permit. Once again Eldred was forced to negotiate a price for possession of the boulder. Hammond, with Eldred’s check for $1,365.00, took his troops and left Eldred and his men to retrieve the prize.

They had to hoist the nearly two ton boulder up the 50 foot cliff, and place it on a flat car the crew had built for it. Then they cleared a four and a half mile track of road over the rough terrain. They laid down 25 feet of railroad track to slide the cart. A second section of track was placed in front of it and as the cart was rolled to the end, the track behind was picked up and placed in front. This also meant anchoring the cart while the tracks were picked up and put down. How long this effort took, there is no record of, but it is said that raising the boulder from the river to the top of the cliff alone took over a week. At the main stream, the boulder was floated on a raft to the mouth of the river where they were once again met by Colonel Hammond himself.

Hammond had been to Detroit where he had tried to cash Eldred’s check, but it had not been honored. He demanded the boulder back. Eldred was forced to leave the boulder and go with the Colonel to cash the check. Afterwards, Eldred arranged for a schooner from Copper Harbor to transport the prize. He arrived in Copper Harbor only to find General Cunningham there with orders to seize the boulder in the name of the United States Government. His permit was completely unconsidered. Cunningham had been directed to reimburse Eldred $700.00 for the rock. Being understanding that this was a pittance that did not begin to cover Eldred’s expenses, he agreed to allow Eldred to take the boulder back to Detroit, pending an adjustment in the reimbursement by the war department.

Finally Eldred and the schooner reached the mouth of the Ontonagon river again to find his boulder waiting on the raft. So was Chief Okondoken. Once the Chief’s goods were delivered to him, the boulder was on it’s way back to Detroit with a very weary Julius Eldred. Arriving in Detroit on October 11, 1843, Eldred wasted no time in putting the boulder into an exhibition hall where he charged the public a quarter a head to see the now quite famous rock. His problems now seemed a fortune for the publicity it gave his venture.

The boulder was seized from Eldred by the War Department on November 9th. He was allowed to go with the agents to deliver the boulder personally to it’s resting place on display in the yard of the War Department. Julius Eldred was later reimbursed $5,664.98 for the boulder by Congress.

How large the boulder was when the Glaciers left it in it’s protective resting spot and how many copper hunters chipped away at it over the thousands of years will remain forever a mystery.

Today the Ontonagon Boulder rests at the Natural History building of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, holding within it a quiet testimony to the vibrant histories and legends of the early explorers and prospectors during the settlement of Michigan and the Copper Rush era.

© 2007 Sally Taylor You don’t have to be Indiana Jones to find gemstones and fossils or prospect for gold and artifacts. Come on over to http://www.rockhoundstation1.com and learn how easy it is to turn those dull weekends into a life of adventure.

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17 Agosto 2010

Crocs Shoes Rock!

Archivado en: Boulder — microenglish @ 10:14


Image : http://www.flickr.com

From a small office in Boulder Colorado, nobody knew how Crocs came to be as big a hit as it is today. Imagine…..Crocs shoes were intended and designed, initially, for boating excursions and outdoor activities. One of the primary reasons why Crocs hit the right note with consumers in the United States when they were first introduced in 2002 was the fact that they’re made of a never-before-heard-of material that made it completely non-slip! As the market caught on and more and more people began liking Crocs and showing them off to their friends and family, Crocs literally flew off the shelves and they became one of the fastest-growing consumer products in the world!

Crocs did not have a huge marketing campaign and the company relied heavily on their satisfied customers to help their company grow. Yes, with only a small marketing campaign, the growth and popularity of Crocs shoes was ‘accidental’ because word spread via word of mouth. People bought it, liked it, talked about it and sang beautiful songs about the wonders of wearing these shoes. Others bought it, loved it and recommended Crocs to THEIR friends and family. And this is how Crocs grew. If you’ve never worn a Crocs before, you will fall in love with its lightweight plastic barely-there feel! When it was first manufactured in Quebec Canada, the first model of non-marking shoes sold out time and time again every time they reproduced each model. Soon, Crocs became more than just outdoor shoes or slip-ons…..they became a fashion fad!

Why, you must be asking, are these shoes so popular….to an extent that people are comparing notes on which Crocs shoes is better, which color is a better shade, which design is the latest…etc? Weighing in at barely 6 ounces, Crocs shoes are popular because of the comfort it provides the owner and it’s also popular because of its unique designs and vibrant colors.

From a practical point of view, owning one pair of Crocs shoes is more than enough. After all, this is the kind of footwear that is meant to last for a long time to come! But even with a long lifespan, more and more people are snapping them up as soon as new models are released. As said, Crocs is a growing fashion fad and from the looks of it, this fad isn’t about to die off so soon.

In fact, some consumers have gone as far as to say that owning a pair of Crocs is not at all unlike owning a pair of really good Nike. You will have trouble stopping just at one.

Extreme Footwear.com is an online retailer who specializes in Crocs Shoes. With over 20 different styles and free shipping on all orders, they are your one stop Crocs shop.

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14 Agosto 2010

Crystal Opal Jewelry

Archivado en: Boulder — Etiquetas:, — microenglish @ 22:17


Image : http://www.flickr.com

It would be difficult to dispute that opals display colour unlike any other gemstone ever found. A very good gem quality opal such as a harlequin which is a specific pattern in opal has no peer in the colour stakes.

You have minerals and other gemstones which display swirling patterns of colour and sometimes two or three different colours but nothing like opal. An opal can display a full spectrum of dazzling colours which change as you turn the stone around, change again as you move it into different light and then you can pick it up and look straight through it as if it had no colour at all. I challenge you to tell me what other gemstone on this planet can match that?

What I am referring to here is my favorite opal called crystal opal. It is the kind of stone which mesmerizes you and you want to just pick it up and turn it around and show someone else its magic.

If you put a piece of crystal opal on a white surface it will often just look like a piece of clear glass. But as you move it on to other darker surfaces the colour starts to play, and play it certainly does.

Crystal opal is found in Coober Pedy, White Cliffs, Lightning Ridge and perhaps even in Queensland boulder country. The best that I have ever seen comes from Coober Pedy.

Crystal opal makes exceptionally good doublets and triplets. Glued to a piece of black potch which is common opal, crystal throws magnificent colour patterns.

Another big use for crystal opal is for making inlay jewellery. This is where a piece of jewelry is made with a well or recess in which one or more pieces of opal are cut to the shape of the well and then glued into it. Later when the glue hardens it is ground flush with the metal surface and then actually polished along with the metal.

Inlay has that wonderful quality of the opal appearing to be one piece with the gold setting rather than being held in by claws or a metal bezel. The bottom of the metal is painted black and the colour of the crystal comes out best of all. Sometimes I make inlay and do not paint the metal and I glue the stone in place with a clear resin. The gold then shines through the opal colours and makes an exotic array of gold and blue or red or whatever colours the opal displays to us.

Some crystal is even faceted like diamonds and rubies. This is usually reserved for the poorer quality crystal as it has an effect which will enhance a poor quality stone, but you wouldn’t want to facet a top quality crystal opal they are much too pretty for that.

Gary Hocking makes jewelry to order in Australia specializing in Australian opals. He will make that special piece for you wherever you are in the world. He has his own website http://www.jewelleryexpress.com.au You may copy and redistribute this article as long as you keep his bio and live website link.

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12 Agosto 2010

Hypertufa Climbing Wall – Do You Want to Build One?

Archivado en: Boulder — Etiquetas:, — microenglish @ 1:43


Image : http://www.flickr.com

I got this email today…

Hi,

please advise me, I’d like to make a rock climbing huge boulder w/ climbing holds for children to practice and play climbing…will hypertufa be the answer? how do I do this?

thanks for any help u can offer

I thought it would make a good subject for an article.

Here is my reply…

Thanks for asking:

I don’t think I would use Tufa for what you are doing. It is a bit soft and crumbly if you get the mix wrong. You don’t want anyone to have a handhold break off.

Go with concrete. It will be a big job.

I would go to a couple of places where they have them and ask how it was done. I have never done anything like it and would not like to give advice that may be wrong.

Del

To elaborate on this a little I will add that I went to a local store where I had seen them setting up a climbing wall on the weekend.

I had been wondering how they made it. The paint was still wet when I got there and I asked one of the guys what the wall was made of.

It was spray on foam over a plywood base. The handholds where steel, they come pre-made and are screwed on. They foam guy builds up around them and they use templates to show where to put the high and low spots.

These things are a work of art; they take 4 guys about 2 days to set up on average. Once they are done they come back and do repairs and maintain them every day. They last about 3-4 weeks and then are taken down and destroyed so that no one can get hurt playing on them.

They cost about $8 – 10000.00 including the daily maintenance. Foam and plywood makes sense, it keeps the wall light and easy to move. The foam is a special blend that gets a thick hard skin on it when it sets. This makes it more realistic and of course durable.

Now you know as much as me.

Nice day on the Bay! I went fishing once. The fish I caught told me to go home and start a Blog! He said fish taste awfull, throw me back and spend some time Blogging. Beware the Dreaded Theet O Vac! You can help Mankind overcome the Thetan problem that Ron L. Hubbard devoted over 35 years of his life to. Think about it. “decimus nusiri diegg” (Beware the Dreaded Theet O Vac!)

DelsMolds

Yukon5

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