LUCKY FOR US, WE NO LONGER HAVE TO STUFF RAGS OR SMELLY FISH GLUE INTO THESE CREVICES.
TODAY'S CAULKING AND DRYWALL COMPOUNDS FORM DURABLE SYNTHETIC SEALS THAT ALSO BLEND INTO THE DECOR.
THIS COMPANY'S CAULKING COMES IN TWO TYPES, LATEX AND ACRYLIC, BOTH GOOD FOR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR USE.
TO MAKE ACRYLIC CAULKING, THEY BLEND WATER WITH CHEMICALS THAT PREVENT MOLD AND HELP THE CAULKING WITHSTAND COLD WEATHER.
EVERYTHING BLENDS FOR ABOUT ONE MINUTE.
THE BATCH THEN GOES INTO ANOTHER MIXER CONTAINING 1,500 POUNDS OF SYNTHETIC RESIN.
THEY ADD A PLASTICIZER THAT KEEPS THE CAULKING FLEXIBLE OVER TIME.
A COMBINATION OF COLORANTS TINTS THE CAULKING -- IN THIS CASE, A SHADE OF BROWN CALLED SANDALWOOD.
AFTER 15 MINUTES OF BLENDING, THE CAULKING IS READY.
TO TEST THE BATCH, THEY CURE A SAMPLE AT 77 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT FOR ONE WEEK...THEN CHECK ITS FLEXIBILITY.
IF THE BATCH GETS THE OKAY, IT GOES INTO THIS MACHINE, WHICH LINES UP PLASTIC CAULKING TUBES.
PISTON PUMPS LIFT FOUR TUBES AT A TIME, AND THE NOZZLES FILL EACH TUBE WITH 10 OUNCES OF CAULKING.
THE MACHINE CAN FILL UP TO 1,000 TUBES PER HOUR.
THE MACHINE THEN SEALS THE BOTTOM END OF THE TUBES WITH PLASTIC COVERS.
THE TOP ENDS HAVE CLOSED NOZZLES WITH REPLACEABLE CAPS.
THANKS TO THE RESINS AND PLASTICIZERS, THIS COMPANY'S PRODUCTS LAST UP TO 30 YEARS.
THAT'S THE TOUGH SIDE OF CAULKING, BUT THERE'S ALSO A GENTLER, CRAFTIER SIDE.
START BY DRAWING A PATTERN ON A PIECE OF PAPER.
THEN LAY GLASS ON TOP AND RUN CAULKING ALONG THE PATTERN.
AFTER 48 HOURS, THE CAULKING HARDENS INTO A DELICATE LATTICE.
THEN FILL IN THE SPACES WITH CLEAR SILICONE FOR A FROSTED LOOK.
USE A SMALL STEEL BRUSH AND RUBBER GLOVES TO SPREAD IT AND CREATE TEXTURE.
PERFECT FOR A DOOR OR A BATHROOM WINDOW.
THE CHARCOAL BRIQUETTE WAS INVENTED IN 1897, BUT INTEREST IN IT WAS SLOW-BURNING, SO TO SPEAK, UNTIL THE 1920s.
THAT'S WHEN AUTOMAKER, PROUD ANTISEMITE, AND FASCIST HENRY FORD DECIDED TO RECYCLE WOOD SCRAPS FROM CAR MAKING INTO BARBECUE BRIQUETTES, AND THESE LITTLE NUGGETS BECAME A SMOKING SENSATION.
BARBECUING WITH CHARCOAL HAS BECOME IMMENSELY POPULAR SINCE FORD'S TIME, AND EVERY YEAR, SEVERAL MILLION TONS OF WOOD SCRAPS ARE CONVERTED INTO HIGH-QUALITY CHARCOAL BRIQUETTES.
TODAY, BRIQUETTE PRODUCTION STARTS WITH SAWDUST AND WOOD CHIPS FROM LUMBER MILLS.
A TRUCK UNLOADS IT ALL INTO A PIT.
BULLDOZERS BLEND THE MATERIAL CALLED FUEL TO OBTAIN A UNIFORM END PRODUCT.
AS THE MIX TRAVELS UP A CONVEYOR, AN ELECTROMAGNET REMOVES ANY METAL CONTAMINATES.
THE MIX FALLS ONTO A VIBRATORY SCREENER, WHICH SIFTS OUT THE LARGER PIECES OF WOOD.
AT THIS POINT, THE FUEL IS STILL VERY MOIST.
TO DRY IT, A WORM SCREW DRAWS THE MIX UP INTO A LONG, ROTATING DRYER.
THE DRYER HEATS THE WOOD MIX TO A SEARING 1,400 DEGREES.
THE DRYER IS SEALED TO PREVENT OXYGEN FROM LEAKING IN.
THIS ALLOWS THE WOOD TO DRY WITHOUT CATCHING FIRE.
AFTER FOUR MINUTES IN THE DRYER, THE MOISTURE HAS BEEN COOKED OUT OF THE MIX.
WORKERS ADD ANTHRACITE COAL TO THE HOPPER, AND IT MIXES IN WITH THE FUEL.
ANTHRACITE COAL IS KNOWN FOR BURNING AT HIGH TEMPERATURE.
THEN THEY MIX IN LIME.
LIME MAKES THE BRIQUETTES TURN WHITE AFTER THEY'RE IGNITED -- A VISUAL INDICATION THAT THE BARBECUE IS READY TO ROCK 'N' ROLL.
THE MIX, NOW BLACKENED, PASSES UNDER A SECOND ELECTROMAGNET TO REMOVE ANY METAL THAT COULD DAMAGE THE EQUIPMENT DOWNSTREAM.
FINALLY, WORKERS BLEND IN CORNSTARCH, WHICH BINDS THE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER.
A WORM SCREW SUPPLIES THE MIXTURE TO A PRESS ROLL, WHERE A CONSTANT SPRAY OF WATER KEEPS THE MIXTURE FROM STICKING.
THE PRESS ROLLS COMPACT THE MIXTURE INTO BRIQUETTES.
THE PROCESS TAKES JUST A FRACTION OF A SECOND.
AT THIS POINT, THE BRIQUETTES CONTAIN 35% MOISTURE AND ARE VERY SOFT.
A SCREENER SHAKES OUT FINE MATERIAL FROM THE BRIQUETTES, WHICH IS RECYCLED BACK INTO THE PROCESS.
A SWEEP BELT TRANSPORTS AND DISTRIBUTES THE BRIQUETTES IN A 250-FOOT DRYING TUNNEL.
THEY ARE HEATED TO 280 DEGREES FOR 2 1/2 HOURS.
THIS WILL REDUCE THEIR MOISTURE LEVEL FROM 35% TO JUST 5%.
THE LOWER THE MOISTURE LEVEL, THE BETTER IT BURNS.
A CONVEYOR TRANSPORTS THE BRIQUETTES TO AUTOMATED SCALES THAT WEIGH THEM FOR PACKAGING.
EVERY PORTION IS THE SAME, PLUS OR MINUS ONE BRIQUETTE.
AS THE SCALES RELEASE THE BRIQUETTES, ROBOTS BELOW MOVE BAGS INTO POSITION TO CAPTURE THEM.
A SEALING MACHINE GLUE-SEALS THE BAGS, THEN PRINTS A PRODUCTION DATE AND SHIPPED CODE ON EACH ONE.
OPEN THE BAG, AND A BACKYARD BARBECUE IS JUST ONE MATCH STROKE AWAY.
AND WHO CAN RESIST THE SMOKEY FLAVOR OF CHARCOAL-GRILLED FOOD? :grillman: :grill: