May is National Home Improvement Month!
The occasion lands on the calendar right about the same time that the weather is supposed be clearing up (still waiting on that part…) and we Oregonians can turn our attention to more than just trying to keep our homes from floating away or succumbing to layers of house-eating-moss.
Whatever home improvement project you decide to pursue this spring, 3D will be there to provide support when you need it.
Check out the list below of our past posts on remodeling and DIY projects, and keep an eye out for lots of articles and tips as we celebrate National Home Improvement Month! Read more…
Kirlian Photography
As I research nice normal topics like lightning and static electricity, I sometimes accidentally stumble upon slightly… weirder… things. (Case in point. And another.) And of course, I need to share the weirdness with you. The topic this month is Kirlian photography. On its own it isn’t that weird- it’s a form of photography (surprise) that uses electricity. It’s actually a type of photogram, also known as a contact print, which is a photo taken without a camera by placing objects directly on light-sensitive paper and exposing them to light. In this case the surface on which the object is placed is exposed to electricity. The process was accidentally discovered by Russian inventor Semyon Davidovich Kirlian, thus the title. Read more…
Monthly Roundup
In our monthly roundup we share all of the links about electricity, energy, home improvement, and the construction industry at large that we found particularly interesting over the past month. Enjoy, and feel free to leave your impressions or your own favorite links in the comments section!
Electrical Safety: What You Should Know About Backup Power Systems (via Mike Holt): What are your options for restoring power when bad weather knocks it out?
Would You Pay $60 for a Light Bulb? (via Fox 12): What makes the bulb special is that it shines as bright as a 60-watt bulb, yet uses only 10 watts of power. If it’s used four hours a day, the bulb saves about $8 per year in electricity costs and is expected to last 20 years.
May is National Home Improvement Month! (via Burgin Construction) Some tips from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry on how to plan ahead for your home remodel.
Electricity in Nature: Plasma
What is it?
Plasma is a word that can be used to define the liquid in which your blood cells are suspended, the “whey” in curds and whey, a green variety of quartz, or, for our purposes, a highly ionized gas that contains an (approximately) equal number of protons and electrons. Plasma is commonly considered the fourth state of matter, apart from solids, liquids, and gases. Read more…
Electricity in Nature: Static Electricity
It’s a cold, dry day and your hair just won’t lay flat. You pull your sweater out of the dryer and it seems to have been consumed by socks.You shuffle across the floor and lean down to pet the cat, and the next thing you know he’s clawing your legs to shreds because you shocked him. You know… static electricity is kind of a jerk!
Static electricity refers to the buildup of an electric charge on an object. The charge stays put (static) until it either gradually seeps to ground, or is quickly neutralized by a discharge. Read more…
3 Things You May Not Know About Your Old House
It’s charming, it’s quaint, it’s a house fire waiting to happen. Wait, what?Are you the proud owner of an old home? For our purposes let’s say an ‘old home’ is anything built before 1970 (no, that doesn’t mean I’m calling you old. Please don’t hurt me…). You were probably quick to make sure that the paint in your home is lead-free and asbestos is absent from the pipes and insulation, but there is still a lot more to your old house than meets the eye. For example: Read more…
Electricity in Nature: Electrical Animals
Today’s Electricity in Nature post is about those most enigmatic of creatures, electrical animals!
The majority of animals that use electricity as a means of defense or electrolocation are found underwater, with a few exceptions such as the oriental hornet: Read more…
Before and After: Wiring
The before and after of a good wiring job may not sound too exciting, but these photos tell a pretty interesting story!
This job was done by Gary Skou and J Brubaker. Read more…
Electricity in Nature: Piezoelectricity
Piezoelectricity. Until recently, to this writer it had been nothing but a funny word I had never heard of. Now, I know that it’s a cool natural electrical phenomenon. With a funny name. Read more…
Electricity in Nature: Lightning
Welcome to the first of what will be a five-part series on Electricity in Nature! Today’s topic is lightning.
We’re all familiar with lightning, though some of us are more afraid of it than others (but not me… no sirree, I’m not scared…), but there is still so much to learn about this incredible natural phenomenon. For example, do you know: Read more…
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