Metal Casting Zone Info Blog

Posts Tagged ‘United States’

The venerable firm of Mackenzie & Harris, established in 1915, is the oldest and largest type foundry for letterpress printers in the United States. Also known as M & H Type, it offers traditional lead typecasting and Monotype composition as well as hot metal fonts. This tour, part of an A&E Open Book show, takes viewers through the foundry and into the pressroom of Arion Press where the type is impressed into paper. The tour features an interview with Lewis Mitchell, who has been casting type at M & H for over 50 years. This is part two of the show; the first part can be viewed at: www.youtube.com For more information about M & H Type see: www.arionpress.com

The venerable firm of Mackenzie & Harris, established in 1915, is the oldest and largest type foundry for letterpress printers in the United States. Also known as M & H Type, it offers traditional lead typecasting and Monotype composition as well as hot metal fonts. This tour, part of an A&E Open Book show, takes viewers through the foundry and into the pressroom of Arion Press where the type is impressed into paper. The tour features an interview with Lewis Mitchell, who has been casting type at M & H for over 50 years. This is part two of the show; the first part can be viewed at: www.youtube.com For more information about M & H Type see: www.arionpress.com

Collecting diecast vehicles consists of acquiring specific items based on your particular interests, such as airplanes, cars, trains, ship models, etc. Although some people just accumulate them, this is a passionate hobby for most folks, in which the genuine collector organizes carefully those items to catalog them and proudly display them. The depth and breadth of every collection is as unique as every collector is, and they are the ones that determine if a collection will focus on a specific subtopic within their area of general interests or if they only want to accumulate determined items. As an example, a collector may collect diecast vehicles trying to accumulate any or all of them, while another individual could prefer collecting only a model, brand or marquee.

Diecast vehicles and toys are an example of a collection that is never-ending. When you start collecting these vehicles it is like traveling back in time until the early decades of the 20th century when manufacturers such as Tootsie Toys in the United States, or Dinky Toys in the United Kingdom first produced the first diecast toys. Because the term “diecast” refers to any product produced using the casting method, the first models on the market were small cars or vans without plastic windows.

Over time, the vehicles were made of plastic and metal, more commonly an alloy of zinc and aluminum, including not only cars but also scale models of airplanes and trains, although automobiles are still the favorites among all of them. With more than 50 popular brands including Altaya, Bandai, Brooklin, CMC, Dragon Wings, Exoto, Guisval, Ixo, Jada, Johnny Ligntning, Kyosho, Lledo, Matchbox, Minichamps, Norev, Plasticos Argentinos, Racing Champions, RCCA, Revell, Tekno, Tomica, UT Models, Vitesse, and the popular Hot Wheels introduced by Mattel, among others.

Like with other popular collecting fields, diecast collecting has specialized commercial dealers that trade vehicles and related accessories. In fact, many individuals start collecting cars as a hobby to become dealers at a later date, either turning this hobby into a profession, or as a means to get extremely rare vehicles for their own collections, while they help other collectors in their pursuit of showcase-model cars. In the United Kingdom, there are teams specialized in visiting small and larger toy fairs to acquire incredible cars, in good conditions from Dinky Toys and Corgi, the main British collectibles companies. Dinky Toys was first introduced in early 1934 by Meccano Ltd of Liverpool, England, presenting a new line of modeled miniatures, as diecast vehicles were first known.

Corgi Toys began producing scale model cars until July 1956 under the supervision of Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. in Swansea, Wales, along with Dinky Toys, and the American Tootsie Toys, which is one of the most wanted brands of collectors worldwide. However, there are many other popular manufacturers from the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, etc.

Rarely a diecast collector completes a collection because new models of cars are always available, and collecting never stops, you can always expand or start an entirely new collection in a subtopic, such as cars, then sport cars, vans, etc. From Hot Wheels to Matchbox and from Bandai to Tomica, including all the other brands, diecasts models include popular automobile marques. Packard, MG, Morris, Hillman, Austin, Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Citroen, Opel, Triumph, Talbot, Gwynne, Vauxhall, Reliant, Singer, Bristol, Wolseley, Innocenti, Healey, Siddeley, BSA, Darracq, Crossley, Jowett, Frazer Nash, Northern, Renault, Ford, Chrysler, and the classics Jaguar, Mercedes Benz and Rolls Royce, just to name a few.

Broadening a collection is not that hard, even when focusing on a single marquee, because there are different models from the twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, etc. Hence, every diecast Collector has a world of possibilities when gathering diecast models from almost any period of time as early as models from 1885, when the first automobile driven by internal combustion was introduced by German inventor Karl Friedrich Benz, to actual models in modern car showcases.

Diecast vehicles come in various scales, the most popular ranging from 1:28 to 1:64 scale, although many collectors prefer focusing their collections on the 1:43 and 1:50 scales. Diecast toys were originally designed for children, but the collecting boom started during the 1950′s when grown children stated to keep their cars instead of throwing them away and adults discovered them as valuable collectible items.

There is computer software that is made just for collecting diecast vehicles. Anyone who has a small or large diecast vehicle collection can easily keep track of what vehicle they have, the color, condition, cost, value, scale and lots of other info for each record (vehicle). This is the most easiest to use software of it’s kind, and it is made 100% for diecast collecting. The software is described in detail and you can download a free demo version of it at this website address:

http://www.rb59.com/diecast

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2006

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter or on your website as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Jewelry-makers should learn terminology of basic jewelry-making components and techniques to work effectively with friends, customers and suppliers.

Jewelry toggles make up one category of many different jewelry closures for handmade artisan jewelry, mass-market costume jewelry and fine jewelry.  While toggle clasps definitely fasten jewelry, they can also enhance jewelry appearance.

What is a jewelry toggle?

A jewelry toggle is a set of two pieces: a jewelry loop and a jewelry stick.  The jewelry loop is attached to one end of your unfinished jewelry; the jewelry stick attaches to the other end.  The jewelry stick gets pushed through the jewelry loop, then turned so it rests longways against the loop, gravity holding the two components in place.  A skin-tight jewelry piece without any slack will not last long — this style closure is made to have some slack.

Toggle clasps come with a bit more risk than lobster claw clasps.  However, many jewelry fans seem to regard jewelry toggles as more fashionable than lobster claw clasps.  Jewelry closed with toggles may fall off the body if they are made with too much slack; sometimes the toggles may come undone when the tension on the jewelry is relaxed.

Fancy toggles will often be used at the front of a necklace as a visual centerpiece — especially fancy shaped toggles or toggles with addition decorations.

Jewelry toggles come in many different shapes:  round, oval, square, diamond, heart-shaped, floral, stirrup, etc.

Toggle Mechanics

A toggle is most secure when it cannot easily slip back through the loop accidentally.  The widest opening of the toggle loop must still be smaller than the shortest distance from your anchor point (often a ring soldered on or cast midway a metal toggle stick) to the end of the stick.    The toggle loop must also be big enough to accommodate the smallest beads on the end attached to the toggle stick.  The stick must be pulled through the loop before it can be turned to rest against the toggle loop.  Many jewelry pieces with toggle clasps will have beads graduated in size from the larger beads at the center, where they are most visible, to the smaller beads at both ends.  Toggles that are light with respect to the center beads will shift to the top as a bracelet rotates due to gravity.  A heavy toggle will help a bracelet to hang comfortably, with the toggle loop underneath the wrist.

Fastening Toggles

In pieces made with jewelry chain, you may see chain end caps soldered onto the chain and toggles connected with link locks or soldered jump rings.  Unsoldered chain pieces will often use open jump rings, split rings or link locks.  Jewelry designers will usually fasten toggles to bead wire projects using flattened crimps.  Some designers favor clam shells or bead tips to make the transition to the jewelry closures for bead wire projects and fiber projects such as knotted silk jewelry.  Inexpensive leather or fiber pieces may be knotted directly onto the toggle pieces with overhand knots.

Toggle Materials

Your “stick” may be as simple as a button with a shank used with a loop of seed beads on bead wire.  Your loop may be quite fancy, with “expandable” toggles of several rings attached together.   The rings on both the toggle loop and toggle stick should be firmly attached.  Toggle sticks with spiral patterns seem to be susceptible to bending more than many other designs.

Toggle in the United States will often be made of one of the following materials:

Platinum Palladium Gold Gold-Filled Silver: Thai silver, sterling silver (.925 silver) Titanium Surgical Steel Brass, usually plated with gold, silver, copper, antique copper, antique brass, gunmetal/black nickel and imitation rhodium Wood Stone

Many of these materials are available in different surface textures: shiny, matte, brushed, etc.  Crystals, cubic zirconia and gemstones may decorate toggles of the more expensive metals.

The jewelry designer’s unique sense of design and style will define the jewelry aesthetics and the the possible toggles for a jewelry piece.  Fortunately, toggles are available in a wide range of prices, shapes and materials.

People all over the country have different hobbies. Some people collect model trains, some people collect books, baseball cards, movies, music, or bobble heads. One of the most popular hobbies around today is the collection of die cast cars. Die cast cars are popular because not only can the person with the hobby build the model that they have purchased but they can put that model in a glass case and display it at their house or office. They could also construct the model, frame it, and then sell it for a tiny profit.

Many people collect die cast cars as a hobby and enjoy attending model car shows where you can purchase old models and new model kits to work on. The die casting method is the use of metal and plastic. The metal that is used is zamak, which is an alloy of zinc and aluminum. Die cast toys come in scale models of fire trucks, police cars, airplanes, construction equipment, trains, buses, trucks, automobiles, and motorcycles.

These scale models can be assembled by the person purchasing them or can be purchased already assembled and ready for display. The fun part of the hobby is purchasing the kit and then assembling the model when you get home. You can build the car, paint it and then set it out for display. The die cast toy industry began in the 1940s in the United States and has grown in popularity ever since. Some of the most popular cars in the die cast world are Matchbox cars. Matchbox cars are incredibly small models of cars that kids enjoy playing with or collecting on a daily basis. One line of Matchbox cars, the 1-75, was named 1-75 because there are always 75 different vehicles in the line. Each car was packaged in its own box and the box looked like it was small enough to hold matches, hence the name Matchbox cars.

Mattel first introduced the Hot Wheels brand in 1968 because of the complaints that there were no toys for boys being produced by the company. Mattel is also famous for their Barbie doll collection for girls. Die cast cars became so popular that McDonald’s, Sears Roebuck, Kodak, and Texaco asked toy makers to make vehicles with their business name and likeness on them for advertising purposes and to sell to collectors in their popular stores.

Along with collecting die cast cars, manufacturing companies also produce racetracks, toy restaurants and toy filling stations for children to play with while using their model cars. The racetracks have become increasingly realistic over the years, with cars being electronically driven on the tracks by the players as well as being propelled from the starting line in a pin-ball like manner. Aside from the cars and the accessories, companies also provide carry cases for people to put their die cast cars in when traveling. So, if you are going on a family vacation and your son or daughter wants to bring their cars with them, the carry case can hold their cars perfectly.

For coin collectors seeking the Silver Buffalo Coin, getting a coin in excellent condition is of the utmost importance. A commemorative Silver Buffalo Coin was created in 2001 which consists of approximately 90 percent pure silver. The commemorative coin is a replica of the original Buffalo Nickel first created by James Earle Fraser and cast between 1913 and 1938. On the front of the Buffalo nickel appeared the profile of a Native American and on the back a standing buffalo is visible. The same design appears on the commemorative coins created in 2001.

The commemorative Silver Buffalo Coin is fully endorsed and backed by the United States Mint. It is possible for buyers come across counterfeits of 2001 Silver Buffalo Coin in the market. One will find on genuine coins that the backside of the coin is inscribed with the words “IN GOD WE TRUST,” just beneath the words “United States of America.” The latter text is arched above the buffalo on the back of the coin. Just beneath the buffalo’s head on the coin, the words “E Plubribus Unum,” the Latin phrase meaning “Out of Many, One” appears. The latter words are indicative of genuine commemorative coins as such an inscription is not inscribed on replications.

On a genuine Silver Buffalo Coin, coin collectors can also easily spot the specific denomination just below the buffalo on the obverse side of the coin which should clearly read “One Dollar.” Replications may display the words “giant buffalo proof” where the denomination amount appears on genuine coins. In addition, just below the denomination indicator on the obverse side of the coin, one will find the letter “P” which is an indicator of what mint cast the Silver Buffalo coin as well as the letter “F” which is indicative of the coin’s original designer. The uncirculated version of silver Buffalo coin is minted in Denver, CO, with a “D” Mint Mark inscribed on the coin instead. Another clear clue that the coin is genuine is the fact that on the front side of the coin on the lower left is the engraved year: “2001.”

Careful examination of the Silver Buffalo Coin will give a coin collector a solid idea about what he or she is buying. It is easy to separate all of the replicas from the originals when one knows what to look for. Understanding the identifying markers will help the coin collector ensure he or she is getting a genuine coin in every instance. You can also subject it to the magnet test. A silver coin won’t be attracted to the magnet, but a fake steel coin would.

For more tips of collecting Silver Buffalo Coin, I recommend you checking out Buffalo coin for Sale. It is a specialized Buffalo Gold Coin for Sale site, offering a great selection of American gold Buffalo coins, silver Buffalo and Buffalo Nickels for sale. This website makes finding your dream American Buffalo Coin a million times easier. Be sure to try this website before you buy.