Over the last few months it seems the vundo virus has made a big comeback. I run a Trojan Vundo Removal site and have seen a big uptick in traffic over the last two months. This site is not all that old but still the traffic has doubled.
For all of those infected with Vundo you already know how bad the pop-ups and re-directs can be. The sad truth out there is most antivirus programs put little more then a dent in this. That is not to say you are up a creek with out a paddle but chances are you are going to have to fork over a bucks to get this removed. There is an online computer repair company we found over at this computer repair site. This is a US based company that removes viruses and spyware online for a very reasonable price. They also feature a no fix no fee guarantee so if they can not solve your issue you do not pay a cent. This is a very sound way to get your computer repaired.
If you are looking for a do it yourself method then you may want to check out this rvirtumonde removal software page.This page is nice because is provides a list of software that does work to remove Vundo.
If you are infected with Vundo then that is not the only spyware program installed on your computer. Most people who are infected also have the Zlob trojan and Smitfraud as well as a fake security product that shows bogus scan results.No free antivrus client out there will protect your computer, that is why you should consider purchasing protection. The ones to use for vundo are Spybot search and destroy and Smitfraudfix. Both are easy to use and can help out.
Friday, October 3, 2008
The Vundo virus stikes again
Getting Creative with Nintendo Wii
The number one reason why people buy a Nintendo Wii is so that they can play various video games on it. However, there are many different things you can do with this home gaming console that go well beyond that. If you are considering buying one or already have one you should know about them. That way you can get the most benefit from the money you invest in this particular product.
other than playing video games accessing the internet can be a useful thing to do. You can use the Wiimote to do this or you can invest in a keyboard that plugs into the USB port. While you are on the Internet Channel you can create your own games. Once you have created them you can play them on the gaming console. this can be a blast. It can also be a way for children to be very proud of themselves when their family is enjoying a game that they created.
Each Nintendo Wii comes with a sixteen digit code. This is what you will share with others who you want to join games with online. it's safe for all ages to do. You aren’t exchanging personal information that can let someone know who you are or where you live. That sixteen digit number is attached to your gaming console and not to anything about the owner or where it is located at.
You can also watch various movies and TV programs that are found on the internet. Including videos from sites like youtube. people are able to stream music from itunes on their Wii. This isn’t something that Nintendo set up but that consumers have figured out on their own. A simple search on-line should produce the step by step instructions, if you wanted to do this.
Many users of the Wii want to have their customized Mii just perfect. So you can spend a great deal of time creating and modifying them until you are very satisfied with the outcome. Nintendo even offers some contests where you can enter yours against other peoples. Looking at the entries can help you come up with some great ideas for your own Mii as well.
plus you can use your Wii to get into shape. There are plenty of interactive games now where you can get your body moving. Most of them are sports related including track, basketball, and boxing. you can also get into shape via yoga and strenght training. You will forget your working out because of all the fun your having.
There are many things you can do with your Nintendo Wii instead of playing video games. at times you will want to do that, but there is so much more to it. The future gaming console will also have the ability to offer playing DVD’s and Blu-Ray. This means you can use it to watch movies as well. a great way to just kick back and enjoy playing.
Most people will agree that just for a home gaming console the Nintendo Wii is very affordable. However, when they realize all the other cool features offered the low cost is even more amazing. If you are only using your Nintendo Wii right now to play video games on then you are really missing out.
Anything you need help with you can find out about online. If you can't get the informationfrom other console owners then contact customer support. As long as the feature you are attempting to access is one that Nintendo has designated and approved they will be able to assist you.
Download iPhone Music – How To Download Music To iPhone
The iPhone is the hottest technology gadget this year with millions of units sold in North America alone. Those who have iPhone are loading their new toy with iPhone music downloads. With a huge capacity, the iPhone is capable of holding more songs than you can listen to. Here are a few tips when you want to download iPhone music online.
1. Free iPhone Download Sites Or Paid iPhone Download Sites
There is nothing wrong with downloading free iPhone music actually. I mean who doesn’t want free iphone music? But the problem is most of these free iphone download sites are nothing more than spyware/virus hosting sites. They are infested with spyware and viruses imposing as iphone music files. They have huge banners and almost unstoppable popups very few seconds.
It can be very difficult to download iphone music from these sites. Paid iPhone download sites such as itunes often charge anyway from $0.99 to $1.99 per song download. Needless to say, it can cost a lot of money in the long run.
Alternatively, there are a few sites that offers unlimited iphone music downloads for a one time fee. These are more worthwhile as you can download unlimited iphone music for lifetime access.
2. Fast Downloading Speeds
You should find a site that offers fast downloading speeds. Each iphone music file is usually around 3 to 4 MB in size and on a fast download server should take only a couple of seconds.
3. Download Variety
The site should offer huge iphone media library for all music genres from classical to rock etc. I have seen some iphone download sites offering iphone movies, tv shows, games and other stuff all for a one time price.
4. Easy Navigation
The site should also be easy to navigate and find the music you want instantly. Unprofessional iphone download sites are ugly to look at and make it seem impossible to find the files you want. At the minimum, the interface should have a search button to easily locate the files you want.
5. After Sales Support
It is important you find a site that offers support should you need it. There are a few websites that offers 24/7 hours support via email, phone and instant messaging. I certainly hate to wait hours just so someone can answer my technical questions.
Discover the best iphone site to download iphone music. Learn where you can download iphone music for free and have unlimited iphone downloads.
Enjoy Your Spare Time With The Sega Bass Fishing Game
Bass fishing games are nothing new to the arcade game market. Sega Bass Fishing has long been regarded as one of the best. Originating in the 1990s, millions of people have played the game. The makers of the Nintendo Wii have come up with a new version that is now considered one of the best bass tournament games that money can buy. Many players find that it is so realistic it conjures up fishing memories from their childhood.
The bass fishing game for the Nintendo Wii is rated E for everyone, and has several different modes, including arcade, practice, tournament and nature modes. Practice mode helps improve the player's skill at the game, which will better prepare the player for tournament mode. Bass tournament mode allows the player to fish in ten different bodies of water, and allows the player to compete in a fishing competition.
Arcade mode is basically an original version of the game. Nature mode allows the player to casually fish in a body of water, without a time limit or any other restrictions. Whatever mode of play you choose, this game can be quite fun and offers several hours of fishing "play." The different modes of play add to the charm of the game and will keep you from becoming bored.
The controls for Sega Bass Fishing are quite simple and fun. Casting the fishing reel is as simple as flinging the Wiimote. Once the fishing line is in the water, the player is able to wiggle the Wiimote around, although this really serves no purpose. The player is able to reel in the line at any time, using the nunchuk. As an alternate, the buttons on the Wiimote will also reel in the line. As the players reel in more fish, more fishing tackle will become unlocked and available for use. One the user has hooked a fish, an onscreen gauge will help determine the tension of the fishing line. Fish can be reeled in by making a reeling motion with the nunchuk. If the player does not reel in the fish properly, then there is a chance that the line will break, or the fish will get away.
If you have a Nintendo Wii, then you must think about purchasing the Sega Bass Fishing game. It is a much more advanced version of the older games. The graphics are much better than the older versions as well, and the ambiance is great. While there is no plot to it, the game is still very fun. Playing the Wii version of this game will surely help you to remember the fishing games that used to be in the arcades.
Get The Best Deal With A Desktop Computer Package
Buying a Desktop Computer Package
A desktop computer package is the most cost effective method of finding the best desktop computer deals. The buyer will get everything needed which usually includes the tower, the monitor, keyboard, and mouse and sometimes even a free printer.
Regardless of the desktop computer package, there are many different factors a buyer needs to think about to ensure they make the right purchase. After all, there are so many different brands, features, and components that sometimes narrowing choices down can be complicated and overwhelming. The following are some helpful tips when buying a desktop computer package.
Desktop Packages
It is important to find the right custom desktop computers for your specific needs. Windows and the Mac offer great deals. Macintosh seems to be less susceptible to viruses but Windows is more compatible with the most commonly used software currently on the market.
The Tower
The CPU inside the tower is one the most critical choices you will have to make when putting together your desktop computer bundle. The Central Processing Unit will determine the speed with which your computer will process commands.
Memory
RAM which is the computer systems read access memory is one of the major components of a computer. Having more memory will increase the performance of the computer. Memory enables information to be transferred between the hard drive and program functions.
Hard Drive Performance
The rpm speed and access times affect the hard drive performance. A starting configuration would be approximately 160gb. If you are planning to store a lot of media files a larger hard drive would be a better choice.
The Computer Screen
The computer screens that are included in the best desktop computer deals today are typically a flat screen monitor. The size of the monitor would depend upon your needs. If you are working on detailed graphics a larger monitor would be ideal.
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
Finally, the bundled package would likely come with a keyboard and mouse. In most cases, these are the basic types that work fine but of course, the consumer can always upgrade to something wireless or an ergonomic choice. There is even an optical mouse, which works great but without an annoying roller ball.
Get more infomation on desktop and laptop computers visit Cheapest Laptop
Thursday, October 2, 2008
How Different Internet Connections Work And The Potential Problems
The internet is made up of a worldwide network of computers; this can make navigating the internet difficult. Data sharing worldwide is possible through these different internet connections. Many feel that the best resource globally is the internet. This resource offers both business and pleasure opportunities. Different internet connections that are presently available make organization, communication, and research easier.
We will now learn about the different internet connections that are available. There are many options available, three of the most popular, which are available through the phone lines are: cable, traditional dial-up, and DSL.
As modern technology advances there has been an increase in demand for the wireless varieties of internet connection. With all the different internet connections available, the wireless options are now becoming very popular.
Wireless fidelity or Wi-Fi as the wireless internet is known, allows connecting to a network without being limited to a certain location. Wi-Fi is available in public locations, such as libraries, cafes and many hotels offer this service. Verizon and Sprint also offer wireless network as a long range service.
Of all the assorted internet Connection Set Ups, the wireless option is by far the easiest to set-up. Even people who are not technology "nerds" could understand this technology. It is as easy as going to the computer’s Start menu and click on the Control Panel. This is where the Network and Internet connections options are found. All of the different internet connections available can be managed from here. Next step is to go to network and sharing center, then make sure that you select network option. This allows you to manage internet connections from all wireless sources.
Now that you are in the proper menu, you will see the "Show All" option, click on it and then hit the refresh button. The active network connection that you want to log on to is located here. Choose the option that allows you to connect automatically if you plan on regularly connecting to this network. By checking this option, your computer will be able to find different internet connections and the proper one.
Troubleshooting will be required if you are unable to locate a network. You will first need to find the connect to a network window, next click on network or Set Up a connection. Then click on manually connect to a wireless network, press next. At this time you need to insert the security features and the network’s name.
Problems with Different Internet Connections
Remember if you experience any problems logging in to your wireless internet connection, contacting the service provider is strongly recommended. They will guide you step by step and solve your problem to accessing your internet connection. In General the wireless option may be the best choice of all of the different kinds of internet connections.
Looking At The Portable Mp3 Player Comparison
portable mp3 player comparison
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When you are finally to the point that you are highly active in the market for looking for a good and decent mp3 player, there are a lot of things that you are going to want to look into. It is important to make sure that you are spending your money on something worth while so that you are not just basically throwing your money out of the window on a piece of junk. Whether you are looking at the waterproof mp3 player or just your regular run of the mill mp3 player, you will want to go over the portable mp3 player comparison so that you can have as much information as possible.
The portable mp3 player comparison is the best way to get a good idea of what all is out there so that you are not making a bad purchasing decision. Take advantage of all of the information that the portable mp3 player comparison has to offer you. By looking through it and reading over everything you will be able to make the best decision possible and maybe even save yourself a good bit of money. By purchasing only what you really need you save yourself not only time and money but also a lot of frustration, which is not something that anybody wants.
Finding The Comparisons To Look Over
When you begin your search for a portable mp3 player comparison it is important to know exactly where you should be looking so that you are not wasting any time. The best place to find a portable mp3 player comparison is on the Internet as the web is packed full of valuable information on electronics such as the mp3 player. By doing a quick search you are bound to find several sites that can offer you a portable mp3 player comparison to look over and learn from.
Other then the Internet, the only other place you may find a portable mp3 player comparison is going to be in different electronic magazines and catalogs. These are also some great places to find some excellent information to help you with all of your purchasing needs and questions. There is no doubting that there is a lot to learn when it comes to the mp3 players but with enough research you will be able to have a lot of knowledge in the subject matter. In the end you will finally have the right mp3 player for you that suits your personal needs and interests.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
How To Solve Your Xbox 360 Problems
Have you encountered the dreaded three red lights? Is so then you have Xbox 360 problems. In order to fix your xbox 360, you should consider performing xbox 360 troubleshooting to determine what the problem is. As you will see, xbox 360 repair can be done personally and in the convenience of your own home. You don´t have to send it off the Microsoft xbox 360 repair center.
For a successful Xbox 360 repair it is important to make sure your system is clean and is getting proper airflow. When you are done doing this, make sure the xbox 360 is located where it has access to cool fresh air. A bad place for your xbox 360 is inside of a multimedia unit where it will not have good access to air flow.
If that does not work and you are feeling more adventurous, you can disassemble your xbox 360 and further inspect it for damage. However, you should be aware that this form of xbox 360 repair will void your warranty. The top plate is like the bottom plate except it has three tabs which hold the plate.
When the top plate is removed, the final step is to remove the plate located opposite the top plate. Remove the six screws and the xbox 360 is now disassembled.
To stop the overheating keep the Xbox out of a display cabinet as it needs room to breathe. This will stop your Xbox from overheating and crashing in the first place. I have seen many people give this advice, but it is only a short term solution at best for a few hours more playing time and the unit will eventually overheat again.
If not, put the hard drive back in and your Xbox should now be working fine. Of course you could not bother with any of the above and send your Xbox 360 back to Microsoft. I have heard horror stories of people sending their units to support and receiving their units back months later that have the same problem.
If you want to risk being without your Xbox and you still have your warranty then send it back, however if you can´t wait that long then give these Xbox 360 troubleshooting tips a try.
Be aware that if they go wrong you could ruin your Xbox and lose your warranty so be cautious when following these tips.
Daniel Lesser is an avid player and researcher of everything to do with the xbox 360 including xbox 360 repairs and runs a successful website dedicated to debunking xbox 360 repair myths for the benefit of the consumer.
Lotro Guide
For the dedicated game player there are many Lotro guides which they can use to help in the game play. These can be found in many places although some of the best Lotro guides are at Lotro Mastery at http://www.lotromastery.com.
To find other guides, it's just a simple matter of doing a quick search on the internet for Lotro guides and choosing a few which look promising. You can even continue to do this until you find the sites which satisfy your Lord of the Rings Online needs.
A guide is also what is called a walkthrough and to find more on the subject all you need to do is to do a search for this as you would for a Lotro guide. They will ultimately yield up the same or similar results.
Lotro guides are good in that they can help you find your way through the many quests, lands and towns of Middle Earth without putting you to too much trouble. These are not in the way of cheats or exploits as they only help you through the various parts of the game.
They are in effect, detailed descriptions of how to get through certain portions of Lotro, and they have been compiled by other gamers such as yourself.
You will find Lotro guides for just about everything that you can think of, with the most popular being that of how to get gold. If you look, just about everywhere you will find that there are references to obtaining lotro gold.
With a Lotro guide however, you can go about these in a legitimate manner without having to resort to hacks and cheats. Lotro guides can also help you to level up faster as you can by taking advantage of the other gamers experience and knowledge of Lord Of The Rings Online.
If you spend even just a little time away from the game and pay attention to some of the Lotro guides you will find that you can progress far easier through your quests than if you went into them ignorant of what lay ahead of you. Then again, that is part of the fun, being able to explore the game on your own.
World Of Warcraft Strategy Guide
If youíre one of those people who are super organized and who wonít move a pencil out of place on their desks, then there ís a good chance that you would prefer to go through the World of Warcraft game with a good sound World of Warcraft strategy guide at your fingertips.
Unfortunately to actually do this you need first to go through the game. Which kind of defeats the purpose, if you go to think about it.
However, help is at hand in the form of guides and walk throughs which have been compiled by other people who have already gone through World of Warcraft themselves.
You will normally be able to find one or two guides which can help you to build up your very own World of Warcraft strategy guide to help you through the game. You will want to think first about where you want to go and how you want to go about it.
For instance, many of the existing World of Warcraft strategy guides involves the strategy of getting as much gold as you can, because you guessed it, gold pieces make the World of Warcraft of go around at a much smoother pace than if you didnít have as much gold to your name.
You will also be able to find out which are the best quests to take, and which ones will give you the most trouble. With a World of Warcraft strategy guide with you as you go through the lands of Warcraft you will also be able to find the best spots for fishing (yes, you read that correctly!), and the best spots for mining.
You will also find at hand, little details like the fact that some objects in bodies of water donít actually turn up on your personal map, until youíre actually in these bodies of water!
You can also use the expertise of these other people with their own World of Warcraft strategy guide, to help you build up your own one where you can also add more information which these guides might not have contained.
The proper use of a World of Warcraft guide will also help you to pass through the levels faster, meaning that you level up at a faster. This means that you wonít be stuck endlessly at level 10 or 15 grinding away.
And the best part of these World of Warcraft strategy guides is that they are not cheating nor do they use hacks. Instead they rely on the experience of the user writing them to help you through the various levels.
World Of Warcraft Guides
For the dedicated game player there are many World of Warcraft guides which they can use to help in the game play. These can be found in many places although one of the best World of Warcraft guides, called World Of Warcraft Mastery, can be found at http://www.wowmasteryguide.com.
This website contain pretty good World of Warcraft guides and you will find that they are very informative as well. This site aside you will also find that you have a staggering number of other websites to choose from if youíre interested in finding World of Warcraft guides.
Itís just a simple matter of doing a quick search on the internet for World of Warcraft guides and choosing a few which look promising. You can even continue to do this until you find the sites which satisfy your World of Warcraft needs.
A guide is also what is called a walkthrough and to find more on the subject all you need to do is to do a search for this as you would for World of Warcraft guides. They will ultimately yield up the same or similar results.
World of Warcraft guides are good in that they can help you find your way through the many quests, lands and towns of Warcraft without putting you to too much trouble. These are not in the way of cheats or exploits as they only help you through the various parts of the game.
They are in effect, detailed descriptions of how to get through certain portions of World of Warcraft, and they have been compiled by other gamers such as yourself.
You will find World of Warcraft guides for just about everything that you can think of, with the most popular being that of how to get gold. If you look, just about everywhere you will find that there are references to obtaining gold.
With the World of Warcraft guides however, you can go about these in a legitimate manner without having to resort to hacks and cheats. World of Warcraft guides can also help you to level up faster as you can by taking advantage of the other gamersí experience and knowledge of the World of Warcraft.
If you spend even just a little time away from the game and pay attention to some of the World of Warcraft guides you will find that you can progress far easier through your quests than if you went into them ignorant of what lay ahead of you. Then again, that is part of the fun, being able to explore the game on your own.
Beat Your Friends - Get An Instant Level 80 Death Knight
World of Warcraft has a knack for pulling players in and not letting go. Due to an ultimate treasure of abilities, weapons, skills, spells and gear found in game, there's plenty to keep any gamer busy for quite awhile.
Game developers understand the importance of providing continuous extended content to online multiplayer games because they count on players' monthly subscription fees. So to keep the fans happy, game developers offer extended game content in the form of expansion packs, "special" editions to the game of WoW that are purchased separately but played in conjunction with the original game.
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is set to be the second expansion for the game, and purchasing the package allows gamers to buy death knight capabilities. The death knight class is a classic class first introduced in the original World of Warcraft games, and it is the only new hero class planned for the new expansion.
More than just another secondary class, buying death knight capabilities means opening a whole new world. Expect more than a new class but also new dungeons, weapons, spells and quest lines among other game content.
A series of quests must be completed before players can roam freely with their new characters. But these quests will help players learn how to use their death knights and how to master the power of the class, an essential tutorial that will convince more players to buy death knight capabilities.
For those looking for new adventure, buying death knight capabilities through the purchase of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, is worth every penny considering the amount of new content promising to offer hours and hours of new game play
Stop wasting your time leveling when you could wow account today. Also check out our warrior leveling build site.
How To Get Free PSP Game Downloads
Seen in the market for some time, the PSP has clearly outsmarted every other product in the same genre and emerged as a winning hand held video game. You would successfully download free PSP games for your hand held device provided you find these free downloads which can be a daunting task. In your search, there are usually three preferences which you can have:
Your first step towards accomplishing your mission is to simply type 'download free PSP games' in your chosen search engine. Look at the sites which are giving you options of free PSP game downloads. You know that you have found the right site for free PSP game downloads when you notice the inviting banner ads and you get deluged with pop ups. You click and soon your free PSP games downloading starts and never seems to end and after 3 days or more you would finally access your free download of PSP games, at the risk of your computer seething with spyware and adware. Though the PSP game download reached you free, but this does not seem to be a very feasible option.
Well this next option doesn't really involve free PSP game downloads at all. There are some sites which would declare that they are providing free PSP game downloads, but wait till you try to download. There are hardly any freebies in the free PSP game download as you not only pay for the download but you pay regular monthly membership too. So when you look at the words free PSP game download, remember that you are not paying anything for the PSP game per se but you have to pay for the download as well as monthly membership fee.
No need to feel sorry, I have good news for you. There are actually reliable PSP games download sites from where you could download free PSP games at lightning speed and no spyware please. These free PSP game download sites would enable you to also download some other PSP items like free movie downloads, music, themes and wallpapers. So what is the down side of this option? You have to pay a one-time membership free to enter. Now we're not talking about anything too serious here and for under you can get access to unlimited free PSP downloads. Here you just pay the one time fee and stop worrying about download charges or any subsequent monthly fees. This is by far your best option if you want to download free PSP games.
Plasma TV Prices - Staying Alert As They Stop Like a Rock
The initial plasma television to hit the consumer market was the 42 inch version, having a nice beefy price tag of roughly $12,000. At the time the technology was still very new an on the cutting edge and while LCD TV sets have been giving flat screen, enhanced color television pictures for many years, they were still limited in their size to about 32 inches. When other producers started to getting into the competition for a share of this up and coming market of plasma TV's, then prices started to decline.
It is quite normal to see any type of newer technology that is first introduced to be priced very high, while the manufacturer is hoping to quickly get back some of it's development costs and by being the first to the market with a new technological toy for the grown ups and kids alike, they have the ability to make up a good amount of their initial investment. Nevertheless, the manufactures of LCD's were not just staying idle when watching the plasma TV prices end up at the higher end of the technology charts.
As manufactures of LCD monitors, who at the time held a very tight reign on the smaller television and computer monitor market started to develop improved manufacturing technologies giving them the ability of making larger monitors, plasma TV prices began to drop even quicker, in part due to added competition and also because of less expensive manufacturing methods.
Not Every Plasma Is Created Equal
Even in the face of falling prices for TV's, you will still find some inequality within the plasma TV market itself. Consumers might also end up confused when they notice a big difference between two major plasma TV prices, in the belief that all plasma television sets are high definition. Primarily this is not the situation and the difference can be substantial which is dependent on the quality of the manufacturer.
You will find that there are in reality two technologies that are used in the resolution of plasma televisions, one kind is the true high definition and the other is what is known as enhanced definition.
For the individuals that have a plasma television which is enhanced definition, the quality of the picture likely will not be noticeable when viewing broadcasts that are not in a format that is high definition. What they will notice is a big difference in the plasma TV prices for those particular units.
High definition, which is defined in the industry as having a height of 720 pixels in width, might also result in a difference in plasma TV prices for those that have a width of 1040 up to 1365 pixels. The bigger monitors will typically have a wider count in pixels for a true high definition resolution reception of broadcasts that are high definition.
While images that are high definition on a monitor that that are broadcast in high definition are noticeably better, a monitor that is high definition cannot make an image of lesser quality look any better. Even with prices being higher on plasma TV's on some units, provided that the unit is sub-par, so will be the picture of quality.
To learn more go to Plasma Tv Reviews and at Plasma Tv Entertainment Centers
Learn About Making Molds for Metal Casting
Casting molds are an essential part of the metal casting process as it will be used to shape the final result. Nearly all metal casting methods will use some type of mold. The standard mold will consist of a cope and drag that when together is called a flask. The mold itself can be constructed of several materials depending upon the Metal Casting method.
Most molds will be made from latex, fiberglass, sand, and even metal. Sand molds are the most popular since Sand Casting is commonly used in small home foundries. In Permanent Mold Casting, the mold is created from metal. Most molds can be used over and over again, but not all of them. Certainly the metal molds can be used multiple times without loosing any quality from the finished product. However, molds created using sand or other materials will not have a very long shelf life. This is not generally seen as a huge problem just a minor annoyance since mold making is relatively cheap and easy.
No matter what material the mold is made from, the basic construction is pretty much the same. The molding box is called the flask which has a cope, the top, and drag, the bottom. You will then fill the flask with the molding material and then place the original into the mold. So, if you want to cast a tiny metal elephant, you will place an original of the elephant usually made from clay, wax, wood, or even metal into the drag of the flask. If this is done in sand you will ram the flask until the sand is packed tightly around the original. The top of the flask, the cope is then placed on and more molding material poured in. The entire flask is then rammed or vibrated making sure everything is packed in nice and tight.
After you have waiting for a long time until the molding material is very dry, and then you can get rid of the mold and retrieve the original. Now, if you want to make sure that there are some empty spaces in the cast to be finished then you will place cores into the mold. The cores are made of sand or wax.
The type of mold used depends heavily on the type of DIY Casting , alloy, and complexity of the pattern to be cast. Metal molds have little use in small foundries unless you plan on casting a lot of tiny metal elephants.
In some cases, pre-made molds can be found in hobby shops or through company casting companies. Usually, pre-made molds are used in miniature castings. Many individual metal casters prefer to make their own molds since it is inexpensive and allows them greater control over the finished casting.
DIY Casting involves several sets of skills and mold making is one of these skills. Mold making is an invaluable skill for metal casters as it is so very important to the casting process. Not only are molds used in metal casting but in other casting types as well. Resin casting and other plastic casting requires a mold as well. What the flask is made out of can be just about anything that you can imagine including wood or metal. How you will know if a flask can be used or not is if it can hold the mold material until it is fully dired.
Every metal caster should learn how to make a mold instead of relying on others. It's not only about independence but about saving money as well. Making your own mold is just cheaper.
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Foundry Supply Hobby Info, Foundry Supplies, and Casting Supply Info
You can get metal casting supplies just like different brands of clothing, very inexpensive and very very expensive. Home foundries tend to use supplies that are not too costly or that can be found close at hand. After all, home metal casting is usually a hobby and many get into this hobby since they need a cheaper source of parts and pieces that are either far too expensive or just impossible to find. This reason is actually what draws many people to metal casting in the first place. Given this, metal casting supplies used in smaller backyard foundries are generally cheap and made of items that are available in the garage or can be found at home improvement stores. There are several online resources and stores that offer supplies specially made for metal casting and if you have the money and are unable to create your own, it is encouraged that you purchase already made supplies.
The Metal Casting supplies you will need ultimately depend upon the type of work you plan to do. If you plan to use lost foam casting you will not need any wax and in that same thought you won't need any foam if you are going to use lost wax casting. The furnace type is also a consideration. Cupola furnaces do not use crucibles. A crucible is where you place the metal which will then pool and collect inside. So it is important to decide what kind of casting process and what kind of furnace that will be used before you rush out to buy supplies.
As for the supplies this will include the fuel source. Fuels sources can range from wood to propane. Metals with a higher melting point will need propane while wood can be used to melt pewter and possibly aluminum. Most home foundries will use propane since it produces a high temperature and is easily available.
Many of the Metal Casting processes use sand as a way to create molds and help secure those molds during the pouring. The type of sand used does not have to necessarily be specially formulated. Sand has been used in casting since ancient times so it only makes sense that most sand types can be used. Many hobbyists will even use playground sand to meet their needs. Now, there is a special type of sand used in casting called green sand. Green sand packs well and is able to hold its shape far better then common sand. For processes like lost wax you will need to find a healthy supply of wax since many of the steps involve the creation of wax models and molds. Whats nice about this is that as the wax is used for each project, it can actually be reused over and over again. Supplies for lost foam can be found in home improvement stores since foam insulation is suitable to use. You will not be able to reuse the foam but luckily, the foam is cheap.
Perhaps the most important casting supply is the metal itself. The metal used in DIY Casting varies due to need. Availability of Aluminum makes it a common alloy that is used a lot of times in casting. Aluminum soda cans are crushed and melted and proves to a good source of the metal. Many casters will find scrap metal in junk yards which tend to be a good source for brass, bronze, and iron. There are places to buy metals in ingots if you want a purer metal to work with.
You need to be thinking about the casting supplies that you have because they will determine the level of casting that can be done. Always try to remember or write down these things because you may need to make some adjustments on your next project or plan.
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Rapid Prototype Basics
Prototyping is a process of software development wherein physical objects are automatically constructed by means of SFF or solid freeform fabrication. In the process of rapid prototyping, a prototype or working model can be constructed quickly, and tested for its functionality, performance and output. The new features or ideas can be illustrated well in the prototype and early user feedback can be gathered with regards to the product. There are numerous advantages of rapid prototyping.
Benefits of Rapid Prototyping:
Significant advantages of a Prototyping include reduction of project cost and risk. Generally, one or more prototypes are developed in the process of software development in a series of incremental and iterative steps. Every prototype that is manufactured is based on the previous designs’ performance and it is a corrective process through which the past design defects or problems are corrected. The product is readied for production when the prototype is refined as per requirements and meets all the design goals like manufacturability, robustness and functionality.
Another great advantage of rapid prototyping is that it finds use and application in almost all the industries. The other advantages of rapid prototyping include the following:
Visualization capabilities are enhanced in the early designing phase with use of rapid prototyping. The user gets a fair idea of how the final product will look by observing the working model in early design stage.
The design flaws can be detected before manufacture process is initiated.
Rapid prototyping enables producer and users to participate actively. Active participation between the users and producer is encouraged.
The user is able to get a higher output.
The development costs are reduced considerably, hence rapid prototyping proves to be quite cost effective.
Rapid prototyping increases the speed of system development.
With Rapid Prototyping , it is possible to detect deficiencies in the earlier prototype, coding activities and requirement analysis.
Rapid prototyping assists in refining the potential risks that are involved in the delivery
The different aspects of the prototype can be tried and tested and immediate feedback is possible form user.
Better communication is enabled between the users and designer as there is clear expression of requirements and expectations in the start itself.
Rapid prototyping enables easy delivery of high quality product.
Cost and Time Savings:
Savings of development time and process costs are some of the greatest advantages of rapid prototyping. Time can be saved by reducing the amount of time required to produce the prototype parts and tooling. Production costs are lowered as the mistakes regarding tooling are identified in the early stages and hence, the modification costs can be cut down in the actual production.
Advantage of Innovation:
Rapid prototyping can be used in many innovative ways. There are many firms that use rapid prototyping innovatively, hence, offering additional benefits. The advantages of rapid prototyping in innovative applications are advancement of new testing procedures and analysis, production tooling manufacture, improved communications across production departments and support of customized manufacturing. The new technologies can be used in a cost effective and successful manner with innovative applications of rapid prototyping.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
WOW Leveling Guide
To get started, you'll have to set up your game. You'll have to choose your character and faction. Then you'll begin in Elwynn Forrest, which is in the North Shire Glade. I strongly recommend that you familiarise yourself with this area to begin with. Then you'll see that there are some wolves all over the place. Make sure that you kill these wolves and keep doing this until you see that you've reached level 3. This part is very easy!
Right, so you're at level three now, it's a great time to repair andy damage that might have occured, and also it's time that you got yourself some new armour. This will be very helpful later on. Now it's time to go on to your first quest: A threat within. After that you'll do the Kobold Camp Cleanup quest. Finally, after finishing these, you'll be more than ready to embark on twho more quests: Eagen Peltskinner and Wolves Across the border.
In order to get to level four, I recommend that you grind more wolves until your have picked up eight wolf meat items. Or, you might want to grind Kobold's Vermins to get to level 4. Either way, once you get there, you will need to turn your quests in, and proceed to take the next one that is offered to you. Next grind the Kobold Workers in your area, so as to quickly level up to five.
Next you'll need to complete a further sevel quests, so that you can advance yourself to level seven. All of these quests are relatively easy and won't take you more than a matter of hours to get through.
You'll move even faster if you grind wheever you can.
Getting from level 7 to 30 is quite straight forward. All you need to do is take every quest that is offered and then turn them in to receive the follow ups. Also, you can grind to help your score increase and that will help you earn more experience points.
Now this is just a quick summary of what you need to know, if you want every detail and secret, visit
World Of Warcraft Mage
The World Of Warcraft Mage is a popular class. In World of Warcraft, the Mage is a serious damage dealer, who is about as tough as wet toilet tissue. Ok, the Mage isn't that weak, but with no Pet and wearing cloth armor, the Mage is an offensive damage machine. In tight areas (like Dungeons and caves) it is tough to solo a mage. With breathing room, a mage can easily solo critters 3 levels higher or more.
Warcraft Mages are great in groups. With warriors and pets up front holding off the mobs or other baddies, the mage can sit back and unleash amazing power, steamrolling through the baddies with ease. Just don't try to go one on one in a melee situation with a sword-slinger. Frost them, run, slammed a fire bolt down their throat, Frost Nova, then run until you can Frost them again. Polymorph a mob if you're overwhelmed. Repeat! The good mage knows how to frost his enemies, slowing them down, and preventing them from ever getting into melee range.
Without manna, the Wow Mage is useless. Mages burn through mana quicker than any other character. In between fights you'll have to wait as your mana recharges. And when you get to higher levels and are using spells that really suck down mana, this problem only becomes worse.
Regardless of your level or spec, your main priority when building your warcraft mage should be getting a hard hitting main hand weapon for maximum special attack damage and a fast offhand for increased poison application and other proc effects.
A wand can be a good friend to the World Of Warcraft Mage. So can mana potions. Learn to use both to keep yourself as active as possible. The faster you grind (and the less you sit there recharging) the faster you level. The wand provides fast and cost free damage, not only not using mana, but allowing it to recharge. And higher level mana potions will recharge you instantly.
A Review of the Xbox 360 Console
Right now there are three major gaming consoles on the market for you to choose from – the Nintendo Wii, the Playstation 3, and the Xbox 360. I have tested and written about both the Wii and the Playstation, so now it is time for an Xbox 360 console review.
Xbox 360 – A Complete Look
After I set it up I saw the Xbox 360 is a far cry from its predecessor. The original Xbox was big, black and boxy looking. The new unit is anything but. It is far smaller, although not as small as the Wii or Playstation, and white in color. For the first part of the Xbox 360 console review I give it a 4 out of 5 for appearance.
While appearance for some people is important, if you are a serious gamer then this is the least important thing. So let’s take a look into the next part of the Xbox 360 core console review and look at the titles that are available. This is not an Xbox 360 game review, but rather a look at the games you can get. The first thing that stands out for this Xbox 360 console review is that the Xbox is the only system that you can get Halo for. While it has been made available for the PC, the game play on the console is far superior. The Halo series is perhaps my favorite of all time and this is a big plus in favor of the Xbox. While the single player is fun, this game truly shines with the multiplayer options, but I will get into that in the next section. For game titles I give the Xbox 360 console review a 4 out of 5.
The next thing that is really important when you get a gaming is system is the multi player options. The original Xbox blew its competition out of the water, and while Playstation and the Wii are catching up the Xbox 360 is still leading the pack. You can find games easily; get content, and almost all of the games released for the system offer multiplayer support. The score for its multi player is a 5 out of 5. I find it hard to believe that they could improve on this much.
The Xbox 360 in my mind is the best system if you are looking for online action. Without even looking at the graphics or doing an Xbox 360 VGA review it shines. It does not have the fun aspect of the Wii and most of the games are more adult in flavor. The Wii owns the market in fun, interactive games. For non online adult games the Playstation 3 might have a slight edge, but if it does it is very slight and the Xbox 360 can keep up with in almost every regard.
Well there you have it, hopefully this Xbox 360 core console review has helped you to make your decision.
Finding Careers In Computer Animation.
Nowadays, there are more ways to find careers in computer animation than ever before. Back before the age of cheap and powerful computers, animation careers were hard to come by. The equipment needed was extremely expensive, the technical expertise requirements were very demanding, and the job was time-consuming. For these reasons, becoming a professional animator was difficult. There were few jobs, and it was a difficult field to break into. It was such a time consuming occupation, after all, that it was almost impossible for private individuals to make their own animations in their spare time.
Computer generated animation changed all that. Nowadays, careers in computer animation are readily available to anyone who wants to take the time to study. There are many different ways to go about it. The most accepted way to try to get a career in computer animation is still to go to a respected animation school. There are plenty of art schools out there with excellent animation programs. Some of them focus more on computer animated cartoons, while others have a bigger emphasis on traditional styles. Either type of program will get you where you need to go.
Of course, many careers in computer animation start off with experimentation at home. Anyone can learn to program flash animations, and some of the effects people get are pretty good. Animating your own cartoons is a great way to build up a portfolio and get your work seen. Once you get a following, you can use that to get hired by a computer animation studio. Alternately, you can keep working for yourself. Many careers in computer animation, after all, take place completely on the Internet.
Still, it can't hurt to have a career plan ñ particularly if you don't already have a way to make a living. This is why going to an animation school is the most widely practiced way of getting a career in computer animation. There are so many people who have the skills that animation industry companies can afford to rule out anyone who doesn't have the credentials without even giving them a second chance. If you can't get your foot in the door, you will never become eligible for any of the best careers in computer animation. Going to animation school will give you a broad-based educational program which will teach you a lot more than you could easily learn on your own. All in all, going to a school for animation makes a lot of sense.
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How To Undelete A Deleted File
If you've just accidentally pressed "delete" and deleted a file on your PC, your first port of call should be to go to the Recycle Bin. If you deleted the file from the "right" place, there's a good chance that your file will be sitting there and you can just right click your mouse and select "Restore".
But what can you do if the file doesn't show up in your recycle bin? Does that mean that it's been lost forever? It's almost never unimportant, backed-up files that get deleted by accident. Grrrr!
Forunately it's almost always, it's possible to retrieve a file from oblivion. Even if your recycle bin thinks otherwise. That's because Windows just marks the space the file used as being available for re-use.
The problem is that the more you do on your computer, the higher the risk that Windows will re-use part or all of that files' space, making recovery difficult or even impossible.
So you need to stop what you're doing on your computer. That means stop everything. Including browsing the internet, scanning your iTunes library, whatever. The more things you do, the bigger the probability Windows decide that the space previously occupied by the file is space it can use elsewhere.
If you can use a different PC, use it to download a program like this one to undelete files. If you haven't got the use of a second PC then you may get away with using your current PC (the chance increases if there is a large amount of disk space left unused) but only do this as a last resort.
Once you've got your copy of a program to undelete files, it's just a matter of pressing "next" most of the time and there's an exceptionally big probability that the software will recover the file you accidentally deleted.
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Web Software Testing
The software development life cycle contains numerous stages. Software performance testing is one of the most essential stages. There are different testing types and they are useful at different stages of the software development cycle. The testing spans over all the stages in the SDLC. Moreover there are different varieties of the software that needs to be tested before it is released to the costumer.
One variety is software for web applications. The importance of this type of software has increased rapidly since the arrival of the Internet. Because of the high impact Internet has on our daily lives any web software is carefully tested before launching in order to reduce the associated security risks that originate from the use of the Internet.
The time available to develop and test web software is always limited. While the web software is being designed and developed it is also being tested by the testings engineers using different types of tests. The different types of tests can be grouped in code testing, [load testing], compatibility testing, functional testing and regression testing.
The standanrd pattern for the realease of web software consists of two main stages, alpha and beta testing.The first stage or alpha testing takes place at the developers' site where either potential users/customers or a purposely created indepent test team will interact with a simulated or actual operational version of the software being tested. Because during alpha testing the software is actually still being developed only small modules of the software are tested during this stage.Alpha testing is often used for ready to use software as a type of in-house acceptance testing. After being alpha tested software will only be released when all the main functional sections have been both coded and tested.
After the alpha testing is completed the software is permitted to undergo the beta phase of testing. In beta testing the web software I completely built. The software is made available for use to a restricted number of customers intended for software testing previous to the official release. Since the web site design uses HTML coding, it’s easy to integrate individual web pages on site; hence the alpha/beta method is usually not used for website development This is because HTML coding makes it very easy to design independent web pages that can afterwards being easily integrated so the design team can code and test each page independently.
In code testing the software testing or development engineer examines the codes for software bugs. Because the time involved in web development is small it is important that the software is free of bugs. Paired-programming is one of the favourite methods that highly qualified testers can use to produce bug free coding.
Paired programming is a software development method in which two programmers work together at one keyboard. The developer typing the code is called the driver while the programmer that checks every line of code as it is produced is called the observer or the navigator. The judgment behind taking up this method is the following. The Economist proclaims that, "Laurie Williams of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City has shown that paired programmers are only 15% slower than two independent individual programmers, but produce 15% fewer bugs.”
The fact that the software is tested many times during the development process should provide a bug free software by the end of it. Load testing is used to check if a web-site/application will fail or loss performance under the added pressure of heavy loads or imputs from multiple users log-in, mail servers, etc. This type of testing will help to arrive at statistics such as how many users the site will sustain at the same time, the quantity of communication it will hold and the reaction time under various circumstances.
Compatibility testing evaluates the application’s compatibility with the computing environment like the operating system, database, browser compatibility, backwards compatibility, computing capacity of the hardware platform and compatibility of the peripherals.
Functional testing asses the alignment between the application and its specifications checking that it provides all the required functions. To do that an extense range of both normal and erronous data will be imput to validate the behaviour caused by each of the software features Regression testing is performed to ensure that enhancements, defect repairs or other changes to the software have not disrupted any existing functionality.
Regression testing is an important testing method when the software development method is iterative. Iterative software development is a method in which new functionality is added to existing software. In this case one should make sure that the new addition has not affected any of the existing functionality. Regression testing is done to find out any of such instances. The above mentioned methods are essential tests to complete the web software testing.
Virtual Prototyping Techniques
Virtual Rapid Prototyping is basically as simulation based refinement of a component by using a function based simulation. The technology is rapidly gaining prominence as the practice of choice amongst engineers, thanks to its ability to immensely shorten cycles and aid faster product development. Other major reasons for rapid proliferation of the technology include the widespread availability of low-cost computers and analysis tools and the ability to integrate multi-physics simulations into a single environment. These days, computer simulations are increasingly used to calculate and evaluate the kinetic and geometric reactions of a system to various external factors.
The fact that the results can be visualized in full 3D environment has further spurred the rise of this technology. This has finally set the stage for a brand new phase in product development; the engineer can now quantitatively assess the performance of a system by saving the expenses on the intermediate physical prototypes. Virtual Prototypes also permit a larger variety of tests to be carried out on the models, sans any risk of over-testing such as wearing out the component. Things helps so much when you are in the redesigning phase because the results you want to redesign can now be produced much faster. Virtual Prototypes also facilitate the involvement of non-engineering staff such as sales personnel and management very early in the development process. In this way virtual Rapid Prototyping has gained acceptance as the weapon of choice for mechanical design system and is now widely used in sectors ranging from automotive, rail, aerospace to medical device designs. There is significant shortage of individuals trained in the methodology which seems to be the biggest crisis the mechanical design industry is facing.
Virtual Prototyping is the process of representing a 3D representation of your invention by the use of CAD softwares. Whats nice about this is that as a client you usually can get from your producer a copy of your results online in the 3D form that allow you do see your product from all angles in the comfort of your own home. Virtual Rapid Prototyping is probably the most convenient means of communication between a designer and his customers. No matter where you are, you can do business with anyone in just about any part of the globe. The unique interface allows you to examine the component almost as if you are looking at the physical self. The customer can easily gauge how the component is going to react to various situations. Not only can you sit at home and view your prototype, its also a lot cheeper than other versions of prototypes that were available to you before. Most manufacturers have started making the switch to virtual prototyping as it speeds up the whole process as parties can now send info via the internet, not to mention the money saved.Having said that, nothing beats the feeling of holding the component in the hand, to feel the constructions and check out whether it will work the way you want it to. Virtual prototypes are nonetheless making huge gains in the manufacturing sector
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How do Metal Casting Patterns Work
Metal Casting is a useful skill that has its roots in antiquity. Weapons and sculptures were traditionally created using this method but as the DIY movement gained momentum many modern day casters have found a use for Metal Casting to make plumbing fixtures, door knobs, and many other items. Today, small foundries can be found in many backyards, garages, and workshops.
In order to make a casting of metal, you will need a furnace capable of melting metal alloys at high temperatures. Usually, individual metal casters will construct their own furnace. There are companies that will sell small scale furnaces but they are often costly. The most common type of casting is called Sand Casting which uses sand or green sand to make the molds where the molten metal will be poured into to form the finished product. The mold is a handmade item placed in a flask which has two parts, a cope and drag. The mold is usually made of sand, but can also be created using other ingredients like latex or even metal. Within the mold cavity you can see in the mold the pattern that has formed.
The mold cavity will be an impression of the pattern including the fine details which will then be filled with the molten alloy. Pattern casting is an art form in itself, really, but anyone can create a pattern even if you have no artistic skill what so ever. The pattern is an original which will be cast into metal. Common pattern castings include complex engine parts for models, replicas of Civil War era weapons, sculptures, and even jewelry.
The pattern can be made of any material like clay, wood, and wax. The pattern material really depends on a few factors like the casting method and the availability of the material. If you are able to carve wood then you can use this skill to make patterns. There are some casting methods that call for the patterns to be made of certain materials. An example of this is the Lost Wax DIY Casting Method which will use wax as the pattern.
When creating the mold, you will place the original into the drag of the flask and place more molding material on top forming the cope. When the mold is dry you will carefully remove the pattern revealing an impression in the mold.
If you are creating your own pattern you will need to make it with Contraction allowances in mind. This contraction allowance will compensate for the shrinkage that occurs in many casting processes. In order to take out the pattern without disturbing the mold, draft allowances need to be considered as well. The pattern should have tapered edges to allow for easy removal.
Many who make their own patterns will add sprues, gates, and risers to the pattern so that when castled these items will already be in the mold.What happens with these devices is that they will allow the metal that is melted to make its way into the mold cavity.
If you find it difficult to make your own patterns then you can pay for pattern making services; although many casters in the same situation will just learn how to make patterns to save money. Pattern casting is a valuable skill to have and can be learned rather easily.
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Aluminum Foundry Information
Aluminum is the most common alloy used in metal casting. Availability and Quality, along with a few other reasons are really the main culprits. Many metal casters have access to a large amount of aluminum with soda and beer cans that they crush and melt down. Aluminum has several desirable properties for the metal caster no matter if they are a hobbyist, artist, or are casting needed parts for home repairs. Many who cast aluminum also love the alloy since it can be used in all of the varying casting processes giving it a wide range of possibilities. Aluminum is often used as a practice alloy for the first time metal caster or for casters who are trying out new methods and ideas.
DIY Home foundries usually will not have a problem at all getting hot enought to melt aluminum. It may even be possible to use charcoal though many just use propane since they have it on hand for other alloys. For your first run at casting, charcoal should be fine.
If you do choose to use soda cans for your source of aluminum you are going to need a fair amount depending on the size of the item to be cast. Make sure to crush the cans as much as possible before placing in the crucible or other area that will be used to melt the alloy.
Since any Metal Casting process can be used with aluminum the choice will rest with you. There are three casting methods out of the numerous methods available for aluminum that seems to be preferred by small time metal casters. These methods are sand casting, lost foam casting, and investment casting.
Remember, though, aluminum can be used with any metal casting process so do not be afraid to experiment.
Sand Casting
Sand casting aluminum is very common and is a popular way to break in a new furnace. A sand mix with a bonding agent stirred in is what Casters use to get a mold that goes around the item that is to be cast. The item, or pattern, is removed very carefully revealing the mold. If there will be any empty spaces in the finished product then a core is added to the mold. The core can be made of sand and is placed so that the molten metal fills the area of the mold around it. So, say you're making a picture frame you will place a cone where the glass will go so the molten aluminum will not fill that area.
Many choose not to use sand casting since it does not allow for fine detail whereas other casting does, but it is inexpensive.
Lost Foam Casting
Lost foam casting which is sometimes called evaporative casting. The lost foam casting is a form of sand casting. Using old soda cans in conjunction with aluminum casting really makes the process even more affordable. A foam copy of what you want to cast is created and surrounded by a ceramic shell. You will place the copy in loose sand which will help to hold the shape during the pouring process. The molten aluminum is poured into a cup that in inserted into the copy. The foam vaporizes and the aluminum replaces it filling the area in the ceramic shell. Removing the shell will reveal the Metal Casting . This method is great for fine details but the copy is lost to the ages. Luckily, foam is not all that expensive.
Investment Casting
Investment casting is commonly used by jewelers as it allows precise castings with full detail. This form of casting has been around since ancient times under the name of lost wax casting. Investment casting involves creating a wax copy which is then covered in slurry creating a shell, much like the kind of shell in lost foam casting. The molten aluminum replaces the wax which melts out of the shell and can be collected for reuse. Artists and casters that need high precision parts favor this technique.
Given the number of options that aluminum presents to the caster finding the right casting method will involve some time. To help decide which Aluminum Casting process is best consider factors like quality and cost.
Many metal casters use aluminum far more then they use other alloys like brass, bronze, or iron.
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Monday, September 29, 2008
Casting Metal Hobbies
The Do It Yourself movement is certainly not a new one. The term, DIY was popularized in the 1950s but the concept has been around for ages. The concept behind DIY is undertaking a variety of projects either home improvement, restoration, or arts and craft without the help of paid professionals.
Recently the DIY movement has received a boost of popularity with the aid of the internet. Many are finding that DIY projects are easier to undertake with the help of instructional websites which provide step by step instructions and real advice from people who have actually accomplished the DIY process. Several of these sites provide ideas, photos, message boards, and a sense of community for Do It Yourselfers that was simply not available years ago.
Do It Yourself projects really have no boundaries and can be anything your mind can create. Certainly the most common projects include home improvement such as cabinetry or installing plumbing fixtures, but one of the oldest DIY projects has to be metal casting.
Metal casters everywhere have been doing their own metal casting at home since metal casting was created years ago. Metal Casting is so basic in the fact that you melt the metal and turn it into another shape of your choice. Metal casting has been used in the ancient world for the use of making weapons, jewelry, and even religious icons. Metal Casting from DIYers everywhere are used in just about any project and hobby that you can think of. This includes home improvement items as well. Metal casting can be used to make door knobs, cabinet handles, and other such items. For hobbyists, small model parts and miniatures can be created. Even artists use metal casting for sculptures and jewelry creation.
Metal casting possesses the true spirit of Do It Yourself. Many metal casters are drawn to the skill because it provides a cheap alternative to purchasing items or having commercial foundries make custom items. Nearly everything used in metal casting can be made by the caster. The furnace, molds, tools, and many others are made by most casters.
Like other DIY projects, the DIY casting movement is being helped along my communities that are found online. These communities act as meeting grounds for casters to share and exchange knowledge and ideas, not to mention blueprints for furnaces and ingredients for casting materials.
Metal casting is the pinnacle of DIY projects as it involves the fabrication of items from metal. After creating a mold of the desired item the caster will melt down iron, brass, or aluminum in a furnace. The molten alloy is poured into the mold and allowed to cool. The cast is removed to reveal a copy of the original pattern. There are several casting methods so undertaking a DIY casting project can be very involved and addicting.
In the spirit of DIY, metal casters strive to make the best for the least. A great source for aluminum is soda cans and many casters gladly travel to scrap yards for iron or brass.
The DIY casting movement is really gaining steam as many realize how cheap and fun this alternative is.
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Spyware and Adware Removal
Computers which crash on a frequent basis can be very frustrating when we have taken measures to prevent them from crashing. Certainly, all the information technology that is at our disposal is used, but this doesn't necessarily help us. Staring a system off clean and requiring password access is usually the first step.
Then the programs that are needed for the business and the owner are uploaded, and these files are double checked to make sure they did not include any nasty secondary programs. An additional precaution is that any availability to the internet should be severely limited, as to prevent the downloading of harmful programs or connections that will bring additional problems.
While company email and networks are open to most workers, programs like internet messengers or online shared programs are not, which goes a long way in ensuring the productivity of the workforce. Truthfully, it is impossible to prevent employees from using office computers to chat or download files not related to office duties. Cyber industry's major pain is actually spyware and or adware, something that can cause major problems for your business.
Once the internet and computer industries began booming, spyware was not far behind them, the negative ramifications predictably following the positive ones. Sometimes negative actions become so popular that a large swell of people will choose to take part in these negative actions.
Though the person behind spyware may be a genius, they are also a traitor to all the victims, many of whom are unaware of its existence until it messes up their system. Spyware gathers information about a user without them knowing or consenting, and there is certainly nothing right with these actions. The tools used to accomplish this privacy invasion are, unfortunately, completely proliferating.
This software works by sending advertisements to pop up on your system, and material will be downloaded on the system whenever you try to close the ad or type anything in the box. This is a difficultly reality to get out of, and the best you can hope for is that the people responsible can be tracked down and made to stop their nefarious actions. Illicit programs and malware can come bundled with the legal programs and services of an entirely different company.
Though there are many adware spyware removal programs, their efficiency in removing adware or spyware is flimsy at best. You may find an adware spyware removal program that works, but you have a much greater chance of finding one of the dozens of con spyware removal programs that function instead as additional spyware waiting to be downloaded onto your system. Any adware spyware removal program that you have your sights are should be thoroughly researched, and once a keeper is found, that adware spyware removal program should be held on to with dear life, for they are rare specimens indeed.
Learn computer aided design and computer numerical control design
First we are going to talk about the initial element of CNC. That element is CNC Design . Before you begin a CNC project, you need to have a plan of action. The design is like a blueprint, you know what you are going to build before you ever build it.
Here are some important elements of design that need to be answered:
What size will it be?
What material will the piece be constructed of?
Who is the customer?
What will it be used for?
Your design can be anything.It could be a part used in industry or a work of art. This is only really limited by your imagination. Many people use CNC every day to manufacture parts. Many hobbyists use CNC every day to create art and various home projects.
Before I design I like to sketch a few ideas out on paper. I like to toy with different ideas to spark my creativity.This is the same as brainstorming. When I really get my juices flowing, that is when my best designs rise to the top. I generally carry around a notebook with me to note designs that I think of during the day.
After I have a few likely suspects, I try to look through each of the ideas to see if I can merge them somehow. Some designs have different parts or components to them.Some components are better than other components. Can I take some of these parts and add them to another design to make it better?Just like editing your writing, looking over your designs and checking them is a very important step in the process.
When you are designing, you are really trying to describe what you are going to build. The more accurately you can do that, the better the whole process will go. Just like a house, if you have a strong foundation, you will have a good house. If you have a solid design, the rest of the process is easy.
Computer aided design
CAD stands for Computer Aided Design or Drafting.Computer aided design was developed in the early 60s. Today it is the premier way to design, develop and optimized products. People use Computer aided design every day to design virtually every product you see. Generally, designers use Computer aided design to design a product, and then produce prints to manufacture that product. A print is a picture of a part or assembly that is very exact. It includes the dimensions and a parts list used to manufacture a product.
Computer Aided Design software packages can generally be broken into two groups. The groups are 2-D drafting packages or 3-D drafting packages.Most every software manufacturing package is moving to 3-D design. 3-D design is really the next generation of Computer aided design. Utilizing 3-D design, engineers can make a model of their product.People can check over the model for any glaring defects before the part is ever produced.
3-D Design
Utilizing 3-D design, engineers can cut down on the number of manufacturing mistakes that occur due to fit up and tolerance issues. This translates into a more efficient operation with less waste for the manufacturer.
Here are some examples of 3-D drafting/design software:
Inventor
TopSolid
SolidWorks
Alibre Design
Rhino3D
2-D Design
2-D design can be very efficient if you need to make a quick part that is not very complex.You can quickly sketch out an outline of an object and convert it over to a computer aided manufacturing toolpath. This is an operation where 2-D will really shine.
Here are some examples of 2-D drafting/design software:
AutoComputer aided design
MicroStation
At some point you will need to use Computer aided design. You will need to take your design and translated it into a print. The best way to do that is to use Computer aided design. You will need to purchase a CAD program of some sort if you are serious about CNC. Many CAD programs have a free or trial period that you can use to evaluate the program. My suggestion is to try a few and then select one that fits the way you design.
CNC info community site:
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Design for CNC
Intro to designing
Designing is arguably the most important step to the CAD Process.Why is that you might ask? Because it is at the beginning. This is the planning stage of the process. If you come up with a bad design, all of your work after this point is lost. I also think of designing as the planning process. You need an inventory of what you have to work with before you begin.
Every thing needs some planning to start with. Whether it is a family vacation or buying a home. CNC Designis no different. You need to think about what you want to accomplish before you ever invest any time or money. Now I am not saying you need to have a perfect plan. What I am saying is that you need to at least have a plan. Believe me I have had many plans and virtually none of them ended up perfect. What it did do was give me a guide to follow. A roadmap of sorts.
You also need to know your limitations. For example, don’t go designing a metal sign if you have a CNC Wood Router and nothing else. Or, you want to make a 2” thick wood routed sign, but your CNC Wood Router only has 1” clearance. You will need to know you own personal capabilities and your shop’s capabilities. Once you know that, you can improve your situation either through training or purchasing other tools.
Where do good design ideas come from?
First, look around. Take an interest in your environment and all the various objects around you. Look at how things are built. Generally, I don’t look at the overall design. I try to figure out how they build a specific part or area of the design. For example a unique latching mechanism.
A lot in getting a good design to come out is experience. Experience comes from failure as many people have said. The bottom line is you need to try stuff and experiment with ideas. Pick the ones that are useful and go with them. Leave the failures on the scrap pile and move on. Never marry yourself to an idea as being perfect.Pretty much everything can be improved in some way.
Know what you want to as an end result before you ever build
When designing it is very important that you know what you want to build. You don’t need to know every detail, but it helps if you have a general idea. For example, the item may need to fit inside a certain dimension. This dimension could be the size of the box used for shipping the item to the customer. This is a requirement of your design. Requirements can either be self-imposed or put upon you by someone else.
Another example may be building a piece of art. You may want to make the piece out of Stainless Steel because it would reflect the sun and hold up in the environment. Then you find out Stainless Steel is too expensive and that you don’t have the equipment to work with it. Stainless usually maxes out your equipment.
You need to have a plan, at least a rough one.You will need to look at your skills and match your designs to them. You will also need to get all requirements for the project before you ever begin. If you do that, you will not waste extra time redesigning again and again.
What are the limits?
Really, you are the limit. You brain and its thinking are the limit. If you can think of it, someone, somewhere can probably build it. The more you expose your brain to different things and ideas, the more connections it will draw.his is where your creativity will generally come from. You need to feed your brain interesting information and it will spit back some interesting designs.
Part vs. Art
In designing for computer numerical control, there are really two different paths to follow. Art or Part. By art, I mean a design that may have extra embellishments, curves, features, text, etc. By part, I mean a square with a hole in it. Or a triangular gusset.Art is generally a little more flowing or of an image of something. It could also be a sculpture for example.
When you are designing art, you normally keep a sketchbook with your ideas. You note them. They don’t have to be perfect, just roughed out. Sometimes I cut things out I find interesting and put them in my sketch book. Things like interesting shapes, interesting images or even a unique way to bolt things together.
When you are designing parts, you are dealing with deadlines and customer requirements. There are no extra things to personalize or stylize the part. The part is utilitarian and gets the job done. This is the majority of what CNC is used for. This is what various industries use CNC for.
Designing on Paper
Most people scratch out their initial ideas on paper to rough them out. I like to draw things out in a print, drafting or blueprint format. This style uses multiple looks and multiple angled drawings to convey what you mean to someone else. I picked up this style of drawing while working in a manufacturing environment. Some wood workers will also recognize this style. Think of a time when you bought “The Plans” to building a birdhouse.
Designing with a Computer
This is what I use next. Once I have something roughed out, I like to translate it into a computer. Things are more exact. You get a feel of the size or how parts fit together. You also get the benefit of saving your work and coming back to it later. You can even share your files with others when working on a project.
My Design Computer Setup
A few people have asked me about my design setup at home. Here is what I like to use. First a powerful computer with plenty of processing power.Be sure to get a lot of processing power, random access memory and a big hard drive.Don't skimp out here. CNC software uses a lot of system resources and you will save time by having a computer that can handle the load.
Next, buy a dual monitor setup. You will need a graphics card with a dual output head and two monitors to output to.Most users can install this by themselves. Dual monitors keep you focused. I really like being able to keep my computer screen clean of various design palates that seem to clutter it up. A dual monitor is perfect for this.
CNC Information Free Community Site:
If you would like to know more about CNC, head on over to http://www.cncinformation.com You can join for Free and you get two free CNC ebooks. One is a GCode Quick Guide and the other is the CNC Info Site eBook. You also get access to the Free Video Series...Image to CNC Art when you join the community.