This company had a hard time making enough diameter tapes to go around in the year 2022. Why? It may have had something to do with labor or materials. We never heard the final answer. Some of the parts of the Lufkin Tape Measure come from China, and some parts come from Mexico.
Finally, by the end of 2022, all of our back orders were satisfied. Some of our customers had been waiting since December 2021. Since the end of 2022, we have been able to get enough inventory of these tapes to fill all the orders that come in. 2023 was normal, and so is 2024 so far.
Anthony Maglica, the heart and soul of Maglite flashlights
The term has nothing to do with magnetism or magnesium or manganese or magnificent. The term came from the founder, Anthony Maglica.
Mr. Maglica’s life story is a perfect example of the American dream. He had a poor man’s beginnings, and created an empire out of nothing. For a full history of this man’s dream, refer to the Maglite history page. He was born in New York City during the depression, but was raised in his mother’s homeland, Croatia. When he was about 20 years old, he returned to the USA to escape the political turmoil following Word War II.
Long story short, he learned English on his own, started Mag Instrument in 1974, and introduced the first Maglite in 1979. From then on, Mr. Maglica has made many improvements on that first torch. Some of the milestones are:
Making a hard plastic gift box, to increase the perceived value of the Maglite as a gift.
Changing from an incandescent bulb to an LED, then to a COB bulb.
Making various sizes and colors of flashlights.
Developing several rechargeable versions.
Making models that can be operated with one hand.
Colored bulbs
Making programmed models that have 3 or 4 modes of lighting, like high, medium, low, strobe, SOS.
Mr. Maglica is still committed to keeping the manufacturing in the United States.
Engraved Flashlights Are There When You Need Them.
and it’s already dark outside.
We are faced with the time changing back to standard time this month, and the approach of the shortest day of the year next month. If you work day shift, you might be driving to work in the dark, and returning home from work in the dark. This is the ideal time of year to make use of your engraved flashlights. Make sure you have extra batteries near your torches. Good news..After we get over this hump, we are headed back to “normal”.
Those in the oil well drilling business use tally books continually every day. They
Oilfield Tally Books 3400CR4
keep a close record of when they attach a new section of pipe, and how long it is, and what time it is. The books are just the right size to fit into a pocket, so the books are kept right where they are needed. So tally books are a necessity in the oil drilling business.
To protect the book from weather and abrasion, the cover is made of vinyl. That’s where the irony hits. Vinyl is a man-made fabric made from OIL!
It was developed only in 1920 as an inexpensive durable fabric that is easy to make. It is made out of oil and salt, and its real name in poly vinyl chloride.
Here are the details for you scientists:
They break down petroleum using high pressure and temperature. This is called cracking. The results are ethylene, butadiene, propylene, and a few other things. They combine salt (a source of chlorine) with the ethylene using “electrolytic disassociation”. They add a few other compounds and end up with poly vinyl chloride (vinyl).
As you know, vinyl is ubiquitous, and very inexpensive. However, it looks expensive, similar to leather.
What is the “average” diameter of a pipe? This term would come into play only if the pipe is not exactly round in cross section.
A Flattened Pipe, in the Shape of an Oval
If the pipe were deformed and flattened out, what would be the diameter of it? It would have a long diameter and short diameter. So how would you determine its original diameter?
Instead of using a caliper or micrometer and doing
An Irregular Deformation of a Pipe, in Cross Section
some kind of calculation, you can do it the easy way. Use a pipe diameter tape measure. It will easily tell you what the original, or average, diameter is. Just wrap it around the pipe, and read off the “original” or “average” outside diameter.
How To Read Blueprints With an Architect Scale Ruler
This week (the 3rd week of September) is National Construction Appreciation Week. Construction covers a wide array of activities. Building bridges, razing barns, pouring concrete, painting buildings, covering roofs, making highways, installing drywall, and pounding nails, are all part of the picture of building our environment.
An important tool that is common to all these activities is the architect scale ruler. It is used by
architects
builders
estimators
designers
contractors
It helps to measure the size of things on a blueprint. The 2 common configurations are 1/4″ and 1/8″. On the 1/4″ scale, each mark is 1/4″ apart, and numbered from zero, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. If the blueprint is drawn to that scale, then the “5” mark on the scale means 5 feet, or 5 miles, or whatever the blueprint says.
Using Diameter Tape Measures in National Construction Appreciation Week
Next week is National Construction Appreciation Week. How can we celebrate that?
Thank a contractor that has done work for you.
If a friend or relative works in construction, take them to dinner.
Give out a diameter tape measure to all the contractors you know. Make sure it has your company logo on it. That’s not just good will, that’s good advertising.
Sunday is National Grandparents Day. Chances are, the gray side of the family is having trouble seeing at night. They may even have trouble seeing in the daytime. What better gift, than a Maglite engraved with “I Love you Grandma”, or “You’re the Best Grandpa”.
A good way to keep records while you are outside is using tally books. They are
Tally book Uses
weatherproof, water resistant, and inconspicuous. Here are some tips on using your tally book on National Beach Day at your favorite beach.
Make your grocery list during this relaxing time. Since you are sitting in the hot sun, you will probably write a lot of salty, crunchy foods on your list.
Keep track of what kind of bathing suit you want to buy for yourself. You should have enough ideas walk by.
Write a poem
Start a short story about some aspect of your life.
Write the lyrics to a song, if you are a musician.
See, tally books have many uses other than keeping track of pipes in an oilfield.
