Archive for the ‘How to use the Slimmer Belt’ Category
Nobody knows when the first dartboard was made, but early boards were made from log ends of elm. Some were made from plastacine and had to be smoothed after each leg played with a hot iron.
Today’s boards are made of sisal fibre which are the strands from a cactus of the Sisalana family. These boards were called “Bristle boards “, which has nothing to do with pigs bristle, that was a nickname given to them in the early days.
The first bristle boards were made by an English company called Nodor, which by the way come from the words “No Odor” because the plastacine board gave off a terrible smell, when smoothed using the hot iron.
Nodor boards are still made by the same company, and hold the original patent. One thing for sure nobody has more experience of making dartboards. They are by far the largest of the competition dartboard manufacturers.
The actual manufacture is done in the following manner.
The leaves of the sisal plant are harvested and stripped of there exterior skin. Then the leaves are squeezed free of their natural liquids and the fibres combed.
These metre long strands of fibre are then put into the sun to dry naturally. These processes are carried out close to the fields were the leaves are gathered. The sisal plantations are usually in Africa, but there are others in parts of china and South America.
The first thing that is done to the sisal when being made into a dartboard is as follows:
The sisal strands are put into a graded combing machine, which has several stages. It is then pulled through a second machine, which rolls the sisal like a never-ending cigarette.
This roll which is about 5 inches in diameter is then sliced across into what is known as biscuits. These biscuits are about 1 inch thick and are very even.
The next operation is to press the board. This is done on a flat bed press, which is oval in shape. Inside this press is placed the bands of steel the surround the board.
Then inside the bands the sisal biscuits are placed, the number of biscuits controls the hardness or softness of the finished product.
The next stage is to cover the biscuits in glue and place on the wooden backboard. When this is done the press is activated and compresses the sisal until it is perfectly round.
The glue used has a very fast cueing rate and it can be removed from the press immediately so the next one can be made.
The board is then put through a wide belt sander to level and remove any loose strands of sisal. This treatment also make the surface very smooth so that the next operation, which is to screen print the colours, gives the board a nice clean image.
The final operation is to wire the board into its different sections, and fit the number ring.
Up to only a few years ago the wire used has always been 1.6 mm spring steel for the whole wire system. Now many manufactures use thin blades for all or part of the wire system, which prevents many of the bouncing darts that was common on the original wiring method.
One of the first to use this method was Alana Darts which registered the blade interlocking system with a patent lawyer on the 31st May 1991. The provisional number issued by the Australian Patent, Trade Marks and Designs Offices was P2370.
Unfortunately the patent was dropped due to the huge costs involved.
The Original method of using round wires only did have one very good advantage. That was the bristles in the board allowed the dart easy penetration by moving out of the way of the point, while still being firm enough to grip the dart well.
This gave the board a very long life as little damage was caused to the bristles.
The all-bladed board also had its own advantages; few bouncing darts, higher scores, and higher averages. Also they looked better than the cluttered up round wire system.Its draw back however is that the bristles cannot move as they are locked in position by the blades. This means that when a dart strikes the point can push in several bristle fibres on entry. The result is what is called in the business compacting.
This is where the sisal is doubled up into the board and hard spots develop, in turn making the surface appear fluffy. The result is a shorter life, although the good has to be weighed up against the bad.
In saying this I must point out that a lot of the damage done to bladed boards could be avoided, if the players would keep their dart points in top condition, even if it means changing them on a regular basis. Unfortunately this is not done enough, and the manufacturer of the board receives the blame for short lived products.
Another problem the modern board has the use of tungsten darts, Which has improved the accuracy of the player due to the dart being slimmer in other words allowing for tighter grouping.
If you are looking for a good brisle dartboard, or darts accessories, visit us at www.dartshop.com.au
The same way most pregnant women dream of the day when they will begin showing for wearing maternity clothes, some women have the false misconception that they will be able to wear tight jeans and other apparel suitable for models or slim women shortly after birth.
Maybe you did not gain too much weight during your pregnancy, but that does not mean that you will be able to wear your every day clothing right after having your baby. Apart from your abdominal muscles, all your body needs to regain tone, and it is more likely that you will not be in shape for the first three postpartum months.
Besides, you need comfortable clothes to avoid the sensation that delivery left in your abdominal and pelvic region, but that is not all. During your pregnancy, your breast increased in size to get ready for breast-feeding, and until you quit breast-feeding your breast will not recover their original size before getting pregnant.
Furthermore, loose clothing is more recommended for breast-feeding, so instead of thinking of your old-time apparel, invest some money in nice looking clothes that fit your actual figure and will serve for your next pregnancy, when you need to feel comfortable.
Some women feel depressed after postpartum because they do not look as they use to do nine months behind, others because of postpartum depression try to look slimmer in just a few days after they give birth.
Whatever your case, remember that you feel the way you look. Some women decide to continue using their maternity clothes, but there is no reason to avoid going shopping and find postpartum apparel.
Otherwise, buy common clothing but one or two sizes bigger than your size before pregnancy. Sometimes it is your family or friends will have the solution to improve your self-esteem.
Get back to your baby showers presents, maybe somebody thought of you and there is a charming postpartum dress among the gifts. If you are not planning to have another baby, and want to save some money, adjust your maternity clothes to match your figure.
Sometimes a simple belt around your waist or any other accessory can make a big difference. Whether you buy new clothes or use those already in your wardrobe, look for skirts, shorts or pants with elastic waistbands or drawstring, as well as loose-fitting dresses.
Avoid dark colors to disguise your body’s shape. All people who know that you gave birth understand your extra weight and lack of muscles’ tone, but especially because there is nothing to hide. You have your baby in your arms and this fact is enough to celebrate dressing in bright colors that cheers up your spirit, increasing your well-being.