Ball-peen Hammer

We just learned about the Anvil - Pritchel Hole.

When a blacksmith has a piece of hot metal, there are a few different types of hammers they can use.

One is called a ball-peen hammer.
This hammer has one flat side, and one rounded ball shaped side.

Peening metal means to hit the metal with a hammer to bend or shape it.
Because the one side of the ball-peen hammer is ball shaped, it will bend and shape the metal differently than a flat hammer.

The ball shaped side has a few different uses.
It can be used to make small marks in the metal for a different look.
It can help hammer small nails called rivets into holes.
It can help mush the metal up against corner pieces.


(from: wikipedia - ball-peen hammer)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Rod

Anvil - Pritchel Hole

We just learned about the Anvil - Hardy Hole.

Another part of the anvil is the Pritchel Hole.

This is a small round hole by the edge, used to punch holes in the metal.
The blacksmith would put the piece of metal over the hole, then hold a tool like a nail over the metal and hit it with a hammer to make a hole in the metal.

(from: wikipedia - anvil)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Strikes - Trees

Anvil - Hardy Hole

We just learned about the Anvil - Table.

Another part of the Anvil is the Hardy Hole.

This is a rectangle shaped hole in the top of the anvil that can be used to hold special tools called hardy tools that are used to help shape the metals.


(from: wikipedia - hardy tool)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Plasma

Anvil - Table

We just learned about the anvil - horn.

Another part of the anvil is the table.

This part of the anvil is in between the face and the horn.
It is used for when the metal needs to be cut, but the blacksmith doesn't want to scratch up the face of the anvil.


(from: wikipedia - anvil)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Re-strike

Anvil - Horn

We just learned about the anvil - face.

Another part of the anvil is the horn.

This is the long part that sticks out like a nose, or almost like an animal horn.

A blacksmith can use this rounded horn to help make a rounded piece of metal by shaping while it is hot using a hammer.


(from: wikipedia - anvil)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning - Return Stroke

Anvil - Face

We just learned about the Anvil used in blacksmithing.

The anvil has many parts that are useful to a blacksmith.
The main top flat part of the anvil is called the Face.


(from: wikipedia - anvil face)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning - Attachment

Anvil

We just learned that a forge is a hot fire that blacksmiths use to heat up metal.

When the metal is heated up, blacksmiths pound it against an anvil, which is a large hard piece of metal.


(from: wikipedia - anvil)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Upward Streamers

Forging

We just learned that someone who works with metal is a Blacksmith.

The blacksmith heats up the metal to work with in a forge.

A forge is like a big hot oven.


(from: wikipedia - forge)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning Leaders

Blacksmith

We just learned about Metalwork.

One of the types of metalsmithing is called blacksmithing.

Long ago the blacksmiths were people that made everything from swords to spoons to pots and pans.


(from: wikipedia - blacksmith)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cloud to Ground Lightning

Metalwork

We've learned a lot about the weather. Everything from clouds to hurricanes and more.

Now let's learn about metalwork.

This means everything from pouring hot metal into a mold, to banging hot metal to make things into different shapes.

Metalworking is used for everything from artwork to knives and forks, to cars and airplanes.


(from: wikipedia - blacksmith)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cloud to Cloud Lightning

Typhoon

We just learned about Category 5 Hurricanes.

If a large tropical cyclone is in the northwest part of the Pacific Ocean, it is called a Typhoon instead of a hurricane.


(from: wikipedia - typhoon haiyan)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lightning

Category 5 Hurricane

We just learned about the Category 4 Hurricane.

The next level of hurricane is Category 5 Hurricane - Catastrophic damage will occur.

These hurricanes have wind speeds over 157 mph.

This is the highest level a tropical cyclone can get to.
These hurricanes totally destroy entire buildings.
They flood large areas, uproot trees, cause power outages for a long time, and people have to leave their homes and go to a safer place.


(from: wikipedia - saffir-simpson hurricane)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Fog

Category 4 Hurricane

We just learned about a Category 3 Hurricane.

The next level is a Category 4 Hurricane - Catastrophic damage will occur.

These hurricanes have wind speeds between 130 and 156 mph.

This kind of hurricane can totally knock over a house, rip up and snap most trees, flood very far inland, and cause power and water losses for weeks.


(from: wikipedia - hurricane gustav)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Snowflake

Category 3 Hurricane

We just learned about a Category 2 Hurricane.

The next level of damage on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is the Category 3 Hurricane - Devastating damage will occur.

These hurricanes have wind speeds between 111 and 129 mph.

This type of hurricane can destroy mobile homes, damage smaller houses, cause flooding, uproot or snap trees, and cause power outages.


(from: wikipedia - hurricane isodore)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sleet

Category 2 Hurricane

We just learned about the Category 1 Hurricane.

The next level of damage on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is the Category 2 Hurricane - Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage.

These hurricanes have winds between 96 and 110 mph.

These will cause damage to roofing, uproot or snap trees, destroy mobile homes and cause power outages.


(from: wikipedia - hurricane juan)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hail

Category 1 Hurricane

We just learned about the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale used to measure hurricanes.

The first level on that scale is a Category 1 Hurricane - Very dangerous winds that will produce some damage.

These hurricanes have winds between 74 and 95 mph.

They usually are not strong enough to damage large houses or buildings, but could blow over mobile homes, uproot trees or blow off roof shingles.


(from: wikipedia - hurricane barbara (2013))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Rain

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale

We just learned about Tropical Storms.

Another type of tropical cyclone is a Hurricane.

For a tropical cyclone to be called a hurricane, it has to have winds over 74 miles per hour for over a minute.

Hurricanes are put into categories of 1 to 5 based on how strong they are.
There is a scale called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which scientists use to tell which category number the hurricane is, based on how strong the wind is.


(from: wikipedia - saffir-simpson hurricane wind scale)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Anemometer

Tropical Storm

We just learned about the type of Tropical Cyclone called a Tropical Depression.

The next strongest type of Tropical Cyclone is called a Tropical Storm.

This is when there is a strong circular thunderstorm with winds over 39 miles per hour and under 73 miles per hour.
A tropical storm can blow off shingles, and the heavy rain can cause flooding.


(from: wikipedia - tropical storm allison)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Roll Clouds

Tropical Depression

We just learned that large storms in the tropics are called Tropical Cyclones and that they have many different names.

Many of these names are based on how strong the cyclone is.

The first level of tropical cyclone is called a Tropical Depression.
This means the storm clearly looks circular, but the winds are less than 39 miles per hour.


(from: wikipedia - tropical cyclone)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Shelf Clouds

Tropical Cyclone

We've learned a lot about tornadoes, like what an F5 Tornado is!

Now let's learn a little about tropical cyclones.

There are a few types of things known as tropical cyclones, like hurricanes, typhoons, tropical storms, cyclonic storms, tropical depressions.

They are called tropical because they are usually over the area around the equator, known as the tropics.

They are called cyclones because they spin around just like a tornado does.


(from: wikipedia - tropical cyclone)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cloud Étages