Strike-Slip Fault

We just learned that a fault is when two tectonic plates crash into each other.

There are different types of faults, and different ways that the earth's crust moves during faults.
One type of fault is a Strike-slip fault, also known as a wrench fault, tear fault or transcurrent fault.

When an earthquake happens at one of these faults, the ground shifts side to side.
To show this, put your two hands in front of you on a table, with your palms flat on the table.
Have your hands touching at the sides of your thumbs and pointer fingers.
Slide your right hand forward away from you, and slide your left hand toward your body.
That is the same way the earth moves, slipping the two pieces of the earth's crust next to each other, but keeping them touching.

(from: wikipedia - fault (geology))


(from: wikipedia - fault (geology))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tongs

Fault

We just learned about the Tectonic Plates.

Another part of earthquake science is a fault.

When the tectonic plates smash into each other, the place where the earth's crust touches from two different plates is called a fault.
When the plates move, not every part of the crust will run into other parts.
There are a bunch of different types of faults, depending on how the two pieces of crust run into each other.


(from: wikipedia - earthquake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Chisel

Tectonic Plates

We just learned about the earthquake Hypocenter.

Another part of earthquakes is the Tectonic Plates.

The scientist who study earthquakes have mapped out 15 big areas on the earth, on every continent and around the oceans.
These areas are called tectonic plates, and they move around little by little every year.
When one tectonic plate area moves, it bumps into another tectonic plate, and it causes an earthquake!

These plates are millions of miles wide, and over 60 miles deep.
Because they are so huge, when they bump into each other the earth crashing together has a lot of force and makes a big problem.


(from: wikipedia - list of tectonic plates)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sledgehammer

Hypocenter

We just learned about the earthquake Epicenter.

Another important thing in earthquake science is the Hypocenter.

This is the spot underground where the earthquake first started.
The epicenter is right above the hypocenter, but at the surface of the earth.


(from: wikipedia - hypocenter)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Straight Peen Hammer

Epicenter

Let's keep learning about Earthquakes.

When an earthquake happens underground, the spot on the earth's surface above where the earthquake is strongest is called the epicenter.


(from: wikipedia - epicenter)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cross Peen Hammer

Earthquakes

We've learned a whole lot about how to work with metal.
Everything from furnaces to get the metal from iron ore, to working with it on anvils, to using it on machines like lathes or mills.

Let's start learning a little bit about Earthquakes.
Earthquakes happen all over the world, even underwater!
There are scientific tools for predicting and measuring quakes, and there is a lot of scientific study over what makes an earthquake happen.

A scientist who studies earthquakes is called a seismologist.


(from: wikipedia - earthquake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ball Peen Hammer

Numerical Control - CNC

We just learned about Plasma Cutting.

Another tool for working with metal is CNC - Computer Numerical Control.

All of the different types of metal work that we've learned about like lathes, mills, drills and grinders can be controlled by a computer so that they can do the same work over and over, thousands of times without any mistakes.

The numerical control means that the computer is given numbers that tell it what parts to cut and how to cut them.


(from: wikipedia - numerical control)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pritchel Hole

Plasma Cutting

We just learned about the Water Jet Cutting.

Another way to cut metals is Plasma Cutting using a Plasma Torch.

The plasma torch shoots a fast stream of gas through a nozzle that has electricity shooting across it.
This electricity ionizes the gas, meaning that it gets the tiny electrons in the gas all super excited and the gas gets super hot!

These plasma torches are super fast at cutting metals and other materials.


(from: wikipedia - plasma torch)



(from: wikipedia - plasma cutting)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Anvil - Hardy Hole

Water jet cutting

We just learned about Electrical Discharge Machining.

Another way to work with metal is water jet cutting.

A water jet cutting tool takes water and squirts it at super high speeds at a piece of metal, and the water is going so fast that it actually cuts the metal.

The tool that makes the water go fast actually uses a jewel like a sapphire, ruby or diamond to make a really small hole for the water to go through.
Water jets can be used to cut anything from glass, to rubber to wood or metal.

Sometimes if the water needs to cut something really hard the water gets mixed up with small pieces of hard crystals like garnet or aluminum oxide, and it gets rougher.
You can think of that like if someone mixed sand up in a squirtgun and shot it at you, it might sting more than just water in a squirtgun.


(from: wikipedia - water jet cutter)


(from: wikipedia - water jet cutter)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Anvil - Table

Electrical Discharge Machining

We just learned about the type of metal working called Stamping.

Another way to work with metal is called Electrical Discharge Machining or EDM for short.
It is also sometimes called spark machining, spark eroding, burning, die sinking, wire burning or wire erosion.

This is a way to cut some parts out of a piece of metal using electricity.
A special tool zaps a piece of metal with some electricity, and the power of the electricity is so strong it cuts into the metal.



(from: wikipedia - electrical discharge machining)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Anvil - Horn

Stamping

We just learned about Bending.

Another part of metalworking is stamping.

Stamping is when you take a large piece of flat metal and you want to shape it and cut it.


(from: wikipedia - stamping (metalworking))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Anvil Face

Bending

We've just learned about what a metal Burr is.

Another way to work with metal is Bending.

Sometimes if you have a long metal pipe or sheet of metal that you want to be bent in a certain way, you have to use a tool or machine to get the exact bend you want.

You might want a nice rounded curve, or you might want a V shaped bend of exactly the right size.

There are different types of bends that you can make, everything from air bending, bottoming, coining, three-point bending, folding, wiping, rotary bending, roll bending, elastomer bending, joggling.

There are many types of machines to do all different types of bends, like a cornice brake, box-and-pan brake, bar folder, press brake, punch press, screw press and stamping press.

Many of the tools use something called a "die" which is something with a special shape used to bend the metal the way you want. There are many dies out there, like v, rotary bending, 90 degree, acute angle, gooseneck, offset, hemming, seaming, radius, beading, curling, tube and pipe forming, four-way, channel-forming, u-bend, box-forming, corrugating, multiple-bend and rocker!

Basically any way you want to bend your metal, there is a tool and die for it!


(from: wikipedia - bending (metalworking))



(from: wikipedia - brake (sheet metal bending))



(from: wikipedia - press brake)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Anvil

Burr

We just learned about Grinding.

Another part of metal working is a Burr.

Many times when metal is cut, the sharp edge where it was cut has little rough pieces of metal left over that are called burrs.
When someone works to remove those little burrs to make the metal nice and smooth, that is called deburring.


(from: wikipedia - burr (edge))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Forging

Grinding

We just learned about the Hole Saw.

So far we have learned about cutting metal using a lathe or a mill, putting holes in the metal by threading, boring or drilling.

Another type of way to work with metal is called Grinding.
This is a way to use one rough piece of metal or even diamond to scrape off metal, almost like using sandpaper on wood.
Usually a grinder is a metal disc called a grinding wheel, that spins around very fast.

There are different types of grinders like angle grinders or bench grinders that you might use depending on what you want to do with the metal.


(from: wikipedia - angle grinder)


(from: wikipedia - bench grinder)



(from: wikipedia - grinding wheel)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Blacksmith

Hole Saw

We just learned about the Twist Drill Bits.

Another type of drill bit is the Hole Saw.
Sometimes you need to drill a really big hole out of a piece of wood or metal, and this type of bit can grab on to the metal with the smaller bit in the middle called the "pilot drill bit".
Then the teeth on the larger bit can cut the hole for the right shape.


(from: wikipedia - hole saw)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Metalwork

Twist Drill Bits

We just learned a little about Drill Bits.

One type of drill bits is the Twist Drill Bit.
For these bits, there is a spiral cut along the bit, and the taller that spiral is, the faster the bit is meant to go.
The more compact and shorter the spiral is, the slower the bit goes.

At the end of the bit is the "tip", and there are many different types of tips.
Some bits have a "brad point" which is a tiny little spiky point that holds on to the metal or wood so the bit doesn't slide around when it is drilling.
Some tips are very flat, and some are very pointy, depending on what you are trying to drill.



(from: wikipedia - drill bit)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Typhoon

Drill Bits

We just learned a little about Drilling.

When using the drill, the tool that goes at the end is called the drill bit.

There are lots of different types of drill bits, some that are used for cutting wood, some that are used for cutting metal or cement.

Depending on what is being drilled, the bits can be made of different things.
Most drill bits are made of steel, but many are made of titanium, tungsten, or even diamond tips.



(from: wikipedia - drill bit)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 5 Hurricane

Drilling

We just learned about making metal holes bigger using Boring.

Another type of metal working is Drilling.

Drilling uses a cylinder shaped tool called a drill bit that spins around hundreds or thousands of times every second, and cuts into the metal, leaving a cylinder shaped hole, like a tunnel.


(from: wikipedia - drilling)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 4 Hurricane

Boring

We just learned about Swarf.

Another part of metal machining is called Boring.

When a hole has been drilled into a piece of metal, sometimes you may want to make the hole bigger, or sometimes to make a tapered hole that starts small and opens up as it goes out.

The boring bar is put into the hole that was already drilled, and then it spins around and makes it bigger or tapered.


(from: wikipedia - boring (manufacturing))


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 3 Hurricane

Swarf

We just learned about Threading.

Another part of Metalworking is Swarf.

This is the leftover metal shavings and chips that come off when you cut metal with a lathe, mill or other type of machining tool.


(from: wikipedia - swarf)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Category 2 Hurricane