Moscow Metro

Probably the most celebrated subway system in the entire world, the Moscow Metro is known for its elaborate design and stunning artwork. The largest of its kind on the Internet, this photo collection will allow you to peek into the underground world of this beautiful urban labyrinth.With over 450 clear photos and 27 panoramas, this site is the next best thing to flying all the way to Moscow.

Visitors will find great photos of each metro station in the Picture Gallery, as well as a complete city map and other 'above ground' images of this great Russian city. http://www.beeflowers.com/Metro/

[via Cool Tricks and Trinkets Newsletter]

STRENGTH OF NAILS

STRENGTH OF NAILS
All nails are not created equal. The strength of comparable common nails, box nails, and air nails differ, and will vary depending on diameter, penetration length, and the wood you're nailing into. These guidelines will help you get the maximum strength out of framing nails.

Cable TV wiring

First figure out what you're installing it for. If you're putting it in to run regular cable television (CATV) or master antenna television (MATV), you don't need coax with special sweep-testing. The signals from these types of inputs are very strong. If you're planning on using satellite television (SATV), however, you'll want to make sure that you use coax that has been sweep-tested to 3GHz as recommended by most satellite service providers.

In any of these cases, you want to use RG-6.

Then it comes down to the shielding. Coaxial cable has two types of shielding: a foil and a braid. A 40% braid is a loose braid and is the most economical. It is generally used in places like motels where getting perfect reception isn't terribly important because people will only be there for a night or two. A 60% braid is the standard braid for RG-6. Most professional installers use RG-6 with a 60% braid. Quadshield coaxial cable has two foils and two braids. RG-6 Quadshield is the premium choice for RG-6 and is used by most people who have the chance to choose the cable for their own systems.

Another thing to look for is UL listing or ETL verification. This independent testing ensures that cable actually is what the seller or manufacturer claims that it is. There is a lot of bargain coax out there without any sort of independent testing mark, so you'll want to specifically ask about this before making a purchase. [via Network Know How]

Phone wiring

In the past people used quad wire, or POTS wire. This wire is not twisted, is susceptible to interference, and is not suitable for telephone systems with several lines. If you are updating an old system and you encounter this wire, your best option is to replace the old wire with some type of twisted pair wire, such as Cat 3 or Cat 5e, rather than expanding the system with the quad wire in place.Most installers have been using Cat 3 for phones, but Cat 3 is getting harder to find, and the price difference between Cat 3 and Cat 5e has narrowed considerably to around five dollars per thousand feet. Cat 3 is still recommended for phones, but if there's any chance that your phone system may be used for data transmission in the future, an upgrade to Cat 5e would be well-advised.

There are a few installers who use Cat 6 for telephone systems. Unless the phone network may be used as a computer network in the future, this is a strange choice. It is the equivalent of using a speed boat to cross a swimming pool or using a chainsaw to remove a small twig from a bush--it's very unecessary, very expensive, a big hassle for what you're trying to accomplish, but it will work. [via Network Know How]

Sears archives

Sears has opened the doors to its vast archival collection and invited the public to peek inside. More than 100 years of stories, product and brand histories, photographs, catalog images are now available online.

Sears has a rich, long history to tell dating back to 1886 when Richard Sears sold the first batch of watches. The milestones, introductions and stories fill volumes. However, we've boiled Sears history down to a short narrative and event timeline for you: Sears narrative history tells the story of the founding of Sears and the Sears chronology is an up-to-date primer of Sears milestones and events. Both sections span from 1886 to today.The site will be updated frequently, so be sure to bookmark http://www.searsarchives.com/.

Listening to Wood Helps Termites

Although termites have a reputation for being indiscriminate eaters, they can in fact be quite choosy. Indeed, in addition to selecting for wood palatability and hardness, different species are known to favor particular sizes of wood--presumably as a way of avoiding competition with other termites. Exactly how they manage this sizing up has puzzled scientists, however: the creatures are blind, and they do not pace the dimensions of a piece of wood before tucking into it. New research suggests they may be assessing their options by listening.

Leakproof threshold

Hydrosill Threshold System

The only threshold designed to join with
Q-LON door seals at the corners
to seal off the entire perimeter of the door.

And the only threshold that
manages water drainage to prevent leaks.