Archive. Self Magic Tools
I like to read, watch science fiction, mystery. I have heard and read a lot about magical attributes, things, artifacts ...
But somehow, while working on my book, I gave examples from my life. And suddenly I realized that I was holding something similar in my hands and even working with it.
An acquaintance of mine once worked in a team of workers who knitted nets. Small nets for potatoes. Cord thread and hand shuttle are used. Everything seems to be easy. Wrap the thread on the shuttle and knit. At first he had one shuttle. The winding of the thread was enough for about a third of the net. That is, to knit one net, he got up from the work table three times, approached the place where the thread hung for general use, wound the shuttle, returned and continued to knit. Plus he went out for a smoke break (he smoked) several times during his shift to the smoking area. Plus lunch followed by a short walk "in the sun" and, of course, a smoke break. He fulfilled the production rate, though "right next to". It was 7 nets per shift.
This was the first stage in mastering the process without any scheme or algorithm that would improve work and its efficiency. That is, his approach to this work is "no schemes or systems."
The beginning of the second stage of his work as a "netting" was at first a slight anxiety of frequent getting up for the thread. He decided this by purchasing two more shuttles. Thus, he significantly increased the efficiency of his work. If before, in order to make one net, let me remind you, he got up three times and walked to fetch the thread, now once. Three thread shuttles - one net - stand up and stuff once. A total of seven lifts per shift, instead of 21.
Then he again reduced the climbs - increased the number of shuttles. The calculation shows that you need to have 21 shuttles to get up once. But this is rather boring - a lot of stuffing, then a lot of knitting. And experienced workers are usually limited to about 10 shuttles to get up a couple of times per shift - stretch their legs and change activities. But they have additional shuttles - the thread is not always comfortable enough for knitting and, if a good thread comes across, spare shuttles are used for stuffing "in stock".
It would seem that everything ... What else can you tell about the knitting of meshes and the effectiveness of this process?
All, but not all! People who have mastered this stage of knitting (10 shuttles) are persistent "good guys" who know how to memorize well, but do not spend their time on research and attempts to increase work efficiency, but spend their time on entertainment (smoke breaks with conversations, walks, frequent getting up to mesh in the case of mesh bindings). And they are in the majority. Let me remind you that there are slobs with one shuttle or a maximum of three.
And now the highlight on the cake! Or how to increase the efficiency of knitting nets to the maximum unthinkable at first sight.
First, the tool. Agree - an important part of the job. Correct tool fit increases productivity. And the comfort of the work process. Why not?
For example, among shoe-makers making shoes one of the main tools is lingering tongs. This tool is similar to a pair of pliers, but longer and with curved jaws. They are used to stretch the edge of the leather when working with the pulling of the shoe on the last. So ticks are different. I have come across ticks that you can work with, but it does not bring pleasure.
But there are "magic" ticks! As shoemakers say: "The tongs work by themselves!" And this is not a miracle, this is an observation.
How "magic ticks" work. The sponges of standard pliers, for some reason I do not understand, form an angle of 90 degrees with the handle, while for magic ones this angle is 45 degrees. The lips of ordinary ticks are almost straight, the lips of magic ones are curved almost in a circle. And also the lips of magic mites are short and thinner towards the edge. The edge is almost sharp enough that a little more and he would tear the skin. The malleus at the base of ticks in standard ticks is not very large and massive, in magic ticks it is large and massive. The handles of standard pliers are the same length, the handles of magic ones have different lengths. So what's the magic? Consider the design differences carefully. The master clearly wanted to achieve some kind of effect with a massive hammer, a long back handle, short lips curved in a circle. In a circle ... The magic pincers, if you shake them in your hand, have a clear imbalance in gravity in favor of the back. If you put them on a support with a hammer, they will start to "overturn" back. We take the skin of the workpiece by the edge with sponges, the hammer is on the block. Squeeze the skin with sponges. Be very careful - they are sharp! And we slightly pull on ourselves ... The mites "help" you to pull the skin with their imbalance. Curved lips press the leather against the last. ALREADY pressing. If the lips were straight, you would have to make one more extra movement with the pliers to press the skin. Then let go of the skin and drive the nail into the edge. Here the massive hammer of pincers, which helped you to pull the skin towards you earlier, again "works" - you hammer the nail faster and easier, again spending less movements. Here comes the magic!
And the shoemaker's hammer ... It's a fairy tale! Its handle, wide at the bottom, is strongly worn down to the striker, the sting is massive and flattened. Well, the same imbalance method is applied, the hammer seems to "fall" forward when you hold it in your hand. Due to this design, it is easier to master such a virtuous movement as hitting a nail while simultaneously pulling on the cap (for a more thorough pulling of the skin on the block). If the hammer is done correctly, the movement, as it were, "itself" occurs almost in a circle - for this, the blow is made at 45 degrees to the head of the nail and then the movement continues "toward itself". This tightens the nail and pulls the skin. If the hammer is not well balanced, the nail has to be tightened further with your finger. With a good "magic" hammer, the finger only holds the nail back from moving.
This is how the knitter's shuttle is magical. It's as long as possible. It has very thin walls and a sting. As subtle, again, as possible. This allows more thread to be filled, which is essential. And makes the shuttle stuffed with thread "to the eyeballs" quite massive. What for? It would seem that the lighter the shuttle, the more comfortable it is - it does not pull the hand. This is only at first glance ... If the shuttle is massive enough, when the shuttle moves forward, the knitter almost throws it sharply from below into the cell and then, as it were, picks up the shuttle. This is easier and faster than making steady movements (which is inevitable if the shuttle is short and / or thick-walled and therefore light). And with a long shuttle, you don't need to tighten the knots with your little finger - this is done by moving the lower end of the shuttle.
The rest of the Knitter's Tool can be magic too.
Firstly, it is a wooden case, where the instrument is always neatly laid. Only one shuttle works. The signal for lunch is to throw the shuttle into the box and you are ready. The working day is over - everyone is taking the instrument to their living quarters. It's comfortable. There are people who continue to knit there too. Why? Didn't have time for the working day. Sometimes this is an additional income. It is convenient to knit and watch TV, which is not available in the workplace. The air is better. You can interrupt work when you want it, and not on a signal. Well, and then - you are at home ... Of course, they grumble at such people and make fun of them, but they are not prohibited from working.
Razor blade. The thing is very productive. Well, first of all, they shave. But even after shaving, it remains a very useful thing. It is broken up and placed inside an aluminum plate bent in half. The blade is about three times as long as the blade itself. It turns out a small hatchet, which is very convenient and safe to cut the thread during the knitting process. The second half of the blade is carefully placed into the knitter's pencil case for later use. Where? First, there is a stock for the "hatchet". Then they can trim their nails - an important procedure. The cut is very smooth and free of burrs - you can't cut it like that with scissors. And the barbs on the nails cling to the thread.
Another vital function of the blade half. It is important to mention here that the knitter often keeps cigarettes in his pencil case. And when he goes on a smoke break, he pulls out only one cigarette. This warns of requests in the smoking room: "Let me light a cigarette." There is only one cigarette. Here it is necessary to prevent misunderstanding of the problem. Generosity and openness are good qualities, but there is a likelihood of running into so-called "freeloaders" who live off others and use even such trifles as other people's cigarettes. And there are people who have the following weakness - they cannot refuse extortionists. The everyday life of a knitter helps, if not get rid of, then put this weakness within a reasonable framework. Plus, you can't discount people who strive to live at the expense of the weaker. How to resist this? The "magic" pencil case helps where you can leave a pack of cigarettes. For people with limited means, weak in spirit and / or completely unwilling to share (it turns out - to show weakness) there is also such a device as a small round aluminum pencil case. It is possible to store cigarettes in it, it is more convenient than in a pack - tobacco does not spill, cigarettes do not wrinkle. And it should be borne in mind that the thread is bleached with chlorine and is sometimes still wet. And in the pencil case there are also shuttles with thread. Therefore, cigarettes in such a case are better protected from odor and moisture. And here we will describe about that very one more useful function of the blade half - they can cut cigarettes into "halves". What for? If you have a mouthpiece, you insert a "half" into it and calmly go to the smoking room. Guaranteed protection against beggars: "Stop smoking". Plus, it's worth noting that half smokes faster, which is important for those who save on smoke breaks, trying to make more nets and smoke in the workplace. More authoritative people allow themselves this, since it is clear that not everyone likes to breathe someone else's smoke. Plus the lack of ventilation. Almost anyone can quickly smoke a half, and many use it. A person can be blamed for smoking a whole cigarette in the workroom and emitting columns of smoke on the floor of the workshop. But what if a person bent down and took a couple of puffs practically "under the table"? In general, the knitters' workshop is always heavily smoked ...
How else to improve the efficiency of the knitting process?
Like any profession, knitting must be mastered. How to master? After a person has learned the basic movements, then there is an increase in efficiency and comfort.
A thread. It comes in different qualities. Rather, three qualities. Beautiful, good, and wicked. Knit by all. Because what kind of hang such and have to knit. But if you need to increase comfort, then the thread is bought separately for themselves. There is such a special thread. Soft and durable, not chlorine treated. In my opinion, it is nylon, and not the usual cord. When knitting with such a thread, it seems that you are in paradise. Knitting turns into pleasure, the thread glides pleasantly causing an indescribable feeling of bliss in the fingers.
And what is the bliss of a shoemaker? What did I like about being a shoemaker? A shoemaker's workshop is a place where visitors are not allowed. What if the attacker? The shoemaker's doors are not locked, but no one is particularly torn. There are so many cutting and stabbing objects that it probably does not appear in my thoughts to go there. Maybe that's why I liked it there? Feels safe.
But security alone is not enough. You also need bliss.
Knitting with a good thread ... That's where ...
Feelings of "bliss" in the fingers. What else? Waiting for a miracle? Well, yes, when the ticks work "by themselves". Such a languid sweet expectation ...
I am pondering more stories ...
