Thinking about starting a smoke detector testing campaign in your city? Need to outfit an entire city worth of fire inspectors with canned smoke?

Whatever the reason(s) for needing a whole lot of canned smoke in convenient 0.5 ounce containers, we think we can help. We found a company with the ability to sell canned smoke by the pallet load.

A pallet load of canned smoke contains 20 cases of 0.5 ounce cans and each case contains 288 cans. If you do the math, that amounts to 5,760 cans of canned smoke per pallet.

Why buy in bulk?

Organizations such as fire departments and real estate groups can save a LOT of money in the long run by purchasing canned smoke in bulk. Both groups have to test smoke detectors on a regular basis — and we don’t mean by simply pressing the little ‘test’ button, either — so why not stock up on a commodity item at a great price in the same manner as people do when they shop at BJ’s or Sam’s Club for toilet paper, napkins, soap, cereal, etc.?

I don’t need THAT much smoke detector tester…

Conveniently enough, TestProducts.Com also sells canned smoke check in smaller amounts… as low as just a single 0.25 ounce container that contains enough test reagent for 10+ smoke detector tests.

In all honesty, we had no idea refractometers had so many uses in so many different industries:

• Automotive industry uses refractometers to analyze antifreeze and transmission fluids
• Wine growers use refractometers to measure the amount of sugar in their product at various times
• Environmentalists an use refractometers to measure the salinity (saltiness) of water.
• … and the list goes on.

Refractometers work on the principle of refraction, or the bending of the path of a beam of light as it passes through a medium of some sort. Different mediums will cause the light to bend in different amounts and thus a direct relation between concentration and changes in light path exists.

Below you will find a listing of 20 different refractometers currently available from National Safety Products

Refractometer: 1.333 to 1.384 ND (REF500COT) Used with Industrial Fluids, Oils & Water	REF500COT		$99.95
Refractometer: 1.333 to 1.520 ND (REF505RI) Used with Industrial Fluids & Mineral Oils	REF505RI		$329.00
Refractometer: Brix 0 to 10% (REF101) Used with Industrial Fluids & Low Concentration Juices	REF101		$89.95
Refractometer: Brix 0 to 10% (REF111ATC) with ATC Automatic Temperature Compensation	REF111ATC		$129.00
Refractometer: Brix 0 to 20% (REF102) Used with Industrial Fluids & Low Concentration Juices	REF102		$99.75
Refractometer: Brix 0 to 20% (REF112ATC) with ATC Automatic Temperature Compensation	REF112ATC		$119.00
Refractometer: Brix 0 to 32% (REF103) For Industrial Fluids, Fruit Juice and Soft Drinks	REF103		$99.55
Refractometer: Brix 0 to 32% (REF113ATC) with ATC Automatic Temperature Compensation	REF113ATC		$119.00
Refractometer: Brix 0 to 90% (REF107) Wide Range with Carrying Case	REF107		$329.00
Refractometer: Brix 28 to 62% (REF104) Used with Concentrated Fruit Juices, Canned Goods & High Sugar Solutions	REF104		$99.95
Refractometer: Brix 28 to 62% (REF114ATC) with ATC Automatic Temperature Compensation	REF114ATC		$119.00
Refractometer: Brix 45 to 82% (REF105) Used with Concentrated Fruit Juices, Canned Goods & High Sugar Solutions	REF105		$99.95
Refractometer: Brix 58 to 90%, Water 17 to 27% (REF106) Used with Honey, Jams, Marmalades & Malts	REF106		$99.95
Refractometer: Digital Brix 0 to 35%, 1.3330 to 1.3900 Refractive Index (DREF45-121) with ATC	DREF45-121		$399.00
Refractometer: Digital Wide Range Protein/Urine (DREF-UP320)with ATC	DREF-UP320		$399.00
Refractometer: Digital Wide Range Protein/Urine ATC (DREF300) with Carrying Case	DREF300		$329.00
Refractometer: Glycol to Measure Freezing Point -50 to 0°C (REF402) 1.15 to 1.3 Specific Gravity	REF402		$99.95
Refractometer: Glycol to Measure Freezing Point -60 to 32°F (REF401) 1.15 to 1.3 Specific Gravity	REF401		$99.95
Refractometer: Salinity 0 to 100% (REF201) Used with Seawater Density, Brine Solutions & Saline	REF201		$99.95
Refractometer: Salinity 0-28% (REF202) Seawater, Brine Solutions & Saline	REF202		$99.95

Back in the old days a technician would break out some soapy water and coat areas of an air or gas line he/ suspected of leaking and wait to see if any bubbles formed. We imagine that after a few accidental electrocutions, because water and high voltage equipment typically do not mix, someone came up with a safer, better and more efficient way to detect air and gas leaks: Ultrasonic Leak Detectors.

711-202-G1	Ultrasonic Leak Detector 40.5kHz Whisper (711-202-G1) w/Earphone & Case		$269.00
GS-400	Ultrasonic Leak Detector Transmitter (GS-400) Produces 40kHz Tone		$99.95
GS-5800	Ultrasonic Leak Detector: Detect Ultrasound at 20-100kHz (GS-5800) with Case		$229.95

Any good gardener knows that plants will NOT grow at the right pace or the correct way without the proper balance of light around them, moisture in their soil, and the correct pH balance in their soil. While some folks naturally have a ‘green thumb’ and can get all three of those factors perfectly balanced w/o help from meters, the other 99% of us need help, so… below you will find soil pH meters, moisture in soil meters and light meters along w/ a few other handy gardening tools.

PMS-714	Digital Soil Moisture Meter 0.0 to 50% (PMS-714) with 7.9″ Probe		$249.95 $199.00
PH-212	Digital Soil pH Meter 0-13 pH (PH212) with Spear Tip Soil Probe		$179.00
GLMM100	Gardening Soil Moisture and Light Meter: Analog (GLMM100) with Remote Moisture Probe		$19.79
GLMM200	Gardening Soil Moisture Meter: Analog (GLMM200) with 6.75″ Probe		$9.95
GLMM400	Gardening Soil pH Test Meter & Moisture Meter Combo: Analog (GLMM400) No Batteries Required		$22.95 $18.95
GLMM300	Gardening Soil pH Test Meter: Analog 3 to 10 (GLMM300) with 6.75″ Probe		$9.95
830915	Leatherman GENUS Gardening Pruner & Multi-Tool (830915) 9 in 1, Nylon Sheath		$89.95
830555	Leatherman HYBRID Gardening Pruner & Multi-Tool (830555) 11 in 1, Nylon Sheath		$53.95

Ever have a problem w/ moisture ruining a loaf of bread prematurely? Or how about a colony of mold and/or mildew showing up on material that did not dry properly before getting folded up and put away?

Those problems do not COMPARE to the problems farmers go through if they do not keep accurate tabs on the moisture levels inside their hay and grain bales. If the levels get out of range, their crops can spoil and that means devastating financial problems for their business.

The GrainMaster comes with an integrated grinder-compressor unit that enables the user to take on-site moisture readings in ground samples quickly and easily.

Along with the GrainMaster, which comes in a handy carrying pouch, you also get a grinder-compressor unit, grain cup, sample spoon, brush and ‘Quickcheck’.

Besides having the ability to detect moisture levels from 0% to 100%, the GrainMaster has 15 pre-programmed calibrations for Wheat, Barley, Oats, Oilseed Rape, Canola, Linseed, Peas, Corn, Sunflower, Coffee, Soya, Rice, Sorghum, Paddy and Beans.

Need to test down inside a bale or down in a barrel? No problem. You can pick up optional probes for measuring temperature in stored grain (GRN6046) and moisture levels in baled hay and straw (GRN6138) as well.

Consider this part two in a series of two blog postings about testing the hardness of steel per ASTM A956… simply because we saw a second meter that you can use for this sort of testing.

Tony from Orlando asked, “What is the ASTM Test Method associated with testing the hardness of steel and what type of instrument is used?”

Well, Tony, we know of several different hardness scales including Shore A, Shore D, Rockwell, Vickers and Brinell. We imagine that you COULD measure hardness of steel using any of those scales, but we also know about ASTM A956 — Standard Test Method for Leeb Hardness Testing of Steel Products.

For those not familiar with ASTM A956, you can read a synopsis of the method’s purpose and scope below.

ASTM A956

Significance and Use

Hardness of a material is a poorly defined term that may have many meanings depending on the type of test performed and the expectations of the person involved. The Leeb hardness test is of the dynamic or rebound type, which primarily depends both on the plastic and on the elastic properties of the material being tested. The results obtained are indicative of the strength and dependent on the heat treatment of the material tested.

The Leeb hardness test is a superficial determination only measuring the condition of the surface contacted. The results generated at that location do not represent the part at any other surface location and yield no information about the material at subsurface locations.

1. Scope

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the Leeb hardness of steel, cast steel, and cast iron (Part A), including the methods for the verification of Leeb hardness testing instruments (Part B), and the calibration of standardized test blocks (Part C).
Note 1

The original title of this standard was “Standard Test Method for Equotip Hardness Testing of Steel Products.”

1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

2. Referenced Documents

ASTM Standards
E691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method

You can purchase a full copy of the method on the ASTM Web Site.

For those interested in purchasing a meter to test hardness of steel per ASTM A956, take a look at this meter: Hardness Tester ASTM Rated Professional Pen Style (EMHT40).

OK, so if you don’t already know what the term ‘wet bulb globe temperature’ means, don’t worry. We didn’t, either, before writing this blog entry.

The term refers to the way the human body ‘feels’ in response to actual temperature, real-time exposure to sunlight, and humidity. Many refer to the wet bulb globe temperature, often as WBGT, as heat index.

As the Summer months slowly start to creep into the Northern Hemisphere, and temperatures along with humidity readings begin to climb, industrial hygienists, athletic trainers, the military, Summer Camp administrators all over start to keep a close watch on the weather not just to make sure on one gets caught in the rain, but to make sure people under their charge don’t wind up getting heat stroke!

Instruments like the Heat Index Monitor Wet Bulb Globe Meter (WBGT8758) w/ 40mm Black Globe take the guesswork out of heat index monitoring and provide instant, on-the-spot heat index data.

Features of the Heat Index Monitor Wet Bulb Globe Meter (WBGT8758) w/ 40mm Black Globe include

• Ability to Measure Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) – a commonly used heat stress indicator that considers the effects of temperature, humidity and radiant energy.

• Measures Black Globe Temperature (TG) – measured by the black globe thermometer, which monitors the effects of direct solar radiation on an exposed surface.

• Monitors Ambient Air Temperature (TA).

• Provides Real-Time Relative Humidty (%RH).

• Allows users to keep tabs on conditions in direct sunlight and out of direct sunlight at the same time.

• Audible Alarm Will Go Off When Conditions Exceed User Specified Limits.

Tony from Orlando asked, “What is the ASTM Test Method associated with testing the hardness of steel and what type of instrument is used?”

Well, Tony, we know of several different hardness scales including Shore A, Shore D, Rockwell, Vickers and Brinell. We imagine that you COULD measure hardness of steel using any of those scales, but we also know about ASTM A956 — Standard Test Method for Leeb Hardness Testing of Steel Products.

For those not familiar with ASTM A956, you can read a synopsis of the method’s purpose and scope below.

ASTM A956

Significance and Use

Hardness of a material is a poorly defined term that may have many meanings depending on the type of test performed and the expectations of the person involved. The Leeb hardness test is of the dynamic or rebound type, which primarily depends both on the plastic and on the elastic properties of the material being tested. The results obtained are indicative of the strength and dependent on the heat treatment of the material tested.

The Leeb hardness test is a superficial determination only measuring the condition of the surface contacted. The results generated at that location do not represent the part at any other surface location and yield no information about the material at subsurface locations.

1. Scope

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the Leeb hardness of steel, cast steel, and cast iron (Part A), including the methods for the verification of Leeb hardness testing instruments (Part B), and the calibration of standardized test blocks (Part C).
Note 1

The original title of this standard was “Standard Test Method for Equotip Hardness Testing of Steel Products.”

1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

2. Referenced Documents

ASTM Standards
E691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method

You can purchase a full copy of the method on the ASTM Web Site.

For those interested in purchasing a meter to test hardness of steel per ASTM A956, take a look at this meter: Hardness Gauge: Digital Portable Ultrasonic Tester (UTEMHT20) with Hard Case & Batteries.

With high school, college and professional sports getting more and more competitive all the time, some players will do whatever it takes to get an edge — even if it means breaking the rules and running the risk of getting kicked off the team or banned from competition.

Steroids provide a fast, efficient means of gaining muscle mass, gaining muscle strength and gaining a competitive edge… and they harm the human body in the process. For that reason most governing sports bodies have rules on the books outlawing the use of steroids by players and competitors.

In some sporting events, such as the Olympics, mandatory testing for performance enhancing compounds, including steroids) takes place randomly throughout the events and after each medal-winning victory.

But what about on high school football fields, basketball courts, and other athletic venues where steroids ought not exist, but concerned parents may wonder about their children because of sudden increases in muscle mass, drastic reductions in body fat, and wild changes in attitude (not attributed to puberty… lol.)?

When that happens the parent, or other concerned party such as a coach or guidance counselor, may want to consider trying to get the athlete to consent to a home test kit for steroid use such as SteroidConfirm.

As a general rule, an innocent athlete will gladly submit to the test… and carry a chip on their shoulder about it afterwards, while a guilty athlete will throw up every objection in the book not to take the test and become hostile at the very notion that someone would think he/she has taken steroids.

Not a fun road to travel, this ugly steroid testing path, but if you love someone and want them to live a long life after they leave the playing field, sometimes it is the road you must travel.