>>>What happens to bronze after it's melted down?

Cast into bearings that hug the drive shafts of submarine mainprops.

 >>>Where is it now?

At the bottom of the sea.


 >>>I know why vintage window glass is so interesting - all those
imperfections in the surface that catch the light.   But why is modern 
window glass so
bad?  Its more than just the absence of character, it's something 
unpleasant
and disconcerting, perhaps because none of it is really flat, just slightly
bowed (in?), which yields disorienting reflections.   Added to this is the
doubling, which creates a shadow reflection, as if your vision was 
fuzzy.    >>Why
is modern glass bowed like this?   And is it in, or out?<<<


The bow is inward. What you have noticed is the harsh occuar glare of 
modern "insulating glass" (IG), double-paned units sealed at the edges 
with a gas inside. As the gas ages and is affected by the UV rays of the 
sun it decreases in volume creating a vacuum that bows the glass inward. 
There have even been cases of imploding IG units, with shattered glass 
flying. The disturbing visual effect is compounded by transparent 
metalic coatings on the glass  that block the passaage of infra-red rays 
going in one direction or the other, which way depending on how much 
money the con-men can grab out the pockets of unsuspecting homeowners. 
Even more insidious is that the combination of the concave bowing and 
the infra-red reflection focuses the reflected sunlight on the 
neighbors' vinyl siding, melting it right off the wall. This is no joke, 
there are 5 cases of it within three blocks of my own house here in 
Portland. It is happening all around the country and one of the national 
news programs (ala 60 Minutes?) had an item on in last year. Even so, it 
is one of the best kept secrets in the vinyl replacement industry, 
though it is well recognized by industry insiders since about 6 years 
ago when "reflected window light" disclaimer clauses started appearing 
in vinyl window and siding sales contracts and warrantees.

"How does reflected light affect vinyl siding?
The typical heat distortion temperature of vinyl siding is approximately 
160 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When temperatures reach these levels, the 
siding is likely to distort. Reflected or radiated heat sources include 
windows, roofing, pavement, and certain underlayments. " -- from 
VinylSiding.org

The plastic window makers do not want anyone to know that they are 
paying out big bucks to replace the neighbors' vinyl siding all across 
the land. I'm documenting a couple of cases here, collecting samples, 
taking photos, measuring vinyl surface temps (150+ degrees). (planning 
to write an article about it for one of the journals) Let me know if you 
hear of any cases of it.


John
by hammer and hand great works do stand
by pen and thought best words are wrought

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