BW Fiber Fusing

I can try using the microscope to determine which end of a sci-fi to fuse. If the microscope does not work well, I can request a magnifying glass. The magnifying glass goes in the box on the soldering table when we are done with it.

I should use the weights to test some of the real fuses I am doing (every nth fiber) with 850 g weights. I don't need to do practice fuses if my real ones are going well.

5/14/2018

Apparently the weight testing needs to be done differently. The 100 gram weight with the hook or the 50 gram hanger should go on the fiber, but there is a problem with the hooked 500 gram weight. That should not go on the fiber.

There is also a new way to fuse. I should press the fibers together while holding down the top ferrule with both hands to add pressure and prevent wings.

I need to adjust the focus of the lamp to prevent fiber material from burning away, which is happening now. Jim said the lamp would probably have to be a little lower and maybe closer to the ferrules.

The Heat dial adjusts how long the lamp is on. It has been usually set at 3.

To prevent the ferrules from slamming together, we can leave them closed or close together so that if someone accidentally hits the start button they will not have room to build up speed. We could also put some sponge gasket between the metal parts to the left of the ferrules as a cushion.

I wanted to increase the minimum pressure in the compressor, so I looked for the setting screws to do that. I am not sure, but it could be the tall black one that seems to have a plastic head. I gave it about two turns counterclockwise.

5/15/2018

I should ask a question if anything seems wrong with the splicing unit. I did not recognize that the ferrules should not slam together, but that would have been a good time to ask whether they should be slamming.