This Week's Update -- Posted by PDA on Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Media News: Joe Roark's ironhistory.com discussion forums, usually viewable only by members at that site, will now for a brief period be open to non members on a read-only basis. The forums discuss the history of iron, the artifacts collectors find interesting, and are slanted toward the history of iron more than toward the present day.
Those who visit and intend to join are urged to read the forum rules BEFORE doing so, and to realize that real name registration is required to join.
World Economic News The current exchange rate on the U.S. dollar is very advantageous for many international clients. With some monetary exchange rates around 2-to-1, many have the opportunity to leverage their purchases for a comparably low effective cost. There has never been better timing. 1/6/07 The U.S. dollar continues to fall and the Canadian looney has never been in better shape. 1/6/08 The situation Downunder is also optimistic. 1/27/08
Carbon Steel News We noted quite some time ago that carbon steel versions of certain equipment would eventually be deleted. The reasons are workload and the fact that carbon steel items require maintenance just to keep in stock. We have started earmarking product pages at the very beginning to note that the item will be discontinued when the current stock is depleted and the page will be deleted at that time. Once so designated, we will not bottleneck the backlog by building more. 12/15/07
Recent Phone Service Developments We have lost more and more time to answering the phone only to find telemarketers, etc. Something had to be done, and we did it. Our anonymous call block has been activated and we do not respond to callers listed as "unknown" on the caller ID. For the few unwanteds that still slip thru (who in their right mind leaves phone messages at 1:30 in the morning?), their numbers are blocked as soon as they are identified. The change has been successful. The phone lines are much quieter and those that get thru are business related.
The fact that we have "call waiting" means you should always get a human response or voice mail. If you get a busy signal, check your "anonymous" settings. That would apply to some phone cards, throw-away cells, etc.
We realize this may inconvenience a few. However, the reality is, we either adjust in favor of legitimate calls and efficient use of the phone function relative to other functions, or we drop phone service altogether. 060207
Skunkworks News: Not a week goes by that people call or write - and we cannot help but laugh. So, we decided to share. The top of the Skunkworks page clearly states, in no uncertain terms, that items shown on that page but not in the cart are for PPCs only. And yet, people email several times over the course of a week asking for Spartacus among other things. We keep track only for a week, just to see how thick they are, then block their emails. Callers are told they are not eligible, just as it says on the page. The winningest loser of all called this past week. He had a plan! "I was calling to ask for the name of a retailer that carries your equipment." "There are none. We do not have margin built in for distributors." "Oh. Well I saw that you do not sell Spartacus to the general public so I thought I could get one from one of your distributors." Incredibly, he sounded truly disappointed. Hope he stays in med school. 4/22/07
Fractional Plate News: GenII Fractional Stainless Steel Magnetic Plates (SSM) are starting to debut. They feature one-piece cores and permanent assemblies. They cannot come loose accidentally and cannot be disassembled with hand tools. The can be manhandled. The SSMs also feature the latest stamped identification marker: "U.S.A." Since there are now so few things actually made in the U.S.A., we thought it was appropriate to be applying that mark. 1/26/08 Added to cart. GenII 1/2 LB 2/10/08 plates targeted for 3/10/08 Completed 3/15/08
Conventional Plate News: PDA is pleased to announce we are venturing into conventional denomination plates, however, they are anything but conventional. See the Skunkworks page for details. 7/17/05 The first batch has come in. They have been classified, with Class 1 being +-0.0 ounces. Several have been accounted for already. The second have of the first batch still has to be classified. Here's a excerpt preview of the Nickel page that will be posted next week:
"All PDA Nickels are polished before applying a high molecular base wax, as we have been doing with our fractional plates. All are also stamped, in the hub region, in the same manner as our fractional plates ("PDA" "denomination mark as noted below", "client initials", "date code"), plus a three digit serial number. Nickels fit 1.95" diameter spec Olympic sleeves. Nickels do not, and will not be made to, fit on larger, non-spec Olympic sleeves. Nickels are offered in the Plates category. launched 8/21/05 Dimes are in the Next workorder. 9/17/05 Dimes are in the current workorder. 11/13/05 Dimes are postponed 3-4 weeks out due to heavy workload. 7/9/06 Dimes delivered. 12/15/07 Quarters are in the next workorder. 2/10/08
Site Revisions :
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Project Status Report: Other than those listed, no further project details are available at this time. Details will be announced when projects are released by posting on site only. We cannot accommodate individual requests for early details or release dates. All projects are on the WIGD (When It Gets Done) schedule unless noted otherwise. Where specific initiators are involved, we commit to statusing and mutual timely completion of items on a joint Action list. Unless noted otherwise, project costs are unknown and will be WIC (Whatever It Costs).
Ironhorse Hurlanator: Our good friends at Ivanko, the largest and strongest manufacturer of commercial freeweight training equipment called to ask if we would design/build/partner on a dumbbell testing machine. Like PDA, they pride themselves on integrity in the design and build of equipment rather than the marketing mentality that permeates the industry. Particularly irking in this area is the way the rest of the field is shifting emphasis which, if read between the lines, points out that that which they had profusely claimed to be so superior in the past has been shoddy at best, and they now do what they used to claim was inferior. If you follow a rigorous and thorough design protocol, you will, of course, learn forward. However, without that protocol, willy-nilly advertising leads the way and one unsupportable farfetched claim follows the others. While there are plenty of mainstreamers empty-headed enough to lap that up with vigor, our friend came to the conclusion that the way to test dumbbell quality correctly was to test them on an even basis. How? By tossing them from a machine made for that purpose. The criteria calls for dropping DBs weighing between 5 and 150 pounds from 3', 5' and 8'. With minimized controls and a cycle counter, the DBs are repeatedly dropped from the selected height until failure of the plates, assembly points, or wherever failure occurs. The DBs can be oriented so that both endplates strike simultaneously on impact (which seldom occurs in reality), with one endplate leading, dead on the end, or any angle in between.
Our trebuchet simulator is completed. We begin analysis this week. The target is to be able to toss dumbbells weighing from 5 pounds up to 150 pounds. Naturally the counterweight masses will be modeled on Ivanko plates. 5/3/08 Drive mechanism and concept drawings approved. Detail developments are next. 6/21/08
Hulk DB Spotters (HK): Lifters have been asking us for dumbbell spotters for years. Steve Sorensen (NJ) happened to ask when all of the tools were in place. Launched for PPCs only on the Skunkworks page 5/4/08 Hulks are 100% stainless steel and bulletproof. The first units were produced at a loss (underestimate). The subsequent units were appropriately higher. Mass producing components has permitted a rollback. A set of Standard Hulks to handle 2 DBs with ~8.25" plates currently runs $165 plus S&H. 6/21/08
Fickle Finger of Fate (FCubed): We have had many requests over the years for a correct finger extension device. We had our finger on the pulse but the solution was not imminent. There have been dozens of attempts by others over the years. The result was an incredible collection of devices that only solved a portion of the problem while either completely ignoring some aspects or creating new problems. Their prices ranged from dirt cheap to fanciful - but they still were only part solution. Not a single one of those devices was a successful definitive solution because they began with "I just want to be able to do this (extending) with my fingers" rather than a comprehensive list of criteria and constraints. With the C&C completed, it was obvious that the finger extension solution is not all about the fingers, and a multitude of approaches became apparent. We are sorting them out now. 5/18/08 Stainless steel prototype completed. It features digital isolation, and band anchors that can be adjusted to locate the band(s) for each finger so the pull is in the direction of the individual ROM. Each anchor can also be adjusted up and down to adjust the band force for each digit. Finally there is a finger rehab extensor that does all of what it should do to be functionally complete. 6/21/08
PDA Quarters: Nickels and Dimes were successfully completed. Our method has been perfected to the extent that the first batch of Dimes were all Class 1 - there were none that were of lesser accuracy. Quarters are in the Next Workorder. The rollout target is Summer. 1/14/08
Ironhorse Armanator: Instigated by Keith Scarborough (CA) among others, the Armanator is a portable stainless steel plate loaded arm wrestling project that is being modeled around the regulation competition table format though it could be mounted anywhere there is room. There have been several attempts by others over the years that simply fizzled because, while extremely expensive, they simply were not functionally correct. The design intent of the Armanator is for trainees to be able to use it in their specific environment, just as in competition, including the elbow and touch pads, as well as the pegs. The Armanator will simply sit on any existing competition table and leverage off of our Gripanator experience. Significant differences between the two machine concepts include the fact that the ROM is nearly 90 degrees versus less than 30 degrees, the arm length must be adjustable, the correct hand configuration must be simulated, etc. The similarities include the need for negative training and touch range training, as well as the need to have the resistance increasing all the way to the down and maximum at touch - a nice challenge with nearly 90 degrees of ROM! Our VRS experience will be one of the other tools that will make the Armanator the premier arm wrestling tool. Target completion, Fall. 4/20/08
Tiger Paw: The Tiger Paw 3 (TP3) Pinch Grip Hub that was initiated by Stephen Ball (Great Britain) has been completed and launched. 9/1/07 We are now building Tiger Paw 475 (TP475) at the request of Mark Robinson (Great Britain). TP475 will feature a 3/4" tall x 4-3/4" diameter stippled hub with a 3/4" wide finger stop so it mimics the hub of his plates. TP475 will also feature the same self-centering feature built into TP3. 9/30/07 TP475 could not be fabricated as designed due to skirt issues. We took advantage of the opportunity and revised it to make it even better than planned. The parts are due in in about a week, assembly will take about another week. 12/15/07 Parts dragging. 1/14/08 Starts shipping T 1/29/08 Shipped
BorisLX: The BorisLX option jumped out of the shop this week. While Boris was initially only for chins and dips, the LX option converts it into a smoothly working shrug machine with adjustable grip distance. 8/11/07
Capone's Icepick: The CI is from the fertile mind of Joe D'Agostino who came up with the Atlas and then the Gripanator concept. We used to use the Nautilus Multi-Exercise Machine to do belt squats. Well, the entire stack was not enough. We could hang one 45 somewhat precariously on a spare stack pin. Then some had to stand on top of the stack. Capone's Icepick provides a sleeve to add Olympic plates and a collar to your machine plate stack. The CI is 100% stainless steel. Unlike the typical stack pin that has only a detent ball to keep it in place, Capone's Icepick is positively locked and cannot be removed or dislodged unless you remove it. Rollout in 4 weeks. 1/6/08 Launched
Rack Mounted Pullover: The rack mounted pullover has been mired in the potential complications of fully developed unit with all of the possible bells and whistles. We have reorganized, segmenting the unit into components. Each component will be designed and completed in simplest form, mono drive, first. We have started with the trainee interface and will move sequentially thru the rotary, idler and support systems. The first model will roll out with loading pin(s) for carriage and a round drive, then a separate loading carriage will follow. From there we will back up and insert the cam. The user interface is in the Next Workorder. 1/14/08 Seat and mounting 100% complete. The pullover bar is next. 6/21/08
The Spartacus & Ironhorse Iron Boot Guide will be completed by the end of the month. It will be sent with each Spartacus (SP) and/or Ironhorse Iron Boot (IIB) order. These two particular pieces of equipment were combined because they complement one another with respect to body parts worked and time efficiency. The SIIB Guide will offer insight into getting the most out of these two pieces of equipment. For example,
Siegmund Breitbart's Muscle Builder Apparatus: Remember the Bullworker? Here's an oldie but goodie that's considerable tougher. Gordon Cooper put this on our platter. You can see what the original looked like at the Sandow site (www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Breitbart/Course/bbc03.htm). As with the Automatic Exerciser, we're looking to infuse current materials, methods and techniques into a historical piece of equipment. On the back burner.
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