#horizontal round bar railing

[zatsmoopy]

Loft-Style - Modern Living Room

[metanoiastudies]

Open Family Room in New York

[betaorionis-fr]

Newly added to my pixel art shop offerings are Custom Graphics*! The first thing in my shop are small animated scenic gifs as seen below: (original size: 100px, these are the scaled up 200px versions, further embiggened by post formatting)

I currently have 2 slots open for custom graphics and 3 open for little pixel scene animations. price varies depending on complexity, see thread linked for more details.

*I will make a note here also that the intention for these are 'graphics' and 'decorations' and not 'character art'! Stuff like Asagiri's animation here which features her in ghostly deer form are ok since she isn't the only thing of note and also isn't very big and/or detailed.

I do have a pop-up art shop if you wanna comm me for dragon art like the portraits i've shared here—currently closed but thinking of reopening next month... gotta save up for new dragons.

(detailed image descriptions under the read more)

[image 1: a pair of deep blue vertical banners with a staggered gradient effect turning darker at the bottom, and with electric blue fringe-like bits at the bottom with gems dangling down - the tops are short spears with blue tentacles curled around them and draping over part of the banners. there are two horizontal dividers, double-ended wooden spears with stone tips. the higher divider has a round dark blue buckler in the center and is framed by tentacles, some of them grasping electric blue gems - one such gem also sits in the center of the shield. nearer to the bottom, at the center, are a line of three identical blue gems centered on small dark blue circles. /end id]

[image 2: an animated gif of a foggy lake scene, with pale yellow background that has a dithered gradient darkening at the bottom, dark off-black deciduous tree to the right, some bushes to the left with a ghostly pale deerlike figure between them. it is animated to look like the water is flowing and a wind is blowing, and the ghostly deer appears to fade in and out. /end id.]

[image 3: an animated snapshot of part of a neon-lit alleyway, with a metal-railing balcony with a glass bottle resting at the top and some leafy pot plant dangling down through the bars. there are three neon light sources in the scene, a blue wine-cup sign at the bottom left, a pink one that reads '44','20', and '80' in stylized numbers, and two pink glowing rounded lantern shapes dangling off a pole attached to the right wall. the animation seems to show the light moving across the scene as the various sources turn brighter and dim. /end id.]

[stair-warehouse]

Are you buying horizontal railing? Look no further than Stair Warehouse! Our Horizontal stair railings merge functionality with sleek, modern designs, enhancing both the safety and aesthetics of your home. Choosing the right horizontal metal railing contributes significantly to your space's overall appearance. For more information, you can call us at 800-591-722

[equipsy]

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect Towel Rail for Your Bathroom

For bathroom accessories, towel rails are one of the top priorities. After all, they hold your towels to stay dry, organised, and easily accessible. However, not all towel racks are created equal since each is made from different sizes, materials, and functionalities.

If you're in the market for a new bathroom rack, our comprehensive guide below will help you choose the best one.

What are Towel Rails?

Towel rails are bathroom accessories designed to hang towels. They often come as horizontal rails, but they're also available as hooks, rings, or ladders. Thus, you can choose a rail design.

The most common towel rails are wall-mounted ones. They're handy for saving space while keeping your bathroom neat. But if you cannot attach accessories to your walls, you can find several freestanding towel racks in the market. Plus, they're easily movable and don't require any installation.

Key Considerations for Choosing a Towel Rail

Bathroom Size and Layout

Your bathroom size and layout are among the first things you should consider when choosing a bathroom rail. After all, you'll want to make sure that your bathroom rack fits well into your space.

If you're thinking of getting a wall-mounted rail, assess how much wall space is available in your bathroom. If you want to go for a freestanding rack, do the same for your floor space. Better yet, take measurements of your available space to ensure the bathroom rail you pick won't be too small or too large for the area.

Aesthetics and Design

If you want to create a stylish bathroom, you'll want to choose a towel rack that complements your personal taste. Whether you're going for a modern, minimalist, or traditional look, you can find plenty of bathroom rails in various styles as long as you know what details and materials to look for.

One trick for a consistent bathroom is matching your accessories with existing details. So if you're leaning towards a modern design, look for a towel rail with square designs while round shapes fit traditional aesthetics. If you have grab rails, you can even consider matching your towel racks so your bathroom looks aesthetically pleasing and cohesive.

Material

Another aspect you need to consider when selecting a towel rail is its materials. You'd want to choose a durable rack that requires low maintenance so you can get the most out of it. The most common materials and finishes you can find include:

Brushed satin

Polished chrome

Stainless steel

Aluminum

Plastic

Brushed satin provides a sophisticated look and is fingerprint-resistant. Polished chrome is the most common choice on this list, so it's easy to find other bathroom accessories with the same finish. Meanwhile, stainless steel is the most durable towel rack since it's moisture-resistant, preventing corrosion.

Storage Capacity

If you're mainly using your towel rails for storage, consider their capacity. For instance, if your entire family shares one bathroom, you'll need to find a towel rack that can accommodate multiple towels. A ladder-style rail would work well for you since it has a large storage capacity while allowing you to save wall space.

But if you'll only hang one or two towels, your bathroom rack choice is endless because you won't compete with others for towel space. Thus, you can choose a horizontal, ring, or hook towel rail, to suit your needs.

Tips for Installing a Towel Rail

Once you've found the perfect piece that suits your needs, here are helpful tips you can keep in mind for installing your towel rail:

Mark the wall. Hold the towel bar on the wall where you want to install it and mark the place with a pencil. This ensures the two spots will line up so your towel rail installs straight.

Use drill bits in the correct sizes. When drilling holes in the walls, use the correct drill bit sizes to install your towel rail securely.

Utilise quality anchors. If you're installing a heavier rail, use high-quality anchors for added support.

Get the Perfect Towel Rail With These Tips Today!

Towel rails can be handy accessories for keeping your towels dry and organised, that's why it's important to find the right piece that fits your needs. If you prioritise storage, you can consider selecting a rack that has a large capacity, like a horizontal bar or ladder-style. Meanwhile, if you want to incorporate style into your space, hook or ring towel racks would look pleasing to the eye. But overall, you'll want to find a durable and low-maintenance bathroom rail, so it's also important to consider the material and finish of your accessory.

If you're looking for long-lasting and stylish towel racks, Equipsy has an extensive range available. Whether you're looking for a sleek polished chrome piece or a durable stainless steel rail in smooth ivory, we have the best choices that suit your style!

[triroundbars]

Flat Bar Vs Round Rail?

Flat Bar : 

Often, when shipping large modules, such as tanks, boats, or construction equipment on container vessels, there are challenges in loading and securing them at the port of origin, and there can also be similar problems at the port of discharge.

In addition to loading larger items as breakbulk cargo, the containers must also be stowed on a bed of flat racks that are installed on board first. For the vessel operator, this means additional time and special arrangements must be made for shipside operations, as well as an increase in costs for the shipper.

Additionally, shipping options for breakbulk may only be available on direct (port-to-port) sailings, thereby causing frustration for shippers who wish to access those markets served by transshipment container services as well.

The term flat rail for skateboarding refers to a metal pole that sits horizontally on the ground. Ben Dillinger FS Feeble. You will see flat rails in skate parks with different heights and lengths. You can get element round bars and square rails, as well as flat rails with kinks and curves that can be ridden on.

Many skate parks have flat rails with a wide variety of heights and lengths. You will find flat rails with round and square variations as well as flat rails that go around curves and have kinks in them.

On a flat rail, you can do all the grinds and slides that you like. However, it is a lot more difficult to balance on a narrow metal bar than on a curb, because it is narrower in diameter.

Building support materials such as flat bars are common in the construction industry. They are used for support braces, ladder hangers, gate latches, ductwork, overhead doors, heaters, and bracing.

Uses For Flat Bars

With a flat surface and a rectangular face, a flat bar skateboarding is extremely versatile and can be used for a wide variety of projects. Here are four of the most popular uses for skateboarding flat bars:

1. Frame Construction:

Because metal bars can withstand construction weight, they are frequently used for frameworks. They can be easily cut to length and drilled or welded into place.

2. Building Support

Building support materials such as flat bars are common in the construction industry. They are used for support braces, ladder hangers, gate latches, ductwork, overhead doors, heaters, and bracing.

3. Improvements & Additions

Besides being used during construction, flat bars can also be used post-construction to reinforce existing structures. They can be easily cut and formed to match, replace, or support existing materials.

For more information visit

#aluminum #copper #metalart #metalwork #iron #engineering #welding #fabrication #metal #steel 

[wiypt-writes]

Stark Spangled Banner

Ch 5: You Make It Easy

Summary: Steve finally takes Katie out on a date.

Pairing: Steve Rogers X OFC Katie Stark

Warnings: Language! And a whole heap of fluffy fluff fluff.

A/N: Once again, a huge thank you to @angrybirdcr​ for her lovely little edit.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Chapter 4

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

The elation Steve had felt about actually getting a date with Katie soon evaporated the next morning when he realised he hadn’t the first CLUE about where to take her, what to do or what to wear. He wasn’t naïve, he knew dating had changed since his day but the fact he had no reference point to even start from, having never been on a date before, wasn’t helpful either.  So he sought some advice

“A nice shirt and jeans.” Peggy smiled at him, the old woman elated he had finally done it. “Nothing too flash, and pick a restaurant. It doesn’t have to be fancy, women are more impressed by a man who’s paying them attention instead of simply paying for the meal.”

“Okay, right.”

“You know her, Steve.” Peggy looked at him. “What type of food does she like?”

“Italian, Chinese, but we do that all the time.” He shrugged, before he stopped, suddenly remembering something she had said to Evans a couple of weeks back in exercise, “You know, come to think of it she has mentioned a new place in town. La Placa I think it’s called.” “See, there you go.”  Peggy patted him on his arm before she smiled at the look on the young man’s face “Just be yourself Steve, that’s who she wants. No one else.”

“Thanks Peg.”

“And make sure you kiss her goodnight…” She grinned, a twinkle in her eyes. “Us ladies do like a bit of passion every now and then you know.” He rolled his eyes at her cheekiness, running his hand through his hair which was in desperate need of a cut. He stayed with Peggy whilst he googled the restaurant number, made his reservation and then text Katie to tell her where he had booked.

Can’t wait xxx

He grinned to himself, and then pushed his phone away and turned back to find Peggy watching him, a sly grin on her face.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy before.” she remarked, somewhat wistfully

.He smiled “Been a long time since I felt this good.”

“It suits you.” On his way home he swung into the barbers and stepped in. As he sat in the chair the man asked him what he wanted doing, and he was about to say trim when Katie’s voice stirred in his mind.

“Trying to imagine what you’d look like with shorter hair and a beard…” “Shorn back and sides please,” he said as the man asked him what he wanted, “and take it a little shorter on top.”

******

Katie woke suddenly on top of the comforter on her bed, fully clothed. She’d fallen asleep!  She sat up, thinking back to the last thing she remembered before her nap, piecing her train of thought together. Ah, yes, Steve had messaged her to tell her he’d booked a table somewhere which had prompted her to start looking for an outfit. She’d realised she had no idea what to wear so had been debating calling Pepper to ask for advice, but had decided it wasn’t a good idea because she didn’t want Tony to know she was dating yet, let alone who.

But there was someone she could call. Desperate times called for desperate measures, right?

Biting her lip she sighed and picked up her phone, scanning through to the person she was looking for and the cavalry arrived an hour and a half later in the shape of a red-haired deadly assassin.

“There has to be something in here that’s first date suitable…” Natasha mumbled, as she continued to search through the various items in Katie’s closet. Half Katie’s clothes adorned the floor of her walk-in-wardrobe and bedroom as they had discarded everything she’d tried so far. “It would help if I knew where you were going.” she sipped her beer thoughtfully.

“La Placa.” Katie told her after a pause, “Tapas place, but if you turn up I swear to God…”

“I got better things to do with my spare time.” “No you don’t. And I wouldn’t put anything past you.”

“If you don’t trust me why did you ask for my help?“ Natasha drawled, still rifling through the clothing racks. “Because Pepper is a four hour drive away…”

“Well that’s just rude.” Natasha mumbled and Katie grinned, shaking her head as Nat placed her beer down on the top of a set of drawers and moved to a rail “Ok, try this.”

She pulled out a knee length navy blue Balenciaga dress with a fitted top half, scalloped neck line and three-quarter length lace detailed sleeves. As Katie shrugged it on, Natasha hunted in the shoe rack, pulling out a pair of mid-height nude Kurt Geiger courts with a stiletto heel and matching bag.

“Not bad.” She mumbled as Katie stepped into the heels and gave her a twirl.

“Better than the grey one?” “Definitely.” Natasha nodded approvingly “I think we have a winner!”

Katie gave her a double Hi-Five and Nat picked up her beer as Katie stripped out of the dress and pulled on her T-shirt and shorts, before she glanced around the large bedroom, sighing at the mess.

“Better tidy this up in case things go well.” Nat smirked, before she pondered “Huh, actually, do you reckon Captain America puts out on the first date? Mind you, knowing Roger’s he’s probably a virgin…”

“I’m pretty sure people had casual sex back in the 40s too you know.” Katie rolled her eyes. “He was on the USO tours surrounded by dancing girls, there’s no way he didn’t do the old horizontal tango.”

“Yeah but…its Rogers.” Nat pressed giving a snort “Imagine if you are the one to pop his cherry.”

Katie groaned, shaking her head. “Shut up Widow.”

She smirked “Okay, so how long have we got?”

Katie glanced at her phone “An hour and twenty. And what do you mean we?” “You asked for my help, right?” Natasha shrugged, “Thought I could do your make-up and hair too…” Katie looked at her for a moment and smiled “Thanks.” She shrugged then drained her beer before turning Katie round and pushing her towards the en-suite “Go shower then we’ll start the transformation.”

An hour later Katie was ready. Her hair was curled in soft waves, and her makeup was done, a bit heavier than normal, but still subtle enough to avoid looking like it had been applied with a trowel.

“Perfect.” Nat gave her an appraising look. “Right, I trust you can get dressed without me?” “I think I’ll manage.” Katie said, standing up as she made her way out of the walk-in wardrobe and followed her into the hall where she picked up her jacket.

“Oh and if you need me to bail you, just give me an SOS call…” Nat made a phone sign with her finger and pinkie by her ear. “I think I’ll be ok.” Katie smiled, “but thank you, for all of this.”

“Have fun…” Nat grinned and then added with a smirk “And don’t do anything I wouldn’t”

“That doesn’t exactly leave a lot…” Katie quipped

“That’s my point.” Natasha intoned as she walked into the hall and pressed the button for the elevator.

“Nat, you won’t tell anyone will you?” Katie asked, “I mean, it isn’t that I don’t trust you, just…” Nat paused turning back to the brunette to find her chewing her lip with nerves. She shook her head “I won’t tell a soul. I know how much you two like each other, you’ve been dancing around it for months, so… just enjoy ok? Have a good time. You both deserve it.” “Thanks Nat” Katie smiled. The two girls shared a quick hug and then Nat left

***** Steve had to admit, he liked his new hair. It was much more like the style people sported now, but in a way it also reminded him of how Bucky had worn his back in the Howlies. He picked a light blue shirt, his dark navy jeans and then pondered before settling on a pair of brown boots that matched his jacket and belt. He was ready with plenty of time and found himself pacing as he thought about how the night could go. There was no doubt it was going to be way different to how he had imagined his first date to be. Back in his day it was movies, dinner and a dance. Now there were no dance halls, and they watched movies all the time. But, as Peggy had advised, for once he was going to “go with the flow” and just see where the night took them both.

Finally, after an agonising fifteen minutes during which he had pretty much paced non-stop and drained a good measure of scotch, even though it did nothing bar give him a comforting burn in his throat on the way down, he headed to the cab that was waiting and they set off to pick up his date.

Jesus Christ she looked amazing. Her hair was cascading in waves over her shoulders, the smoky brown eyeshadow she was wearing made the green in her eyes even more noticeable. And her dress…navy blue, knee length with a detailed neckline and sleeves that finished halfway down her forearms. The top half clung to her body where it flared out slightly from her hips and her heels accentuated her shapely calves to perfection. As Steve looked at her he found himself imagining various crude scenarios where said delectable dress ended up on the floor, but that wasn’t gentlemanly. Nor appropriate.

Katie felt her breath catch when she saw Steve. His light blue shirt was tight enough to accentuate his ridiculously well-built top half, and a brown belt with a gold buckle adorned his toned waist. And he’d had a haircut. Gone were his longer locks and side parting, and in its place was a short back and sides with slightly longer strands on the top, tousled into an exceptionally modern style. He looked incredible.

Steve broke the silence between the two, clearing his throat gently.

“You look beautiful.” He leaned down to give her a peck on the cheek.

“Thank you, you look pretty good yourself, you do something to your hair?” Katie teased.

“Thought it was time for a change.” he shrugged it off casually as his cheeks warmed. “Still getting used to it.” “It looks great.” she assured him.

He beat her to her jacket as she reached up to take it off the peg and held it out so she could shrug her arms into it. Once they were in the elevator, he reached out and took her hand and she laced her fingers into his. He glanced down at her, his eyes meeting hers and she flashed him a smile.

Yeah, he’d lucked out, big time.

******

The restaurant was busy but not packed. They were seated at the back in a little booth in the corner. Steve had never had tapas before, but Peggy had explained it to him before.

“So the idea is we pick, what, three or four dishes?” he asked, looking at Katie

“Yeah, they’re like small portions and you share.” Katie nodded. “Although you eat like a horse so we should probably order more.”

He grinned and looked back at his menu.

“You choose.” he placed the card back down eventually, beaten by the list of items. “I literally have no idea…”

“Alright.” Katie grinned. “But you have to try everything…”

“Deal.”

The waiter returned with their drinks and took their food orders. Katie ordered a large enough selection along with a side order of olives and different breads with dipping oils before flashing the waiter a smile and he scuttled off.

“I think this is normally the part where we ask each other questions,” Steve said as the waiter disappeared. “You know, get to know each other a bit more.”

“Yeah… think that ship already sailed though.”

“True,” Steve nodded bashfully, there wasn’t many things that they didn’t know about each other, although as he watched Katie was biting her lip, almost as if she wanted to say something, but at the same time didn’t.

“What is it?” he asked, reaching out for his drink.

“Something Nat said before…” Katie flushed, caught out. There was no way she was asking that question.

“Why does this worry me slightly?” He paused, beer raised halfway to his lips.

Katie looked at him and shook her head, the flush continuing to rise up her neck “Yeah, I’m not, it’s not first date conversation.”

He cocked his head to one side. “Now I’m extremely worried, and a little intrigued.”

“You really want to know?” Katie cocking her head to one side and when he nodded she shrugged. “Alright, you asked for this…” she straightened up in the seat as he did the same, bracing himself. “Are you a virgin?”

Steve groaned and screwed his eyes shut. “No, I’m not.” He sighed shaking his head before he looked back at her. "After I first got the serum there was suddenly all this attention on me and I didn’t really know any better…” “There was no one before?” she frowned slightly, almost as if she was surprised.

He shook his head again. “Girls weren’t exactly interested in me before hand, Bucky was the one who had the looks and the swag. He had a different girl every weekend. I guess when they finally did start looking at me that way I just, I dunno…” He stopped and took a breath. “God, this makes me sound like a right jerk. There weren’t that many”

Three to be exact. And none of them had been anything to write home about. He got the distinct impression they hadn’t particularly enjoyed themselves either, not past the fact they could boast about having bedded Captain America. Plus, he was infatuated by Peggy at that point as well and found he craved the tenderness that was supposed to be associated with the act, not merely the physical bliss. As corny as it sounded, he genuinely wanted someone to be with him intimately that wanted him, not Captain America.

As he watched, he noticed Katie was watching him intently and he swallowed a little as she simply shrugged. .

“We all have a past Steve.”

“I haven’t been with anyone since I came out of the ice.” He added softly, feeling the need to explain that he wasn’t that type of man.

“I haven’t since Grant.” she eyed him. “One night stands are overrated.”

“I wouldn’t know.” He shrugged, locking eyes with her. “That’s all I ever had.”

Katie studied him for a moment. She had no idea why, but to learn he hadn’t had a girl that way before he became some kind of war time celebrity, and knowing that the ones he had been with were probably chasing nothing but the kudos of being able to say they fucked Captain America, made her kind of sad. No wonder he was always so self-doubting.

She smiled and reached across the table, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Well, personally, I think all those girls that picked Bucky over you were dumbasses. I’ve seen the photos of you before all this happened…” she raised her free hand and held out her index finger, and gestured up and down his torso. “You were sweet”

He chuckled and took a drink of his beer. “You know I heard that a lot…you’re really sweet and all but…“

“Like I said…”she leaned back in her chair slightly, “Dumbasses” Steve was aware that her ankle was brushing against his slightly and he felt the warm flush in his cheek at her forwardness, but soon found it disappeared and was replaced instead with simply enjoying the fact she wanted to be so close to him.

As tactful as ever, Katie swiftly moved the conversation on and it took a natural turn to Tony’s renovation of the tower and then New York in general, how much Brooklyn in particular had changed since Steve had left it behind to go to war.

It was through this conversation Steve discovered that in all the time Katie had spent in New York she had never been to Coney Island.

“Maybe I could take you one day, down to the fair.” He suggested.

“I’d love that.” She smiled and his chest swelled even more.

Their food arrived and they continued to talk. And, considering they had started the date off thinking there wasn’t much more to find out about each other, both of them were surprised to see exactly how much trivial stuff there was to learn about the other. For instance, Steve knew that Katie enjoyed baseball but what he didn’t know was that whilst Tony was a Yankees fan, she actually supported the LA Dodgers, having grown up in Malibu. Suddenly her teasing about the fact they had moved made perfect sense. And in turn, Katie knew that the Dodgers relocating was a bug bear of his but, since he would rather go into the ice all over again than support the Yankees, he had started watching out for the Mets results, but apparently it just wasn’t the same and as such he hadn’t been to an actual game since he came out of the ice. Both of them found out the other preferred dogs to cats, cats making Katie sneeze and their ability to hiss and scratch you with no damned warning whatsoever made Steve not trust them as far as he could throw them. 

“I can just read the headlines now!” Katie chuckled after Steve had added that if he wanted to he could probably throw a cat quite far. “Captain America killed my Cat.” Steve let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he picked up his beer. “Don’t cats always land on their feet?” “I dunno, depends how hard you’re intending on throwing it.” “I’m not intending on throwing any cat anywhere.” Steve shook his head “As much as I don’t like them I couldn’t deliberately harm one.” “Tony did. Well not deliberately, and he didn’t so much harm it as kill it…” “Oh you gotta tell me this story!” Steve grinned, leaning forward, topping up Katie’s wine glass from the bottle that was in the ice bucket in the middle of the table.

Katie grinned, “When we were kids, the first place we lived in was down this huge, posh road  with like 3 other houses on and we had this really eccentric neighbour, Mrs Livesy her name was. She had like 18 cats or something ridiculous and one morning, Tony was reversing the car out of the garage and he flattened 2 of them.”

Steve nearly spat his beer back into his glass. “He ran them over?” “Yeah…” Katie said, and by now she was full on laughing “But the best bit is, she comes round asking Dad if he’s seen the cats, dad’s got no idea what’s gone on right as Tony’s moved the cats and bribed me to keep quiet with the biggest ice cream you could imagine, so dad is all like ‘I’ve got no idea Mrs Livesy I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open…” Katie took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes “So then Tony comes back, Dad mentions that Mrs Livesy was looking for 2 of her cats and Tony’s like ‘huh, well you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat’ and me, being the little shit I was at the age of 4 pipes up ‘no that was you this morning, remember?’”

Steve laughed, and watched as she carried on giggling. “He never forgave me for that, Dad made him go round and apologise. And he had to attend a memorial for Mr Whiskers and Bagpuss…”

Eventually after desert and a few more drinks it was time to leave, Katie tried to split the meal bill with Steve but one stern look stopped that in its tracks. This was a date, he was paying. Thankfully she didn’t argue too much. Steve then asked her if she wanted to go for a drink, she gleefully accepted so he took her hand, gently leading her across the road, holding the bar door open for her. They both sat at the bar, Katie turning her seat so she was directly facing him, the pair of them leaning closer to one another as they talked. And the conversation just continued to flow, as did the odd but subtle display of affection, moving their chairs closer together, her hand on his shoulder. Steve was surprised to find how easy the whole thing was. He had no nerves, no awkward moments. The chemistry fizzled and there wasn’t a single moment he was stuck for anything to say. It was for that reason he was disappointed when the bar tender called time and reluctantly stood up as Katie drained the final bit of gin from her glass.

As Steve held out her jacket, his hands gently brushed her shoulders as she shrugged it on, sending a tingle down her spine and the hitch in her breathing didn’t go unnoticed. She turned to face him, all green eyes and pink lips, blinking as her eyes locked onto his and before he could stop them, his hands connected at the base of her spine as she moved closer to him, not moving her gaze from his, hand resting on his chest.

“I’d really like to kiss you again…” Steve said, shyly.

“You know you don’t have to ask.” she replied. Smiling softly he leaned down and connected his lips with hers, the kiss growing slightly deeper until Steve remembered they were in the middle of a public bar. He pulled away gently, resting his forehead against hers briefly, blushing like an absolute moron as a small smile tugged on the corners of his mouth.

“You know, for someone who said they’d never taken a woman on a date before Rogers, you’ve done amazingly well.” she blinked up at him, grinning.

“That’s because you make it easy to be around you.” He shrugged, honestly. He took her hand, curled his fingers round hers and made their way out into the street to hail a cab.

All too soon they pulled up outside her apartment block and both of them found themselves wishing the night would never end. Steve told the driver to wait whilst he hopped out and walked her into the lobby, their hands still twined together. There was a part of him that wanted to follow her in, and a part of her that almost invited him to, but they both wanted to do this right, take their time.

“I think now is the part where I’m supposed to ask you if you had a good time.” Steve turned to face her as they stopped by the elevator door.

“I did.”

“And if you’d go out with me again?” “I already said I would, Coney Island remember?” she replied cheekily, leaning closer to him.

“I meant before that.”  He rolled his eyes.

“I’d love too.” She muttered, and then his lips were on hers again and they were kissing, exactly where they had left off in the bar, only this time they were alone. Steve’s hand snaked into her soft hair, angling her head slightly and she parted her lips, their tongues tangling easily as once more the fireworks erupted deep in Steve’s belly.

“Always leave ‘em wanting more Stevie…” Bucky said, nudging him on the arm, winking as they crossed the fairground towards the girls “That’s the trick…”

Steve couldn’t stop himself from smiling he pulled back. Their night was at an end, it was a perfect place to leave it.

“I really did had a great time tonight, thank you.” Katie whispered as he pressed his forehead to hers, giving her lips another quick peck before he stepped back a little and she reached into her bag for her key card, pressing it to the pad by the elevator.

“Me too.” He smiled as the elevator doors opened. She stepped inside, turning to face him and flashed him another grin.

“Night Stevie.”

“Night, Sweetheart.” He replied as the doors shut. With that, he turned round and grinning to himself he walked back to the cab. Date 1 down, and it had been a roaring success.

**** Chapter 6

**Original Posting**

[bm-asian-art]

Tomb Tower with Figures, 25-220 C.E., Brooklyn Museum: Asian Art

[Gallery Chat Label, 2005] Four stacked sections of earthenware with transparent green glaze. This model tower represents a type of Han dynasty burial architecture in northern China. Tomb models found in southern China usually consist of a courtyard with miniature barn structures and figures of farm animals. The small human figures peering out the windows or standing stiffly at the balcony railings represent human souls. A barking guard dog at the first level adds a humorous note. [Accession card] The tomb tower of figurines is composed of four stacking sections, comprising a bottom section representing a walled courtyard and three upper stories topped with a broad roof. The Tower is generally intact with details of the condition of individual sections noted below. This type of Han Dynasty tomb model develops from a tall watchtower. These elaborate towers appear to be idealized palace or villa buildings, and they appear only in relatively brief periods in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) from about 100-180CE, in the central area of Han China around modern Xi'an, in Shaanxi province and the Eastern Han capital at modern Luoyang in Henan province. Like other Han tomb models of buildings, the tower is constructed of mold-made and hand-formed elements. The material is red-bodied earthenware, and the exterior was originally covered with a dark green glaze. The present Tower was exhibited at the entrance to the exhibition "Traders and Raiders on China's Northern Frontier" at the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, November 19, 1995-September 2, 1996. The tower was offered for sale at Christie's New York "Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art," Thursday, September 18, 1997, lot 339. 1997.180a: Top story and roof. Description: Constructed of hand-formed and mold-made elements, generally covered on the outside with a lead-flux dark green transparent glaze. The ridge surmounting the roof is topped by a bird with raised wings and a crest on top of its head, the ridge ending in leaf-shaped finials, the roof represented as flat and ridged tiles sloping gently on all four sides, the corners decorated with large press-molded floral finials, the ridges of the roof terminating in small press-molded roundels of various floral and geometric designs. The wide eaves are supported at the four corners by an architectural element composed of a horizontal diagonal beam extending from the corner of the tower supporting a three-arm bracket -and-block assembly. The wider upper part of the story is supported on short, round extended beams, the flat walls having regular rectangular areas of diagonal cross-hatching to represent either grille-work or possibly wall panels. There is a slightly protruding pierced grille over the front central opening. The side walls of the lower top story have small balconies with steep roofs and pierced grille-work; the central opening by flat beams in low relief, with a small boss to the left of the opening and a small boss and a small animal figure to the right. Inside this element of the tower is a floor at the level of the juncture between the extended upper portion and the lower narrow portion. A Christie's tag is attached, inscribed 18 Sept 1997/Sale 8720/Lot 339. Condition: Generally intact. The glaze somewhat degraded by burial, with areas of pale gray green and areas of loss exposing the red earthenware body, with earth and other burial material clinging to the surface. There is evidence of losses repaired and covered with earth and/or green colorant; including a large area of repair to the front center of the roof; the sides and back wall; and the extended corner bracket assemblies. 1997.180B: Second story with balcony and three figures Description: Constructed of hand-formed and mold-made elements, generally covered on the outside with a lead-flux dark green transparent glaze. This section of the tower consists of a high balcony with wide extended railing, pierced to represent horizontal bars, supported on short extended round beams on an extended upper portion of the story, which is in turn supported on short extended round beams. There is a pierced grille over the dental opening; rectangular areas of diagonal cross-hatching on the balcony and upper portion; the lower part plain with a large central opening framed with flat beams. In the floor of the balcony is a roughly square opening approximately 3 3/4" x 3 1/4", revealing a floor at the level of the juncture of the extended upper portion and the smaller lower portion of the story. In this space are pieces of straw, earth, and a Christie's label. On the floor of the balcony, with their heads just visible above the railing, are three press-molded figures. The center figure is wearing a high cap and long robe, the figures to the left and right are essentially identical to each other and similar to those on the story below. There is a paper label on the balcony reading: LTS1994.2.108/c/D Condition: The glaze is somewhat degraded by burial, with areas of pale gray green and areas of loss exposing the red earthenware body, with earth and other burial material clinging to the surface. Each of the three figures has been broken off and reattached, the figure on the right now detached from the restored area below. 1997.180c: First story with balcony and three figures. Description: Constructed of hand-formed and mold-made elements, generally covered on the outside with a lead-flux dark green transparent glaze. This section of the lower tower consists of a high balcony with extended railing, pierced to represent horizontal bars, supported on short extended round beams on an extended upper portion of the story, which is in turn supported on short extended round beams. There is a pierced grille over the dental opening; rectangular areas of diagonal cross-hatching on the balcony and upper portion; the lower part plain with a large central opening framed with flat beams. The floor of the balcony has a square opening approximately 3 1/2" x 3 1/2", revealing an inner floor at the level of the juncture of the extended upper portion and the smaller lower portion of the story, this floor likewise pierced with a rectangular opening. On the balcony floor are the clearly visible remains of glaze run on an upper story in place during firing [sic], forming an irregular rectangle approximately 8-8 3/4" x 7 3/8", with areas of loss where the two stories were taken apart. On the balcony, their heads just visible above the railing are three press-molded figures, generally identical, each appearing to hold an object in the proper right hand. Condition: The glaze is somewhat degraded by burial, with areas of pale gray green and areas of loss exposing the red earthenware body, with earth and other burial material clinging to the surface. Each of the three figures has been broken off and reattached. 1997.180d: Courtyard and surrounding wall with three figures and a dog. Description: Constructed of hand-formed and mold-made elements, generally covered on the outside with a lead-flux dark green transparent glaze. This element of the tower represents a walled courtyard with a central opening at the front surmounted by a small ridged tile roof, supported at the end by simple angle brackets, the sides of the roof unequal, the inside narrower than the part projecting out over the front of the opening. The court contains three press-molded figures and the figure of a barking watchdog, with a figure each to the left and right of the opening, the large dog to the right, and the third figure standing in the center, visible through the door in the front of the first story. Christie's tag attached to the gate. Condition: The glaze is somewhat degraded by burial, with areas of pale gray green and areas of loss exposing the red earthenware body, with earth and other burial material clinging to the surface. There is considerable evidence of damage, loss, and repair to all of the walls. Each of the three figures and the dog have been broken off and re-attached. It is difficult to determine the actual condition of the entire floor of this section of the Tower: no glazed areas are visible, top or bottom, and the inside and outside have been covered with earth, plaster, or a similar compound, covering the clay body. Size: overall height: 35 in. (88.9 cm) a: 15 1/2 × 17 3/8 × 15 in. (39.4 × 44.1 × 38.1 cm) b: 14 × 14 1/4 × 13 in. (35.6 × 36.2 × 33 cm) base of b: 7 5/8 × 7 5/8 in. (19.4 × 19.4 cm) c: 13 3/4 × 15 1/4 × 13 1/2 in. (34.9 × 38.7 × 34.3 cm) Medium: Earthenware, iron oxide glaze

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/4305

[what-is-your-plan-today]

Stark Spangled Banner Ch5: You Make It Easy

Summary: It’s date night, and it’s its a coin toss between who is the most nervous, Steve or Katie.... 

Pairing: Steve Rogers x O/C Katie Stark

Warnings: Bad language

May 2013

The elation Steve had felt about actually getting a date with Katie soon evaporated the next morning when he realised he hadn’t the first CLUE where to take her or what to wear.

So he sought some advice

“A nice shirt and jeans.” Peggy smiled at him, the old woman elated he had finally done it. “Nothing too flash, and pick a restaurant. It doesn’t have to be fancy, women are more impressed by a man who’s paying them attention, interested in them, it isn’t’ about the flashing of cash.” “Come to think of it she has mentioned a new place in town.” Steve said, suddenly remembering that she had asked Evans one morning in Exercise if he had tried it yet. “La Placa I think it’s called.” “Well there you go.”  Peggy patted him on his arm before she smiled at the look on the young man’s face “Just be yourself Steve, that’s who she wants. No one else.”

“Thanks Peg.”

“And make sure you kiss her goodnight…” she grinned, a twinkle in her eyes “Us ladies do like a bit of passion every now and then you know.” He rolled his eyes at her cheekiness, running his hand through his hair which was in desperate need of a cut. He stayed with Peggy whilst he googled the restaurant number, made his reservation and then text Katie to tell her where he had booked.

Can't wait xxx

He grinned to himself, and then pushed his phone away and turned back to find Peggy watching him, a sly grin on her face.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy before.” she said, somewhat wistfully

.He smiled “Been a long time since I felt this good.” he said honestly.

“It suits you.” On his way home he swung into the barbers and stepped in. As he sat in the chair the man asked him what he wanted doing, and he was about to say trim when Katie’s voice stirred in his mind.

“Trying to imagine what you’d look like with shorter hair and a beard…” Fuck it. “Shorn back and sides please” he said, “and take it a little shorter on top.”

******

Katie woke suddenly on top of the comforter on her bed, fully clothed. She’d fallen asleep!  She sat up, thinking back to the last thing she remembered before her nap, piecing her train of thought together. Ah, yes, Steve had messaged her to tell her he’d booked a table somewhere which had prompted her to start looking for an outfit. She’d realised she had no idea what to wear so had been debating calling Pepper to ask for advice. And she had decided it wasn’t a good idea because she didn’t want Tony to know she was dating yet, let alone who. This had then got her thinking about the first time they had all met when Loki had taken the Tesseract, which must had jogged that particular memory…what a fucked up place the human mind could be at times.

And then she remembered. Shit, she still didn’t have an outfit sorted! Biting her lip she sighed and picked up her phone, scanning through to the person she was looking for. Desperate times called for desperate measures, right?

The cavalry arrived an hour and a half later in the shape of a red-haired deadly assassin.

“There has to be something in here that’s first date suitable…” Natasha mumbled, as she continued to search through the various items in Katie’s closet. Half Katie’s clothes adorned the floor of her walk-in-wardrobe and bedroom as they had discarded everything she’d tried so far. “It would help if I knew where you were going.” she sipped her beer thoughtfully.

“La Placa.” Katie said after a pause, “Tapas place…but if you turn up I swear to God…”

“I got better things to do with my spare time…” Nat shrugged. “No you don’t.” Katie replied, “And I wouldn’t put anything past you.”

“If you don’t trust me why did you ask for my help?“ “Because Pepper is a 4 hour drive away…”

“Well that’s just rude…” Natasha mumbled and Katie grinned, shaking her head as Nat placed her beer down on the top of a set of drawers and moved to a rail “Ok, try this…”

She pulled out a knee length Balenciaga dress with a fitted top half, scalloped neck line and three-quarter length sleeves. As Katie shrugged it on, Natasha hunted in the shoe rack, pulling out a pair of mid-height red Kurt Geiger courts with a chunky gold heel and matching bag.

“Not bad.” She mumbled as Katie stepped into the heels and gave her a twirl.

“Better than the grey one?” “Definitely.” She said, nodding “I think we have a winner!”

Katie gave her a double Hi-Five and Nat picked up her beer as Katie stripped out of the dress and pulled on her T-shirt and shorts, before she glanced around the large bedroom, sighing at the mess.

“Better tidy this up in case things go well.” Nat smirked, before she pondered “Huh, actually, do you reckon Captain America puts out on the first date?”

“Jesus Nat…” Katie shook her head.

“Mind you, knowing Roger’s he’s probably a virgin…”

“I’m pretty sure people had casual sex back in the 40s too you know.” Katie rolled her eyes. “He was on the USO tours surrounded by dancing girls, there’s no way he didn’t do the old horizontal tango.”

“Yeah but…its Rogers.” Nat pressed giving a snort “Imagine if you are the one to pop his cherry.”

Katie groaned, shaking her head. “Shut up Widow.”

She smirked “Ok, so how long have we got?”

Katie glanced at her phone “An hour and 20 minutes. And what do you mean we?” “You asked for my help, right?” she shrugged, “Thought I could do your make-up and hair too…” Katie looked at her for a moment and smiled “Thanks.” She shrugged then drained her beer before turning Katie round and pushing her towards the en-suite “Go shower then we’ll start the transformation.”

An hour later Katie was ready. Her hair was curled in soft waves, and her makeup was done, a bit heavier than normal, but still subtle enough to avoid looking like it had been applied with a trowel.

“Perfect…” Nat said, giving her an appraising look. “Right, I trust you can get dressed without me.” “I think I’ll manage.” Katie said, standing up as she made her way out of the walk-in wardrobe/dressing room and followed her into the hall where she picked up her jacket.

“Oh and if you need me to bail you, just give me an SOS call…” Nat said, making a phone sign with her finger and pinkie by her ear. “I think I’ll be ok.” Katie smiled, “but thank you, for all of this.”

“Have fun…” she said, and then added with a smirk “And don’t do anything I wouldn’t”

“That doesn’t exactly leave a lot…” Katie quipped

“That’s my point.” Natasha intoned as she walked into the hall and pressed the button for the elevator.

“Nat, you won’t tell anyone will you?” Katie asked, “I mean, it isn’t that I don’t trust you, just…” Nat paused turning back to the brunette to find her chewing her lip with nerves. She shook her head “I won’t tell a soul. I know how much you two like each other, you’ve been dancing around it for months, so… just enjoy ok? Have a good time. You both deserve it.” “Thanks Nat” Katie smiled. The two girls shared a quick hug and then Nat left

***** Steve had to admit, he liked his new hair. It was much more like the style people sported now, but in a way it also reminded him of how Bucky had worn his back in the Howlies. He picked a light blue shirt, his dark navy jeans and then pondered before settling on a pair of brown boots that matched his jacket and belt. He was ready with plenty of time and found himself pacing as he thought about how the night could go. There was no doubt it was going to be way different to how he had imagined his first date to be. Back in his day it was movies, dinner and a dance. Now there were no dance halls, and they watched movies all the time. But, as Peggy had advised, for once he was going to “go with the flow” and just see where the night took them both.

Finally, after an agonising 15 minutes during which he had pretty much paced non-stop and drained a good measure of scotch, even though it did nothing bar give him a comforting burn in his throat on the way down, he headed to the cab that was waiting and they set off to pick up his date.

Jesus Christ she looked amazing. Her hair was cascading in waves over one shoulder, the smoky brown eyeshadow she was wearing made the green in her eyes even more noticeable. And her dress… black, knee length with a detailed neckline and sleeves that finished halfway down her forearms. The top half clung to her body where it flared out slightly from her hips and her red heels accentuated her shapely calves to perfection. As Steve looked at her he found himself imagining various crude scenarios where that dress ended up on the floor, but that wasn’t gentlemanly. Nor appropriate.

Katie felt her breath catch when she saw Steve. His light blue shirt was tight enough to accentuate his ridiculously well built top half, and a brown belt with a gold buckle adorned his toned waist. And he’d had a haircut. Gone were his longer locks and side parting, and in its place was a short back and sides with slightly longer strands on the top, tousled into an exceptionally modern style. He looked incredible.

Steve broke the silence between the two, clearing his throat gently.

“You look beautiful.” He said, leaning down to give her a peck on the cheek.

“Thank you, you look pretty good yourself, you do something to your hair?” Katie teased.

“Thought it was time for a change.” he said, shrugging it off casually as his cheeks warmed. “Still getting used to it.” “It looks great.” she assured him.

He beat her to her jacket as she reached up to take it off the peg and held it out so she could shrug her arms into it. Once they were in the elevator, he reached out and took her hand and she laced her fingers into his. He glanced down at her, his eyes meeting hers and she flashed him a smile.

Yeah, he’d lucked out, big time.

******

The restaurant was busy but not packed. They were seated at the back in a little booth in the corner. Steve had never had tapas before, but Peggy had explained it to him before.

“So the idea is we pick, what, 3 or 4 dishes?” he asked, looking at Katie

“Yeah, they’re like small portions and you share.” Katie nodded. “Although you eat like a horse so we should probably order more…”

He grinned and looked back at his menu.

“You pick,” he said, putting the menu back down eventually, beaten by the various choices. “I literally have no idea…”

“Alright…” she grinned. “But you have to try everything…”

“Deal.”

The waiter returned with their drinks and took their food orders. Katie ordered, 3 meat dishes, 3 fish, 3 veg and then a side order of olives and different breads with dipping oils before flashing the waiter a smile and he scuttled off.

“I think this is normally the part where we ask each other questions,” Steve said as the waiter disappeared. “You know, get to know each other a bit more.”

“Yeah… think that ship already sailed though.”

“True,” Steve said nodding bashfully, there wasn’t many things that they didn’t know about each other, although as he watched Katie was biting her lip, almost as if she wanted to say something, but at the same time didn’t.

“What is it?” he asked, reaching out for his drink.

“Something Nat said before…” Katie flushed, caught out. There was no way she was asking that question.

“Why does this worry me slightly?” he asked, his beer raised halfway to his lips. And it did. Romanoff was a total wind up merchant.

Katie looked at him and shook her head, the flush continuing to rise up her neck “Yeah, I’m not…it’s not first date conversation.”

He cocked his head to one side “Now I’m extremely worried.”

“You really want to know?” she asked, cocking her head to one side.

He nodded. Well, he did. And didn’t…

"Alright, you asked for this…” she straightened up in the seat as he did the same, bracing himself. “Are you a virgin?”

Steve groaned and screwed his eyes shut as she bit her lip. She really shouldn’t have asked that, but now as she watched she was intrigued as to his answer.

“No, I’m not.” He sighed shaking his head before he looked back at her "After I first got the serum there was suddenly all this attention on me and I didn’t really know any better…” “There was no one before?” she frowned slightly, almost as if she was surprised.

He shook his head again “Girls weren’t exactly interested in me before hand, Bucky was the one who had the looks and the swag. He had a different girl every weekend. I guess when they finally did I just, I dunno…” He stopped and took a breath. This made him sound like a right jerk. “There weren’t that many” he added hastily.

3 to be exact. And none of them had been anything to write home about. He got the distinct impression they hadn’t particularly enjoyed themselves either, not past the fact they could boast about having bedded Captain America. After the 3rd he’d decided simply chasing a physical bliss that lasted mere moments wasn’t for him, plus he was infatuated by Peggy at that point. He craved the tenderness of the act that Bucky had so often boasted about. As corny as it sounded he genuinely wanted someone to be with him, intimately that wanted him, not Captain America. He noticed Katie was watching him intently and he hung his head slightly, peeking up at her.

“We all have a past Steve.” she said, shrugging easily.

“I haven’t been with anyone since I came out of the ice.” He said, softly, feeling the need to explain that he wasn’t that type of man.

“I haven’t since Grant.” she eyed him. “One night stands are overrated.”

“I wouldn’t know.” He shrugged, locking eyes with her. “That’s all I ever had.”

Katie studied him for a moment. She had no idea why, but to learn he hadn’t had a girl that way before he became some kind of war time celebrity, and that the ones he had been with were probably chasing nothing but the kudos of being able to say they fucked Captain American made her kind of sad. No wonder he was always so self-doubting.

She smiled and reached across the table, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Well, personally, I think all those girls that picked Bucky over you were dumbasses. I’ve seen the photos of you before all this happened…” she raised her free hand and held out her index finger, and gestured up and down his torso “You were sweet”

He chuckled and took a drink of his beer “You know I heard that a lot…you’re really sweet and all but…“

“Like I said…”she leaned back in her chair slightly, “Dumbasses” Steve was aware that her ankle was brushing against his slightly and he felt the warm flush in his cheek at her forwardness, but soon found it disappeared and was replaced instead with simply enjoying the fact she wanted to be so close to him.

“Ok…” he said as their feet gently tangled together under the table. “So, in the spirit of this being a first date…there are a couple of things I don’t know about you…what’s your favourite film?” Katie paused “That’s a hard one. I like a lot of films but if there was one I couldn’t live without watching ever again it would be the Wizard of Oz.”

“No kidding.” he grinned.

“It’s a masterpiece” she nodded, “The music, the story, the colours…” “You read the book?” he asked.

She nodded “Several times. I used to have a copy but not sure where it went. Probably blown up in Malibu.”

“You know when that film came out it was mind blowing. Technicolour…never seen anything like it.” Steve said with a grin.

“I’ll bet…” she laughed “is it still your favourite?”

“How did you know that?” he asked.

“You told me, ages ago.” “Huh.” he said, “And yeah, even if it’s just for purely nostalgic reasons. Although I did like Gladiator when we watched that.” “Yeah that’s a great film too.” she smiled “one of my favourite quotes of all times comes from that film.” “Which is?” “Death smiles at us all, all a man can do is smile back.” she said as her ankle returned to brushing against his.

“Isn’t that a little bit morbid?” he asked, taking a drink of his beer.

“Only if you look at it that way.” she shrugged “to me it’s more of a reminder to live your life like there’s no tomorrow.”

“That’s a good way to look at it.”

The conversation took a natural turn to the renovation of the tower and then New York in general, how much Brooklyn in particular had changed since Steve had left it behind to go to war. It was through this conversation Steve discovered that in all the time Katie had spent in New York she had never been to Coney Island.

“Maybe I could take you one day, down to the fair.” Steve suggested.

“I’d love that.” she smiled and his chest swelled even more.

Their food arrived and they continued to talk. And, considering they had started the date off thinking there wasn’t much more to find out about each other, both of them were surprised to see exactly how much trivial stuff there was to learn about the other. For instance, Steve knew that Katie enjoyed baseball but what he didn’t know was that whilst Tony was a Yankees fan, she actually supported the LA Dodgers, having grown up in Malibu. Suddenly her teasing about the fact they had moved made perfect sense. And in turn, Katie knew that the Dodgers relocating was a bug bear of his but, since he would rather go into the ice all over again than support the Yankees, he had started watching out for the Mets results, but apparently it just wasn’t the same and as such he hadn’t been to an actual game since he came out of the ice. Both of them found out the other preferred dogs to cats, cats making Katie sneeze and their ability to hiss and scratch you with no damned warning whatsoever made Steve not trust them as far as he could throw them. 

“I can just read the headlines now!” Katie said, in between laughs after he had added that if he wanted to he could probably throw a cat quite far… “Captain America killed my Cat.” Steve let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he picked up his beer “Don’t cats always land on their feet?” “I dunno, depends how hard you’re intending on throwing it.” “I’m not intending on throwing any cat anywhere.” Steve said, shaking his head “As much as I don’t like them I couldn’t deliberately harm one.” “Tony did.” Katie said. “Well not deliberately, and he didn’t so much harm it as kill it…” “Oh you gotta tell me this story!” Steve grinned, leaning forward, topping up her wine glass from the bottle that was in the ice bucket in the middle of the table.

Katie grinned, “When we were kids, the first place we lived in was down this huge, posh road  with like 3 other houses on and we had this really eccentric neighbour, Mrs Livesy her name was. She had like 18 cats or something ridiculous and one morning, Tony was reversing the car out of the garage and he flattened 2 of them.”

Steve nearly spat his beer back into his glass. “He ran them over?” “Yeah…” Katie said, and by now she was laughing “But the best bit is, she comes round asking Dad if he’s seen the cats, dad’s got no idea what’s gone on right as Tony’s moved the cats and bribed me to keep quiet with the biggest ice cream you could imagine, so dad is all like ‘I’ve got no idea Mrs Livesy I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open…” Katie took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes “So then Tony comes back, Dad mentions that Mrs Livesy was looking for 2 of her cats and Tony’s like ‘huh, well you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat’ and me, being the little shit I was at the age of 4 pipes up ‘no that was you this morning, remember?’”

Steve laughed, and watched as she carried on giggling “He never forgave me for that, Dad made him go round and apologise. And he had to attend a memorial for Mr Whiskers and Bagpuss…”

Eventually after desert and a few more drinks it was time to leave, Katie tried to split the meal bill with Steve but one stern look stopped that in its tracks. This was a date, he was paying. Thankfully she didn’t argue too much. Steve then asked her if she wanted to go for a drink, she gleefully accepted so he took her hand, gently leading her across the road, holding the bar door open for her. They both sat at the bar, Katie turning her seat so she was directly facing him, the pair of them leaning closer to one another as they talked. And the conversation just continued to flow, as did the odd but subtle display of affection, moving their chairs closer together, her hand on his shoulder, his falling to her knee. Steve was surprised to find how easy the whole thing was. He had no nerves, no awkward moments. The chemistry fizzled and there wasn’t a single moment he was stuck for anything to say. It was for that reason he was disappointed when the bar tender called time and reluctantly stood up as Katie drained the final bit of gin from her glass.

As Steve held out her jacket, his hands gently brushed her shoulders as she shrugged it on, sending a tingle down her spine and the hitch in her breathing didn’t go unnoticed. She turned to face him, all green eyes and pink lips, blinking as her eyes locked onto his. His hands connected at the base of her spine as she moved closer to him, not moving her gaze from his, hand resting on his chest.

“I’d really like to kiss you again…” he said, shyly.

“You know you don’t have to ask…” she replied. Smiling softly he leaned down and connected his lips with hers, the kiss growing slightly deeper until Steve remembered they were in the middle of a public bar. He pulled away gently, resting his forehead against hers briefly, blushing like an absolute moron a small smile tugging on the corners of his mouth.

“You know, for someone who said they’d never taken a woman on a date before Rogers, you’ve done amazingly well.” she said smiling at him.

“That’s because you make it easy to be around you.” He said, honestly. He took her hand, curled his fingers round hers and made their way out into the street to hail a cab.

All too soon they pulled up outside her apartment and both of them found themselves wishing the night would never end. Steve told the driver to wait whilst he hopped out and walked her into the lobby, their hands still twined together. There was a part of him that wanted to follow her in, and a part of her that almost invited him to, but they both wanted to do this right, take their time. Katie wanted Steve to understand that this was more to her than it had been to any of those other girls he had talked about, and Steve wanted Katie to understand that he had meant exactly what he said the other night because she meant the world to him.

“I think now is the part where I’m supposed to ask you if you had a good time…” Steve turned to face her as they stopped by the elevator door.

“I did…”

“And if you’d go out with me again?” “I already said I would, Coney Island remember?” she replied cheekily, leaning closer to him

“I meant before that.”  he rolled his eyes.

“I’d love too.” she muttered, and then his lips were on hers again and they were kissing, exactly where they had left off in the bar, only this time they were alone. His hand snaked into her soft hair, angling her head as his tongue brushed her lips. She parted them slightly to grant him access and as their tongues tangled easily, Steve felt as if there were fireworks in his stomach, he had never kissed anyone like this before, no one. The kiss grew even deeper, Katie giving an involuntary moan.

“Always leave ‘em wanting more Stevie…” Bucky said, nudging him on the arm, winking as they crossed the fairground towards the girls “That’s the trick…”

Steve couldn’t stop himself from smiling he pulled back. Their night was at an end, it was a perfect place to leave it.

“I really did had a great time tonight, thank you.” she said, as he reached round and called the elevator for her as she pulled her key card out of her bag. He gently ran his finger down her cheek before he pressed a soft kiss there and smiled.

“Me too.” He waited until the elevator doors had shut and once they shut he turned round and grinning to himself he walked out into the night, whilst in the elevator Katie was wearing a smile equally as big.

Date 1 down, and it had been a roaring success.

Tags

@the-omni-princess​

@momobaby227​

[troyhkqn654]

5 Bad Habits That People In The Drapes Industry Need To Quit

Drapes are Disrupting The Business World

Table of ContentsAwnings Installation are Disrupting The Business Market19 things Awnings Installation are NotWhat to do about Spear Awnings in 2021

Aluminium awnings have actually long been popular in property applications throughout the world. They are available in many colors and are normally painted with a baked-on enamel paint. Roll Ups Curtains. Amongst the lots of advantages of these awnings are cooler temperatures inside the home, shade for your outdoor patio, extending the life of furniture and window treatments.

Some aluminum awnings are developed to be folded down and secured to safeguard windows in case of storms such as cyclones. Retractable awning in Maryland, U.S.A.. Retractable awnings are now ending up being preferred with homeowners in the United States. They have been popular in Europe for numerous years, due to higher energy expenses and absence of a/c.

Just Why are Entrance Canopies Changing The World?

Retractable awnings can include the following types: Retractable outdoor patio cover systems are the latest "entry" in to the retractable market - Retractable Awnings. Many of these systems are water-proof as compared to water-resistant (lateral arm awnings) and for that reason allow no water penetration through the fabric "roofing" section - Pergolas. These systems satisfy Beaufort scale wind loads up to Beaufort 10 (55 - 63 mph) depending on model and size.

This permits for an "outdoor room" that can be warmed in the winter and air conditioned in the summertime. https://aawningsnsigns.com Restaurant Awnings. These are a modern-day variation of the old storefront crank-up awnings of the last century. Concave Awnings. The 2, 3 or four stress arms (width reliant) and a leading tube are supported by a torsion bar.

k.a. square bar fits into wall or soffit or fascia or roofing installed brackets that spread the load to the wall or roof truss. The newer 'Full Cassette' design of folding arm awning eliminates the torsion bar and utilizes an aluminium extrusion that interlocks with brackets that in-turn spreads the cantilevered force imposed by the awning into the structure it is fitted to.

The motor is inside the roller tube that the material rolls around and therefore is not noticeable. Numerous motors now have a built-in receiver and are operated by remote control, smart device, tablet or home automation (Graphics for awnings). Lateral arm awnings are likewise understood as folding arm, deck or patio area awnings, as they can extend/ task as far as 16 feet (4.

How Cabanas are Changing the World

85 m) or more - therefore covering a big outside space (shade awnings). Generally a single folding arm awning can only cover 23 feet (7 (Restaurant Awnings). 01 m) in a single system due to problems transporting, keeping and powder coating extrusion higher than this size. Permit Services for Awnings. The most typical material option for folding arm awning is service colored acrylic fabric that comes in a range of styles, colours, patterns along with performance grades for water repellence and fire retardancy.

Frequently used to shade a window, with a roller tube at the top, spring-loaded side arms, and a motor, crank or tape-pull operator. commercial awnings. Awnings with sides are commonly referred to as standard style awnings as they have actually been utilized for several years going back to the early 19th century utilizing cotton canvas material - Spear Awnings.

Traditional style awnings are appropriate for historical buildings and are still popular today utilizing a more weather resistant fabric and a rope and sheave system for retracting the awnings. Awnings without sides do not supply as much sun defense as those with sides. Awnings without sides can be found in various styles.

The only Convex Awnings Guide You'll Ever Need

Spear Awnings are made without sides and are made with Wrought Iron Frames and they can be retracted with a rope and pulley system but are not readily available with motors. Awnings with sides provide the finest sun protection for east and west facing windows. North and South dealing with windows can be safeguarded from the sun with awnings without sides (Graphics for awnings).

A portable pop-up canopy or tent offers an economical momentary service to people who desire to take pleasure in shade. The portable styles offer flexibility to take the system to gatherings. Pergolas. The frame usually incorporates an accordion-style truss which folds compactly. Shade screens use acrylic canvas or a mesh fabric, which permits some view-through while blocking the sun's rays.

The material is gravity-fed, with a weighted bottom rail pulling the material down between guide rails or person wires. Outside shades are much more effective at blocking heat than interior tones, given that they block the heat prior to it enters the glass. This style of framed screen is normally done by professional installers, since of the specialized frames and tools needed.

How The Privacy Fence Panels Industry are Changing to Troubling Times

Solar shade screens can also be installed at the end of awnings to offer horizontal shade during morning or late afternoon sun positions. Retractable solar window awnings are made from material. They are resistant to hail and extreme winter weather. Numerous solar window awnings can be programmed to open and close immediately in reaction to the sun.

They can be demounted with some problem and are generally left in location year round. Retractable variations likewise exist, with higher cost but likewise greater utility, as they can be withdrawed to confess winter season sun if required. Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) is a trade company which consists of the awning trade, with a division called the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA).

43 - Fixed Sun Screen 10 73 00 - Protective Covers (Generic) CSI MasterFormat 1995 Edition: 10530 - Protective Covers, Awnings & Canopies Alchin, Linda (2008 ). " Awning at the Colosseum". Roman Colosseum site (Drapes). Linda K. Alchin. Archived from the initial on 29 August 2011. Obtained 9 May 2012. " Industrial Fabrics Association International A non-profit trade association consisted of member business representing the worldwide specialized fabrics market".

Insanely neat Ideas That Graphics Will Change Soon

Somfy will assist you through each action of your project to offer you with the very best solutions, and ensure you maximum comfort! (window awnings).

There is not much better than hanging out outside with pals and household. An easy switch from inside to outside changes an already fun time into a memorable one. It adds a carefree element which increases the relaxation and enjoyable atmosphere even more. Spear Awnings. Nevertheless, Mother Nature might not always share your sense of fun and whimsy; she can be uncooperative sometimes and decide to moisten your barbecue or birthday party.

[rabbitcruiser]

Lower Manhattan (No. 11)

The Corbin Building (also known as 13 John Street and 192 Broadway) is a historic office building at the northeast corner of John Street and Broadway in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1888–1889 as a speculative development and was designed by Francis H. Kimball in the Romanesque Revival style with French Gothic detailing. The building was named for Austin Corbin, a president of the Long Island Rail Road who also founded several banks.

The Corbin Building has a polychrome exterior of brick, brownstone and terracotta featuring rounded arches with terracotta detailing, while its interior vaulted ceilings employ a Guastavino tile system. Structurally, it preceded the use of steel skeletons for skyscrapers, utilizing cast-iron beams and masonry walls that were load-bearing. The Corbin Building sits on a narrow trapezoidal lot with 160 feet (49 m) of frontage on John Street and 20 feet (6.1 m) on Broadway. The Corbin Building was significantly taller than others around at the time it was built.

The Corbin Building was erected as a speculative venture for use as office space or housing. The building was rehabilitated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) as part of its Fulton Center project, which comprised improvements to the New York City Subway's adjoining Fulton Street station. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 2003, and designated a New York City Landmark on June 23, 2015.

Francis H. Kimball designed the Corbin Building. Most of the building is eight stories high, but there are two single-story towers with pyramidal roofs on the extreme western and eastern ends.

The Corbin Building is considered to be a "transitional" building in the history of early skyscrapers: it was developed after the elevator had been introduced but before skeleton-framed skyscrapers were built. There are wrought iron horizontal beams and cast iron columns in the internal structure, although the building was also supported by brick, concrete, terracotta, and tile, which also served to fireproof the structure. The internal structure was supported on masonry walls that were load-bearing. The Corbin Building utilized "cage construction" in which the steel structure supported the floors, but not the outer walls. Guastavino tile was utilized on the ceilings, roof, and floors to provide extra fireproofing, and the Corbin Building was supposedly the first structure to use such technology.

The Corbin Building is 135 feet (41 m) tall. Because the internal structure was not completely made of steel, skyscrapers of the 1880s such as the Corbin Building were generally limited to ten stories. As such, it was significantly taller than others around at the time it was built. It was reported to be the tallest commercial building in New York City at the time of its completion, but both the New York Tribune and Western Union buildings of 1873 far exceeded the Corbin Building's height, at 260 and 230 feet (79 and 70 m), respectively. Architectural writer Robert A. M. Stern stated that "smaller infill buildings" such as the Corbin Building had tended "to experiment with new forms and unusual compositions" since 1880.

The building has facades on Broadway and John Street, with one bay on Broadway and eight on John Street. The facades are horizontally divided into the ground story, two midsections of three stories each, and an attic. The lowest three stories on both sides are made of Long Meadow brownstone, while the upper stories are clad with light brick surrounded by red-brown terracotta trim. On both of the visible facades, there are belt courses above the first four stories, as well as above the seventh story. A terracotta cornice resembling an arcade runs above the eighth story, while a smaller terracotta cornice runs above the ninth story. The decorations of the Corbin Building resemble those used on other nearby structures like the Potter Building and Temple Court Building.

An identical fenestration pattern is used on the Broadway facade and on either of the outermost bays on John Street, collectively known as the end bays. These bays form the facades of the "end pavilions", the only parts of the building that are nine stories high. The ground floor of the Broadway facade and the westernmost bay on John Street has stone arches supported by stone piers, while in the easternmost bay on John Street, the ground floor has a service entrance. The cornice above the first story of the end bays is supported by brackets and doubles as the second-story window sill. The second to fourth floors of the end bays are located within triple-story round arches.The fifth and sixth floors of the end bays consist of a pair of double arches with ornate terracotta surrounds and spandrels. The fifth story has four sash windows on each bay, while the sixth story has four sash windows under a transom bar with two arched windows. The seventh story of each end bay is composed of two pairs of single-height arched windows in each bay, with terracotta surrounds. On each end bay, the eighth story has three segmental arch windows with four terracotta pilasters, while the ninth story has five narrow round arches, two of which are filled with brick.

The six center bays on John Street also use an identical fenestration pattern to each other.[18] At ground level, the main entrance to the building is on the second bay from the east, and is recessed within a decorative round arch. The interior of the arch contains ornate details, while the exterior is supported by heavy stone piers and is topped by a keystone, a Gothic molding, and a small blind arcade of four pairs of arches. The other bays contain a steel-and-glass enclosure with doors leading inside to a set of escalators, which in turn connect to the Fulton Center. On the second through fourth floors, the six center bays contain 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, and 2 windows per floor from west to east. The second- and third-story windows are rectangular, with sills projecting from the third-story windows, while the fourth-story windows are arched with terracotta surrounds. The fifth through seventh stories of the center bays contain triple-story round arches. On the eighth story, each of the center bays has three segmental arch windows with terracotta pilasters, similar to in the end bays.

The windows in the triple-height arches (the second through fourth floors on the end bays, and the fifth through seventh floors on the center bays) have cast-iron surrounds with Gothic foliate decorative elements. Each floor of the triple arches is separated by decorative spandrels. The lower two stories of each triple arches contain a grid of three panes by three panes on each floor. Decorative vertical mullions separate the panes in each bay, which are angled slightly outward, while the horizontal transoms are not decorated. The uppermost story of each triple arch has five window panes: two below the sides of the triple-height arch and three underneath the center with horizontal transoms.

Source: Wikipedia

[zzzaprzzzz]

The Sims 4: My Very Personal Wishlist

In some points while playing TS4, I thought I want something or felt something is lacking, but I soon forgot about it and kept playing.  So I find it good to list them at this point.

This is my very personal opinion, they may be wierd.

BUILD & BUY

Ladders in building

Spiral stairs (different sizes)

Functional elevators (usable in any lots, my favorite mod is now out of order)

Small staffed animals for children to drag/take everywhere + action of rubbing their cheeks against them everytime/sometimes (depending on each trait)

Bunk beds + action of climbming a ladder and sleep

Matching fences and stair railings (now some lack) ...and fence gates

Matching kitchen counters + island + shelf + bar + (oven)

More oven (Schmapple is the eternal king of the kitchen kingdom?)

Matching oven

Higher functional kitchen sink (more modern one, please)

Horizontal roofs (+ white color glass roof)

Curved walls + windows can attach

Pool edge by curved fences fix

Thick walls (0.5 tile width, or 0.25 around?)

Glass walls (how to: like choosing a wallpaper)

Glass floor (how to: like choosing a floorpattern)

More plain, common, modern curtains

Sheer curtains

Windows without glass to interact between sims inside and outside (especially for cafe, retail store, etc.)

Fake walls as object with 3 height (+ half walls?), able to choose wallpapers (for when wishing to place walls in between the grid)

Wider dining table

LOTS

Amusement park (My sims have nowhere when dating)

+ Functional playthings (a marry-go-round, a rollercoaster, teacups, some rides, etc.)

Aquarium (big whales, dolphins, penguins, at least?) + a enormous beautiful fish tank + restaurant under & surrounded by a big fish tank?

Hotel (+ able to run hotels)

Glocery store

ACTIONS

Action of jumping onto a bed from bottom side (it expands the options of direction of beds placing)

[I think is just a bug fix] Mermaids to climb ladders in the ocean

Action of runing up/down stairs (currently sims stops running while using stairs and simply it takes too much time to move around in houses because of stairs)

Action of opening/closing curtains (I want my sims do this in the morning/at night)

Action of opening/closing windows

Outdoor tea time action (clicking the outside dining table enebles to gather sims (group?) and a pot and teacups from nowhere appear and then sims enjoy teatime! (high environment and charm/joke skill boost?)) (No sims use outdoor table set by freewill and it's sad)

Action of looking around with smile when environment is high (it is good if this action is limited when visiting another sim’s house)

FUNCTIONS

Able to run clinics/hospitals in normal worlds (what is the difference of VET clinic or retail stores? I want to run a small clinic in town.)

Step floor (undesireble?)

Roofing over half walls (I want to give a lid onto the space surrounded by half walls when it's top of the building.)

Ambulance system

Going to hospital when sick

Firefighter/fire truck system

MISC.

Stronger freewill to use lounge chairs, beach towels (I like to see sims relax on them, but without my instruction, they don't do that)

Bug fixes, please.

After all..., ELEVATORS, please!!

When I feel sad most is that sims don’t use or enjoy the objects I placed for brighter sims’ everyday lives.  After spending much time to build beautiful house, that doesn’t affect sims at all.  Any house is OK to them...

[stair-warehouse]

Are you searching for a horizontal tube railing? Count on us. Stair Warehouse has the right solution for you. The unique tube appearance of our horizontal tube railing can be elegant and industrial at the same time, making your stairway an eye-catching highlight of your home. Add the adjustable, easy-to-install bar base for an even more industrial look! For more information, you can call us at 800-591-722

[bao-zhang-posts-blog]

Galvanized Horse Fence Efficiently Protect Horse

Galvanized horse fence is made with round, square, and oval pipe Our horse fence panel, made of high quality galvanized square, round and oval pipe is ideal for protecting horse. It has 3-7 rails to support the fence and each rails has different spacing to prevent horse hooves and feet from catching in the fence. It can be used at ranch, farm in shape of round pen and fence box based on the horses' height and number. Our fence panel is produced under professional cut short machine, welded team and packing technology. It is widely used in New Zealand, Australia, America, Western countries and so on.

https://www.horsefencing.org/horsefence/galvanized-horse-fence.html

Fence panel specification:

Pipe style Round pipe Oval pipe Square pipe Material Hot dipped galvanized steel pipe Finishing (zinc coating) More than 15 microns Height × Length 1.6m × 2.1/2.2/2.5m, 1.8m × 2.1/2.2/2.5m, 1.7m × 2.1/2.2/2.3m 1.8m × 2.4m, 1.8m × 3.37m Vertical pipe 32O.D × 1.6mm 42O.D × 1.6mm 50 × 50 RHS × 1.6mm 40 × 40 RHS × 1.6mm 50 × 50 RHS × 1.6mm 40 × 40 RHS × 1.6mm Horizontal pipe 30 × 60mm × 1.6mm 40 × 80mm × 1.6mm 40 × 120mm × 1.6mm Horizontal rails 3-7 Welding Bars and post brackets are fully welded, each weld point is protected with epoxy paint Packing In steel pallet or in bulk

Accessories specification:

Pins and lugs: lugs includes double lug and single lug. Double lug size: 40mm wide × 120mm high with two 16 × 25mm holes. Single lugs size: 40mm wide and 60mm high. with two 16 × 25mm holes. Pins size: 14mm diameter and 170mm long. Panel type A: round pipe

1.8m high 6 rails round pipe drawing Galvanized 6 rails round pipe horse fence panel drawing

6 rails and 6 round pipe fence panels make a fence box Galvanized round pipe horse fence panel

Panel type B: oval pipe

1.8m high 6 rails oval pipe horse fence pane drawing Galvanized 6 rails oval pipe horse fence panel drawing

1.8m high 5 rails oval pipe horse fence pane drawing Galvanized 5 rails oval pipe horse fence panel drawing

5 rails galvanized horse fence panel in stock 5 rails galvanized oval pipe horse fence panel

Panel type C: square pipe

1.8m high 6 rails square pipe horse fence pane drawing Galvanized 6 rails square pipe horse fence panel drawing

1.6m high 5 rails square pipe horse fence pane drawing Galvanized 5 rails square pipe horse fence panel drawing

6 rails galvanized horse fence panel in stock 6 rails galvanized square pipe horse fence panel

Drawing example:

A 1.8m square pipe panel with 6 rails drawing Feature

Portable: simple and fast to install make the panel quite flexible. Strong: High quality steel pipe and 360 degree fully welded make the fence very strong. High zinc or PVC coated makes the fence durable. Chain lock can make the fence panel together stable. Highly stand the crash of horse. Protection: Connected with welded bracket lugs and join pins. No need to dig holes and lay foundations, protect the grassland. No sharp spearhead, smoothly welded. Different spacing of each horizontal rail avoids the horse fence head and feet damaged. Anti-rust: hot galvanized pipe makes the fence difficult to rust and the vertical rails are welded with metal cap to prevent rust inside. Maintenance: our hot dipped galvanized horse fence panel can apply for 10-15 years. During the application, if the fence panel paint is removed carelessly you can recover it simply and quickly. Besides the fence panel is not easy to be damaged by horse. The fence panel should keep away the chemistry and alkaline materials and the acid rain. Image details:

Two fence panel are locked by chain lock and details Galvanized horse fence chain lock details

Horizontal and vertical rail show the zinc coating smooth surface Galvanized horse fence zinc coating detail

Metal rain cap show the fully welded Galvanized horse fence metal cap is fully welded

Two fence panel is connected by pins and detail Fence panel is connected by pin

Application:

The fence panel is widely used in the pasture, especially for the horse, cattle and other large animals. It can be used to separate the animals and make square and round pen.

6 rails oval pipe fence panel used as a pen for horse Galvanized 6 rails oval pipe fence panel encircles the horse

7 rails round pipe fence panel makes a box for horse 7 rails round pipe panel encircles a box for horse

4 rails galvanized square pipe panel used as a temporary pen for horse 4 rails square pipe panel encircles temporary pen

13 galvanized fence panels and gate makes round pen at pasture Fence used as round pen

Packing and loading Fence panel:

It has the soft sponge at the bottom of pallet to prevent the fence panel be damaged. It has plastic film and 6 carton papers to prevent the plastic bandage damage the panel. It has 4 plastic bandages to make the fence panel more strong. The fence panel can also be packed with steel plate or in bulk. Accessories:

Pins and lugs are packed in plastic bags then packed in carton boxes.

Two pallets galvanized fence panel packed with steel plate Fence packed with steel plate

fence panel in bulk to dry the paint Fence air dry the paint

a pallet galvanized fence panel packed with steel plate on container Fence panels contained

Many galvanized round pipe gates in bulk in container Gate contained in bulk

One galvanized double lugs Galvanized double lugs

One galvanized single lug galvanized single lugs

One galvanized fence panel pin Galvanized pin

One galvanized double lug and one single lugs connected by pin Lugs are connected by pin

[calyxaomphalos]

The Ghosts of Windy Ridge

Turn #41, four components

location #16 - the F'ING CAVE AGAIN - Thompson Gap Mine (6) neighbor #3 - Andy (3) item #15 - of great beauty event #13 - minor tragedy befalls a neighbor...

I didn't really get to the 'minor tragedy' event in this scene.

11 April 2022, Monday Morning

Maybe it was the nutjob with the shotgun at the cemetery last night or maybe it was my late night snack that caused me to dream of Thompson Gap Mine again. I swear of all the places in Windy Ridge, that one location haunts my thoughts the most. Sure, I've been out to the Cloudbreak Mound a bunch of times, but that doesn't seem to have the same sort of eerie calling that the Mine has on me.

I packed a picnic brunch and drove out to the mine once more. This time I decided I'd walk the entire loop trail first, then settle in for the picnic, though the last time I was here, Andy surprised me when he came down the trail from the parking lot. I had to be sure no-one was here. And I also really wanted to get a look at the chain securing the mine entrance that Andy was cutting last week.

Past the picnic area first and it was all clear. I debated leaving my bag at the table and decided against it. Without even pausing, I passed the picnic table and kept going down the trail. It was another five minutes or so of walking before I got to the mine entrance proper.

Vertical round iron bars maybe four inches apart at most spanned the opening of the mine. Horizontal flat pieces above and below the inset door must have been drilled or punched or cast with holes to fit the bars. Andy would probably have a good idea about the metalwork behind the sealing of the mine entry. Heck, he may have even been the one to fabricate the thing in the first place. And now that I think of it, the chain I saw him cutting was completely missing.

The inset door had a fat locking mechanism on the right hand side, and hinges on the left. With the chain out of the way, it was easier to get a good look at the lock. The thing about the lock which held my attention was the shape of the keyhole. While I knew it wasn't a key, the first thing I thought of when I looked at that keyhole was the strange piece of metal Dani had given me after the Tarot reading. They had called it a good luck charm, so I carried it with me regularly.

I took the little rod out of my pocket and inserted the bent end into the keyhole. Maybe I was an idiot who watched too many movies, but wasn't there a way to just kind of twist a thing around like so... The mechanism turned! The latch withdrew! I pulled on the door and with a terribly loud groaning creak, it opened.

"Well, if I'm a successful idiot, I may as well go on in," I said to no-one in particular. I wouldn't go far, just as far as the natural light would penetrate. For a moment, I worried that the door would close and latch behind me and I'd be trapped in here. I put my bag down so that it wedged the door open. If I didn't go beyond the limit of the light, I'd know if anyone approached the entry.

A few feet in and I could see the rails for the mine cars heading back deeper into the mountainside. I expected there were also some vertical shafts around here, so definitely not going in too far was a good plan. In fact, the more I thought about it, the stupider this seemed, so I turned around to leave.

Green glinting light down and to my left made me stop and take a closer look. I brushed away some sand and discovered a beautiful little gemstone pendant, though probably just cut glass, attached to a thin silver chain. I carefully teased it out of the sand and gravel, wondering how it came to be here. Echoes of Andy from when I read cards for him at the picnic area a few days ago sounded in my mind, "that don't mean someone didn't hide a treasure in it."

I tucked the necklace into my bag at the door, then picked up the bag and closed the door again. I was just about to try to re-lock the latch when I heard footsteps coming down the path. I pocketed the little metal rod and re-adjusted my bag. I had just enough time to take out a water bottle and start taking a drink when Andy came into view.

"What in the hell are you doing here?"

I resisted spitting out the water in my mouth. After I swallowed, I said, "Looking for treasure, I guess? Did you know this door is unlocked?" I hauled on the door just like I did earlier. I was rewarded with a piercing squeal of metal on metal. The look on Andy's face was priceless. I could tell he was trying to fake surprise. Which meant I didn't actually pick the lock. But I *did* find the necklace.

"I didn't do it," Andy protested. He shifted the backpack on his back and looked toward the mine.

"I'm not saying you did. But it might be worth someone's while to see it get locked up properly, as I'm sure it can't be safe in there."

"Uh-huh. Yeah. I'll look into that. Good idea," Andy stumbled.

[parfect-steel]

The second talk on the basic knowledge of forging parts

Yesterday we talked about the deformation temperature of forged components materials and the types of forged components. Today we will continue to talk about forged components, about its forging equipment, forging materials, technological processes, etc., if you are interested, you can collect them.

1. The movement of the die and the degree of freedom of the forging components equipment are inconsistent. According to the deformation limitation characteristics of the bottom dead center, the forging components equipment can be divided into the following four forms:

(1) Limiting the form of forging force: a hydraulic press that directly drives the slider by hydraulic pressure.

(2) Quasi-stroke limit method: hydraulic press that drives the crank connecting rod mechanism.

(3) Stroke limitation method: a mechanical press in which the crank, connecting rod and wedge mechanism drive the slider.

(4) Energy limitation method: use the screw and friction press of the screw mechanism.

In order to obtain high precision, care should be taken to prevent overload at the bottom dead center, and to control the speed and mold position. Because these will have an impact on forging tolerances, shape accuracy and forging die life. In addition, in order to maintain the accuracy, attention should also be paid to adjusting the clearance of the slider guide rail, ensuring the rigidity, adjusting the bottom dead center and using the auxiliary transmission device.

There are also vertical and horizontal motions of the slider (for forging of slender components, lubricating cooling and forging of components for high-speed production), and the compensation device can be used to increase the motion in other directions.

The above methods are different, and the forging force, process, material utilization, output, dimensional tolerance and lubrication and cooling methods required for forging components are different. These factors are also factors that affect the level of automation.

2. Materials for forging components

The materials used for forging components are mainly carbon steel and alloy steel of various compositions, followed by aluminum, magnesium, copper, titanium, etc. and their alloys. The raw state of the material is bar, ingot, metal powder and liquid metal. The ratio of the cross-sectional area of the metal before deformation to the cross-sectional area after deformation is called the forging ratio. The correct selection of forging ratio, reasonable heating temperature and holding time, reasonable initial forging temperature and final forging temperature, reasonable deformation amount and deformation speed have a lot to do with improving product quality and reducing costs.

📷

Generally, small and medium-sized forgings use round or square bars as blanks. The grain structure and mechanical properties of the bar are uniform and good, the shape and size are accurate, and the surface quality is good, which is convenient for mass production. As long as the heating temperature and deformation conditions are reasonably controlled, forgings with excellent performance can be forged without large forging deformation. Ingots are only used for large forgings.

In addition to the usual materials, such as carbon steel and alloy steel of various compositions, followed by aluminum, magnesium, copper, titanium, etc. and their alloys, iron-based superalloys, nickel-based superalloys, cobalt-based high-temperature alloys The deformation of alloys is also done by forging or rolling, but these alloys are relatively difficult to forge due to their relatively narrow plastic zone. The heating temperature, opening forging temperature and final forging temperature of different materials have strict requirements. .

3. There are different processes for forging components with different process flow. Among them, the process flow of hot die forging is the longest, and the general order is: blanking of forging billet; heating of forging billet; roll forging preparation billet; die forging forming; trimming ; Punching; Correction; Intermediate inspection to check the size and surface defects of forgings; Heat treatment of forgings to eliminate forging stress and improve metal cutting performance; Cleaning, mainly to remove surface oxide scale; Correction; Inspection, general forgings are subject to appearance and Hardness inspection, important forgings are also subject to chemical composition analysis, mechanical properties, residual stress and other inspections and non-destructive testing.

4. Characteristics of forging components Compared with castings, metal can improve its structure and mechanical properties after forging. After the casting structure is deformed by the forging method, due to the deformation and recrystallization of the metal, the original coarse dendrites and columnar grains become an equiaxed recrystallized structure with finer grains and uniform size, which makes the original segregation and recrystallization in the ingot. Porosity, pores, slag inclusions, etc. are compacted and welded, and the organization becomes more compact, which improves the plasticity and mechanical properties of the metal.

After listening to the above introduction, I believe you should be familiar with forged components a lot. PARFECT is specialized in forging components, if you have product requirements, please contact us.