Curling Ice Scrapers, Scraper Maintenance and Blade Sharpening To All -<br /> <br /> Welcome to the Ice Tech Blog!&nbsp; This Blog has been set up to provide a forum whereby technical literature pertaining to ice making will be posted.&nbsp; All articles posted to date are listed on the right side of this screen (click on &quot;older&quot; to view additional titles).&nbsp; We hope this service will benefit our customers and invite you to contact us at <a href="mailto:info@iceking.ca">info@iceking.ca</a> if you have additional information that should be made available.<br /> <br /> Happy Reading!<br /> <br /> Cindy Kortebein<br /> Partner, Ice King http://www.iceking.ca/Ice-Tech-Blog.page?ArticleID=37376 2010-07-30T03:05:30.7394372Z <p>This is an excellent article to read as we move into the summer months - when battery powered scrapers are being stored&nbsp;until the start of the next season....&nbsp; We receive many phone calls in the fall of each year&nbsp;... asking for assistance with batteries that have 'died'.&nbsp;&nbsp; Oftentimes, this problem can be avoided by maintaining a charge on the battery during the summer.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rainbow Power is a Solar Power Coop - with customers who face very similar problems.&nbsp; Bill Darden has provided some useful tips to help you save and/or revive your scraper batteries.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> If you are experiencing problems with your batteries and cannot get them to recharge, please call us for additional assistance!<br /> <br /> Ice King now provides military grade batteries that are better suited for the long storage periods and short running time typical for most scrapers.&nbsp; The technology employed in these batteries prevents sulfation and lengthens the life of the battery (up to 8 years of useful life).&nbsp; <br /> <br /> <a target="_blank" href="/_mndata/iceking/uploaded_files/Sulfated Batteries.pdf">(Read On)</a><br /> <br /> <br /> Thank you to the&nbsp;Rainbow Power Co. for&nbsp;giving Ice King permission to reprint&nbsp;this article on our&nbsp;site.&nbsp; For further information on Rainbow Power, visit their website:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><a href="http://www.rpc.com.au/">http://www.rpc.com.au/</a></span><br /> </span><br /> <br /> &nbsp;</p> http://www.iceking.ca/Ice-Tech-Blog.page?ArticleID=49010 2010-07-30T03:05:30.7394372Z <br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt">Pebble head holes will tend to become plugged with particles present in the water used &ndash; regardless of the source.&nbsp;Instructions are provided using common household materials.<br /> <br /> Our thanks&nbsp;to Don Powell - Weston Golf &amp;&nbsp;Country Club Head Ice Technician - who provided this information.<br /> <br /> <a target="_blank" href="/_mndata/iceking/uploaded_files/Pebble Head Cleaning.pdf">Read on...</a></span> http://www.iceking.ca/Ice-Tech-Blog.page?ArticleID=37375 2010-07-30T03:05:30.7394372Z <br /> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2">In order to protect curling ice, players need to be aware of the nuances of ice making and the ice surface itself.&nbsp;John has written this report to educate players on the problems they themselves may be responsible for.&nbsp;His discussion includes some very valuable insights regarding ice making as it affects the players and how the behaviour of the players will impact the ice&hellip; as John says &ndash; &ldquo;it is a vicious circle&rdquo;&hellip;.&nbsp;</font></div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font size="2">&nbsp;</font></div> <span style="font-size: 10pt">Good reading for icemakers as well as players&hellip;</span><br /> <br /> <a target="_blank" href="/_mndata/iceking/uploaded_files/A Players Guide to Curling Ice.pdf">Read On</a><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> http://www.iceking.ca/Ice-Tech-Blog.page?ArticleID=49011 2010-07-30T03:05:30.7394372Z <br /> <div style="margin: 15pt 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: windowtext">This manual is intended to address the immediate needs of the curling club ice technician in a general way.&nbsp;It provides a basic checklist of items of concern to the club and the ice technician no matter what size of club you have or what experience you have. <br /> <br /> - This is a great manual for the Ice Technician as well as Club Board Members...</span></div> <br /> <br /> &nbsp;<a href="http://www.ontcurl.com/Images/up_images/Ice%20Tech%20Reference%20Manual.pdf" target="_blank">Read on...</a> http://www.iceking.ca/Ice-Tech-Blog.page?ArticleID=37371 2010-07-30T03:05:30.7394372Z <br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt">Th</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">stud</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">y </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">o</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">f </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">wh</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">y </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">curlin</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">g </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">stone</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">cur</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">l </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">i</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">no</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">t </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">new</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">Man</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">y </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">theorie</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">hav</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">bee</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">n </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">suggeste</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">b</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">y </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">highl</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">y </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">qualifie</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">individual</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">an</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">man</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">y </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">hav</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">bee</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">n </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">flawed</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">whil</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">other</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">hav</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">looke</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">a</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">t </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">certai</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">n </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">aspect</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">o</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">f </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">physic</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">withou</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">t </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">eve</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">n </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">knowin</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">g </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">abou</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">t </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">othe</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">r </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">factor</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">tha</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">t </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">coul</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">b</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">involved</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">I</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">n </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">scienc</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">i</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">t </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">i</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">sai</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">tha</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">t a </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">beautifu</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">l </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">theor</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">y </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">i</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">ofte</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">n </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">ruine</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">b</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">y </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">on</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">singl</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">awkwar</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">fact</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">an</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">her</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">thi</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">i</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">certainl</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">y </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">th</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">case</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">A</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s a </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">startin</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">g </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">point</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">i</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">t </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">woul</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">b</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">wis</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">t</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">o </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">conside</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">r </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">al</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">l </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">know</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">n </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">aspect</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">o</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">f </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">th</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">stones</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">th</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">ic</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">an</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">th</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">environment</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">tha</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">t </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">coul</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">d </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">hav</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">a</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">n </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">influenc</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">o</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">n </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">curl</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">The</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">n </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">perhap</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">th</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">theorie</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">s </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">migh</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">t </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">mak</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">mor</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">e </span><span style="font-size: 10pt">sense</span><span style="font-size: 10pt">. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.scottishcurlingicegroup.org/reports/WhyDoCurlingStonesCurl.pdf" target="_blank">Read on...</a></span> http://www.iceking.ca/Ice-Tech-Blog.page?ArticleID=37373 2010-07-30T03:05:30.7394372Z <br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Water is the only material on earth commonly found as gas, liquid and solid. In a curling rink it is found as a gas in the air, as a liquid in fog or condensation and during flooding and pebbling, and as a solid in ice. From the phase diagram of water below, it is clear that water can exist as all three, or as any of these, around 0&ordm;C (273&ordm;K). There is also a fourth form of water, supercritical, that only exists under extreme pressure and temperature, which will not be further discussed here.<br /> <br /> Published March 2006.<br /> <br /> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.scottishcurlingicegroup.org/reports/WaterInACurlingRink.pdf">Read on...</a></span> http://www.iceking.ca/Ice-Tech-Blog.page?ArticleID=37374 2010-07-30T03:05:30.7394372Z <br /> <div style="margin: 0in 13.5pt 0pt 0in"><font size="2">When a blade is used to remove pebble and other irregularities from the surface of curling ice, three words are commonly used to describe the action: scraping, cutting and shaving&hellip;<br /> <br /> John Minnaar's article on Ice Cutting is a 'must read'!</font></div> <br /> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.scottishcurlingicegroup.org/reports/CuttingTechnique.pdf">Read on...</a><br /> http://www.iceking.ca/Ice-Tech-Blog.page?ArticleID=37370 2010-07-30T03:05:30.7394372Z <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">This article was written for the WCF by&nbsp;Leif Ohman and John Minnaar....<br /> <br /> The words of this heading are carefully chosen, because the two items are very different. Ice is simply the result of water being frozen by lowering its temperature to below 0&ordm;C, whereas curling ice is a manufactured product of specific definition that has been made from ice, or by freezing water in a very specific way. It is the purpose of this half of the section to bring together the relevant essential pieces of information scattered throughout the manual, to enable technicians to convert ice to curling ice in an efficient and cost-effective way on a regular basis. In the next half of this section, Curling Ice In An Arena, the same subject is addressed, but there it is aimed at providing excellent ice for a competition of some duration.<br /> <br /> <a href="/_mndata/iceking/uploaded_files/8-Curlingiceinanarenab.pdf">Read on...</a></span> http://www.iceking.ca/Ice-Tech-Blog.page?ArticleID=37372 2010-07-30T03:05:30.7394372Z 7/29/2010 11:05:30 PM http://www.iceking.ca/ 7/29/2010 11:05:30 PM info@iceking.ca