a glass of wine with albert einstein......

[alantani]

a guys calls up and asks if i could fix an old fishing reel.  no problem!  it's dark out when he arrives and he rings the front door bell.  come on in, it's freezing out there!  so his name is bing and he has one of the original shimano bantams.  he opens up the box and and pulls the reel out.  it's in mint condition, easily 30 years old.  hey, i said, i have one of those!  his eyes light up.  well, it's in the garage.  i walk him over to door leading out to the garage and i can see that his heart sinks.  yup, it's out there, somewhere.  ok, back to the front door of the house.  dinner's ready and i'm about to see him out.  i tell him that i would hand cut a pair of carbon fiber drag washers and grease them teflon grease.  he mentions that he is familiar with dry carbon fiber, something about using them for brake material for wheels of large airplanes.  um, say what?  yeah, he worked for mitsubishi developing carbon fiber brake material to be used on the wheels of large airplanes.  um, bing, you need to sit down.  you like clarets?  here, let me pour you a glass.  

he's a slow drinker, or he doesn't like clarets.  he tells me an amazing story of developing carbon fiber brake materials for mitubishi in japan.  apparently this information was obtained in a lab in japan that had the ability to heat carbon fiber to 1400 degrees centigrade.  he describes the lubricating properties of carbon fiber material, even powdered graphite, and why it lubricates at normal room temperatures and humidity.  he also explains why the friction coeffecient increases by 2 to 5 fold at 175 degrees centigrade.  we talk about the properties of teflon greases and then he offers and explanation for "high speed runout."  he even describes the process for making an actual strand of carbon fiber.  poor guy!  then his wife calls, asking where he is.  he offers the standard excuse, "i'm at home depot" and excuses himself.  at least he gets to finish his wine.  

i am still trying to process all the things that he said this evening.    i feel like i just had a conversation with albert einstein.  oh, yes.  francis coppola diamond collection, 2008 black label claret, 1910 type.   i think i'm going to have another glass, before my head explodes.