MOTnews 57 (03/02/2005)

Sign up for a summer internship at the MOT, learning the blacksmith's art!

Last year, as the forge burned brightly, the garden of the MOT was filled with the sounds of enthusiastic hammering and metalworking. Several different groups took part in the blacksmithing internship run by Michel Mouton, who had come to Grimbergen especially for the occasion.

Michel Mouton is an experienced (art) blacksmith, who himself took part in internships in Belgium and abroad for many years in order to learn the ins and outs of the skill. He is now fully involved in sharing his expertise with youngsters and adults, from beginners to advanced, using his mobile smithy.

Would you like to experience such an internship for yourself? If so, why not come and join us in Grimbergen during the summer holidays! For practical information and the programme, see our website at www.mot.be.

GRANDMOTHER'S RECIPES

If there is a plant on your balcony or terrace that froze during one of the frosts of winter, don't panic: just spray the plant generously with cold tap water and place it in a cool area to recover. Never bring a frozen plant indoors where it is warm, as this will almost invariably kill it.

SAY WHAT?

In this MOT-news item we try to explain proverbs and sayings that have their roots in our technical history. Similar proverbs are found in different languages, but each language has it's own typical sayings. Therefore we do not translate this item in English.

KIDS news: something to tell your children tonight

And now an interesting story about the invention of the can opener.

Tin cans were invented in 1810, bringing about a veritable revolution in the food industry. Tinning sterilised food was not only less expensive, the tin also proved stronger and lighter than clay pots or glass jars, thus making transport easier.

The tin can met with immediate success, but there was one slight practical problem: how to open it quickly and without making too much mess? Initially people had to use a hammer and chisel. As you can imagine, this led to many an accident.

It was around 1850 when the first "can opener" arrived on the market in the United States; it was a knife that you placed on top and used to lever the tin open. The handy model we use today, with a little wheel that circles around the edge of the can as you open it, was patented in 1870. In 1925, this model was improved by the addition of a serrated wheel, and this latter design was electrified as early as 1931.

While these can openers proved handy for round cans, another solution was needed for other shapes. In 1866, the oblong sardine can was invented, complete with a special "sardine can opener" shaped like a key to open it.

Nowadays most tins are equipped with a pull-tab, which allows you to open them easily without using any special tools. Did you know this pull-tab was only invented in 1989 by Coca-Cola? Before that you had to drink your cola from a soda bottle, which was closed with a crown cap. And for that you needed a bottle opener, but that is another story... for next time!