Monday, January 18, 2010

It's the Sealing Surface That Matters

Dr Desert Flower's close friend Kelly in South Carolina got her turned on to drink shakers. We went more than a decade in our home without having any drink shakers, then, a few years before we moved out of South Carolina, there's shakers popping up everywhere.

The Disaronno shaker came in a Christmas gift pack. Notice the white rubber sealing ring in the middle of the photo on the under-side of the black cap. This elastomer blocks bulk liquid from leaking down the side. Essential when making a martini, or other fancy drinks. (I say fancy, because I use a 8 or 12 oz glass tumbler, lots of ice, pour liberally, and then stir with a spoon or butter knife, and it works just as well in my perspective). The red shaker on the left, is also equipped with a black rubber seal around the cap. It doesn't leak.

The shiny 18-8 stainless steel shaker on the right (made in China, but I suspect all three of these are made in China, I just can't prove it) is worthless as a drink shaker. Fluid leaks down the side, sprays around the room when you shake it. It doesn't matter how awesome of a H7/g6 sliding fit it might have, or H7/p6 press fit - it's still going to pass liquid. I've seen gallons of compressor wash water come gushing out between heavy duty industrial compressor disks when disassembled that had been pressed together with thermal press fits. Without a conforming elastomer to fill in the minute gaps, the assembly WILL leak. It might be minimally effective as a holy water sprinkler or perhaps as a 2d4 splash projectile weapon to fend off the undead. But I'll take my 12 gauge against zombies instead. =)

3 comments:

  1. So many cocktail shakers popped up in our house the last few years we were there because I was finishing grad school....

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  2. LOLLERS! That's some good comedy right there!:)

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