Kowalski Heat Treating Blog - Kowalski Heat Treating

Knock With Your Elbows

July 24, 2026/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

The other day, I was reading an article about sayings that we inherited from our parents and grandparents. Most were short. Some were funny. A few made little sense to us at the time, but as we got older, they made more sense. Yet tucked inside many of them was a simple blueprint for how to live alongside other people with respect and kindness. I was discussing this with some of my buds, and we all could remember things that were passed down regarding good manners (“don’t talk with your mouth full!”). One of my friends was in scouting, and his troop was always instructed to not only “be prepared” but to always “leave things better than you found them”. He described how, at the end of a camping weekend, all the boys would split and stack new firewood, clean the firepits, and slowly walk the camp area, picking up the smallest pieces of paper, to be sure the site was clean and ready for the next visitors. One of the sayings I came across was “knock with your elbows”, a reminder to bring something along for the host. I like this! So, here is a list of sayings I can remember, and some I found online – I’m hoping you may have some to share (skowalski@khtheating.com). Special thanks to Google. Enjoy!

Rolling Through Time

July 17, 2026/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

As a foodie, I love it when Jackie and I come up with something new to try (it’s mostly Jackie doing the “coming up”). The other night, Jackie made an amazing salad, using couscous as the main ingredient. It was complemented by sauteed yellow and red peppers, fresh tomatoes, chicken, and a light dressing of balsamic vinaigrette. As usual, it was amazing – Jackie is incredible at creating dinners – no recipe, just a little of this and a little of that! Of course, it got me thinking about the origin of couscous, and how it made its way to my kitchen table from an origin centuries in the making. PLUS, I just love the name! Enjoy!

Loaded Questions

July 10, 2026/0 Comments/in Friday Afternoon /by Steve Kowalski

One of the great things we do here at KHT is research, design, and building amazing racking systems for our thermal processing solutions. Whether it’s stacks of transmission discs pressure bolted to maintain “flatness” – or our intricate rack systems for blades, shafts, or other PIA (Pain in the @%$) Jobs, or small parts in our salt-to-salt processes, “racking” is a huge part of what we do. The other night, I was helping Jackie clean up after dinner (something I try to do often) and took a pause at the way I was stacking dishes in the dishwasher. Plates go here, silverware there, glasses in this order, and cups on this side. Of course, it was not even close to the way my lovely wife does it – if order and poetry could go into dish stacking, she would win an Oscar. There is not a square inch of space left when you have finished, an absolute maestro! It got me thinking about dishwasher design, rack systems, and “loading”. Prewash or as is? Silverware in function order or random? Cups and glasses touching? And when to press the Start button (partial or when all is full?) I am absolutely a “partial get it done” guy! I did my search thing and uncovered a bunch of history and research on the topic (talk about going down a drain hole!!). Here’s a little of what I uncovered. Enjoy, and celebrate your personal way of “loading.”