The Contraption 2.0

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:29 pm

I'd give Mozy credit for the thread identification. 1/8" IP is about 3/8" in diameter. I thought the first and read the second and never noticed the discrepancy.

Heh Heh ... Hey, I don't make the industry standards... I just go by them.

Box Burner · Post by **Box Burner** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:28 pm

Captain Goddammit - yo forgot the crecent hammer!

Crescent Hammer - a tool used to bend nails that would be driven in strait with a hammer. Th crescent hammer can also be used to mar the surface of a project and remove bent nails at the same time.

fciron · Post by **fciron** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:54 pm

LeChatNoir wrote:
I'd give Mozy credit for the thread identification. 1/8" IP is about 3/8" in diameter. I thought the first and read the second and never noticed the discrepancy.

Heh Heh ... Hey, I don't make the industry standards... I just go by them.

I was commenting on how the brain works. Mozy or I would have grabbed the right part out of a box but ordered the wrong thing at the counter.

For those who don't know 'nominal' pipe sizes no longer match either the inside or outside diameters on standard pipes. Pipe sizes originally referred to the ID of the pipe. Improvements in manufacturing led to thinner walled pipe but all of the pipe fittings fit the outside of the pipe. Rather than making all existing piping obsolete with a new standard the ODs remained the same and the insides got bigger.

There's always a reason,,, it's not always a good reason.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:39 pm

Hehehee I was just seeing if you were paying attention. I meant 1/8 plug.

Honestly it really looked larger to me. Missed it by that much hold up his two fingers.

As far as the brass I worked on a lot of water pumps right out of high school from oil and water lubed turbines to booster pumps and submersibles. Brass works well in contact with water.

I guess I just like using brass plugs. I hated dealing with galvanized plugs rusted into tanks and cast iron.

OK I will shut up now. Hehehehehe You guys with your fancy Book learning and stuff.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:48 pm

Just look at it in all its brilliance.

Say it with me B R A S S~~~ it just gives me goose bumps

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:31 pm

Oh jeez... you're right you know. Removing a steel plug in a few years from the steam side could be a booger... damn it.

**smacks self in forehead**

DOH!!!

Bin Noddin · Post by **Bin Noddin** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:49 pm

Bin Noddin wrote:
MozyBonz wrote: As far as I know Aluminum is the worst for Electrolysis Corrosion.
So I should NOT use the aluminum vent cap on the steel vent for the store heater? Those idjits at Home Despot don't know nuthin . . . and they only have aluminum ones.

Snarkily phrased, but I really want to know.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:59 pm

Are you sure it's aluminum?
A lot of the cheap plating looks like aluminum.
If it is, I don't think it's a problem unless there is a risk of it collapsing and plugging the chimney.
What kind of fuel are you running through this?

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:06 pm

Bin Noddin wrote:
Bin Noddin wrote:
MozyBonz wrote: As far as I know Aluminum is the worst for Electrolysis Corrosion.
So I should NOT use the aluminum vent cap on the steel vent for the store heater? Those idjits at Home Despot don't know nuthin . . . and they only have aluminum ones.
Snarkily phrased, but I really want to know.

It will be fine I just did the roof on my house and went with all aluminum vent caps.

The kind of damage I think we are talking about has to do with Galvanic corrosion. It is caused by an electric current generated by two different metals in a conducting medium. When we talk about galvanic corrosion we're talking about an electric exchange.

You don't have a conducting medium Bin.

With the new caps I think they are a alloy more than Aluminum.

I went to Aluminum vent caps to stop the rusting on the galvanized steel caps when exposed weather.
I still see both used here.

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:37 pm

We now interrupt this galvanizing discussion with a brief Comical Interlude.

Somebody, a couple of pages back (while I was on the road), asked for The Stories Behind The Contraptions. There was even a Personal Challenge, naming... moi.

So, I'll start with The Two Ton Tricycle:

Two Ton was built around year 2000 and was my first Kinetic Sculpture Racing Kontraption. The basic concept came from seeing all those giant satellite dishes that people used to have for watching television from Mars. And I had a neighbor who installed such things -- newer, smaller ones -- often bringing home dead big dishes. To me, those things were obviously wheels.

The first idea was named The Satellite Voyager. I'd assemble six dishes into three hollow wheels and build a Star Trek looking space ship. For some reason, it failed to discourage me that Star Trek Enterprice saucers, and flying saucers in general, were horizontal. I thought people would easily turn my wheels 90 degrees in their minds.

But when I got three wheels assembled in a frame with a steerable front fork, it didn't look like a space ship at all. Not even to me. But it sure looked like a kid's tricycle. So I renamed it, and added (fake) saddle and handlebar, and The Two Ton Tricycle came to life.

The picture shows it in the Sacramento River in... maybe 2001 or 2002 -- the first time it completed a Kinetic Sculpture Race.

It is currently retired, but WILL be rebuilt sooner or later.

P.S.
Of course, I did build a Flying Saucer also,

...but only as a static display for Halloween -- a re-creation of the Roswell Incident.

karine · Post by **karine** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:39 pm

When you finish it, can I sit on top and steer ??? !!!

Post by **mdmf007** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:40 pm

Exactly!!! 60% of the time it works every time!

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 1:17 am

Contraptions

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.355/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automaton

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 1:47 am

Richard Windley has done some very detailed reproductions of ancient machinery.
http://www.richardwindley.co.uk/

fciron · Post by **fciron** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 7:18 am

karine wrote:When you finish it, can I sit on top and steer ??? !!!

You should know better than to ask an open ended question like that rolling into April Fool's.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:37 am

Elliot wrote:
We now interrupt this galvanizing discussion with a brief Comical Interlude.

Somebody, a couple of pages back (while I was on the road), asked for The Stories Behind The Contraptions. There was even a Personal Challenge, naming... moi.

So, I'll start with The Two Ton Tricycle:

Two Ton was built around year 2000 and was my first Kinetic Sculpture Racing Kontraption. The basic concept came from seeing all those giant satellite dishes that people used to have for watching television from Mars. And I had a neighbor who installed such things -- newer, smaller ones -- often bringing home dead big dishes. To me, those things were obviously wheels.

The first idea was named The Satellite Voyager. I'd assemble six dishes into three hollow wheels and build a Star Trek looking space ship. For some reason, it failed to discourage me that Star Trek Enterprice saucers, and flying saucers in general, were horizontal. I thought people would easily turn my wheels 90 degrees in their minds.

But when I got three wheels assembled in a frame with a steerable front fork, it didn't look like a space ship at all. Not even to me. But it sure looked like a kid's tricycle. So I renamed it, and added (fake) saddle and handlebar, and The Two Ton Tricycle came to life.

The picture shows it in the Sacramento River in... maybe 2001 or 2002 -- the first time it completed a Kinetic Sculpture Race.

It is currently retired, but WILL be rebuilt sooner or later.

P.S.
Of course, I did build a Flying Saucer also,

...but only as a static display for Halloween -- a re-creation of the Roswell Incident.

Hahahaha love it...More more!!

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:51 pm

More?!

All right, the next one is â€œHenry Ford Goes Surfingâ€

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 7:16 pm

Thatâ€™s really a treat to see how Henry Ford progressed, Elliot.

What made you decide on, or think of, an articulated frame for version 5.0?

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 7:58 pm

That may or may not actually be version 5 -- I've lost count!

The reason for the center articulation is to avoid all wheel alignment and U-joint issues. The two-seat two-wheel-drive versions were all rear wheel drive, with lawn tractor steering up front. There were a lot of bent spindles and such along the way -- see my avatar, and the left front wheel in the picture of the water entry! When I went to the solid axles at all four corners, there was a very noticable reduction in rolling resistance.

It has suspension also, not just steering in the middle. The center pivot consists of three ball joints; a single main ball joint at the top, and a foot long link with a ball joint at each end at the bottom. (The link is a piece of a three point hitch for farm implements.) Thus the two halves of the vehicle can twist in relation to each other, and all four wheels are always on the ground. Here is a picture from the Corvallis, Oregon, KSR last summer that illustrates this:

karine · Post by **karine** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 10:08 pm

I think I'd go with Captain Ahab version for the playa... except I DO like the bonnets.... Might work great to keep the sun off your shoulders!

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:44 am

Those "bonnets" are called southwesters, and they are absolutely waterproof and fit snugly on the head. Consequently, they are MURDER to wear in the sun! But we wore them anyway, to complete the maritime theme. What we won't do for art!

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:50 am

Lovin it!!!

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:23 pm

All right, â€œbe careful what you ask forâ€

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:41 pm

Yeah yeah... But what's in the works for 2008?

Heh Heh Heeeeh

**poke poke**

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:29 pm

RotoCycle

PeterBird (Peterbilt grille on my Blue Bird bus.) Millicent The Bus is an ongoing project -- was in our camp last year.

Counterfeit Bluesmobile. Built by somebody else; Iâ€™m restoring it and tweaking it from CHP to Bluesmobile. Four man pedal powered. Even the hub caps are fiberglass. My work will be all mechanical.

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:00 pm

ROTOCYCLYE!?!?!

Oh, my...

dear, dear, deary-dear...

These are worthy projects indeed. I'm impressed, man.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:02 pm

Everyone should visit the bike camps.
Some of their designs will make your head explode!

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:15 pm

Thank you, yes we are in the business of head explodation.

RotoCycle is a rather wild experiment. I have no idea if it will work as intended. The basic idea, and the computer drawing, are from the (in)famous Camp Herring from Norway. Since such a Contraption will not fit on the air plane, I'm building it here. The real art of the thing will be to coordinate the direction of the wheels. To be safe, I'm incorporating latches in a couple of "drivable" positions, like straight forward and rotating like a merry-go-round.

It's a big step from the HerringCycle I built for them in 2006!

That was tricky to steer also, but it worked.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:05 am

LeChatNoir wrote:Oh jeez... you're right you know. Removing a steel plug in a few years from the steam side could be a booger... damn it.

**smacks self in forehead**

DOH!!!

Could you install a couple of Zinc plates to offset the corrosion factor?

Maybe two smaller Zinc plates for the corrosion to focus on instead of the steal?

haha I said all that like I knew what the hell Im talking about....

Actually the idea was from dirty jobs, I veiwed the Zinc corrosion plates bolted on to have the steal main frame left untouched.
They just replaced the zinc plates once a year.

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:53 am

That's what they call a sacrificial anode. I really don't think this will be a problem with the amount of hours this will be used. With Galvanic corrosion It is caused by an electric current generated by two different metals in a conducting medium. The conducting medium has dissolved solids in it to conduct the electric current. With steam dissolved solids are left behind. in the boiler. So very little or no electric current.