The engineering (and how stuff works) thread

[Thombleached 1,030]

There's lots of techie types on here, what's your favourite bit of engineering? Or any tales of glorious eccentric Heath Robinson contraptions?

I'm not an engineer but I'm always amazed by how things work

 

For those that missed the video on Stirling engine, it's a thing of beauty:

and also how a LSD works has always amazes me for some reason:

I used to have a great video on LSD's in a see-through wooden block but I can't find it 😥

[XswampyX 6,729]

Ram pump. Amazing! 

 

[Sgt Hartman 10,768]

The radial engine. 

Engineering fappery.

[The XYY Man 8,447]

1 minute ago, Sgt Hartman said:

The radial engine. 

Engineering fappery.

Sexy.

Make me want to have a wankel...

 

XYY

Edited April 8, 2017 by The XYY Man

[Rare Bear 91]

6 minutes ago, Sgt Hartman said:

The radial engine. 

Engineering fappery.

Beautiful.

[Chewing Grass 8,134]

33 minutes ago, XswampyX said:

Ram pump. Amazing! 

The victorians were masters of making solid reliable stuff do work out of very little and very basic materials which suits modern day DIY experimenters.

Here's a picture of a nameplate off the real thing, a massive 12" Hydraulic Ram pump that was too big to remove in the boot of my car.

I could bore you all day about this sort of shit.

Edited April 8, 2017 by Chewing Grass

[XswampyX 6,729]

 

[Rare Bear 91]

35 minutes ago, XswampyX said:

Ram pump. Amazing! 

 

Same principle still in use today.

https://bogertaviation.com/products/15x-strut-pump

[MrPin 7,084]

More water gets out than is pumped! It's using the falling weight of a large weight of water to pump a small bit. Still, that's just what is wanted in some cases. Few moving parts.

[Chewing Grass 8,134]

Heres one for SpyGirl and XYY from their home turf.

[XswampyX 6,729]

4 minutes ago, Chewing Grass said:

Heres one for SpyGirl and XYY from their home turf.

Victorian chastity belt?

 

[MrPin 7,084]

Are you stealing the nameplates from Victorian machinery?

Quote

?

 

[Rare Bear 91]

Was visiting an old mill in Ireland about 35 years ago. It had originally been water powered.I noticed that a governor had been made by Woodward, better known these days for governors and fuel control units for aircraft engines.

[Chewing Grass 8,134]

2 minutes ago, MrPin said:

Are you stealing the nameplates from Victorian machinery?

 

Saving them from scrap, If you come across any in shit-hole-on-thames save them for me.

I'm a frustrated hoarder.

Here's one from a 1950s battery locomotive from if I remember correctly Southampton GasWorks.

[Chewing Grass 8,134]

All these are/were British companies and made really good stuff.

Here is a plate off a WW2 R.N. salvage pump for raising sunk stuff.

[Chewing Grass 8,134]

Last one to hand is from a marine steam turbine from the scrapping of HMS Pinafore.

[dgul 8,218]

2 hours ago, Rare Bear said:

Beautiful.

I prefer the rotary engine, where the prop is bolted to the engine and the whole thing rotates...

[Chewing Grass 8,134]

27 minutes ago, dgul said:

I prefer the rotary engine, where the prop is bolted to the engine and the whole thing rotates...

Always wondered how the fuel gets into the cylinders without it pissing everywhere.

[Chewing Grass 8,134]

2 hours ago, Rare Bear said:

Same principle still in use today.

 

3 hours ago, XswampyX said:

Ram pump. Amazing! 

Still make them, still in Accrington, http://www.allspeeds.co.uk/products-services/blake-hydram/

 

[Thombleached 1,030]

Woke up early and have been wasting spending my time reading about Concorde. Fascinating. 

 

http://www.concordesst.com/powerplant.html

[Turned Out Nice Again 1,981]

Worth a re-post and watching all 4 parts. This guy has A-team engineering skills:

 

Edited April 22, 2017 by Turned Out Nice Again

[Thombleached 1,030]

7 minutes ago, Turned Out Nice Again said:

Worth a re-post and watching all 4 parts. This guy has A-team engineering skills:

 

Part 2 please

[spygirl 14,896]

On 08/04/2017 at 16:12, Chewing Grass said:

Heres one for SpyGirl and XYY from their home turf.

Ah yes, the famous MozzazSlowGirlFiddleromatic machine.

Each one of yhese were replace by 100 Mipuris.

[Turned Out Nice Again 1,981]

2 hours ago, Thombleached said:

Part 2 please

 

[Imp 11]

On 08/04/2017 at 16:35, Chewing Grass said:

All these are/were British companies and made really good stuff.

Here is a plate off a WW2 R.N. salvage pump for raising sunk stuff.

The Worthington Simpson factory still exists in Newark. It was built to build massive beam engine pumps, which became obsolete when centrifugal pumps were invented. The old boys who work there talk of the days when pig iron came in and pumps went out. They made everything down to the nuts and bolts, and had a massive apprentice college on site. Now there are a few hundred people working there and they assemble parts which are generally cast overseas.

I personally think the most damage done to our industrial base was the environmental legislation which made it too expensive to operate a foundry in this country.