Have you ever picked up a ‘Lego Block’ or a ‘Meccano Part’ and thought “What a childish toy?”
Or
Have you thought “Wow I could build Tower or a Bridge with that!”
A Quick Rant
Well it is funny I only seemed to find these “2 Types” of people in many different capacity’s, by that I mean ‘people who just see something for what it is,’ And ‘people that have strong imagination whatever the resources presented in front of them.’ Well I fall into the second category as I have great imagination and ideas as you will have seen from my website projects already, but it is starting to become more evident that the younger generation is falling into the first category. Agree or Disagree with me but I have seen first hand that the majority of our younger generation is starting to lose their independent learning skills, where their learning capacity is restricted by feeding them the answers to get them to pass a test.
It Is my opinion that you could sit 30 children down in a classroom, and hand them a pen and paper and tell them “Just Draw Anything.” And that 29 children would put there hand up and ask “What do you want me to draw?” Instead of getting the desired result of 30 unique drawings on 30 different pieces of paper.
Ask most of the younger generation what they do on a day to day basis in their free time (when not at school) and you will more than likely get the response of “I play my games console” and “I talk to my mates on the internet,” well when I was younger I spent most of my time in the local woods building base’s, playing man hunt and trying to work out how we can build a bigger tree house in a taller tree. Even though most of my time was spent out doors, expanding my mind and asking why?
”The important thing is not to stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein
The Idea To Create Something
Well I had been offered some Meccano for nothing as it was going to be thrown out and I had to take it, as my love for technical building toys is strong. And now that I have a full small toolbox full of Meccano what do I build? The possibilities are endless with such a brilliant product. So I pondered for a while and after watching a Discovery channel program about building Bridges (Extreme Engineering) my mind was set.
How To Challenge Myself
Well building a bridge out of Meccano is fine, but how can I make it a challenge? So off to my workshop to build a platform to mount this bridge I was going to build on. All I did was pick out 3 bits of scrap chipboard to make an imaginary Gap or Span that would give me a bit of a challenge. I did not measure the gap of this base to make sure I used my mind to Bridge The Gap.
On With The Planning
Well the objective is set ‘To build a bridge out of Meccano,that would span the Gap that I had made out of scrap wood.” So the first thing to do was to brake down and sort all the Meccano parts I had so that laid out a rough idea of how I could go about building the bridge. Well with the parts layout out in front of me time to make a decision what type of bridge?
Types Of Bridges
As you will know and have seen there are many types of bridges, but what types could I use? Here are some examples in the picture below.
But Seen as I am using Meccano in this build there has to be cogs and moving parts involved in this build (just not a Meccano build if I don’t) so it calls for an opening bridge span or two, and given the fact that the sides of the gap are only about 12mm high it would make sense ‘if an imaginary boats wanted to go under’ (See what I am doing yet, actually thinking about what I am building and reasons behind it!) So a mechanical draw bridge it is then…
As you can see an example of a working mechanical draw bridge in the real world
One of the most famous mechanical draw bridges I know of has to be Tower Bridge in London, having been across Tower Bridge on numerous occasions by foot or taxi, it always marvels me the amount of engineering and construction that has to have gone into it. Not to mention the inspiration to build such a bridge, really could you just wake up one day and say “I am going to build a bridge like no one has seen before”? Well yes you can! and Tower Bridge stands to day as testament to that ideal.
But even though this is a thought I like to believe entirely, I still must point out with most projects there are constraints and conditions to designing and constructing such a build. The main constraint of Tower Bridge was that the Thames could not be shut and boats had to pass under it through out the construction. Also the Draw Bridges must be fast, as most drawbridges of that size in the period of which Tower Bridge built would take over an hour to raise. Also the main source of power was low pressure steam engines, so the need for a counter balance system was thought up in the construction. If you wish to find out more about Tower Bridge go to the bridge’s web site here http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/
The First Side
Well now that I know the sort of direction in which I will construct my own bridge, onto building the first side. A lot of thought and trial and error went into constructing the mechanical workings for the first side, as I had only a couple of cog sizes to work with (e.g. A Small Size and A Big Size) so you can see from the picture I finally found the right gear ratio for the first side of the bridge to open and close smoothly, this side of the bridge is connected by direct drive through the cogs from the gear housing.
First constructed side of the bridge
The Gear House
Well it was clear after building the first half, that I would need to create a way of connecting the first half to the second half, but what method should I use? At first I thought of a Shaft System using rods to connect one side to the other. Which would have been the optimal way of making the two half’s work in tandem. But I did not have enough rods to make this a viable solution, so I had to think up another way of raising and lowering the second side. So I opted for string spanning over the gap and connecting the two half’s. So this presented another issue as I had to add another set of cogs to the gear house to accommodate the string winder.
The Gear Housing From Above
So the gearing is layout as follows..
(I have listed the shafts starting from the winding handle as 1)
Winding handle > small cog
Small cog > worm screw.
Large cog
Small cog > large cog
Small cog – String Winder
Large Cog > First Half of Bridge
Hopefully you can all follow that?
The Second side
Well now that I know I will be connecting the second side from the first by the means of string, how should I make it work? Again we have a couple of options to choose from? This is a concept that would be effected by Newton’s Laws of Gravity or Newton’s laws of motion ’Action and Reaction.’ So knowing these points what I could do is, ‘use a spring to push the second half of the bridge open,’ and then when I turn the winding handle on the gear housing it would shut the second half of my bridge. Or the option I went for having the bridge on a Counter Balance System, so the weight of the second half of the bridge would be offset by a Counter Balance Weight connected to the other end of a pivoting point of the the whole assembly. So when the winding handle is turned the string would pull the Counter Balance Weight upwards, and in turn the second side of this assembly of the drawbridge spanning over the gap would lower in to position.
The Counter weight made up of spare Meccano parts, e.g. worm screws, etc…
Looking At The Bridge
Well Looking at the bridge as a whole, I feel quite a scene of self-achievement as I have not built a base to fit a toy. I have “Engineered a Mechanical Drawbridge to span a undetermined gap.” As simple as this little project has been what I have achieved here is what engineers do everyday to keep the civilised world running. As everyday bridges of all shapes and sizes are used by Cars, Lorries, Trains and by people on Foot, to cross gaps and spans that could not have be crossed if the bridge was not there.
But really no matter how small or big a bridge you build, and no matter what materials you use to build it. The amount of Planning, Design, Trial & Error, Research and Imagination that goes into it is still a considerable amount. Just taking this little project I have created here, it has got me researching types of bridges, it has got me looking back at the history of “Tower Bridge,” it has got me thinking “how do I configure the gear ratios correctly,” it has got me engineering a way to work both sides at the same time “The String connecting the two halfs,” and it has been great fun with a sense of self-satisfaction at the end.
To Conclude
So next time you look at a Lego block or a Meccano Part don’t dismiss it as a child’s toy, embrace it as a Start or Building Block to a greater project. Because if I had looked at it in the way of a “child’s toy” I would have never have had a Greater Understanding of…
Different Types of Bridges
Tower Bridge, How and Why it was built
Gears and Cogs
Gear Ratio’s
The Planning it takes to Build A Bridge
Newton’s Laws of Gravity
Newton’s laws of motion
Counter Balancing A Structure
Thinking Out Side The Box
The only way we as humans learn is by Making Mistakes but if we don’t try to better ourself’s we will never Learn. There are so many different ways I could have “Bridged That Gap” Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger, but I have a greater Understanding of that now because I gave it ago. There are many different types of Model Engineering that are regarded as Only Child’s Toys such as Model Railway Layouts, Model Planes, Remote Controlled Boats and Cars, but they tend to have so much skill and engneering to them that they becomes more than just a toy.
The Meccano I Had left after the build
But I guess all that is left to do is dismantle this bridge and make some thing else
As I Have stated in my previous post I have had to take down Boddington, to make way for my home office. But it is not all sad as My model train collection stands “Pride & Place” in the centre of my office on the windowsill. Here Are a few photos for you all to see…
I do have a lot more rolling stock that I could not fit on the windowsill, But that will become another article as I intent to build a Cabinet / Case to store my whole collection in. But for now my trains will sit happy on the windowsill…
Well the time has come for Boddington and has been dismantled pending a full breakdown for track and parts. Sad as this may be the winter has come and as I dont yet have the funds to start the Train-Room Project I am going to be using the room as My Office for the mean time.
I must say that Boddington has been a great project, as well as a great learning curve for my next railway layout (which I hope wont be too long.)
So now I will leave this final post of Boddington with the Boddington Medley Video
This is a great site for Model Engineers with tonnes of plans / diagrams to inspire and buy, I found this site while doing some research on traction steam engines.
Well I have done quite a few article with this particular product in mind, and talked about how great this 2D CAD product is. But I have never really touched on the subject of the website supporting it, so I feel if you work with 2D CAD go now to check out this amazing product with a great homepage to match.
So discover all the little extras that not only make Draftsight a great CAD product, but makes it an amazing experience! And make sure you have a look at the Resource Center! as there is lots to find…
20thJan – 2ndFeb
Sorry I have not update between these dates, I have to take some time out, but will be back for the 3rd of feb!
If you are a Blogger or run your own website, do you remember the first time you built or started a website? What an exciting time it was. I remember my first website, running it off a PC in my Airing Cupboard cause I could not spend out for more than a domain name (given that I am an IT expert I could do this.) But it can be a time of hardship trying to get it seen by the world so all the help you can get is a good thing.
So when I saw this website today It had to be my website of the week!LocoYard as described on the website “ONE OF THE BIGGEST SMALL 00 SCALE LAYOUTS AROUND!” This site caught my attention and brought back some of those great memory’s of starting a new website every week. So I wish all the Best to LocoYard!
This great website has captured my attention with some great photos. So I think they have summed it up well in the about section “CountryRailway is aimed at bringing pictures, stories and information to the attention of others.”
A great YouTube Like site for watching all the videos taken by train enthusiast users, there are all sorts of videos on here from archive footage to modern day, I like this site because it help for layout ideas and you will find some funny videos as well.
Well I think this site is a great show of what you can do if you put your mind to it. A hands on do-it-your-selfer for over 11 years tackling anything from hanging a picture to full scale home renovation. Well worth looking at.
It was about time I found my local Model Railway club and here is it’s website, even though I am probably not going to get chance to go along any time soon, I still think it right to make it my “WebSite Of The Week” as I do think everyone should support there own local clubs, be it model railways, or heritage railway , or any other type of club. Being social is a thing that brings with it Happiness, and joining a local club is a great way to be social.
This is a great website to take a look at if you are just starting out with CAD, loads of FREE tutorials for learning CAD. This site has helped me out loads. So click the link today and see how much fun CAD design can become when you know how.
Well it has been a slow weekend for myself and getting things done so here is my website of the week lumberjocks.com, lumberjocks is a great site if you are mad about wood! you can upload all the photos of your own projects for the world to see. I spend quite a bit of time on this site browsing other peoples work. So if your mad about wood get signed up today!
And the list goes on, but all in all as far as cloud tech goes GrabCad has everything for the CAD user, I started using GrabCad quite a while ago and even though I have not uploaded to the site in a while, I will still go back to it for inspiration (and to have a nose at my GrabCad ranking) GrabCad also support all the major CAD file types and groups the files by them and what the CAD files is about.
The whole idea is… > Signup > Create your Profile > Upload your CAD Models > Download other users CAD Models > Then send and receive comments on your work and work of others > Then if you have a problem ask a question to resolve it (Simples!) And to wrap it up, the Website design and layout of the GrabCad is one of the best I have seen. But there is so much more so have a look today….
Whiles looking through last months copy of Model Rail Magazine I stumbled upon an article about this website in the “show and Tell” section, It is a great example of creativity and imagination in the Railway World.
It was when I was working in the IT department of an Academy in the UK. After supporting the technology department fixing issues they were having with their CADCAM products. These Products were having issues with the new operating system of the time M$ Windows7. Well the only way I think you can truly support an IT product is to use it so I did! So I saw a concept for a brass billet go all the way from my head through the CADCAM software to the CNC controlled Lathe, AND I WAS HOOKED!
The Programs.
Using the CNC Controlled Lathe was the start of the adventure as when looking for programs on the Internet, there was an abundance of search results, but in perticular I was on a budget as the contract had ended at the Academy. So the search line was something along the lines of “Free CAD Products” and the results I got back was a bit daunting “2D, 3D, 32Bit, 64Bit, CAD, Professional, Easy to use, AutoCAD, Cheap, Free Trial And many many more words…..” But as with most things I started from the top and worked my way down. So I have come use to using two products in perticular DraftSight and SketchUp.
Reviews Of Free CAD Products
I have given you here a few of the CAD products I have use and the links of where to get them… Also the rating is upto 5 Stars.
Review: DraftSight brought to you from the guys and girls at Dassault Systemes, the makers of Solidworks one of the leading industry standards for 3D CAD Design. From the word go I fell in love with DraftSight with its easy to use layout, great community support, and great contact with the staff of DraftSight through the Facebook FanPage. One of the biggest aspects for me with DraftSight is that it has been said in many other user posts on the net that “it is just like AutoCAD, but better” well having not used AutoCAD before I can’t really comment on this, but if other people are saying it then best you download a copy and try it yourself to make sure you are not missing out. But the best feature of all that I have found is it’s compatibility YES it works on Windows, OSX and LINUX! Being that I am a Linux user, That suits me just fine! And I must add as I have worked in IT for well over 10 years it is very rare that you see the this level of operating system compatibility in one single product.
Review: Well a CAD product from those Internet search giants Google, Confused well was at first but as I got use to SketchUp that thought just seemed to just fade away. My first encounter with SketchUp was at the Academy, as they were using it in IT for students to design building in one of their projects. There are two versions of SketchUp the Free One and Pro, and because of this I could not bring myself to give SketchUp 5 Stars, cause there are things in the Pro version that I could do with. But ignoring that SketchUp is one of the Greatest free packages I have used to date. So simple that even a 12 year old student could use it to build a towering office block. I mainly use SketchUp to draft out quick ideas, and to take detailed ideas and see if they world work in the real world. One last thing that is lacking in this product is the lack of operating system compatibility , being that it only works on windows.
Please keep in mind that these reviews are my own opinion and not to be taken as the truth
If you have a disagreement with any of the content on this page or would like to suggest any programs or information that I should add to this page please get in contact with me through
Well it is funny I only seemed to find these “2 Types” of people in many different capacity’s, by that I mean ‘people who just see something for what it is,’ And ‘people that have strong imagination whatever the resources presented in front of them.’ Well I fall into the second category as I have great imagination and ideas as you will have seen from my website projects already, but it is starting to become more evident that the younger generation is falling into the first category. Agree or Disagree with me but I have seen first hand that the majority of our younger generation is starting to lose their independent learning skills, where their learning capacity is restricted by feeding them the answers to get them to pass a test.
As you can see an example of a working mechanical draw bridge in the real world
First constructed side of the bridge
The Gear Housing From Above
The Counter weight made up of spare Meccano parts, e.g. worm screws, etc…
The Meccano I Had left after the build
As I Have stated in my previous post I have had to take down Boddington, to make way for my home office. But it is not all sad as My model train collection stands “Pride & Place” in the centre of my office on the windowsill. Here Are a few photos for you all to see…
