[TheForge] Re: Ralph, Mike and their toys (Was: OT Threads ?)

[Grover Richardson]

The problem with speed control is that it is a closed loop system.

Think of driving a car going down the road.  You want to keep it between the
lines.  If the car is narrow, it isn't that much of a problem.  However, if
the lines are narrow, boy does it get fun.

Now, today, going home from work.  Just count the times that you move the
steering wheel over a block.  Just a straight block.

You automatically take into consideration both position, rate, speed,
steering control, rate of steering control.  Bunches of things that you
don't usually have to think about

One of the most interesting things to me, was to watch my cat.  27 pound
Maine Coon.  When we "got him," I used to tease him with a mouse on a
fishing pole.  To make things interesting, I would move it toward him, and
change the direction of the mouse when it got close to him.  Cats are Dogone
excellent at solving 3 dimensional non-linear geometry, and Dogone good at
grabbing things that they want to grab.  If something was within a cat
length (about 18" or so) from him, he could grab it before I could actually
react to the fact that he was in motion.  I've seen two mountain lions in my
neck of the woods.  They have the highest kill ratio of all the big cats.
I'm not exactly enthused.

Back on task.

Ever been in a car with bad cruise control.  It hunts back and forth, slow
and fast slow and fast.  In order to make something work accurately, it
takes either good design, or good latitude to tinker with it after the
design<G>.  Otherwise, it works sloppy.

The wind flap works good on a lawn mower.  If you are doing normal yards.
But if you hit something big, it can't respond quick enough and the engine
dies.  Well, sometimes I do hit things that even a truck would stall if it
hit<G>.

How many times to you move the damper on a coal fire when you forge?  How
many times do you poke the fire?  

The head pressure thing will work, if the 115 VAC Voltage doesn't change
(changing the power that the pump can put out), or the atmosphere doesn't
change pressure<G>.  However, it is a good idea<G>.

Nothing wrong with low-tech.  I use low-tech lots of times myself.  If it
works, run with it.  Swinging a hammer is low tech<G>.  And fun.  Yes, and
poking some fun here as well.

All the Best!!


>*>-----Original Message-----
>*>From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
>*>[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Jerry Frost
>*>Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 3:40 PM
>*>To: Sponsored by ABANA
>*>Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: Ralph, Mike and their toys (Was: 
>*>OT Threads ?)
>*>
>*>
>*>I didn't get the electronic speed control either other than 
>*>it counts the 
>*>RPM and keeps it uniform. A speedOstat so to speak. <grin>
>*>
>*>Okay, so what's the big deal about a speed control? There've 
>*>been so many 
>*>different kinds over the centuries I'd think it's just a 
>*>matter of picking 
>*>one and adapting it.
>*>
>*>For instance the wind flappy gizmo governor would be a piece 
>*>of cake to make 
>*>and adjust. Pick or make and attach a fan, blower, bicycle 
>*>wheel with 
>*>playing cards in the spokes. Attach a vane in the output 
>*>airstream with a 
>*>control arm to the throttle and a return spring opposing it. 
>*>The higher the 
>*>RPM the more force backing out on the throttle, the lower 
>*>the RPM the more 
>*>the return spring turns it up.
>*>
>*>If you wanted to get creative and perhaps a little artistic 
>*>about it you 
>*>could set the governor up with a float in a section of clear 
>*>plastic pipe. 
>*>Attach the pipe to the water pump and let the head pressure 
>*>from the pump 
>*>determine the height of the boyancy actuated  throttle 
>*>position system.
>*>
>*>You could set the same thing up using the oil pump but it 
>*>probably wouldn't 
>*>be as scenic.
>*>
>*>Okay, this should be simple and even maybe practical. Use a 
>*>vacuum actuated 
>*>diaphram, or even a pneumatic cylinder.
>*>
>*>Basically just pick the RPM sensitive device and build in plenty of 
>*>adjustment till you get it tweeked into tune.
>*>
>*>Frosty
>*>-------------------------------
>*>If it ain't forged
>*>it ain't real.
>*>Wrought iron is.
>*>The FrostWorks
>*>
>*>Meadow Lakes, AK.
>*>
>*>http://www.artmetalradio.com/
>*>
>*>From: "Ralph Sproul" <brhlbsmt at mcttelecom.com>
>*>
>*>
>*>>
>*>> .........Aaaahh, I dunno.......if Mike thought he could use an old
>*>> computer
>*>> to trigger a mouse in a squirell cage - to engage the 
>*>throttle to said
>*>> engine, for pouring the coal to it - to make that A&O 
>*>run.........I've got
>*>> the feeling he'd probably try it.           (but that's 
>*>just a wild 
>*>> guess).
>*>> :-)
>*>>
>*>> I also couldn't understand the electronics Grover 
>*>mentioned - it went 
>*>> WAY over my head.  I'm low tech for sure.
>*>>
>*>> Ralph
>*>>
>*>
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