Category: Mechanical

  • CycloCable Gets Bikes Up That Hill

    CycloCable Gets Bikes Up That Hill

    CycloCable We all know it’s a bit of a pain cycling up steep hills especially on our journey to work, but CycloCable gets bikes up that hill in Trondheim, Norway. This latest version installed in 2013 replaced the prototype Trampe Bicycle Lift installed in 1993 by Jarl Wanwik. This is how the Norwegians do it.…

  • How To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew

    How To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew

    This Is How To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew It would appear to be a very simple process to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew. Just look at this video to learn how: Well, if you watched the video you could see that a shoe is used to cushion the blows as…

  • Opening Food Cans By Unusual Means

    Opening Food Cans By Unusual Means

    Introduction The videos here demonstrate some methods of opening food cans without a traditional can opener. If you try any of these methods then be aware that cans have sharp edges where the metal is cut. You could get cut yourself before the can is open. 1st Method of Opening Food Cans This is another method…

  • Zipper Slider Repairs

    Zipper Slider Repairs

    Introduction Here are two zipper slider repairs that can be done when the pull tab has come off and either: the crown (or lug) is lost, you still have the crown (or lug). This post is an edited compilation of two posts I wrote on this blog in the past describing the repair of Zipper Sliders. I have updated the references and…

  • Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 by RING

    Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 by RING

    Introduction This post is about the RING Automotive Air Compressor RAC900 which is an excellent pump for inflating anything with a Schrader valve, (e.g. car tyres, bicycle tyres, etc.) or balls, airbeds, etc. (3 Inflation Adapters are supplied). It has to be powered by a 12 volt (30 amp peak) supply such as a car battery (not provided).

  • Rolling Resistance of Bicycle Tyres

    For those who ride bicycles to work, the rolling resistance of bicycle tyres may be of interest. So check out Terry Morse’s web page.

  • Flipping Heck It’s A SmartInversion

    Flipping Heck It’s A SmartInversion

    Revised On 24 December 2021 Introduction It’s an unusual flying object – this SmartInversion – that propels itself by flipping inside out. Created by engineers at Festo in Esslingen, Germany. It was originally reported in a New Scientist blog in April 2012 which is no longer online. I decided to investigate it further and found…

  • Bike Riding Robots Are Helped By Gyroscopes & Cameras

    Bike Riding Robots Are Helped By Gyroscopes & Cameras

    Watch This Video of Bike Riding Robots Watch Murata Girl and Murata Boy. They use stabilizing gyroscopes and camera technology developed by Murata Manufacturing, a Japanese electronic components company. These are bike riding robots which perform some amazing riding skills without falling off their bikes. Murata Girl is the one on the monocycle. Near the end of the video Murata…