Same here, would rush home from secondary school to catch ‘The Secret Life of Machines’ I’ve been a engineer in the Automated Medical Research Instrumentation industry for 26 years because those programs helped me discover what I wanted to do - enjoying this series as much as the earlier ones! Thank you Tim - And Rex
Weird word, that engine-er. Why not a lot more abstract? No, it is down-2-earth, just engines?! Yuck! Call them designer, or whatever! Anything else were better.
@@Shadowreaper5 Boon is a Belgian beer brewer. And a bloody famous one. Boon is bean, off course. Go explore the real world, please. Boon? You have no idea.
Tim, I'm happily married to my wife for over 25 years now so I probably don't scare or offend you, but I simply love you. Just like I loved my granddad. For me you're an icon of how people ideally should be and act. Big hug from a devoted supporter. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful work for so long with us. All the best, Job
So nice to just watch a good honest video that's entirely about the subject matter. No silly jingles, self-promotion or sneaky sponsor plugging. No begging for cash or subscriptions, comments or 'likes', just 100% Tim Hunkin talking about stuff he knows from years of experience. Thank-you Tim, very much appreciated.
i love tim hunkin because he's the kind of man who gives an interesting demonstration with his van de graff only to conclude "this does nothing to explain how today's motors work"
The sheer amount of work that goes into the examples here is mind-blowing. Everything he discusses is backed up with practical demonstrations. Really unrivalled on CZcams.
This slightly cracked egg, for one, is grateful for Mr. Hunkin. Every video feels like an apprenticeship. Takes me back to when CZcams was about sharing the joy of creation rather than a soulless hall of mirrors. Thank you for being an inspiration in an age of posers and copycats.
Your comment kind of echoes the current state of CZcams... Making videos for the internet used to be because it was so cool to be able to share your videos, and now it is all about making money. Don't get me wrong, there are still an immense amount of very good creators out there, but not quite as many as before. Tim seems to do these just because he finds joy in the process, which is amazing
Using the Trinamic stepper drivers eliminates most of the issues with steppers - they are almost magical - the motors become near-silent and super smooth even at very low speeds, and will do things like back off the current when the motor isn't moving to reduce heating. I seriously recommend you try them.
I waited over thirty years to see Tim say what the fs gone wrong there!! 🤣❤️👍 Tim you're an absolute legend for this series, you and Rex could have done secret life without a production team!
Tim! Thank you so much for producing such great content on youtube. Having grown up on and loved The Secret Life of Machines, I've always appreciated your teaching style and seemingly endless knowledge and explaining prowess. I'm so very happy to be able to continue to learn from you with your Secret Life of Components. You're truly a global Treasure! Thank you!!! p.s. Everyone that is able to, please be sure to take time to make a donation for this truly amazing builder and damn fine teacher!
Mr. Hunkin is truly one of my all time heros. Starting watching him back in the 90's . Inspired me to what I have become today. Was so happy when he started this series.
"1 hour later" hahaha! Feels pretty good when it finally goes back together! This is a great episode! The first thing I wanted as a boy, at the surplus electronics shop was a motor "that went slow but was strong". The scary old man in the basement (probably in his 50s haha) said "you want TORQUE, kid" and sent me to the shelf with geared car window motors. $12 at the time. I bought 2. Made a contraption to open my curtains from my bed across the room. Just this year (30+ yrs later) I made an electric cart for collecting pallets for a wood stove in the city. I used a Chinese geared motor and PWM controller and 12V motorcycle battery. I roll around the neighbourhood with glee. I used information from the CHAIN episode to help me get that right! I am a Certified Electronics Technician and fix tape machines (just sticky tape and rust) and vintage organs and synthesizers, now for a living. It took a while to get here, but along the way I have never forgotten the wonders you and Rex showed me as a kid - and how much I wanted to understand these things myself! I think your original show was on public TV in Canada. I am surely one of many many thousand of people you helped inspire (proof is in the comments haha). I share this here just to be in such good company. thanks again!
THANK YOU!! Your Enthusiasm and Knowlege have spurred me on, with my "Quest" to become "Off-Grid" in a city bedsit!! I had been hitting some 'Sticking points',due to a traumatic brain injury,that had left some holes within my memory, and also limiting my learning abilities... However,your clear explanations were exactly what I needed,to move forwards again!! Grateful Thanks and Kindest Regards, Namaste. Andrea and Critter Family. ..XxX..
This gets posted to youtube just at that point in the week where I need cheering up. I always forget it's here. So it's always a good surprise when I find it.
When it's done in a controlled way it's called regenerative braking. Same principle but instead of shorting the contacts and wasting energy you use the motor as a dynamo to give some charge back the battery.
This video should be mandatory viewing for all grade school children. Some will be fascinated and some excruciatingly bored, but I am sure it will plant a curiosity seed and steer many kids toward a career in STEM. I am 65 and wish sorely I’d saw my curiosity through to it’s fruition. End of rant.
I read the thank you page the other day after I sent a donation your way. I'm so glad your friend talked you out of putting all this content behind a pay wall! But seriously, guys, if you have a couple bucks to spare, it's well worth it. Thanks again Tim.
Wish I had a CZcams channel to unload all my accumulated experience and knowledge. You are doing a service, passing down your knowledge, before it's gone. People nowadays are so clueless about the world around them. Many are injured or die. For example, a person in a fiberglass company, in a layup area, had checked out a drill, to mix fibers and resins. Then stuck the stirrer into a bucket of acetone and pulled the switch. Room turned white, and people's socks were on fire, and a poor soul was in the doorway, did his first solo flight. Every one else chose pneumatic drills. If people had knowledge, there would be less accident autopsies to fill out. Keep teaching and sharing, thanks so much.
34M, USA. stumbled across an episode of The Secret Life of Machines when you were uploading the remasters during the pandemic, and am so grateful I did. just wanted to pile on to the outflowing of supremely deserved praise in the comments, and say thank you for being you, and sharing so generously with all of us! I learn, I laugh, I cry, I smile, every time. 💓☺️⚙️
Clearly Rex finally decoded the theory of motors to enable you to make such a brilliant and insightful video. Thank you for your efforts over the years I have been a fan since the 80s and I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Please keep educating us for as long as possible. You are a national treasure.
For what it's worth, i got interested in making due to you and Rex and your original show. They say to never meet your heroes but i get the impression you're every bit the good guy that you seem. Anyway, thanks for the art, the comedy, the knowledge and the inspiration. Pour one out for Rex.
Mr. Hunkin, you do much of what I did with my time as a kid and on into adulthood. To my mother's horror, I took apart so many mechanical and electrical things. I absorbed all the knowledge I could by examining how things worked and eventually it became a career as a "mechatronics" specialist with little formal education, that repaired devices, then taught repair, then invented new devices, and it was a very rewarding and lucrative lifetime. Now at 72, I'm "playing with" Arduino processors just for fun and to keep my brain active. Having just recently discovered your very entertaining and informative, I've of course subscribed.
Hi Tim. Excellent. You might have disassembled one of the tiny vibrator motors. They are used in all kinds to stuff including small remote control cars, airplanes, etc. As I'm sure you know, they are DC motors, but constructed "inside out". They are called "coreless". The permanent magnet is stationary and is in the middle and the armature is a tiny fiberglass cylinder with fine wire woven over it. There are brushes and a commutator. The cylinder rotates around the magnet.
Mr. Hunkin...thank you so very much. I watched your tv series on PBS channels in the US many years ago and was super delighted, informed and awestruck. Now, 40 plus years later I get to see you again. I never stop enjoying you videos. As a retired engineer I wish that all engineering students watch your series before they graduate. You bring technology and the love of science ALIVE. Words cannot express my sincere “ thank you” for everything.
Tim truly thank you for these amazing videos. You and your skil set is amazing..and you sir are the teacher the world deserves. You make people excited buy your joy of what you've learned and your enthusiasm in sharing with us all.. thank you kindly Sir.
I’m in the US so I probably haven’t seen Tim Hunkin as much over the years as someone who is from the UK. That said, I definitely recognize him as I have seen him now and then over the years. As I started watching this video I thought to myself, “This guy is like a UK version of Mr. Rogers, but for ~’grown ups’”. If you don’t know who Mr. Rogers is, I assure you that a favorable comparison to him is a great compliment. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
This is the secret life of Tim Hunkin in a nut shell. He enjoys this just like when he first started those videos many, many, moons ago and I also enjoy following him.
"The Secret Life Of Machines" was inspirational for me. It's so wonderful to finally get some information about "The secret life of TIM's" machines", thanks!
I laughed out loud at your oops when your hoist began to give way. It's great to see your commitment to the demonstration by literally putting your body on the line. 😂 I love your work.
Tim you are someone i look up to most in this world, and while i am not financially stable one of my wishes is to come and visit your fantastic arcades and try to understand the mechanics behind all of your machines
In relation to the motors for railway locomotives, the US railroads and other heavy haul railroads have for about the last 20 years been using AC motors as they perform better under adverse conditions in a harsh operating environment.
@@NiHaoMike64 As you say, the Japanese Shinkansen system was originally constructed in the early 1960s. 25KV is the voltage on the catenary which connects to the pantographs on the train. This higher voltage is used to reduce the losses when transmitting the power over the long length of the line. One inside the train the power is transformed to a lower voltage and then rectified to run the traction motors that operate at a voltage much lower than 25KV. For conventional DC traction motors the usual voltage is 600 volts. This voltage, or near to it, was likely what the Shinkansen used in the 1960s as this was all the technology of the time could handle. Using voltages much higher than this causes severe problems constructing sufficiently good insulation and makes proper operation of the commutator almost impossible due to flashover. More modern traction systems may use AC traction motors and a device similar to the speed control on Tim's Bridgeport mill but on a much larger scale to control motor speed. A system like this will still reduce the voltage from the single phase 25KV catenary using a transformer or switching converter before rectifying the power and then creating 3 phase variable frequency AC at a much lower voltage to feed to the motors.
@@Vincent_Sullivan I was under the impression they used wound rotor induction motors, which converts a large fraction of the incoming power to mechanical power and the remainder to a lower voltage.
Nice hidden homage to Tim's partner, Rex Garrod (may he rest in peace), at 45:08. I like that! Otherwise a great episode, as informative as The Secret Life of Machines was in its day.
Excellent video and content as always Tim. I always looked forward to coming home from school to watch the Secret Life of Machines when I was in my mid teens. I enjoyed my visit to Novelty Automation when I visited London last September for a few days holiday and thought it was a fascinating place. I will most certainly visit again some time soon. Interestingly in the Servo section of your upload/video I noticed that the Motor was produced by Moog, the Parent Company that owns the Company I work for. Thanks again Tim, Andrew,.
I immensely enjoy your videos explaining mechanics! it would be required watching in high schools, if i had my way. we all interact with these things regularly, but most folks have little or no idea how or where.
I always enjoy watching the section of an old Robot Wars video where Rex talks about running the 12V motors in his robot Cassius on 24V to get more power, arguing that they don't have enough time to really get hot. It clearly worked. It was good to see inside the 'Fakita' drill with the brushless motor in this too.
I vaguely remember (around 1970?) having a ‘Ladybird Book’ that gave detailed instructions on making a DC motor using a cork as the base for the winding and paper clips for the brushes. It also had an electromagnet, a dynamo, electroplating and a lighthouse. There was also a related book about pulleys.
Tim, when Secret Life was brought to the States on Discovery channel, I fell in love with it as a kid. I am still watching them today. I show them to my daughter. You are absolutely one of my heroes! I miss Rex and just wished that I had met him before his passing. Hope to travel over to the UK in the near future to visit your displays and maybe, hopefully get a chance to meet you in person. That would be an absolute thrill. By the way, your book "Rudiments of Wisdom" is one of my most prized books in my small collection.
Very good video Tim. I also thought you could have added that brushless dc motors can also be used as 3 phase generators and with a 3 phase rectifier you can generate dc without the friction of the commutator.
The back emf braking circuit is a gem. And also the tip about using diodes to drop voltage to control speed, rather than resistors (which would get hotter and reduce current thus reducing torque) I'd never seen anyone suggest that before. I've commonly used a couple diodes as a poor man's voltage regulator for ICs and the like, but never thought to use them for motors. Great stuff!
Hi Tim, wonderful video, I remember both Rex and yourself explaining how a VCR worked 'with sticky tape and rust' :); those were wonderful programs. For the tidal gauge you really need a '"stilling well" then you could try the float again bit I would also recommend ultrasonic or radar sensors (there are some wonderful industrial process level sensors out there; pricey but wonderful). The stilling well is essentially an open topped closed bottom tube mounted in the water with a small opening beneath the low water line. This device smooths/averages the irregular surface of the water making measurement easier.
The egg cracker perfectly shows the big kid inside you Tim. Since you started releasing the new videos, Thursday has now become my favourite day of the week.
I can explain the DC motor polarity: When the motor is spinning, the interaction of the field from the stator magnet and the field from the coils distorts the field slightly - giving it a slight twist. To compensate for this the commutator may be rotated just slightly, by a few degrees. Same is true on DC dynamos. If you run a motor like this in reverse polarity then the commutation phase won't be aligned to the magnetic field quite so perfectly. The effect is slight though, just means that the motor will be very slightly less efficient. In motors that don't utilise this design, the polarity markings are simply a guide for assembly so reduce the chance of a factory worker getting their wires backwards.
I had a similar issue on my cnc mill, with it rounding off corners. It was the G code was running constant velicity mode. Where it tries to keep the cutter moving. The fix was to change to 'exact stop' mode (G61). Where it finished the cut before starting the next. Rather that trying to blend moves. If your cnc plasma runs on G code, may be worth looking into. Thanks for the series Tim. Small donation made. Want to keep you motivated to do more!
Thanks Tim I have enjoyed watching. Your practical presentation is great. I watched your original series secret life of machines when I was younger and was soooo happy to find all your videos on you tube. Thanks again.
It's always a bright day when I see Tim has uploaded a video. They are a joy to watch and will continue to inspire many for a very long time. Thank you for taking the time to give this to the world.
Hey Tim i watched your shows when i was a child!! im from the 80's, So pleased to of found your channel and to see you are doing well for yourself! I Absolutely love tinkering and only in recent years found out i am on the autistic spectrum! I would love a workshop like you have, i would never leave it haha!
27:29 that's how the wiper motor stops in old cars when you turn it off. The limitswitch is change-over so when you click the stalk off, it keeps the power on until the wipers come down and then shorts the motor.
Has Tim been knighted yet? Imagine how many he has inspired.. I remember being 10 years old and was inspired to build an electric motor for my science project. It took a car battery to operate so I lugged a small car battery to school. Won 2nd or 1st place cannot remember. Thanks for all you do.. Diesel electric trains are polyphase (3) phase AC in USA not DC. VFD speed controls feeding each drive wheel it's own AC motor of 1000 HP each. No rectifiers or battery back-up which would make them hybrids. DC is used elsewhere it seems more logical but much more prone to breakdown (brushes, more complex). *Side note: Gone are those days of freedom. No more carrying car batteries to school.
This was really interesting to watch and gave me a vivid impression of the strengths and weaknesses of different types of motors. I have a Chinese PWM controller running the heating circulation pump on my canal boat. I was wary of it when first installed but it runs all evening and night for most of the year and is still fine after 20 months. I’m glad that you make good use of Chinese electrical stuff.
Absolutely fantastic to see you producing such amazing and entertaining videos. You inspired me many years ago with your eccentric but genius ‘secret live of machines’ series.. Long may you continue to make more.. Absolute joy to see. Many, many thanks Tim
What a legend and still educating everyone with a dash of entertainment. I worked in a school for manny years and I coerced the head of department to purchase “The Secret Life of” on VHS and said it would transform pupils minds. He never showed a single episode. I asked for the tapes when I was leaving as I considered them too valuable to leave behind. He was happy to be rid of them. How short sighted. I love finding out about things and Tim provides a fantastic backdrop to explain everything so clearly! Thank you!
Love these videos...nut the best part of all was that line at the end after asking for donatations, "I'm not starving but it does encourage me to keep at it!"
Thanks for that, Tim. I used to read the Rudiments of Wisdom as a child, and I watched the Secret Life of series. Probably thanks to you I became a mechanical engineer. :) I took my daughter to the under the pier show last week, and we had an excellent time. Hilarious. We were hoping to bump into you, but sadly it didn't happen. Keep up the brilliant work!
the weight of the bar when testing torque counts as well i guess ? so the rating could well be on point. but nice to see its that easy to test Nm, i always wondered
Although I had studied this during my undergrad, most of the time, we used to work on simulations of EM fields and motor characteristics. It reminds me of true old-school Nostalgia. Great content. Cheers✨✨
Find something useful, that’s an understatement! Loved the content and the way you simplify the theory and show practical ways to explain and demystify complicated electro mechanical devices.
The Secret Life of Machines and Connections, two of the only reasons to own a television. Thank you for the Infotainment. I will never forget you and Rex and James Burke with his show. It was so interesting to learn about something while also being entertained. It's great to know you are still around, sir.
Back EMF is now what we call “regenerative braking”… reminded me of dropping a magnet down a copper pipe and it would slow down and the pipe would get warm.
Cheers Tim. That was very interesting, in all the years of my electronics career, I've had very little to do with motors, apart from oiling them in tape recorders and record players. I learned a lot in such a short time. I'm sure I will be watching this again in the future. :) I love the egg cracker.
I loved this show. I learned so much and the animation was great. I also loved that it was released to the public after it aired. Thank you for your contribution to humanity.
Mr. Hunkin Ive always loved every video you have ever made and I wish that one day i can come to UK and visit your arcades and perhaps meet you. You have taught me well. 😎👍
For a tide level I would try optical sensing using laser (or simple IR) reflecting from water level in a “still water can/basin”, averaging it if needed.. Again, Sir, thank you for all years of your work and efforts of educating us!
Mate your videos... iv always been interested in building and making things. Nothing to your extreme but I would have loved to have made a job just like yours out of creating things. I just wanted to say your videos are an absolute gold mine of information. Thank you so much for sharing them! Iv gained so much knowledge already and iv got a lot more videos left to watch! 🙌
Tim I am an engineer today in no small part due to your programs I watched as a child. A deep heartfelt thank you for everything you do.
Same here, would rush home from secondary school to catch ‘The Secret Life of Machines’ I’ve been a engineer in the Automated Medical Research Instrumentation industry for 26 years because those programs helped me discover what I wanted to do - enjoying this series as much as the earlier ones! Thank you Tim - And Rex
You are most welcome!!
Thank you, Tim & Rex!
SAME =)
Same here!
Tim Hunkin you're a national treasure, long may you engineer and educate.
What this gentleman said. You are a boon to the field of learning.
I respectfully disagree, he is an International Treasure in my opinion.
@@drdremd Interplanetary Treasure !😁
Weird word, that engine-er. Why not a lot more abstract? No, it is down-2-earth, just engines?! Yuck! Call them designer, or whatever! Anything else were better.
@@Shadowreaper5 Boon is a Belgian beer brewer. And a bloody famous one. Boon is bean, off course. Go explore the real world, please. Boon? You have no idea.
Tim, I'm happily married to my wife for over 25 years now so I probably don't scare or offend you, but I simply love you. Just like I loved my granddad. For me you're an icon of how people ideally should be and act. Big hug from a devoted supporter. Thank you for sharing all your wonderful work for so long with us. All the best, Job
So nice to just watch a good honest video that's entirely about the subject matter. No silly jingles, self-promotion or sneaky sponsor plugging. No begging for cash or subscriptions, comments or 'likes', just 100% Tim Hunkin talking about stuff he knows from years of experience. Thank-you Tim, very much appreciated.
He does ask for donations so he can continue making content for people. But like you say it's not in your face.
The most un-youtubish video on youtube 🙂
i love tim hunkin because he's the kind of man who gives an interesting demonstration with his van de graff only to conclude "this does nothing to explain how today's motors work"
The sheer amount of work that goes into the examples here is mind-blowing. Everything he discusses is backed up with practical demonstrations. Really unrivalled on CZcams.
I am learning a bit about the patience and video content quality from these videos honestly.
This slightly cracked egg, for one, is grateful for Mr. Hunkin. Every video feels like an apprenticeship. Takes me back to when CZcams was about sharing the joy of creation rather than a soulless hall of mirrors. Thank you for being an inspiration in an age of posers and copycats.
Your comment kind of echoes the current state of CZcams... Making videos for the internet used to be because it was so cool to be able to share your videos, and now it is all about making money. Don't get me wrong, there are still an immense amount of very good creators out there, but not quite as many as before.
Tim seems to do these just because he finds joy in the process, which is amazing
Using the Trinamic stepper drivers eliminates most of the issues with steppers - they are almost magical - the motors become near-silent and super smooth even at very low speeds, and will do things like back off the current when the motor isn't moving to reduce heating. I seriously recommend you try them.
most new closed loop steppers do simliar.
"almost magical" ... Exactly the words I would have used. They're amazing!
Indeed!
Trinamic changed my stepper world. More power, no noise; magic! I'm a believer. Halelujah!
@@jobkneppers Same here. Their dev kits are a great place to start exploring those nifty features.
1:03:24 "What the f***s gone wrong there!". Naughty Tim! 🤣
Lol I had to replay that a couple of times to convince myself I hadn't misheard that gem
I waited over thirty years to see Tim say what the fs gone wrong there!! 🤣❤️👍 Tim you're an absolute legend for this series, you and Rex could have done secret life without a production team!
Tim! Thank you so much for producing such great content on youtube. Having grown up on and loved The Secret Life of Machines, I've always appreciated your teaching style and seemingly endless knowledge and explaining prowess. I'm so very happy to be able to continue to learn from you with your Secret Life of Components. You're truly a global Treasure! Thank you!!!
p.s. Everyone that is able to, please be sure to take time to make a donation for this truly amazing builder and damn fine teacher!
Mr. Hunkin is truly one of my all time heros. Starting watching him back in the 90's . Inspired me to what I have become today. Was so happy when he started this series.
"1 hour later" hahaha! Feels pretty good when it finally goes back together!
This is a great episode! The first thing I wanted as a boy, at the surplus electronics shop was a motor "that went slow but was strong". The scary old man in the basement (probably in his 50s haha) said "you want TORQUE, kid" and sent me to the shelf with geared car window motors. $12 at the time. I bought 2. Made a contraption to open my curtains from my bed across the room.
Just this year (30+ yrs later) I made an electric cart for collecting pallets for a wood stove in the city. I used a Chinese geared motor and PWM controller and 12V motorcycle battery. I roll around the neighbourhood with glee. I used information from the CHAIN episode to help me get that right!
I am a Certified Electronics Technician and fix tape machines (just sticky tape and rust) and vintage organs and synthesizers, now for a living. It took a while to get here, but along the way I have never forgotten the wonders you and Rex showed me as a kid - and how much I wanted to understand these things myself!
I think your original show was on public TV in Canada.
I am surely one of many many thousand of people you helped inspire (proof is in the comments haha). I share this here just to be in such good company.
thanks again!
THANK YOU!! Your Enthusiasm and Knowlege have spurred me on,
with my "Quest" to become "Off-Grid" in a city bedsit!!
I had been hitting some 'Sticking points',due to a traumatic brain injury,that had left some holes within my memory,
and also limiting my learning abilities...
However,your clear explanations were exactly what I needed,to move forwards again!!
Grateful Thanks and Kindest Regards,
Namaste.
Andrea and Critter Family. ..XxX..
This gets posted to youtube just at that point in the week where I need cheering up.
I always forget it's here. So it's always a good surprise when I find it.
That trick of using back emf to rapidly stop a DC motor is brilliant! Never seen it before.
really?? thats how alot of drivers work
When it's done in a controlled way it's called regenerative braking. Same principle but instead of shorting the contacts and wasting energy you use the motor as a dynamo to give some charge back the battery.
It's also used on slot cars to slow them more quickly
If you use a resistor in series with the braking loop you can alter the stop behavior too. Like a "lush" stop with a relaxed, luxurious feel.
I love how Tim just casually has a milk jug of mercury in the workshop.
Love your work Tim
This video should be mandatory viewing for all grade school children. Some will be fascinated and some excruciatingly bored, but I am sure it will plant a curiosity seed and steer many kids toward a career in STEM. I am 65 and wish sorely I’d saw my curiosity through to it’s fruition. End of rant.
I'm learning so much from Tim. 3 x days of watching has advanced my understanding 10 years. How on Earth is he not Sir Tim Hunkin?
I read the thank you page the other day after I sent a donation your way. I'm so glad your friend talked you out of putting all this content behind a pay wall! But seriously, guys, if you have a couple bucks to spare, it's well worth it. Thanks again Tim.
Wish I had a CZcams channel to unload all my accumulated experience and knowledge. You are doing a service, passing down your knowledge, before it's gone. People nowadays are so clueless about the world around them. Many are injured or die. For example, a person in a fiberglass company, in a layup area, had checked out a drill, to mix fibers and resins. Then stuck the stirrer into a bucket of acetone and pulled the switch. Room turned white, and people's socks were on fire, and a poor soul was in the doorway, did his first solo flight. Every one else chose pneumatic drills. If people had knowledge, there would be less accident autopsies to fill out. Keep teaching and sharing, thanks so much.
34M, USA. stumbled across an episode of The Secret Life of Machines when you were uploading the remasters during the pandemic, and am so grateful I did. just wanted to pile on to the outflowing of supremely deserved praise in the comments, and say thank you for being you, and sharing so generously with all of us! I learn, I laugh, I cry, I smile, every time. 💓☺️⚙️
The smile on your face when you cracked the egg💛. Excellent video as always. Just so much knowledge and hands on experience all at once. Thank you.
Clearly Rex finally decoded the theory of motors to enable you to make such a brilliant and insightful video.
Thank you for your efforts over the years I have been a fan since the 80s and I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Please keep educating us for as long as possible. You are a national treasure.
For what it's worth, i got interested in making due to you and Rex and your original show. They say to never meet your heroes but i get the impression you're every bit the good guy that you seem.
Anyway, thanks for the art, the comedy, the knowledge and the inspiration. Pour one out for Rex.
Mr. Hunkin, you do much of what I did with my time as a kid and on into adulthood. To my mother's horror, I took apart so many mechanical and electrical things. I absorbed all the knowledge I could by examining how things worked and eventually it became a career as a "mechatronics" specialist with little formal education, that repaired devices, then taught repair, then invented new devices, and it was a very rewarding and lucrative lifetime. Now at 72, I'm "playing with" Arduino processors just for fun and to keep my brain active. Having just recently discovered your very entertaining and informative, I've of course subscribed.
I can attribute my new interest in tinkering almost entirely to this man. Thank you, Mr .Hunkin.
Hi Tim. Excellent. You might have disassembled one of the tiny vibrator motors. They are used in all kinds to stuff including small remote control cars, airplanes, etc. As I'm sure you know, they are DC motors, but constructed "inside out". They are called "coreless". The permanent magnet is stationary and is in the middle and the armature is a tiny fiberglass cylinder with fine wire woven over it. There are brushes and a commutator. The cylinder rotates around the magnet.
Mr. Hunkin...thank you so very much. I watched your tv series on PBS channels in the US many years ago and was super delighted, informed and awestruck. Now, 40 plus years later I get to see you again. I never stop enjoying you videos. As a retired engineer I wish that all engineering students watch your series before they graduate. You bring technology and the love of science ALIVE. Words cannot express my sincere “ thank you” for everything.
That is the first time I have heard back emf described in such a way. It helps explain inductive resistance very well!👍🤓
Tim truly thank you for these amazing videos. You and your skil set is amazing..and you sir are the teacher the world deserves. You make people excited buy your joy of what you've learned and your enthusiasm in sharing with us all.. thank you kindly Sir.
I’m in the US so I probably haven’t seen Tim Hunkin as much over the years as someone who is from the UK. That said, I definitely recognize him as I have seen him now and then over the years. As I started watching this video I thought to myself, “This guy is like a UK version of Mr. Rogers, but for ~’grown ups’”. If you don’t know who Mr. Rogers is, I assure you that a favorable comparison to him is a great compliment. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
As a software engineer I love watching your videos because it shows me creativity and also how to think about problems.
So happy to see this, when I was 8 or 9 SLOM was my favorite thing to watch. You have inspired a generation of men in sheds.
Love to have ya back again, been rewatching the whole series again for the millionth time. Thank you for your work
This is the secret life of Tim Hunkin in a nut shell. He enjoys this just like when he first started those videos many, many, moons ago and I also enjoy following him.
"The Secret Life Of Machines" was inspirational for me. It's so wonderful to finally get some information about "The secret life of TIM's" machines", thanks!
I laughed out loud at your oops when your hoist began to give way. It's great to see your commitment to the demonstration by literally putting your body on the line. 😂 I love your work.
"small hadron collider coming here soon" brilliant :-):-)
Tim you are someone i look up to most in this world, and while i am not financially stable one of my wishes is to come and visit your fantastic arcades and try to understand the mechanics behind all of your machines
In relation to the motors for railway locomotives, the US railroads and other heavy haul railroads have for about the last 20 years been using AC motors as they perform better under adverse conditions in a harsh operating environment.
Hasn't Japanese trains been using 25kV AC since the 60s?
@@NiHaoMike64 As you say, the Japanese Shinkansen system was originally constructed in the early 1960s. 25KV is the voltage on the catenary which connects to the pantographs on the train. This higher voltage is used to reduce the losses when transmitting the power over the long length of the line. One inside the train the power is transformed to a lower voltage and then rectified to run the traction motors that operate at a voltage much lower than 25KV. For conventional DC traction motors the usual voltage is 600 volts. This voltage, or near to it, was likely what the Shinkansen used in the 1960s as this was all the technology of the time could handle. Using voltages much higher than this causes severe problems constructing sufficiently good insulation and makes proper operation of the commutator almost impossible due to flashover. More modern traction systems may use AC traction motors and a device similar to the speed control on Tim's Bridgeport mill but on a much larger scale to control motor speed. A system like this will still reduce the voltage from the single phase 25KV catenary using a transformer or switching converter before rectifying the power and then creating 3 phase variable frequency AC at a much lower voltage to feed to the motors.
@@Vincent_Sullivan I was under the impression they used wound rotor induction motors, which converts a large fraction of the incoming power to mechanical power and the remainder to a lower voltage.
I'm so glad this man is passing on his experience. Every craftsmen, builder artist can learn something new. Amazing video series.
I am a scientist and inventor, in part thanks to your Ch4 series. You are a fountain of knowledge and charm.
Nice hidden homage to Tim's partner, Rex Garrod (may he rest in peace), at 45:08. I like that! Otherwise a great episode, as informative as The Secret Life of Machines was in its day.
Took about 3 repeats before I saw it.
I just watched ClearPath Ads, and they are really funny 🤣 Mr. Hunkin has the best Ads in videos, that aren't even sponsored. What a legend!
Excellent video and content as always Tim. I always looked forward to coming home from school to watch the Secret Life of Machines when I was in my mid teens. I enjoyed my visit to Novelty Automation when I visited London last September for a few days holiday and thought it was a fascinating place. I will most certainly visit again some time soon. Interestingly in the Servo section of your upload/video I noticed that the Motor was produced by Moog, the Parent Company that owns the Company I work for. Thanks again Tim, Andrew,.
I immensely enjoy your videos explaining mechanics! it would be required watching in high schools, if i had my way. we all interact with these things regularly, but most folks have little or no idea how or where.
Thank you so much for making these, Tim. I deeply appreciate all you've done to educate people on how our world operates.
I always enjoy watching the section of an old Robot Wars video where Rex talks about running the 12V motors in his robot Cassius on 24V to get more power, arguing that they don't have enough time to really get hot. It clearly worked. It was good to see inside the 'Fakita' drill with the brushless motor in this too.
I vaguely remember (around 1970?) having a ‘Ladybird Book’ that gave detailed instructions on making a DC motor using a cork as the base for the winding and paper clips for the brushes.
It also had an electromagnet, a dynamo, electroplating and a lighthouse.
There was also a related book about pulleys.
Same here, I recently hunted it down and got a copy: "Magnets, Bulbs and Batteries" first published in 1962 - good luck!
I remember that too, and made the motor!
Tim, when Secret Life was brought to the States on Discovery channel, I fell in love with it as a kid. I am still watching them today. I show them to my daughter. You are absolutely one of my heroes! I miss Rex and just wished that I had met him before his passing. Hope to travel over to the UK in the near future to visit your displays and maybe, hopefully get a chance to meet you in person. That would be an absolute thrill. By the way, your book "Rudiments of Wisdom" is one of my most prized books in my small collection.
Very good video Tim.
I also thought you could have added that brushless dc motors can also be used as 3 phase generators and with a 3 phase rectifier you can generate dc without the friction of the commutator.
The most important words in the video are 'fun' and 'play'. Wonderful as ever.
A truly delightful hour, as all are spent with Tim.
love you Tim. So grateful for everything you've shared with us. 🙂
The back emf braking circuit is a gem. And also the tip about using diodes to drop voltage to control speed, rather than resistors (which would get hotter and reduce current thus reducing torque) I'd never seen anyone suggest that before. I've commonly used a couple diodes as a poor man's voltage regulator for ICs and the like, but never thought to use them for motors. Great stuff!
Loads of good information explained as simply as something complicated could be explained. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Tim, wonderful video, I remember both Rex and yourself explaining how a VCR worked 'with sticky tape and rust' :); those were wonderful programs.
For the tidal gauge you really need a '"stilling well" then you could try the float again bit I would also recommend ultrasonic or radar sensors (there are some wonderful industrial process level sensors out there; pricey but wonderful). The stilling well is essentially an open topped closed bottom tube mounted in the water with a small opening beneath the low water line. This device smooths/averages the irregular surface of the water making measurement easier.
Just the work put into the title animations for this series is crazy. Thanks Mr Hunkin
The egg cracker perfectly shows the big kid inside you Tim. Since you started releasing the new videos, Thursday has now become my favourite day of the week.
Another great video Tim! Thanks so much, as always learned a lot and loved your demonstrations! Cheers!
I can explain the DC motor polarity: When the motor is spinning, the interaction of the field from the stator magnet and the field from the coils distorts the field slightly - giving it a slight twist. To compensate for this the commutator may be rotated just slightly, by a few degrees. Same is true on DC dynamos. If you run a motor like this in reverse polarity then the commutation phase won't be aligned to the magnetic field quite so perfectly. The effect is slight though, just means that the motor will be very slightly less efficient.
In motors that don't utilise this design, the polarity markings are simply a guide for assembly so reduce the chance of a factory worker getting their wires backwards.
I had a similar issue on my cnc mill, with it rounding off corners. It was the G code was running constant velicity mode. Where it tries to keep the cutter moving. The fix was to change to 'exact stop' mode (G61). Where it finished the cut before starting the next. Rather that trying to blend moves.
If your cnc plasma runs on G code, may be worth looking into.
Thanks for the series Tim. Small donation made. Want to keep you motivated to do more!
I agree that your legacy has made me a better engineer. I still am amazed as to how you showed how a sewing machine works.
Thanks Tim I have enjoyed watching. Your practical presentation is great. I watched your original series secret life of machines when I was younger and was soooo happy to find all your videos on you tube. Thanks again.
It's always a bright day when I see Tim has uploaded a video. They are a joy to watch and will continue to inspire many for a very long time. Thank you for taking the time to give this to the world.
You're the best Tim! Keep making your dreams come true. You inspire everyone!
Hey Tim i watched your shows when i was a child!! im from the 80's, So pleased to of found your channel and to see you are doing well for yourself! I Absolutely love tinkering and only in recent years found out i am on the autistic spectrum! I would love a workshop like you have, i would never leave it haha!
27:29 that's how the wiper motor stops in old cars when you turn it off. The limitswitch is change-over so when you click the stalk off, it keeps the power on until the wipers come down and then shorts the motor.
Wooo!!!! More goodness! Thank you Tim!!!
Has Tim been knighted yet? Imagine how many he has inspired.. I remember being 10 years old and was inspired to build an electric motor for my science project. It took a car battery to operate so I lugged a small car battery to school. Won 2nd or 1st place cannot remember. Thanks for all you do..
Diesel electric trains are polyphase (3) phase AC in USA not DC. VFD speed controls feeding each drive wheel it's own AC motor of 1000 HP each. No rectifiers or battery back-up which would make them hybrids. DC is used elsewhere it seems more logical but much more prone to breakdown (brushes, more complex).
*Side note: Gone are those days of freedom. No more carrying car batteries to school.
This was really interesting to watch and gave me a vivid impression of the strengths and weaknesses of different types of motors. I have a Chinese PWM controller running the heating circulation pump on my canal boat. I was wary of it when first installed but it runs all evening and night for most of the year and is still fine after 20 months. I’m glad that you make good use of Chinese electrical stuff.
what a pleasure to see, the world need more people like you, greetings from Chile.
Absolutely fantastic to see you producing such amazing and entertaining videos. You inspired me many years ago with your eccentric but genius ‘secret live of machines’ series.. Long may you continue to make more.. Absolute joy to see. Many, many thanks Tim
What a legend and still educating everyone with a dash of entertainment. I worked in a school for manny years and I coerced the head of department to purchase “The Secret Life of” on VHS and said it would transform pupils minds. He never showed a single episode. I asked for the tapes when I was leaving as I considered them too valuable to leave behind. He was happy to be rid of them. How short sighted.
I love finding out about things and Tim provides a fantastic backdrop to explain everything so clearly! Thank you!
Thanks again for a very well put together video! Must be great fun developing those machines!
Thankyou Tim for your quality educational teaching with added fun factor.
This is the best tutorial on motors I’ve ever seen.
Every time I see a new video by Tim, I immediately watch it or add it to my playlist
Love these videos...nut the best part of all was that line at the end after asking for donatations, "I'm not starving but it does encourage me to keep at it!"
You're the most pragmatic inventor of our time.
You continue to be the master explainer. It brings such joy to learn from your years of experience.
Thanks for that, Tim. I used to read the Rudiments of Wisdom as a child, and I watched the Secret Life of series. Probably thanks to you I became a mechanical engineer. :)
I took my daughter to the under the pier show last week, and we had an excellent time. Hilarious. We were hoping to bump into you, but sadly it didn't happen.
Keep up the brilliant work!
Neat.
I used the drill motor to make a mini wood lathe. Actually it was probably more fun making the machine than using it.
Best wishes, Tim.
the weight of the bar when testing torque counts as well i guess ? so the rating could well be on point. but nice to see its that easy to test Nm, i always wondered
I really can't express how fun it is to watch these videos!
Although I had studied this during my undergrad, most of the time, we used to work on simulations of EM fields and motor characteristics. It reminds me of true old-school Nostalgia.
Great content.
Cheers✨✨
Find something useful, that’s an understatement! Loved the content and the way you simplify the theory and show practical ways to explain and demystify complicated electro mechanical devices.
You're a gem Tim. This channel and your career are such an amazing resource. I'm an electrician and your videos make me want to learn more
Tim, thank you so much for your contribution! Your experience has definitely helped us to reduce the troubles and expenses when we are making things.
The Secret Life of Machines and Connections, two of the only reasons to own a television. Thank you for the Infotainment. I will never forget you and Rex and James Burke with his show. It was so interesting to learn about something while also being entertained. It's great to know you are still around, sir.
Thank you for posting these videos! You're a great teacher.
Back EMF is now what we call “regenerative braking”… reminded me of dropping a magnet down a copper pipe and it would slow down and the pipe would get warm.
Tim is an absolute treasure.
Cheers Tim. That was very interesting, in all the years of my electronics career, I've had very little to do with motors, apart from oiling them in tape recorders and record players. I learned a lot in such a short time. I'm sure I will be watching this again in the future. :)
I love the egg cracker.
I loved this show. I learned so much and the animation was great. I also loved that it was released to the public after it aired. Thank you for your contribution to humanity.
Mr. Hunkin Ive always loved every video you have ever made and I wish that one day i can come to UK and visit your arcades and perhaps meet you. You have taught me well. 😎👍
For a tide level I would try optical sensing using laser (or simple IR) reflecting from water level in a “still water can/basin”, averaging it if needed..
Again, Sir, thank you for all years of your work and efforts of educating us!
Mate your videos... iv always been interested in building and making things. Nothing to your extreme but I would have loved to have made a job just like yours out of creating things. I just wanted to say your videos are an absolute gold mine of information. Thank you so much for sharing them! Iv gained so much knowledge already and iv got a lot more videos left to watch! 🙌
the torque demo is classic Tim Hunkin. Thanks Tim!!