Building a Bimetallic Tea Monitoring Mechanism

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In this video, we invent and build a completely mechanical device that monitors the temperature of a beverage and rings a bell when it's ready to drink.
This video was sponsored by Brilliant

[@chronovaengineering]

To try everything Brilliant has to offer-free-for a full 30 days, visit brilliant.org/ChronovaEngineering/. You’ll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription.

[@jimmyjudha8424]

May I have a request for some particular machine called "Langmuir's method". For reference:10.1038/1391066b0

[@user-uv5xf5ms1o]

It appears to be a 7 day trial.

[@darcyramsey]

😮​@@user-uv5xf5ms1o

[@suicidebylifestyle9267]

I don't know if I'm more impressed by your ability to build/engineer or the fact that you can write straight without lined paper.

[@colinfurze]

Fantastic is all that needs to said

[@ichoboi]

Great gadget to be paired with the automatic tea making machine I must say

[@richards7909]

Think @colinfurze might need one of these because no doubt he’s forgotten a lot of tea during tunnelling:D

[@trickyd499]

Fürze means farts in German

[@ahmadhasan3258]

The Brits are summoning each other 😂

[@synicyst9925]

This is an exemplification of essential Englishness.

[@LordPrecision]

You can mount the bell using a sort of cushion so it will have a prolongated song and not just *ding*

[@tpeter4240]

Nice pfp

[@matsler89]

This was going to be my exact suggestion. The ding seems to small.

[@mosfet500]

I was thinking a bell on a string.

[@jackthompson6296]

A felt washer would help but point contact would be better

[@-NGC-6302-]

like how cymbals are mounted

[@gragaloth6237]

Looks nice, Im a clock repairman and whenever bells are mounted they are fitted with felt washers on the top and bottom where they mount. This prevents the dampening of the sound

[@tachywubdub2469]

Same thing with drum cymbals!

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

I hope he sees one of these comments, and goes back and adds the felt, even if we never find out. It would be so easy, and would make the bell so much more satisfying.

[@Hiksan5]

If Wallace and Gromit were into machining, this would be their first project!. Lovely project, masterfull cinematography, good narration👌

[@jakobbb6405]

Just as a little fun fact, bi-metallic mechanisms are used basically everywhere around us. Most of the time not in the form a strip but in stamped discs that can be made to snap at a temperature with tolerances of less than one degree. Every item in your house that has a heater inside will most likely have a bi metal snap disc, as they are called, in them as safety mechanisms or every simple kettle that switches off when the water is cooking will have between 1-4 of these discs in them. It's actually quite fascinating how they work and how they are manufactured and actually how few companies there are in relation to the billions of discs used all over the world

[@AnonymousAnarchist2]

Not only are they all around us to make tempurature based controls, but they are also found all over to make objects that do not change size in a single dimention. Its Really important in making pendulum clocks and thats the most likely place I can imagine a person would run into it. And thats why your grandfather clock has that weird pendulum made up of bars going up and down as the outside set expands pushing down, the middle set expands a bit more pushing up just enough to make up for the center bars expansion. Ok I gotta confess, making a new pendulum bar for an anitique grandfather clock was just my favorite project and I get too excited to share.

[@jakobbb6405]

@@AnonymousAnarchist2didn’t know that about the clocks. Bi-Metalls are fascinating!

[@ortusdux]

One of my favorite uses for bimetallic strips is car turn indicators. They use a bimetal strip wrapped in a heating wire to open and close the circuit, which makes the light blink. The famous clicking sound you hear in the car is the sound of this mechanism.

[@4themusiclovers]

So british...

[@kev_z4]

You mean briish

[@pressureswitch]

Terribly…

[@chriswatts923]

Huzzah

[@Alexis_lefr]

Wou you like a bit o' waer?

[@pyromen321]

oi bruv

[@patrik5123]

I can't express how much I love this. The amount of energy, time, materials and money spent on this, solely because you couldn't be bothered to use the timer function on your phone, is so out of proportion to the real-world benefit that it _has_ to be a pure labour of love. And I love that.

[@Pisolithus]

You cannot simply expect a man to set a timer, what if he uses different mugs and cups that will change the time it takes for the tea to cool

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

@@Pisolithus or the temperature in the surrounding air. It will cool much faster on a cold winter's day, he'd have to calculate the rate of cooling for every possible temperature. The amount of time the tea is steeped before letting it cool would also effect the cooling time. But with this, it will always alert him at exactly his preferred temperature.

[@lawriealush-jaggs1473]

Proper English eccentricity. A superb and beautifully made piece of silliness.

[@eronth]

This is way over-engineered, yet exactly the type of goofy mechanisms that humans love so much. Perfect. 10/10

[@OJHussick]

All that build up, and we only saw one demonstration of the finished product, and even then, it wasn’t a live-firing situation, but a test run with just water! I need to see this a dozen times with real tea!

[@danceswithaardvarks3284]

Amazing. I had just returned to my computer after filming, my coffee was cold and this video was in my recommended videos. Maybe google does know everything lol. What an incredible gadget, thanks for showing its construction.

[@jasonsummit1885]

I almost expected Uri Tuchman to come up with something like this. A, sort of, pointless invention that still serves a unique purpose.

[@geoffreyentwistle8176]

A deceptively simple mechanism with an exceptional amount of thought and work put into it... I love this.

[@wernerpfeifer]

...und außergewöhnlich viel Freizeit...🤔

[@DylanEdmiston]

This is such a lovely piece of engineering and machining. It also demonstrates a physical phenomenon in a memorable and playful way.

[@christophercharles9645]

One of the most satisfying parts is the way the ball bearing sinks into the foam after it's rung the bell. Very nice work!

[@donmiller2908]

It's like a Rube Goldberg machine. An over the top elaborately constructed and complex machine designed to accomplish a mundane task. I absolutely love it! I enjoy fabricating myself and can understand the delight one feels when designing and constructing such a device. One time I saw a group of engineering students who, just for grins and giggles, constructed a machine with over 20 different operations that took 50 seconds to complete. The machine was constructed to place a stamp on an envelope. Marvelous!

[@petez4608]

This is the best thing I’ve seen on YT in a long time. I’m just starting to learn how to machine, but this transcends my ambitions to learn.

[@sharg0]

If you turn the inside of the bell (and a small part of the outside) first and then clamp it internally to do the outside there's no problem with the bell ringing. Did this when I made an about 300 mm "ships bell" in stainless as a wedding gift to friends some years ago. Do be gentle with the pressure internally though, the bell deforms easily but the setup is very stable as long as turning is made towards the chuck.. Sweet little project!

[@ferryperry7840]

*_This is soo Relaxing…_* *😌*

[@raidtheferry]

I really like your style of video production. The smooth, calming, and well balanced voicing with the relaxing background music works perfectly witb the upclose camera shots. Wonderful job. I cant believe I'm only just discovering your channel!

[@Bigelowbrook]

Fine craftsmanship. This channel deserves more subscribers.

[@Horus9339]

If you isolated the bell from the pillar, maybe a few pieces of soft leather, it would make a far more pleasing ring. That is a beautiful machine, with the most perfect English need for existing. Thank you for sharing your time.

[@infinitelyexplosive4131]

As always, your videos are a relaxing break from the stress of normal life

[@KarmaCadet]

The videography and craftsmanship are just excellent, but I totally wasn't expecting an amazing maths lesson. What a treat this video was!

[@ferryperry7840]

*This is Therapy For Eyes✨*

[@henkee3715]

Realy nice contraption. I first assumed it should be a tripod or similar but the cup edge holder worked out well. I do think you could use a soft spacer on the bell to make it less rigid which will increase the amplitude of the ringing

[@-STONECYPHER-]

This is the most beautifully overbuilt piece of kit for such a nothing problem. I love it.

[@dennisk5818]

I'm absolutely intrigued watching metal machining, but especially fine machine work like this. Awesome. In the end, first, it's beautiful. Second, it has the design of a Rube Goldberg machine. Love it.

[@TheBookDoctor]

As a side benefit, the heat-sink properties of the mechanism will help bring your tea to perfect temperature faster!

[@renxula]

And he better not dillydally after the bell rings!

[@tubateta]

Delightful. I never considered lead content in brass before, I assumed the copper component was the concern. Thank you

[@melkel2010]

Now THAT'S taking your tea seriously! What an excellent idea! Very pretty build!

[@octopirate]

Wow, it quite literally all comes together at the end. Bravo!

[@dainius4168]

Love me some restoration of precision machinery. Knowing the quality of your work it is going to be marvelous I am sure.

[@Conservator.]

I image that producing this video was at least as much work as designing and fabricating the device. Excellent on both accounts. 👌

[@carlfreebird5079]

Excellent camera work and a neat build.

[@brianbassett4379]

Doing something to help out those in need. Bravo! You're a real inspiration.

[@Tidofelder]

Nice work. 👍 I like brass. We drink our tea from small, thin-walled tea cups in which it cools more quickly than in large coffee cups. Therefore, we don't have to pay attention to the temperature, but for us it is more important how long the tea "steeps" before you drink it. I come from East-Frisia (Ostfriesland), it is on the North Sea coast of Germany. We here are the *world champions* when it comes to drinking tea. On average, an East Frisian drinks 300 liters of tea a year. We East-Frisians have our own tea ceremony. "Prost Tee" we say. 😉 Kind regards from the North Sea coast 🦀

[@clown134]

that lathe is so nice. when i initially saw this video in my feed i thought it was a Technology Connections video, since theyve covered bimetallic strip technology so oftenly lol. i need something like this for my coffee

[@xspager]

You could run a competition for the simplest mechanical or eletronic device that could do the same (maybe even the cheaper)

[@mftmachining]

Excellent toolmaking with very fine ideas. Hats off.

[@vk3xe]

Not only do I love the over engineering for a simple problem the quality of the video is outstanding as well

[@alungiggs]

Fantastic contraption 👍. Love your videos, thank you 🙂

[@buffalosims5213]

Amazing, every home should have one. Thanks

[@ogirdor3225]

I love it. I adhere to the comments regarding improvements to the sound, and I'm curious to see what will you make to put it after it's used 🍵

[@Dinnye01]

You have way too much free time. And I love it!

[@bobhail4348]

This is such a beautiful piece of engineering and machining, thank you for sharing this with us ❤

[@BLenz-114]

That is THE cutest drill press I have ever seen!!

[@elanman608]

to reduce the parts count invert the bell and catch the ball in the bell.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Brilliantly eccentric, brilliantly executed. Mesmerising from beginning to end. ☕️👏👏

[@JamesGarry]

Fabulous. Has Tim Hunkin been told of this lovely work?

[@KnowArt]

A combination of Uri Tuchman and Clickspring, awesome

[@matthewjames2833]

Absolutely beautiful work as always. Thank you for the great insight and inspiration.

[@drfoop]

Absolutely stunning work.

[@Podpiska_i_laik]

Для меня ваша работа одна из лучших на ютубе. Я сам токарь и не всегда чья-то работа за станком радует глаз. Но ваше творчество исключение.

[@thechocolategourmand]

Great video as always. I feel like the ramp trigger is going to be very sensitive to subtle tilt variations on the edge of the mug, variations in table surface level, etc.. and ideally some trigger would be best to ensure consistent temperatures.

[@mosfet500]

Really neat! Thanks for sharing, don't know if I want any brass whatsoever in my tea water though.

[@johnkelly9046]

Great little project! One of these days, I'll be browsing your videos, and you'll have invented a working time machine with full build instructions.😂 I can't wait till that day comes! 😁👍

[@purpleom9649]

England thanks you for your important work, we hope you will be remembered in the New Year's Honours list.

[@jimviau327]

Utterly relaxing and out of this world!

[@tantra4225]

thank you for sharing your work!!

[@alex_stanley]

This is great! The homemade bimetallic strip makes me wonder what you could do with a DIY bourdon tube, perhaps a large, exploded view barometer.

[@andreskruusimae6136]

Woau, dude. Pure magic!!! Amazing work!

[@greglaroche1753]

An interesting design and build. Thanks for sharing it.

[@KevinMichaelMichael]

Thank you for sharing this!

[@MichaelSteeves]

I never knew that Heath Robinson used that level of precision!

[@heighRick]

Thanks Chronova, helps a lot!

[@broheim23]

Excellent video! Your cinematography is top-notch! (And your machining skills are very good, too.)

[@heinpereboom5521]

I love this kind of thinking and it is beautifully done!

[@billradford2128]

Love it! Next step is the heating device to maintain 54C if you are called away for a while!

[@aldman]

Gives a whole new meaning to "My God, he loves his prefect cup of tea!" Thank you for these very interesting pieces of engineering!

[@clonkex]

"prefect" :(

[@grahamshedd9225]

Beautiful! Good use of human ingenuity.

[@chopper3lw]

Beautiful. I wonder if the bell's mount couldn't be altered to allow it to ring in a less dampened manner.

[@digital.jaybird8421]

Thank you for the inspiration!

[@sweetspiderling]

You could have the strip release a watch spring and have the arm of an attached escapement hit a bell. It'll ring instead of dinging but it might be nicer than a loose ball

[@colleenscorfield3505]

Wow , only a Brit would make this but also with great/quirky design and quality sir you have a new admirer and a proud Brit to see the talent that still exists in our country, brave.

[@ollutiv]

Love it I’m a big rube Goldberg fan so this one ticks some boxes for me. Next time you do a bellish shape like that machine in inside first then fill it with hard meltable wax the outside won’t chatter as much you just have to be careful not too get it hot when turning.

[@TheAmazingMrB]

Towards the end of the machining I was thinking of all the ways I could reduce the part count and manufacturing complexity. Felt foolish when I saw how gorgeous and visually satisfying the final assembly is. Fantastic art that could only come from an improvised design, a skill I have yet to learn.

[@Terracotta_Me]

I love this! If you’re not already a member of the Dull Men’s Club you should be! They’d lap this up over there!

[@JC-id3vw]

Neat project! Given the ostensible purpose of submersion in a somewhat acidic liquid which is to be ingested, I do hope that the brass used is lead free, though.

[@peter360adventures9]

Awesome build.

[@chrisjaustin88]

Wonderful! Could you put a spring under the bell to allow for more resonance?

[@stephanemami]

Take my money! I want one! Gorgeous work

[@hoilst265]

Other KZbinrs: "We're gonna use an Arduino, Raspberry Pi, several LEDs, and a K-type thermocouple to make a tea temperature alarm." Chronova: Steampunk Heath Robinson Device.

[@esrAsnataS]

Perfectly elegant.

[@pierrelecaillou6966]

I mean, how delightful is this mate!?

[@laurentitolledo1838]

this was how its usually done during the industrial age, however nowadays software pundits will be up in arms over all-mechanical temperature alarm... great video production, soothing music, clear narration and process explanation. highly recommended

[@dmg4415]

Such beautiful overengineering. Now how will next iteration look?

[@richards7909]

Brilliant bit of kit :)

[@ericd.7592]

"When an object is useless, it becomes indispensable" ;) Fine work !

[@nothinghere1996]

Beautiful. That sweet spot doesn't come often, but when it does, the tea cup is drained.

[@nickhawkinson]

Never watched this channel before but it's very funny to see every tool he uses that looks just like the tools on every maker channel I've seen but much smaller

[@oscarames641]

Truly incredible, where did you learn to create these mechanisms?

[@mr.sandman770]

In terms of brass or other copper alloys being used with food, my dad used to used copper cookware back in the day in Iran (copper cookware was/is used worldwide, just his personal experience) , but it was always coated on the inside with a thin layer of tin. This was because uncoated copper would leech into food and its salts were known to be poisonous. Tin is less reactive and less toxic (possibly nontoxic), and the intermetallic bond between tin and copper is pretty strong. Maybe tinning could be an option for food contact?

[@bambukouk]

look forward to your new lathe refurbishment videos 👍

[@joaomrtins]

A very unique way to ring bells is how we do here in the estate of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The bell is rung by an internal clapper have a huge conter weight. It's initially held upside down and then pulled so it turns. Each turn it rings twice. After that it can either be held upside down before being "turn" again or be pulled for a faster rithm ringing. I'd like to leave a link but KZbin doesn't like it .-.

[@johnfox4691]

Brilliant! I would have thought that a thermal imaging camera interfaced to a computer and klaxon would have been better but the machining would have been rubbish. Some super machining here, thanks for the video.

[@pierrelecaillou6966]

Dude, brilliant!

[@beecherphilpot4034]

well done, thanks for the video

[@mikeydk]

When I do knurling, I set the feed to ½ of the pitch of the wheels. That makes the spiral pattern in the knurl disappear.