LINKAGES & MECHANISMS -The Secret Life of Components, a series of guides for makers and designers 10

More information about the video, more episodes to watch and to donate, visit www.timhunkin.com/a241_compon...
CHAPTERS
0:00 - Start
00:55 - Levers
06:03 - Linkages
09:45 - Pier waterclock linkages
12:54 - Linkage joints
19:08 - Bell cranks
21:31 - Motor cranks
25:54 - Special cranks
30:04 - Crankshafts
35:03 - Cams
39:58 - Complexity
42:00 - Flip mechanisms
44:50 - Capstan mechanisms

[@funkysod]

This is the best content on the entire internet! Please do as many as you can. The experience, the presentation everything is perfect!

[@raymondo162]

.......... the suppliers' details is what seals it for me

[@tarstarkusz]

I just hope he's not a total boomer and not training a replacement. It would be a shame to not have a replacement. Tim Hunkin is 71 years old.

[@funkysod]

@@tarstarkusz It would be sad if there wasn't anyone who worked beside him to at least learn how to mend his machines. But I really don't think Mr Hunkin is gatekeeping anything. More likely there's no one nearby ready to pick up the tools.

[@johnnsteele2886]

He used to do a show for BBC called "The secret life of machines" that is AMAZING how he makes crazy versions of specific machines that really function. You absolutely need to check it out. Mr. Hunkin used to work with a younger gentleman name of Rex Garrod whom passed early from cancer. I am grateful that he has chosen to share with us all of this knowledge. Thank you, Mr. Hunkin

[@funkysod]

@@johnnsteele2886 Yeah, I've watched the BBC-show. Very good indeed. Rex and Tim was a great duo. Anyone who hasn't seen all episodes of that seies is in for a treat!

[@venenareligioest410]

These videos should be on the U.K. school curriculum!!!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Why are stupid, ignorant, greedy, rich people knighted every year when Tim hasn’t been recognised for his services to education/engineering 🤨

[@Paiadakine]

This should be in the USA school curriculum. Kids now days at least in urban areas are not taught shop classes (Wood, metal plastics). I bet 90% of them cant change a car tire.

[@NathanChisholm041]

Governments want stupid people reliant on them to survive. A informed person is a dangerous person in their eyes.

[@yohojones]

I was a Teenager when Secret Life of Machines came on The Learning Channel in the 90s. Led to life long love in engineering. Thank you Tim. And Rex RIP.

[@SATORI0320]

I've lost family to alzheimers, it's a vicious and horrid affliction. It's fucking heartbreaking to have ones entire world taken from them.

[@skylined5534]

​@@SATORI0320 My nan went the same way. Awful affliction. I'm glad though that we still get to go back in time via The Secret Life of Machines and see Rex in all his crazy, awesome glory.

[@theR1ddle]

You sir, should be a national treasure. I only wish the great Mr. Garrod could still be with us today as well. I have been a U.S. fan since I was 10 yrs old with the original "Secret Life of Machines" series. Thank you for your hard work on these episodes! You gentlemen are a major influence on my growing up to be a computer technician and teacher.

[@jamesportrais3946]

Indeed Tim is a national treasure from back in the days when CRT meant _cathode ray tube_ (I used that joke on his upscaled The Secret Life of Televisions earlier). Very glad he's continuing to make fun from physics, mirth from mechanics and certainly in this particular episode, laughter from linkages. I watched his first televised series in my mid-teens, and always found his humerous and knowledgeable delivery fascinating.

[@MattyEngland]

I think he's up there with Fred Dibnah

[@stoufer2000]

If you ever come to the UK, make sure to visit his machines on Southwold Pier..

[@skylined5534]

I had no idea TH has a following from 'across the pond' but I'm happy he does 😊

[@hayd7371]

I've been a tinkerer for 30 years, but I can still watch your videos with the same eyes as when I was 12 years old. Can't wait to visit your arcade this summer :D

[@pdrg]

Such a good description!

[@Shadowreaper5]

Tim Hunkin deserves a knighthood. I've watched all of the original Secret Life of Machines and I was ecstatic when I found more. My favorite part is the sheer joy Tim puts in all of his videos. I really feel like I'm listening to a favorite uncle teach me about his passions.

[@NachosElectric]

I work mostly in electronics so my mechanical side is pretty weak. This has been a very informative video for me. Thank you Mr. Hunkin.

[@tompsheridantsheridant7354]

YOU ARE MOST WELCOME.

[@BEdmonson85]

Mine was too until I got into the business of repairing old jukebox machines... It never ceases to amazing me when I look at such electro-mechanical devices. These things were designed in an era without the benefit of computer aided design software and yet they are masterpieces imo. The combination of gears, levers, motors, wiring, and switches all working in harmony just to move a record from one place to another (and select which one and when it should play), it's fascinating to me.

[@puciohenzap891]

Not gonna lie, I'd totally see Tim together with Robert Llewelyn presenting scrapheap challenge.

[@Vincent_Sullivan]

That would be BRILLIANT!

[@JohnJones-oy3md]

It's 2022 and we're getting fresh Tim Hunkin content. Life is good.

[@SMEEON]

I’m a creator/artist/engineer of weird and unusual inventions and this has been a joy to watch.While I’ve seen many of these techniques before, I will absolutely use what I’ve learned here the rest of my life. Thank you!

[@micr0chap]

The earthy humour behind your machines never fails to make me laugh, Tim.

[@user-zy3qe3bu7l]

For those of us who make kinetic art, automata and etc., it is an encyclopedia of practical mechanics, thank you, greetings from Argentina, Buenos Aires.

[@markfryer9880]

Hi Tim, I work as a Maintenance Carpenter at Melbourne Grammar School, Vic, Australia and during a renovation of the ground floor sub floor and flooring in The Quad (built @ 1876 ish) we discovered some of the bell crank and wires similar to what you showed from period stately homes. Upstairs in another part of The Quad during a flooring renovation to provide modern controls for the AV equipment in a large class size table we found under the floor the old 1" and 1/2" lead piping for the old coal gas lighting. Now given the period looks of the bluestone buildings, particularly in the floor plan and the lead piping, all I needed a Mrs White, a Miss Scarlet and a Colonel Mustard and I was set up for a game of Cluedo! Mark from Melbourne Australia

[@kozykulturehour7937]

The best tinkering channel on KZbin.

[@soldiersvejk2053]

Younger generation needs to be get to know this classic.

[@JamesGarry]

Having grown up on the Secret Life of, and remembering the Rudiments of Wisdom, I do declare Mr Hunkin is a top bloke.

[@HikikomoriDev]

Being going through a Tim Hunkin marathon over the last few days lol

[@johnthomas7517]

Mr Hunkin, you're a world treasure and I'm grateful I'm in the time when I get to watch your work.

[@thinkingahead6750]

I always love the mechanical. There is much more a young mind learns from watching mechanical things working than from watching electrons. I used to love watching the linkages from the signal box through to the railway points. Thank you for the videos and I hope one day to make the journey to let the grandchildren enjoy your machines.

[@mixtapesfrommylatepartner]

"I could probably do this one handed". I don't doubt that. Tim is one of those men whose physical strength is equal to their intelligence.

[@TonyLing]

I used to love watching the original series as a kid. RIP Reg.

[@nitt3rz]

Seeing Tim explain the water clock, & the whole idea for the clock is why he is one of the greatest people around.

[@TrapperAaron]

There is a great book called 1800 mechanical movements. I highly recommend buying a physical copy, the diagrams and descriptions are elegant and easy to understand. This and the machinists handbook (aka the Bible) are a must have for anyone interested in the way machines work.

[@markfryer9880]

Hi Tim, as a Maintenance Carpenter at Melbourne Grammar School, I had a project several years ago to make a set of timber steps for use in our Memorial Hall, more portable and easier to move than by team lifting them. I solved the OH&S problem by putting them on swivel castors, but the steps had to sit down flush with the timber floor when it use. My solution involved a operable wall lever key on the outside and then via a keyed axle, some levers and cambs, it resulted in the castors being raised or lowered sufficiently to be mobile or stationary as required. Mark from Melbourne Australia

[@mfbfreak]

I have seen such steps, but instead of such a mechanism, they had spring loaded wheels. The weight of the person on the steps made the springs compress and the legs sit firmly on the ground.

[@markfryer9880]

@@mfbfreak Yes, you can also get step ladders with such spring loaded wheels. However, once in place we wanted the steps to sit flush with the floor and have the wheels hidden. We don't want the boys, staff or visitors to know that the steps have wheels. Keeping the wheels concealed was also an important requirement.

[@JoeSwingler]

I'm so happy I found this channel. I loved secret life of machines as a kid. Now an engineer, I miss simple yet well explained engineering principles. It's so enjoyable and educational to watch. Keep up the great work.

[@TheGreatKilbanio]

Absolutely delightful. This series should be mandatory viewing for FIRST robotics teams. I wish I had this a decade ago.

[@davesmith9325]

Tim, you were a hero of my childhood. Still a hero now !

[@general5104]

This and "How It's Made" and Mith-Busters are the only REAL useful knowledge teachers in tge world. I learn more from these than ANY SCHOOL !!! THANK YOU

[@wimwiddershins]

Brilliant! 50+ minutes went by in just moments. I can't wait to see the next installment. Thankyou Tim!

[@themarlboromandalorian]

I don't know why this showed up for me, but I'm glad it did. It's nothing new to me, but it's the kind of content one needs to point today's youth towards, lest they continue down their paths of square-headed, pudding-brained, apathetic ignorance. When I was a child, my father made a living scrapping out all manner of things. There were a number of occasions I went with him to the scrap yard. Other times, we'd be in some hardware shop and I'd be fiddling with the cabinet fittings... The knobs and bobs and latches and what have you. Was good for a learning child to see how things go together. To get hands on with it.

[@noisytim]

This was incredibly inspiring to watch! Thank you so much, Tim!

[@jonathancook4022]

Thanks so much. The revalation you had regarding the friction on the capstan wheels has led me to have my own revelation in a physics-engineering problem/conundrum that I’ve been struggling with for years, which is why it’s always more efficient and effective to power a chairlift or gondola ropeway from the mountain station rather than from the valley.

[@StationGarageSt]

Zen and the Art of Linkage Maintenance. You just wrote the book!

[@isaacplaysbass8568]

Fantastic, I've been looking forward to this episode. BTW, you can have actual chapters on youtube that break up the progress bar by including the time stamps along with titles in you video description. The first entry must start with 0:00. For example: 0:00 INTRODUCTION 1:01 LEVERS 6:03 LINKAGES 9:45 PIER WATERCLOCK LINKAGES 12:54 LINKAGE JOINTS 19:08 BELL CRANKS 21:31 MOTOR CRANKS 25:54 SPECIAL CRANKS 30:04 CRANKSHAFTS 35:03 CAMS 39:58 COMPLEXITY 42:00 FLIP MECHANISMS 44:50 CAPSTAN MECHANISMS

[@cmmartti]

I'm not sure if Mr Hunkin always reads the comments, but he does read and respond to email. I also wish he'd use better video thumbnails, because these videos deserve more views than they're getting. The thumbnail is the number one way of getting people interested enough to click a video, but the current thumbnails are just screengrabs which are, quite frankly, uninteresting. For example, the SWITCHES episode from the first series got nearly half a million views-and I think that's primarily because the thumbnail shows Rex's giant model of a microswitch (very eye-catching).

[@dans381]

Tim does list the time stamps for each chapter in the description, you can find them if you click the 'Show More' tab under the video.

[@isaacplaysbass8568]

@@dans381 Hi Dan, Tim hadn't listed chapters at the time that I suggested it.

[@cmmartti]

@@dans381 He always puts the timestamps in the video description, but he doesn't put the required 0:00 timestamp, so KZbin doesn't copy them into the video seek bar.

[@isaacplaysbass8568]

@@cmmartti yeah, I guess he would probably get more traffic with the right thumbnail design. Maybe mock one up of what you think would appeal, upload it to Imgur and mention it to Tim in a comment, he'd probably delighted 😃

[@htiekmahned8859]

Always great to see you on screen again!

[@rootvalue]

I can’t fathom how much time this takes to put together. Thank you so much for your work and sharing (for free!) what you have learned.

[@mikejohannessen9772]

True artistry. I took a semester course on linkage design, and while that was all good, solid knowledge, none of it was clever. This reminds us that there are many other possibilities out there. And to this day, Tim and Rex are still the only people who have ever explained or demonstrated the capstan in a meaningful way. The Wikipedia article, for example, tells one what capstans are and their history, but one would be on their own to learn the fundamental principle by which they work.

[@Eralen00]

what a fantastic series! Better than anything I've ever seen on a television that's for sure

[@Quake120]

I've been watching these Secret Life of Components videos and they are great, but I really wish Rex was around to participate, too! :( RIP Rex!

[@willallen7757]

I don't know how but I hadn't realized Rex had passed . Extremely sorry for your loss, my brother passed 3 months before Rex, and I'm just now used to the idea as we worked together for 25 years .

[@TheHughzt]

You summed up the appeal of your machines perfectly, "the mechanical with a sprinkling of digital". Thanks for yet another informative and entertaining video 👍

[@andrewnelson3681]

Simply glorious to watch. Tim you are a genius.

[@willallen7757]

Hey, new overalls.

[@chrisengland5523]

I love the Russian accent on the pirates storming the yacht at the end - very appropriate in the current climate. As for the rest of the video and the others I've watched, I rapidly went from "This is going to be a boring old fogey rambling on incoherently about obsolete contraptions" to "absolutely brilliant - a real engineer who knows his stuff".

[@toddatglencovewoodworks]

People like Tim make this world a better place. I absolutely loved the Secret Life of Machines. This internet series is a wonderful showcase of how things work. Thank you TIm!

[@strehlow]

There's a poetic suitability to using capstans to move the boats.

[@HoutmeyersP]

It has become an increasingly rare thing that people share their nowledge for free......thanks a million for doing this Tim ! Any fabricator can find a lot of info on your KZbin channel

[@karlnorgaard9447]

Kids should be watching this, especially boys.

[@imnotamechanic3491]

Loving this series, it's great for anyone who loves mechanical stuff. As someone who's grown up in the digital age, I have always found old tech where they achieved the same outcomes but using mechanics rather than just a microchip so fascinating - seeing the problems solved physically is fascinating (not that electronics isn't interesting too), and really allows you to see 'how it works' - fantastic for curious young minds!

[@battleangel5595]

Thank you for another fantastic look into how YOU see things work and open up our minds to how things work.

[@neilfurby555]

As ever a masterpiece of intelligent and captivating infotainment. Unmatched anywhere else.

[@JonathanBydendyk]

Really enjoyed this series, learnt a ton of new things that aren’t explained anywhere as well else where on the internet. Thank you.

[@davidwilkie9551]

Best actual hands-on technology since Archimedes.

[@ShellacScrubber]

Thanks again Tim for another excellent video. Your "Hands on" presentation style, is a joy to watch.

[@TheRecreationalMachinist]

Thanks Tim. I ca't think of a better way to spend 50 minutes on a Friday afternoon 👍

[@deankay4434]

Since the stone wheel was chiseled, I somehow feel a great satisfaction in taking natural movement and creating more complexity from it. The mechanical mind is a wonderful place to spend your time in, without the bother of A/C or DC voltages of 12 or 24. It takes me to a repair garage for vehicles and I was asked to replace brakes on a very old Toyota. I got into the badly rusted car and noticed the broom handle that pivots on the floor. Follow to the top to find cord passing though the vent windows. The cords tied both wiper arms together and pulled make the wipers clean rain from the windshield. Also, any speed you wanted, including intermittent. I had to admire someone who felt that wiper need not be electric, but felt. I could feel the comfortable location for the driver from the bicycle handle fitted loose at height, end cut off, nice round plastic rest and a cotter pin bend nicely around the post in smooth fashion. I saw a house electrical box on the upper left of the instruments. It had the normal light switch and marked off & on with “Blue” label marker tape. I had to turn on to witness further the mechanical genius who owned the $100 car. The head lamps came on. Brilliant, cut with a soldering iron, bolted into the dash and worked fine. No high beams, just lights. I completed the work, oiled the hinges, inspected the systems and added fluids. I don’t know if the owner was 17 or 71. Knowing it was easy, I placed a new ball socket on the wiper arm that links the wipers to the motor. The switch worked as I heard the motor before this free repair. I removed nothing but added a note on the broom handle at eye level. I wrote; “Push, Pull or Switch for free!” The broom, wipers and cord all….moved. Just the way it came except fixed. The car left, I never meet the folk(s). It just felt right to honor their broom and fill my heart. A week passed, the 60+ office lady came into the shop of four and came to me. She handed me a small box that had a note taped on top. It simply said WIPERS WORK. Inside the wrapping was a box of chocolate brownie’s from a store down the street. Over the label was tape holding a napkin for the super soft treats. It said “Thanks” JB. I ask the office gal who was it? She said some old man who told her to give these to the guy who worked on an old rusty green Toyota last week! She included, your the only import tech here! Right. I told her I knew the car. Never saw it again. DK. Omaha, ASE Master Tech since 78

[@krisgold9077]

Thank you for your time, kind Sir! I work for a large bureaucracy as an electrician/ mechanic mostly and this has been an excellent explanation of the inner workings of the head office.

[@AdamG1]

Thank you so much for sharing a lifetime of knowledge! Generations of tinkerers and artists will benefit from your experience.

[@wktodd]

Great stuff Tim.

[@BeKindToBirds]

You have put an extreme amount of work into these and it shows.

[@johnthemainguy9059]

Fascinating and educational. Thanks, Tim!

[@kareno8634]

You Are a Dream of all things imagined, Made & Working in Awake time that Doesn't fit in One's pocket. *GREAT Talent!* All these from Yard of Parts to Treasures, Levers, Linkages & Pulleys; *Proves* Well Thought; Reuse Instructs; Learning always, Even with *Bath Tub & Toilet;* I'd NEVER argue "Pointless" about that. haha *Thank You for ALL the JOY & Teaching you bring!* 40:40 ~ You're quite Right about the 'Mix'. Missed the chance of early 1900's, an Era of known Craft that'll Never be matched. Sadly a trade that'll may soon fade away, asRespect taught, more Greed brings, a shame some will miss the Reality.

[@asciimation]

I also grew up loving Secret Life of Machines (and The A Team - they make stuff too). I still watch it now from time to time. I am a software person by trade but through my hobbies got to do animatronics professionally for a short time. Film work and exhibitions. Figuring out the mechanisms and levers and linkages and electronics and software and so on to make things work isn't that hard. How you make them reliable and public proof is another thing altogether! I am really impressed with the machines you build and how you make them reliable and robust for public use. That clock on the pier for example, how do you handle the corrosion and keeping it all lubricated?

[@ProfSimonHolland]

Tim....this is the best film EVER on linkages.....Bravo

[@BuildswithBrian]

This gentleman is a mechanical genius, and also an awesome artist and teacher. Subscribed 😁

[@FireballXL55]

You remind me so much of my father, he was mainly mechanical, you could show him a mechanical machine an he would soon know exactly how it worked. He built a few things but mainly worked for others. He did design for the farm in the 50's and built a sled pulled behind a baler which stacked the bales 2 by 2 rotated and stacked on top. my uncle told him to patent it but he did not and about 5 years later someone else made the same thing. Of course now they just roll it up into huge rolls.

[@jamesmaxwell4447]

Crazy to think I used to love watching Secret Life of Machines for years on my local public access tv here in the states in late middle school to high school. And yet I would continue to do so today in youtube. Still as big an inspiration today as Tim was nearly 25 yrs ago for me.

[@remog38]

Thank you tim you are a life time hero of mine (i'm 62 ) & Rex

[@isstuff]

I clicked the like button, but I can’t find the love button! Linkages have been in my mind and I haven’t made enough things to get them into my hands. Thanks for the primer.

[@danielvickery3311]

I LOVED "secret life of machiens" it was the best thing ever back in the day (and still is) and I am still loving him and his work. Thank you sir, for doing what you do! I am so happy to see more!!!

[@matt7403]

This series is fantastic. Thank you from NYC!

[@samchapple6363]

Oh I know that name my friend, glad to find you still tinkering on KZbin. We still love secret life series.. what 30 years ago?

[@markusfuller]

Thank you Tim. watching your videos inspires me to get back into the workshop and make something.

[@sonyp180]

Love your work from early tv upto today. Great to see your still knocking out content.

[@dvfilmpk]

Kind of you to share your vast knowledge and impressive experience freely. I am grateful for the education, Sir!

[@yassine3539]

The real expérience. Think you soo much mr kim.. Im yassine from morocco 🇲🇦🇲🇦

[@tomharris1457]

Tim, keep it up! I love your videos, all the way back to the old days.

[@ebrahimfaiz8522]

thank you for the educational videos. for years i was after what you are demonstrating. because of videos like yours the beautiful galaxy of youtube sparkles. God bless you.

[@aaltan]

Please accept my sincere appreciation and respect... I love these things and I do follow quite a number of youtubers, you are the best! Wonderful videos... loooveeee them all..

[@arturmagnus6674]

i love the way you take the time to explain stuff with examples!! everything gets cristal clear

[@nicholaasgedye8531]

Again Tim Thank you so much.

[@michaelwhinnery164]

These arcades are on my bucket list. Just looks like fun.

[@anonymous.youtuber]

What a a great video full of useful tips and tricks ! I also had a good laugh at the builder and his wife…wonderfully humorous !

[@JasonRobards2]

Thank you for sharing your magic, mr Hunkin.

[@patkelly1621]

Always enjoy your programs from Ontario Canada

[@zappababe8577]

I love how it says "Art Apocalypse" on the door behind him

[@stevengreidinger8295]

Admit it, Tim....you are the antithesis of the KISS principle. You are complexity incarnate. But WE LOVE YOU FOR IT! :D

[@Mekchanoid]

Another really useful video. After reading Tim's cartoons in New Scientist as a teenager I got a little frisson of excitement out of seeing his characteristic handwriting on the boxes behind him.

[@martynbuzzing3327]

Always an interesting way to spend my KZbin time. So very interesting. Thanks.

[@MrJohnd1951]

simply joyful and extremely frankly instructive and intuitive. Thank you for your time sir.

[@smartgorilla]

Legend at work here. Please watch.

[@joppepeelen]

WOW 51 minutes :) kind of funny i had a playlist running of the rest of the content today (already watched it once normally) a bit like a podcast :) and now there is a new one !

[@johnfiott]

This is simply brilliant. You sir are an excellent tutor!

[@maximthemagnificent]

Mechanism source books make for great reading when you have a spare minute or two (easy to put down and pick up later, so I keep one on my phone). So many intricate devices, but my favorite is very simple and is a rapid reversing movement for a wire winding machine. There is a steel belt on two pulleys moving constantly at high speed and between is the carriage that guides the wire. It has two electromagnets on it, one for each side of the belt, so that direction change can be achieved by switching attraction to the side that's going the other way. Elegant.

[@lohikarhu734]

About the same kind of transitions in technology that I've been through...I guess that is why I enjoy pulling things apart, to see how they accomplished some amazing things, with the relatively simple mechanisms used, and, in the 60's, the hybrid electronics and mechanical things... like making a DAC with motors and pulleys and potentiometers, and using mechanical differential drives to drive positioners, with one motor and one mechanical input...then, in the 70's, programming microcontrollersat the "bare metal", inputting hexadecimal codes on a teletype, and doing quite complex tasks, very quickly, with 1200 bytes of code, and 256 bytes of RAM... Today, it seems to take megabytes to be able to do "Hello World"

[@rickblackwell6435]

The paper models are very effective for demonstrations. Great stuff.

[@bryancmcdonald3978]

Secret life of machines series , always would impress me. With , ideas💡; I , watched (Murphy's War) where , the Captain came down , the submarine's ladder , (Battle stations). It , reminded me - of you two , putting up , an - Ariel. Neat. 😎 Bryan.

[@BenOliver999]

These are brilliant Tim, thanks for making them.

[@johntoe6127]

You are the King of Makers!

[@MrTehudson]

i just came across your channel by accident i use physics everyday just having basic knowledge can make your life so much easier not to mention safer by being able to predict an action before it happens great channel gonna subscribe and like each one ill binge watch sometime when bored lol