American here. This program (programme) shows what makes British TV (telly) better than US TV. These hold up even DECADES later! The combination of the history AND the (well explained AND demonstration) of the mechanics of complex machines in a HALF-HOUR is amazing!
@danielflanard82743 ай бұрын
As a fellow American, I trust you are acutely aware that educational programs are a niche in the US and across the pond in the UK. Much if not most of the content that makes it onto television channels is not worth remembering. A similar program I have found that I quite like is CuriosityShow from Australia. For the United States we have Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood, Bill Nye the Science Guy, & Carl Sagan I believe had a program though I have only seen clips online and do not know if it aired on television or was released as home media. There are numerous other wonderful educators and educational programs, these are only the ones I know of. Honorable mention: Grand Illusions on KZbin is a lovely channel.
@danielflanard82743 ай бұрын
As a fellow American, I trust you are acutely aware that educational programs are a niche in the US and across the pond in the UK. Much if not most of the content that makes it onto television channels is not worth remembering. A similar program I have found that I quite like is CuriosityShow out of Australia; they have a KZbin channel. For the United States we have Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood, Bill Nye the Science Guy, & Carl Sagan I believe had a program though I have only seen clips online and do not know if it aired on television or was released as home media. There are numerous other wonderful educators and educational programs, these are only the ones I know of. Honorable mention: Grand Illusions on KZbin is a lovely channel with a host also named Tim.
@thecooldude99992 ай бұрын
@@danielflanard8274Don’t forget How it’s Made, Nova, and to a certain extent Mythbusters, though the latter is mostly entertainment.
@thedave77607 күн бұрын
I hope you aren't comparing this time period of British TV to modern day American TV? If so then you need to watch some current British Television it is dire in the exact same way that you have over there. This program was a product of it's time it reminds me a lot of modern day KZbin.
@beefchicken3 жыл бұрын
Watching these 30 years later reminds me how much of my “general knowledge of stuff” was actually learned from this series.
@daveroche65223 жыл бұрын
Anyone else remember reading "Tell Me Why" and "World of Wonder"? EPIC!
@kaleygoode16813 жыл бұрын
Yeah, I sent off for series papers that are (I hope) still in my attic. Succinct and inspiring👍
@katmanluke71872 жыл бұрын
Agreed! Hoping Tim is alright nothing new on the channel in 6 mths now? 🤔
@simonstroud25553 ай бұрын
@@katmanluke7187Well it's September 2024 and Tim's channel has had some new content added in the last few months so hopefully he's still going strong. A truly inspirational guy.
@Awesomes007Ай бұрын
My family all thought my dad and I were so smart. Turns out we just watched Cosmos and this show. lol.
@BulletMagnet833 жыл бұрын
I was in single-digits of age when I first watched these. Which kick-started a bad habit of trying to dismantle everything in the house... my parents bought me Tandy project kits to deter me from doing so, and now I lecture in the field! Even though I probably only know about 1% of what can be known about electronics and will always be learning, I have this series to thank for starting it all.
@daveroche65223 жыл бұрын
Nice one Fern - trying to MacGyver a bunch of stuff (when I was @ 12-years old) usually led to some, em, repercussions. Still learnt so much though....
@GlutenEruption3 жыл бұрын
Same here, and I feel like it’s probably not an uncommon story. My parents took to calling my SOLM-induced disassembly fixation “1,2,3 break-it” 😂. Except instead of the Tandy kits, they just sent me down the road to grandma and grandpa who encouraged all of it - every day after school, they would have a pile of tools and something new that grandpa had pulled from the garage/attic/dump/dumpsters behind the mall/side of the road/etc sitting in the basement waiting for me to take apart. Memories…
@YCbCr3 жыл бұрын
All the same here. The title music, sweet memories! It stuck with me for a long time, for this was - is! - a memorable series that brought joy, knowledge and fascination that is blended so well! Spice it with some MacGyver and I was done. :) My father was-is an avid tinkerer and me all the curious; this and watching TV at the right times was the recipe for "disaster" :) So many things torn apart and of all of them a Piko FZ1 which has survived hell, stuck with me, literally powering a childhood and more. SOLM might have very well started me on the path to become an engineer who would rather disassemble the locomotives than drive them - living the dream driving though - and I'm thankful for that to this day!
@tommcewan79363 жыл бұрын
I know what you mean, these programmes were a very inspirational part my childhood. A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to speak to Mr Hunkin in person at his "Novelty Automation" arcade/museum in London - it felt almost like making a religious pilgrimage. A thoroughly decent and amiable chap, I do hope I didn't embarrass him by clearly exuding childhood hero-worship!
@unrepentantgeek3 жыл бұрын
Tim, you are one of the reasons why I'm an engineer today. I learned so much about how things work by watching your program. I watched every time they showed on TV here in the states.
@rocketsurgery10853 жыл бұрын
1st time seeing them. what years did they run? thanks
@unrepentantgeek3 жыл бұрын
@@rocketsurgery1085 would have been in the early nineties. Probably saw them on the local PBS station.
@rocketsurgery10853 жыл бұрын
@@unrepentantgeek ok thanks. seems earlier tho.. very cool.
@daveroche65223 жыл бұрын
I'm in Ireland and never discovered this until now. AWESOME!
@yisraels45553 жыл бұрын
I never saw this particular series in the US but similar books and a sense of curiosity made me an engineer. 30 years in semiconductors and I still feel like I learn something new and interesting every day.
@theirisheditor3 жыл бұрын
One thing that put us off buying a modern washing machine is the very long cycle lengths to meet their EU energy labelling requirements. We have a Whirlpool semi-pro that's probably about 15 years old and the main regular wash cycle is just 45 minutes, compared to the 3-4 hours of new machines. As it's larger than a typical under-counter model, it has no problem washing duvets, multiple pillows, etc. When the spider of the drum broke a few years ago (sounded like a jack hammer on the spin cycle), my Dad disassembled the machine, replaced the drum and bearings and the machine continues to work. Despite having digital button controls, it has a cam driver inside, making audible clicking sounds when it switches between wash, fill, drain, etc. and resumes after a power cut.
@Wasmachineman3 жыл бұрын
Semi-pro, as in the grey Baukpool/WhirlKnecht whichwasher2007 owns?
@theirisheditor3 жыл бұрын
@@Wasmachineman I tried checking, but the control panel looks different apart from the grey colour. If you do a Google Image search on Whirlpool Semi Pro 9kg, look for the grey machine with a red LED time read-out. Surprisingly, there's no model # on ours, just says Semi Pro 9kg and Made in Germany. For size comparison, on Whichwasher2007's video titled "wash Race No.246", that big machine on the left is the same size as ours, but appears to be a more modern version with a different control panel layout. If I select the same heavy duty cycle, 60C and everything else to Normal, the time remaining shows 1:00. Setting "Heavy soil" increases the time to 1:10 and "Heavy soil" + "Stain treat" increases the time to 2:10.
@Wasmachineman3 жыл бұрын
@@theirisheditor Your (and WW's) machine is a rebranded Whirlpool Duet from the USA market. Not surprising your spider failed, they're known for that.
@MrWolfSnack9 ай бұрын
Eco saving washers are garbage and always will be. You need water - a lot of it - and agitation to wash clothes properly. Using a teaspoon of soap and 3 pints of water will not clean a damn thing. It wastes more water and electricity. I donated my 2013 Maytag Epic Z that I had already completely rebuilt because every single part kept breaking one after the other by 2017. I got a matching Kenmore washer and dryer set from either 1968 or 1972, I don't know the exact date of manufacture, and they are in a avocado green color which I'm not totally a fan of (would have loved turquoise), but I needed them, so I got them anyway. I re-washed my entire closet of clothes and I am just over the moon at how soft and clean they are. All my clothes were just greasy feeling and stunk like mildew for years because why? eco saving piece of junk. ill not need another washer or dryer for my lifetime I am certain of that.
@JusticeAlways4 ай бұрын
@@MrWolfSnack Hey...I still use my Maytag washer I bought 25+ years ago. No eco whatever stuff....just a plain old washer. 😅
@KOTYAR13 жыл бұрын
I work in a laundry plant as an engineer for the last 6 years. And I learned quite a lot from this, it's amazing
@KOTYAR13 жыл бұрын
Thank you, KZbin algorithm this recommendation was perfect
@-NoneOfYourBusiness3 жыл бұрын
That young engineers in 2021 know absolutely nothing on how to make good washing machines like the one made back in the day makes perfect sense to me.
@KOTYAR13 жыл бұрын
@@-NoneOfYourBusiness well, not quite. I always was curious about history of the stuff, I actually looked into it while getting my degree. And I never seen those mechanical river paddies.
@f00f00mods3 жыл бұрын
Appliance repair man here. I can confirm that modern washers are indeed practically identical to the ones in the show. I still come across plenty of machines using cam timers that are still working well. As Tim says she the end, some of the motors have changed a bit. Basic washers still use brushed motors but higher end models are going brush less, including the direct drive LG one shown (in my opinion the best motor you can currently get on a washer). Looking forward to watching the rest of these remasters.
@Kubulek173 жыл бұрын
I don’t think we’ve had mechanical timer washing machines in Europe since the early 2000s
@f00f00mods3 жыл бұрын
@@Kubulek17 Yeah that sounds about right. I still see them still working from time to time. Definitely becoming less frequent though. Modern washings machine moduels are pretty reliable, but 20+ years would be optimistic
@matneu273 жыл бұрын
Nowadays most machines had variable speed (frequency) drivers with tree phase motors. Before, motors had different winding packages to realize different speeds for washing and fast spinning.
@KoRMaK13 жыл бұрын
the upscaling really popped for me on the drawings - i could see their paper outlines and shadows, crazy
@w6wdh3 жыл бұрын
Obviously a labor of love for Tim Hunkin! Bravo for restoring this video in HD and adding the commentary at the end. I look forward to the Secret Life of the Photocopier. I showed that video at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories when we were developing laser printers. Everyone loved it, especially the footage Tim dug up of Chester Carlson, and Tim and Rex making sulfur plates to replicate Carlson’s experiments.
@toydoctor883 жыл бұрын
Absolutely brilliant. I would watch “Secret life of Machines” on the Discover Channel with my father in the US. He has since passed on now. Fortunately I have the wonderful memories thanks to you and Rex!
@RCAvhstape3 жыл бұрын
Same here. Wish my dad was here to see these again.
@Warutteri3 жыл бұрын
Rex has also unfortunately passed a few years ago, Tim has a rather heartwarming article celebrating Rex's life on his website: www.timhunkin.com/a229_rex.htm
@jimmyguy4283 жыл бұрын
@@Warutteri Thanks for sharing this link. It is a good read. RIP, Rex!
@jeffescortlx3 жыл бұрын
These remastered episodes are fantastic! Even better than I remember watching as a kid!
@jek9911 Жыл бұрын
31:03 is totally true. I've told my children that I have little idea how my dad and grandma knew how (or at least had the courage to open a malfunctioning thing) and repair it without having KZbin, Google and readily available parts. I suppose all mechanical machines are variations on a small set of themes... which is/was probably the entire goal of the Secret Life TV show. I enjoy watching and listening to these episodes.
@tookitogo Жыл бұрын
I can’t really speak to appliances, but in electronics, back then you could get service manuals (and in the case of things like electronics test gear, it was often included), and those service manuals included the theory of operation, schematics, etc. Quite unlike most “service manuals” of today, which often are little more than troubleshooting guides that tell you which module to swap.
@andylindsaytunes3 жыл бұрын
"Carol, you sweet dumb thing, pull up your flaps; you're draggin'!" 5:26 Sweet 50s dis.
@drahcirelas75673 жыл бұрын
Sounds a bit suspect in 2021
@elevi28343 жыл бұрын
I think the way she swigs from the bottle is suspect
@jimmyguy4283 жыл бұрын
@@elevi2834 LMAO!!
@mr.headcrab313 жыл бұрын
I am always reminded of my father recovering a lost diamond from my sister's wedding ring thanks to this episode. The stone broke free and ended up in the washer, She wanted to take the washer to bits to get it back, bud Dad immediately thought of the buttons at 20:20 going through the impeller and put a stocking over the discharge hose, turned it to rinse and successfully recovered it. Thank you for all the work in remastering and adding bonus content, on top of the thanks for making them originally.
@MrWolfTickets Жыл бұрын
That's epic. Everyone must have been in awe with your dad's ingenuity!!
@Pghpete53 жыл бұрын
As an American this is the first time I've seen these and I absolutely love them! Thank you for posting them.
@PibrochPonder3 жыл бұрын
It’s in HD!!! AWSOME, honestly I never thought I would see that.
@Dmander8163 жыл бұрын
From now on when someone tells me they have a Rolls I'll think they are talking about their washing machine.
@RWBHere2 ай бұрын
My father bought my mother a Rolls in 1960 or 61. It was sold with a lifetime guarantee. Rolls really meant 'lifetime', and the machines were very well made. Too well made. They saturated their part of the market and went bankrupt in October 1964. Mum's machine was still working perfectly in early 1969, in a household with 5 children by then. It was given away to a neighbour when we emigrated to Australia for a few years. I visited that neighbour in the mid 1990's and she was still using the Rolls, which was by then about 35 years old. It had never given any trouble.
@tncorgi922 жыл бұрын
Just discovered the channel, it's great that all these episodes are available to watch. I used to watch them on TV.
@chrisbeck81823 жыл бұрын
SO awesome seeing Tim talk about these episodes! Loved watching these 30 years ago and still timeless today in that quirky British way.
@axeman3d3 жыл бұрын
Back when Ken Morse was doing the rostrum camera on everything. Love it.
@gs4253 жыл бұрын
EVERYTHING . I recall even Smith and Jones put that in a sketch!
@willwallacetree3 жыл бұрын
Yes, Yes and thrice Yes. 2021 as a year is looking up! Thank you Tim :-)
@6teeth318-w5k3 жыл бұрын
Absolutely love these old gadget serie.
@fred27murphy3 жыл бұрын
I remember watching this as a kid, but I'd forgotten Rex's go as a stuntman. Maybe he should have done up the strap on his helmet though!
@Hilde_von_Derp3 жыл бұрын
Thank you Tim!!! I have recommended this series to everyone I know. It looks so sharp and fantastic now. Thank you so much to Rex, bless his memory, and yourself for all your work on this show.
@davids84493 жыл бұрын
The secret Life of was indeed an excellent program, I still have my old Miele washing machine that is 45 years old yes it is working with the original door rubber etc. Unfortunately the modern Miele washers are not made very well
@dangaAgadanga3 жыл бұрын
I was 10 years old when I discovered your programmes on Channel 4 and you were the spokesperson for all things l relished, the tv, especially the washing machine, but most of all, the video cassette recorder. How you inspired me at that age (I imagined myself as Rex Garrod). Thanking you is not enough. Maybe you’re part of the reason why I pursued maintaining electronic equipment, leading with my passion for electronics into studying a degree in Computer Science. And now I’m a teacher! So I am a lifelong learner. I’m going to head over to watch the secret life of the VCR. I’m sure I still remember the words having played it over a hundred times after it was first broadcast. So pleased to have seen you exactly 30 years later 😊 I dare say you haven’t changed a bit. P.S. I just informed my wife that you inspired me 30 years ago and her only reply was NOT to “make the house look like that” (as I was playing your Extra’s update). How DARE she say that! 😊 I will sleep on the sofa tonight just so she understands how insulting that was and I hope she realises how important this means to me 😊
@herbcraven71463 жыл бұрын
It's so good to see these shows again, having seen them first on The Discovery Channel here in the colonies. TSLOM was easily one of the most memorable bits of television I've ever seen. Thank you, Tim, for bringing them back and sharing your memories. Miss you, Rex, RIP.
@WeHadOneOfThose3 жыл бұрын
Fantastic to see these remastered and love your addition commentary Tim, I still have the original recorded VHS tapes and for us collectors and restorers your programmes are still much watched and discussed today when we all meet up. The entry into the club is to name all of the washers in the pyramid by brand and model number , and it's a pretty big club now ha ha !!
@Cavalier_Steve3 жыл бұрын
It’s funny you say that the modern washing machine is easier to repair now it’s one of the reasons why I’m holding on to my 12 year old machine. It’s on up to 3 times a day, I have replaced the bearings twice and sorted out a couple of leaks and replaced the PCB about 5 years ago it’s getting noisy now though but I will carry on repairing it until something major goes wrong! I think a lot of this is thanks to you and you secret life of machines program when I watched at as a child. All the best. Steve.
@chrissedgwick9655 Жыл бұрын
Tim and Rex were the pioneers of the modern “how it’s made” type of program. To be honest ,these are still the best by far!
@welshpete123 жыл бұрын
I remember when this series first went out on British TV all those years ago .Why can't we have good documentaries like this on TV today ?
@thelastNokiauser3 жыл бұрын
Absolutely wonderful to see this remastered and reuploaded! Going to enjoy them all over again.
@robm88093 жыл бұрын
I love these shows Tim, you should be proud, they're excellent. I hope that this "remastered" episode is the first of many... I would absolutely love to purchase the whole series in any format, including digital download.
@PibrochPonder3 жыл бұрын
I 100% agree. All three series on iTunes
@BeingRomans829ed2 жыл бұрын
My son and I loved watching SLOM when he was little. I recorded them all on VHS. A co-worker borrowed the tape and never returned it. I felt as if I'd lost a real treasure. Thank you very much for putting these on KZbin.
@dudleybarker22732 жыл бұрын
just only recently discovered Tim - what a treasure - so much catching up to do!
@flutechannel3 жыл бұрын
This is so incredible Tim! Your a valuable resource and your curiosity is timeless. Thanks for sharing this amazing program. I would love to hear your thoughts about musical instruments if you have the time!
@guybunce3 жыл бұрын
Ditto! Particularly automated music machines
@MaxHarden2 жыл бұрын
And tear apart an AI robot vacuum cleaner when you get a day off!
@mervace3 жыл бұрын
Loved this whole series back in the nineties here in Australia,thanks for renewing. I have seen a few recently on utube from very poor video tape uploads. VCR one was my favourite
@jackdoigcollinw86343 жыл бұрын
I watched them with old boy here on sbs Australia when I was kid brings back lots of old memories
@trefwoordpunk22253 жыл бұрын
Wow, this is amazing to see this again, I remember my dad taping most of these when they were on telly back in the day, the great style of presenting and amusing cartoons made all of this very fascinating to my younger self and definitely inspired us to look at appliances in a different way and is probably responsible for my lifelong obsession of being a bit of a tinkerer/hacker. I remember us opening up our old betamax thinking we could fix it after watching secret life of the videorecorder. And for some reason the secret life of the fax (with using the flags) just popped into my mind...can't wait to see all these again! BRILLIANT!!
@Badger_Watch423 ай бұрын
I remember this series .... Fantastic to see it restored on KZbin. Brilliant stuff. Thanks Tim!
@Keeping_IT_Simple3 жыл бұрын
Yet another great remaster from one of the most fondly remembered series of my teenage years ....very informative & entertaining without all the shouting & "wow aren't I wonderful " you get from alot of today's presenters . The post show comments are my favourite bits - a sort or the secret Life of a secret Life !
@franktuckwell196 Жыл бұрын
Brilliant the first time around and just as good now 30 years later. With the proliferation of modern gadgets this series could do with a renewal, please. Love the little insights at the ends.
@owenmerrick23773 жыл бұрын
Yay! I've still got a VCR with the series on VHS, taped from TV including the commercials of which scenes were trimmed to make way for. Good show all around!
@WeHadOneOfThose3 жыл бұрын
Likewise Owen and the Ferguson videostar to play on, I remember I was working late nights and had about 3 people simultaneously recording the programmes in case the timer didn't work lol.....
@seana8063 жыл бұрын
That clip at 3:24 and 4:56 is familiar since it’s from the film “Mother Takes A Holiday” by Whirlpool Corporation and it shows the process of them designing their top loading automatics. The Whirlpool design uses a transmission with gears inside, has solenoids to engage and disengage the wash and spin and that design was around from 1947 to 1986.
@TsiolkovskySportingLocks3 жыл бұрын
It was seeing your cartoon that actually prompted me to take my mum's brand new washing machine apart when i was 7 years old. Boy was I in trouble but your work has been a life long inspiration to me., Thank you for putting these on line for us all to watch!
@brainisfullofnonsense81833 жыл бұрын
In the interview afterwards he said that he thinks the motor is some kind of sophisticated brushless motor or something, and he is spot on, at least for the ones he could see. They are in Europe, but not in the United States of America. The induction motor has been used and continues to be used since before 1970. I think this is because of it being cheaper to produce as well as mains voltages being around 120 volts instead of double that for much of Europe. That's just a guess at the reasoning.... Great history lesson. Here's a thing that most people dont know about those pressure switches: Many times there is a screw that adjusts the amount of spring force applied to the diaphragm, which means that you can ADJUST THE SWITCH IF YOU ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH WATER IN THE TUB TO EFFECTIVELY WASH THE LOADS. My mother and father bought a new machine precisely because of the old one not filling completely. I volunteered to dispose of it for them, right into my laundry nook.
@tedfarwell98123 жыл бұрын
This is a dream come true! I have loved TSLOM since the original airings!
@williamwebb20423 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this video. Around the time this video originally aired, I bought my first washer and dryer. Stories of unreliable machines abounded. I told the salesman that I was working 60 hours a week for an defense contractor and I really did not want to have to tinker with these machines. He sold me a commercial washer and commercial dryer. They are very basic machines usually sold to nursing homes and similar institutions. They are mechanical, no transistors or ICs. You may notice that I used present tense in the last sentence. I still have them. To date, I have changed the belt and the idler bearing in the dryer. The washer has all original parts. All hail mechanics over electronics for this sort of application.
@narrowboatmlc Жыл бұрын
I absolutely adored these series as a young teenager when they were first broadcast. Thank you Mr Hunkin for making these available (at in great quality). I am trying not to 'binge-watch' so as to eek out the pleasure!
@HooverLux3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for these remastered episodes, they make such a difference. Watching these as a kid is what inspired me to learn how things work and now on my KZbin channel, how to fix and restore.
@guybunce3 жыл бұрын
I loved watching this series when it was first on when I was a child. Tim and Rex, you are both legends!
@gilesviney76313 жыл бұрын
Love these. Thank you so much for posting them. For all we tinkerers.. appreciate the amount of work preparing these at the time. We're probably about due a resurgence of mechanical engineering explained...
@markatherton7848 Жыл бұрын
Thank you doing all this Tim. Its been huge fun watching them one more time.
@normalblaster3 жыл бұрын
Such a joy to see these again. It's great to see Rex in action as well. We can't wait to get back to either Princeton Street or Southwold pier.
@proluxelectronics74193 жыл бұрын
Watched the original series, it was just one of the influences that put me on the career path I followed through life, Nice to see Tim back, producing great content.. Big Thumbs Up.
@jms0193 жыл бұрын
I had to pack round the bolts holding the concrete and also change the bearings of the machine in my first (shared) house. Mum had a wonderful machine in the 70s that took square plastic programming slabs with a program on each edge. I think the slabs were double sided so 8 on each of the two slabs. Still running a late 90s mechanical timer machine though it does have soft-starting modern motor drive
@WeHadOneOfThose3 жыл бұрын
Sounds like you mum had the famous and expensive in the day Hoover Keymatic , 4 programmes printed on one keyplate side then flip over another 4 making 8 , later machines had 2 keyplates so 16 progs in total , great machines ...👍👍
@WeHadOneOfThose3 жыл бұрын
kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5OTo5Swa66LgtU
@The_Youtube_Winner3 жыл бұрын
shoutout to the badass who flipped a car with him in it to do a demonstration about how pressure works lol
@michaelfisher96713 жыл бұрын
Why do I get the feeling that Rex was just dying to roll a car, and found a flimsy excuse to relate it to the topic of washing machines?
@windogmassey1 Жыл бұрын
Tim, I can't tell you how much I love this series. If I could buy you a (nay, several) beers I would. Please do keep these uploaded as long as possible!
@jaspal6666 ай бұрын
Pretty sure Rex has turned over more autos since. Love ya Rex!!!🎉🎉🎉
@clarissevanrossum43 жыл бұрын
Those chaps are precious. And the importance of these documentaries can not be understated. They are like a 1980's time capsule, and I am tremendously grateful that they have been uploaded and preserved here on youtube. So much knowledge of how everyday things work around us has been lost, and most people don't really care to learn about them. Even I, someone who is technologically savvy has learned a great deal from these videos. As far as the historical aspect goes, the documentaries are such a product of their time that they are incredibly precious to me. Thank you for sharing.
@elektroboots16703 жыл бұрын
brilliant! loved these as a kid i even had the paper booklet that you could get from c4, i eneded up going in to electronics after watching these, often thought there should have been another series though
@DIY-valvular3 жыл бұрын
In mid 1990's the early Discovery Channel appeared and The Secret Life of Machines was part of its first contents. I used to program the vcr to record the show and watch it after come back from university, in overnight. I loved the detailed explanation of the working principles of the things combined with the bizarre esthetics and the british sense of humor. Great material to re visit and enjoy. Thanks Tim Best wishes from Buenos Aires Argentina.
@bombasticbuster93403 жыл бұрын
I am so glad you did this series on film. I watched in America while going to college. ts looks great in the 21st C! Thanks Tim.
@16mmDJ3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for the remaster Tim. I can't wait to re-watch all of them repeatedly in high quality!!!
@hpt08 Жыл бұрын
Tim, MANY Thanks for getting these videos back online. I loved them when they first came out - tried not to miss an episode. Nowadays, my 4 year old is fascinated by washing machines, so I'll have to save these for when he's old enough to absorb the information like a true apprentice engineer should : - )
@cef-ym3gb3 ай бұрын
These are all wonderful videos. Love sharing them with my children and grandchildren. 🌞 Thank you very much for these gems.
@superspak3 ай бұрын
"Some aspects of the modern world are going in the right direction" - amazing quote and insight. Thank you for this amazing video series!
@donaldasayers Жыл бұрын
My Mum's Bosch Washing machine had a plastic tape display like that, but it was the programmer, below the icons it had rows of perforations that controlled the machine.
@Cassanti2 ай бұрын
Second episode in, this is incredible. Tim’s contraptions are marvels of everyday ingenuity and Rex’s stones of steel flipping a 70’s era death trap makes me wish for more!
@pigpenpete3 жыл бұрын
This was (is) a brilliant series, I learned so much watching it growing up
@elmonova9 ай бұрын
One of my favorite shows about how things work! Great to see it again all these years later. Thank you!
@skivvy35652 жыл бұрын
Here I am back again, rewatching the entire series
@bootsowen3 жыл бұрын
Wonderful Tim, great video, not the first time that I have watched it but the commentary at the end was interesting and entertaining too. I agree with your point about the newer machines being more repairable. It tends to be that any of the shared components like pumps and motor brushes are really cheap and easy to repair. But the unique things like printed circuit boards are more expensive, unless you attempt to diagnose the issue yourself. Some machines though have a sealed tub, so if the bearings go there is no way to extract them without cutting the plastic tub in half. I have been posting videos for about 5 years now of the self destruction of un-repairable automatics. I managed to get one to jump on a trampoline of it's own accord. I have also flooded the internet with selected how-to-repair washing machine videos, but for some reason they aren't as popular. The motor you showed at the end, the direct drive one, has an array of magnets surrounding the coils you showed. A relatively complicated controller, I think similar to a 3 (or more) phase inverter. I suspect that the machines in your film had induction motors, whereas the more recent ones tend to have brushed commutator motors, but many now have a "slient" 3-phase induction motor, which can be run from a single phase inverter and is useful for making workshop tools. I have posted some videos on these motors and how to control them. Kind regards!
@Aengus423 жыл бұрын
I've seen that direct drive motor turned into a wind or water generator with supposedly simple rewiring. Looked like a splendid post apocalyptic project!
@8807smoore3 жыл бұрын
The washing machine pyramid appeared in the film Drowning by Numbers, Tim also got a credit.
@AutumnalSunflower Жыл бұрын
some aspects of the modern world are good, like the fact that a texan born in '99 can watch this british show from '84 :) been loving this series and loving your commentaries at the end!!
@klfjoat3 жыл бұрын
I ADORE these remasters (FINALLY!!!!) and upscaling, and especially the commentary!!! Please do the rest of the series!!!
@klfjoat3 жыл бұрын
@Lassi Kinnunen 81 The third word of the video description is "upscaled". The description of the video also says the source was a PAL tape. It describes the upscaling method. The things it's describing (16mm -> PAL -> AI upscaling) are an upscaling workflow. Read the video description before making ignorant comment replies, please.
@2.7petabytes11 ай бұрын
I love these Tim! I have watched all episodes multiple times! They never get old. Thank you for what you do
@markrichardson74753 жыл бұрын
So many awesome memories of watching these as a kid, I loved those shows
@Sohave3 жыл бұрын
I run a small real estate company and find this film really entertaining and enlightening, Right now I have a fleet of 4 Miele washingmashines build in the last 20 years all with computers, they last long and are really reliable, but for when they do fail I got an old 1990's Zanussi machine with a manual timer, possibly one of the last series ever build that way, I call it the Stuka. it goes up on my trailer and gets taken to what ever location there is a breakdown to work as a replacement machine.
@CTCTraining13 жыл бұрын
Wonderful stuff Tim, huge thanks for making your films available for generations to come. I remember my parents moving from using a tub & electric mangle and going over to a twin tub. The twin tub was the zenith of washing efficiency in terms of being able to wash one lot of clothes while another lot was being spun dry, and the water was pushed back into the main washing tub to be reheated.
@JohnDlugosz Жыл бұрын
The washer I bought in 2003 was still electro-mechanical, with no electronics. The one I just bought is digital. So, the cams and switches hung on well into the microcomputer age.
@Watchmaker_Gereon-Schloesser6 ай бұрын
yes I bought a micro washing machine for 3Kg. A Eudora. Here in Switzerland they are labled KENWOOD (yes that brand from UK). The Switch is LUCKYLY a cam-motor-switch! Damm was I happy as a watchmaker to discover that my machine had one instead these silly semiconductors. Bought it in 2017.
@Bernybellows7 ай бұрын
I had one for christmas back in the early 70s and absolutely loved it! You could even get a little drive shaft with four pulleys on to drive little tools like grinders and polishers and stuff! I still have it but its in need of restoration.
@TurboTimsWorld3 жыл бұрын
Hi to all the Cathode Ray Dudes who have just searched this video.Tim, I watched your TV series as a lad and have gone through all your videos on KZbin. Thanks Tim (ps you got a mention at the end of a CRD 60k subscriber video)
@AngryMrFixit Жыл бұрын
this short documentary about washing machines had the budget for a car stunt
@RavenwolfFoxtrack Жыл бұрын
I grew up watching these episodes. It also got me into jazz with their use of take five for the end credits theme song.
@CNCAddict3 жыл бұрын
Tim, would love to see more of these produced!! The combination of art, history, and tech is something that is extremely rare and makes your productions especially endearing!
@patrickirby98253 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for your series Tim. I began watching them on the Discovery Channel back in the 90s and early 2000s. So happy to find your Channel on KZbin now.
@JeffreyJakucyk3 жыл бұрын
I've always wondered about the "collapsible rubber drum" machine at 18:37. What was that? It's drawn like a typical American top loader, but those still have the typical metal drums and certainly don't collapse or anything.
@jean-paul72513 жыл бұрын
Tim....your still my hero...from the age of 12.....to now....age 45! We used to love discussing each episode at school.....now I still discuss with my dad and uncle...all engineers now
@threesixty81543 жыл бұрын
Another great remaster and commentary Tim! Thanks again!
@wooten863 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for this. I learned so much from this as a kid. I can't hear "Take Five" without thinking of your show to this day.
@-desertpackrat22 күн бұрын
9:00 the top loading ones do sadly... My washing machine is only 4 years old and rocks like crazy if I don't balance it perfectly. Btw it's so crazy how hard it is washing stuff without a machine and dryer. All my life until a few years ago, we had no dryer and hang dried everything, damaging and fading our clothes, and hanging up heavy wet denim jeans and soggy blankets is a pain. Then our washer broke, first it stopped sending level, so it wouldn't stop filling and overflowed, unless we sat there tending it and stopped the foll and manually dialed it to agitate, then reverse it every 2 minutes for a full 10 minute agitation before it fills again, etc. then the bolt broke too so the drum stopped spinning. I could wash clothes in the washer, but it couldn't spin to drain, so the laundry was soaking wet, I had to wring out my dad's jeans by hand, he's 6'6", I almost broke my wrist wringing clothes out, it's awful. Then we got a washer and dryer in like 2021 and it's like a whole new world where laundry is just putting clothes in a box and pushing a button, doing that one more time, and then putting my stuff back all clean. It's incredible if you've ever actually been there having to wash and dry clothes without working machines.
@AbisDen3 жыл бұрын
🥸 I absolutely love this series. Thank you so much for uploading these. Glad to see you’re doing well.
@josyfkristopher43203 жыл бұрын
When I first started in appliance retail, this series was invaluable in giving me understanding of the basics of the machines. There are still appliances, such as the Asko and Miele washing machines, that still hold to the idea of putting build quality first (separate chassis and cast-iron counterweights, for example) - most devices feel kind of flimsy by comparison. Some brands have a gimmick warranty where they will give you a replacement motor for free if it breaks in the first 10 years but don't mention the fact that the labour costs still have to be paid for by the customer and these can be pretty horrendous with the direct drive machines. You have to almost dismantle the whole machine to change the part.
@TheArsenalXI113 жыл бұрын
I just learned about this program and I can’t get enough of it!
@Liofa733 жыл бұрын
Thanks for putting these videos up.
@tedgaunt30443 жыл бұрын
I'm really loving the republished series! Thank you!
@floeki-jekker3 жыл бұрын
geweldig hem eens te zien hoe het nu met hem gaat,.... ik was er altijd al nieuwschierig naar.
@tigger1662003 Жыл бұрын
I remember watching this series and being fascinated by it as a little boy. I loved the animations and format of it. I did have the 'factsheet' that accompanied the show. I distinctly remember my mum getting rid of her old washing machine and me wanting to take it apart like on the show - however she gave it away. Excellent series. Of course later on we were cheering on Rex Garrod and Cassius on the BBC 2 series Robot Wars! - I thought I remember him he's off 'The Secret Life'. I don't live too far away from Tim over the border in Norfolk.
@Corkoth55Ай бұрын
These are awesome! Way to make a half hour fly by. Side note: I usually hate short-form content, but I would have never found this series unless I saw the KZbin Short of the clip of Tim usjng the manual vacuums.
@crusherbmx3 жыл бұрын
I love the crude, home made style of these videos mixed with the professional delivery.