Help me build a device to last the ages... and still work!

October 17, 2007 10:47 AM

Help me build a device to last the ages - and still function! For a hobby/art project, I'm building a pocket-sized gadget comprised of electronics, gears, metal, glass, wood, plastic, etc. Is there any particular book or other source that stands out as the bible on issues of long-lasting methods and materials? Ie covers questions like how transparent and strong various plastics remain after X years/decades of sun and UV? Which material/method of lubrication for gears will best last decades under X conditions? Which soldier alloy?

If it's relevant, I am prepared to use exotic materials and techniques where useful for longevity (for example gold plating, or hermetic sealing, inert gases, etc).

The problem is that each of the example questions I mention above are subjects on which tomes and tomes of research and detailed engineering analysis have been written. And I have hundreds of questions like these spanning many fields. I do not have the lifetimes to become an engineering specialist in a hundred fields, yet I would still like to have a decent shot and building things that are seriously reliable for seriously long time (compared to modern consumer standards). I want something that systematically just gets to the point for a wide range of materials and techniques.

Is there any particular book, or reference that stands out on the subject? A Pocket Ref of long-lasting methods and materials?
Or a few key books (2-4) that together cover nearly everything?
Or some other way to learn a lot about the tricks of building electronics and devices to last?

For most of the example questions I mentioned (best solder alloy, etc) I already have a pretty good idea of the answer - they're just examples of the kind of questions I have, so don't worry about trying to directly answer them here - I'm much more interested in finding a book or something on this stuff, especially to learn about my "unknown unknowns" - the longevity problems that haven't even occurred to me, familiar materials with long-term properties I had no idea about, etc.)

I actually have a range of things I'd like to build, and for all of them I basically want to learn how to go the extra mile (or six) to make them really long-lasting.

posted by -harlequin- to Technology (7 answers total)

I found this encyclopedia (The Sculpture Reference) really useful -- it won't go into much on electronics, but it's a really good overview of the various materials out there that people use in different ways. I read it with a multi-media assemblage piece in mind and it was pretty amazing -- I'd turn the page and realize, "Oh right -- cork!" From there, I narrowed down what materials I was most likely to use and then found other books to get in depth with them.
posted by xo at 11:18 AM on October 17, 2007

I think you're going to have to work backwards - tell us what you want to build, and we'll throw out suggestions of what and how. Otherwise the question is too wide-ranging, and the answer tends towards "solid state granite".
posted by Leon at 11:19 AM on October 17, 2007

So many of these kinds of questions are dependent on the device itself -- for example, in a high-speed bearing, a well-chosen thermoplastic may provide function where metals would fail.

Basically, your question comes down to "How can I be an engineer without an engineering degree?".

A best-case scenario for this kind of question is this thread at CNCzone.com, where the members of the site collaboratively develop an incredibly strong and durable material to cast CNC routers from, using information from myriad sources.

Also, keep in mind that highly reliable devices are typically either brute (hammers, clubs) or extremely precise (Swiss watches). You may not ever be able to achieve the necessary level of precision at home.

As far as the design of geared devices and motion systems goes, you'd be hard pressed to find anything as good as the stuff put online by Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument Company.
posted by fake at 11:29 AM on October 17, 2007

The Long Now foundation and specifically their Rosetta Disk project is a good read on this subject.
posted by Mitheral at 11:43 AM on October 17, 2007

I have found that an incredibly good, simple, and comprehensive source for an unimaginable wealth of this sort of information can be found in "The Machinery's Handbook". It is widely regarded as the bible for this sort of reference information. Any ME worth his or her salt has it on their desk.

For EE work, "The Art of Electronics" is another incredibly good reference. It is more of a "what is this and how do I use it?" book than the "Handbook" but very valuable for someone in your position.

Either can be found on Amazon, or wherever you like to buy books.
posted by milqman at 12:36 PM on October 17, 2007

Something I thought of that isn't directly related to what you're asking but may be relevant - do you intend for your creation to be maintainable/repairable by people other than yourself? When I've built computers for people in the past, I would usually provide a writeup that explained why I chose the components I used (ie low power consumption, potential availability of compatible substitutes in case of repairs, etc), and noted any potential problems I found in tests (ie installation of a drive in a certain bay may create a hotspot in the case), and possible solutions to them (installing another fan, drilling a blowhole, etc). Perhaps you could include your plans/drawings and notes for whoever will maintain the device after you've built it?
posted by Calloused_Foot at 1:04 PM on October 17, 2007

You can do worse as a model for long-lasting mechanisms than John Harrison, who won the Longitude Prize with his ultra-reliable chronometers in 1765. Specific to your question he designed around the need for lubrication at all.
posted by jet_silver at 8:16 PM on October 17, 2007