Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with machines

Which simple machine is a winch?

slappy_pinchbottom — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:19:15 -0800

SimpleMachinesFilter: which is a winch? Given the categorization of simple machines into these 6 types:

• lever
• inclined plane
• wedge

• screw
• pulley
• wheel and axis

would you classify a winch as a pulley or a wheel and axis type of simple machine? Or is it a combination of simple machines?

Also, would it be correct to say that the difference between the first three types of simple machines and the second three is that the second three multiply torque?

(If there's something screwy [so to speak] about the classification system in the first place, please sound off about that as well.)

Thanks in advance!

What did an inline gaming machine (available in Queensland pre-pokies) look like and how did they operate?

h00py — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:38:46 -0800

Does anyone know anything about the inline gaming machines that used to be available in RSL clubs and various other places in Queensland, back in the olden days (pre-1992) before pokies (aka slot and fruit machines) were introduced? Before pokies were legally available in Queensland, Australia (1992 was when they were legalised) my father used to go to the local football club and the RSL club to play on these things known as inline gaming machines. I've never seen one and my googling skills remain craparsed as I haven't been able to track down much information regarding them. I wonder if anyone else could find me a picture and some details as to how they actually worked? Thanks for your help!

What can I do about touch screen voting?

niles — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:47:05 -0800

What can I do to help in regards to touch screen voting machines in my community? So I went to vote today, and was rather surprised when I was asked if I wanted to use the touch screen or paper. I politely declined the touch screen and went with paper. Due to the problems with electronic voting, I'd like to help the community stay with paper, or improve the problems with the touch screens. My questions:
1) Is there any sort of unified effort towards this goal that could give me good resources as far as real facts? I don't want to base anything on hype.
2) Are all touch screens fraught with the problems that the ~~Diebold~~ Premier Election Solutions machines have? I couldn't get a good look at the machine, so I have no idea what brand it is.
3) I'm planning on writing a letter or two once I have all of my information together. Is there anything else I should be doing?

Espresso Training?

Texasjake987 — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:29:55 -0800

What are the best barista training programs/schools around? I'm looking to get some real, professional training with coffee, espresso, and all other coffeeshop elements. I've heard good things about some of the schools in portland, but its a little far. I live in Boston, but am willing to travel if need be. Lets just say cost is no factor. Does anyone have experience with these programs? Or know anyone who does? Any and all responses welcome.

Virtual machine / disk image deployment?

bartleby — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:00:39 -0800

Moving towards virtual machines for IT support at a business, and I have some questions. I'm seeing some needs to move towards this field, but don't know where to start learning about it. I'd like to have a "quiver" of images/virtual machines that are at least the basic starting points, and have a way of working on them virtually, then deploying them onto heterogenous hardware (no way to get identical workstation hardware for all, so something like Ghost would never work).

I want to be able to image/virtualize the servers as a fail-safe measure (if a server physically dies, we can limp along with a virtual version piggybacked on some other server until that image can be deployed to a replacement). I'd like to do the same for workstations, having the ability to recofigure or deploy new software to a standard disk image/VM, then deploy that image to multiple workstations instead of doing it one-by one. It would help as a "clean install" every once in a while too.

1) assuming I have sufficient processor/RAM/other hardware, can I run 2 servers simultaneously (let's say a Server2003 server and an Exchange server) as virtual machines on the same piece of hardware, without any noticeable change in performance or extra maintenance/overhead?

2) can I (easily) take a disk image, turn it into a virtual machine, install programs, etc to it, then turn it back into a disk image that I can re-deploy?

I'd like to build a company "stock" image of the standard software, etc., then use Acronis True image to image it, keep that image as a virtual machine to maintain/update, then use Acronis SnapDeploy to load that stock image onto new/repaired PCs.
That must be doable, no?

3) Whats my best combo of software that plays nice? I'll want to virtualize Server2003 and XP Pro machines. I want to use Acronis to do my imaging, because their SnapDeploy product says it's capable of deploying a homogenous image to heterogeous hardware (so I don't have to have a separate image/VM for every different model PC in the organization). VMware seems like it's going to work best for working with the images themselves, and it doesn't seem to care if it's running on Linux or Windows,so I can save some dough by building a linux box just for managing this process.

Oh, and this is important - I'm interested in deploying disk images onto workstation HD's.
I'M NOT INTERESTED in having end users work using virtual machines. That would solve a lot of my problems, but it's just not going to happen in this organization.

Please tell me if I'm thinking about this all wrong, or if there's some other/simpler way to do this.

simple machines for complex problems

zem — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 12:15:28 -0800

Help me help a friend lift heavy things using pulleys and a ramp. A friend owns an old garage/shop that features a 30 degree ramp the goes from one level to another. He would like to lift heavy things up said ramp using pulleys. While we're both familiar with the idea of pulleys, the actual practical application eludes us. For example, does pulley diameter matter? Will the rope used need to be able to hold the total weight of the object or some fraction of the weight depending on the number of pulleys? Is there a website or other resource that a physics novice could use to work out different pulley/weight scenarios?

While I've found lots of elementary school experiment-type information, I'm really looking for something more practical.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Idiot-proof hand-held Sewing machine=fact or rubbish?

lois1950 — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 01:11:53 -0800

Good gift/Bad gift? So I thought that this year I'd get this same item for my son, my daughter, my adult niece and a couple of neighbourhood strays too. I know for a fact that that they'll be tickled that it's not another flashlight or safety kit... The item? A handheld battery operated sewing machine. (I can't seem to link it to the product) These recipients are not handy people but I think that we can, all of us, use this from time to time to fix stuff around the house? 1: in theory, do you think it's a good idea? 2:do these things actually work? It almost has to work on it's own. Idiot-proof. Very simple for us to use - did I mention that we are not handy people? (though not a weighty topic, I searched unsuccessfully to see if these machines had ever been discussed here) Thanks!

Movies with Rube Goldberg Machines in them.

allthewhile — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 21:46:04 -0800

What feature length films have Rube Goldberg machines in them? Can you think of movies that have scenes with machines/devices that are either rube goldberg machines or rube goldberg-esque?

Makes Nolan Ryan look like Mickey Mouse

mds35 — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 14:54:10 -0800

There used to be a website by these artists/activist types who built crazy machines. Help me find it. One of their inventions was a pitching machine that threw 2x4s at very dangerous speeds. The machine was run by two Chevy engines. They also had a really neet shockwave cannon.

drum machines

Peter H — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 09:46:24 -0800

SOUND QUESTION - What are best drum machines, analog preferred, for about one hundred or two hundred dollars new/used? Alesis? earlier versions of the Groovebox? What about great old vintage ones? I know nothing about this topic and would love some guidance. Glitchy sound or authentic drum sounding, preferably with no midi, just straight knobs and buttons with RCA out - thank you for your nerding!

Desire to exercise + bad joints = ?

namespan — Sat, 07 Jan 2006 14:07:44 -0800

Desire to exercise + bad joints = ? . Should I try to find some kind of trainer or sports therapist? Should I look into some kind of machine (I'm considering rowing or eliptical), and if so what do I look for in quality machines? Should I just go to a gym for a few months, try some things on my own and see what feels good? I used to jog, but I've been out of the habit for 3-4 years, and now my feet and ankles are troubled and going is just impossible. Hell, some days walking is painful. I need some kind of exercise, though, because I increasingly feel like crap and I'm getting fat and this does not bode well if I'm only in my early 30s.

For some reason I haven't figured out yet, the rowing machine seems most appealing to me, and so I'm sortof fishing for feedback on that, but I'm really open to any general advice.

sewing machines

Tryptophan-5ht — Wed, 11 May 2005 18:27:20 -0800

im looking for a sewing machine. id like it more powerful/reliable than fancy and feature filled. convenience/ease of use is a plus. Punching through leather would also be nice but isn't necessary. Can anyone recommend such a device?

How to archive/save answering machine messages?

tidecat — Sat, 02 Apr 2005 16:42:24 -0800

I need to archive, with good sound quality, a barrage of abusive/threatening messages left on my mother-in-law's answering machine by my brother-in-law's ex-wife. We don't want to get the police involved yet. The machine is a ten year old (approx) RadioShack with no bells, whistles or manual.

Espresso makers

Neiltupper — Fri, 04 Mar 2005 21:06:22 -0800

After years of unsatisfactory espressi at home via a Moka, I'm in the market for a good espresso machine. Not a milk frother - I can make my own decent caps if I have a good base. I'd welcome any unreserved recommendations from Mefi.

Replacement for a Sharp UX-P200 FAX machine (esp. with cheap film)?

mygothlaundry — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 11:48:06 -0800

Faxfilter: Our small office (10 people) has just unanimously agreed to take our Sharp UX-P200 fax machine out into the street, stomp on it and set it on fire. Does anyone have any recommendations for a replacement? It's pretty heavily used, probably 10 - 20 ingoing/outgoing faxes per day. One of the (many) issues with the Sharp was that while the machine was cheap, the carbon film cost was ridiculous. We're a small non-profit - so cost is very important. Thanks!

I'm looking for examples of weak AI, aside from Google Sets and Twenty Questions.

Jeff Howard — Sat, 20 Mar 2004 14:26:02 -0800

Looking for examples of weak AI, that is, machines acting as if they were intelligent, but simply on the basis of a complex set of rules. Things like Google Sets or Twenty Questions come to mind, and to a lesser extent Google itself. Anything else I should look into? Both Google Sets and Twenty Questions impress me as examples of abstract reasoning that's easy for humans, but hard for computers. The creepy banana-recognizing monkey from Wales doesn't seem quite so impressive, but I guess it qualifies.