Here’s another welding tutorial video from Miller Welders. This time it’s some good basic advice on MIG welding. Again, there is no substitute for actually practicing this yourself but this should prepare you for what to expect. It’s really just a matter of getting your settings right so you’re getting good penetration without burning holes (match the wire size and metal thickness to the chart on the inside of the machine). After that all it takes is good rhythm and coordination as you move the tip of the gun down the weld. That’s it. You have no excuse to not go build something gangster out of metal.
Some of the latest technology in suspension damping has to do with magnetorheoligical shocks. Your traditional shock is filled with oil that is forced through valves in order to provide resistance to velocity otherwise known as damping. The amount of damping force you get is dependent on the viscosity of the oil, the size of the valve and how fast you are moving it through the oil. The oil viscosity and damping are pretty much permanent once the shock has been assembled.
Magnetorheological fluid is an oil that has magnetic microparticles suspended in it. What makes this interesting is that the fluid’s effective viscosity can be changed by exposure to an electromagnet. This electromagnet in turn can be controlled by a computer capable of dialing in the perfect amount of damping for the road surface the car is about to encounter. GM has featured magnetorheological shocks on the Cadillac CTS-V, the Corvette ZR-1 and the Camaro ZL1 and it’s starting to find its way on to more Cadillac models. A very similar technology is also used on the Ferrari 458 Italia and some of Acura’s models.
The folks at MIT have recently patented a new use for magnetorheological technology. Their plan is to use it to clean up oil spills. The basic concept is that magnetic particles are given a surface treatment that allows it to repel water and embed in the oil just like the magnetorheological suspension fluid. Removing the oil then simply becomes a matter of putting a magnet to it. The particles can even be removed from the oil and reused once it’s been collected. Like I mentioned in the rapid prototyped eagle beak story, there is a balance in all things even engineering. Our high demand for automobile usage is what puts the oceans at risk for oil spills. At least something we’ve developed to make your car handle better can also help safely remove oil from our oceans.
Here’s an extra “Science is Cool!” video. It’s two spiral electromagnets in magnetorheological fluid with music speaker currents flowing through them.
Motor Trend’s Johnny Lieberman brings us the latest in German executive express cars for this episode of Head 2 Head. BMW has been setting the benchmark standard for this class for a long time just like it’s done with the M3 and sport luxury sedans. The M5 has always been the perfect combination of size, comfort, outright speed and agile handling. This year’s model features the first turbocharged engine for the M5 line downsizing from the previous model’s V10 to a 5.5 liter twin turbo V8. The airflow through the heads has been reversed so that the two turbos sit in the valley of the V to improve efficiency. The turbocharged engine provides more power and a lot more torque while using less fuel than the V10. Porsche’s Panamera has been out for a while now and the GTS is their latest trim combination for it. As with many of their other GTS cars, the Panamera features a naturally aspirated engine with a lot of the goodies from the turbo model. Johnny does a good job explaining the nature of the two cars and picking a winner.
I always recommend that people travel and enjoy it. People in different parts of the world face unique challenges and have their own way of thinking and problem solving. The result is that they come up with ways of making themselves happy that you haven’t even thought of. If you can learn from them and add their happiness to your own, you’ll be better for it. This even applies to gearheads like us. Check out this footage of some Czech truck trials competition. Their need to haul heavy cargo through wilderness areas has bred these diesel powered monsters. There’s 4×4’s, 6×6’s and even some 8×8’s. They look like they’d be at home hauling military cargo in a sci-fi movie. It’s awesome.
