Is it soup yet?

[GadgetGeek]

I've read several recent claims on this site that people are "very close" to having a working solution. Without revealing details, how many are close, and are we talking days, weeks, or months? Are these realistic claims or are they just blowing smoke?

In other words, should I give up on my current attempt, or should I start putting in 24 hours days on it?

[rlortie]

gadgetGeek,

Welcome to the Forum!

The term "very close" comes and goes with the whispering of the wind. Very close can mean a WM2D simulation or a real build. I for one only deal in real builds.

I do not believe that anyone is going to declare a winner within a given time period of days, weeks or months. Obviously from past history on this forum such statements brought nothing but wrath to those who declared having a runner, but could not produce it.

I would not give up, keep working on your design. Do not feel pressured into working long hours as this is the key ingredient for developing tunnel vision. Only work on it when you are in the mood, if you become frustrated and start grasping for straws, walk away from it. Trial and error requires patience.

Ralph

[jim_mich]

GadgetGeek, you're funny! Of course each thinks that his current idea might be the solution. Otherwise we would not work on building and testing our wheels. But until one of us actually has a wheel sitting there turning and doing some work, well who knows if an idea will actually work or not? Some ideas are simple enough that some of us more experienced members can quickly say if it won't work, but some ideas are more complex and require an actual build. Actually building a wheel can be a time and money consuming affair. Some ideas can be built and tested quickly. Others require much planning and attention to details.

For instance, the wheel I'm currently working on has about 1876 items, which includes all the screws, washers, nuts, bearings, levers, weights, support lumber, wheel materials, springs, brackets and etc. Now this might seem complex to some, but the wheel is designed to be taken apart so it will fit through a stairway, so it has a large number of screws. I use an Excel spread sheet to keep track of all the parts. I have about 190 parts to make yet and about 177 parts (like threaded rods and axle shafts) that just need to be cut to length. So I'll be a little while building my wheel.

I put family before wheel, so sometimes many days can elapse without any work being done on my wheel.

[GadgetGeek]

Ralph,

Thanks for the encouragement. My first attempts were unsuccessful even though I thought at the time that I had the solution. Naturally, I think that my current design is "the" answer, but life keeps getting in the way of my obsession! As a Bessler rookie, (some veterans have over 60 years at this), I'm afraid that I'm sitting on a winning design and that someone else will go public before I can finish building it.

[GadgetGeek]

Jim_Mich,

On many discussion boards that I've seen, there tends to be members who believe they know it all when in fact they are quite pretentious. How can a new member know who is creditable and who isn't?

[jim_mich]

How can a new member know who is creditable and who isn't?

Check their reputation!

[GadgetGeek]

I noticed that many posts don't include reputations.

[jim_mich]

The first post a member makes on each page shows the reputaion.

[rlortie]

GadgetGeek,

Reputations are obviously built over time and those that take the effort to give or take a green or red icon to you. Some members have been here for years and still do not have a reputation good or bad as they are not that active.

One thing that helps is to share a little personal info such as at least a surname. We have some members that leave and then attempt to come back under a different profile name.

So far you strike me as a responsible type person and seem quite open, so I will start your reputation with a hit on your icon.

All are graded on a curve set by the moderator, as I understand it has a basis on number of members who use reputation bar, but do not quote me on that!

Your profile states that you are an engineer, would you care to discuss in what field or type of engineer you are? I am mechanical and structural, with some experience as an operating engineer.
Ralph

[GadgetGeek]

Ralph,

I'm an Electrical and Computer Engineer, and my only mechanical background is the courses that we had to take in college to graduate! However, I love puzzles and brain teasers, and I consider this to be the biggest and oldest puzzle I've ever attempted. My approach is probably similar to most. I believe (based on the vast amount of testimonies) that Bessler had a working solution, so I'm going to assume that it's possible, and figure out how to do it. I started about a year ago, and the first several wheels I built wouldn't run. Since then, I have several new ideas which are waiting for me to build. Since family and career come first, this project sits on the back burner for months at a time. I guess I'm trying to prolong the amount of time that I feel I know the answer before I burst my own bubble!

[graham]

For instance, the wheel I'm currently working on has about 1876 items, which includes all the screws, washers, nuts, bearings, levers, weights, support lumber, wheel materials, springs, brackets and etc.

Jim that's one heck of a project you have got yourself into.You must be very confident that it will pay off, and I hope it does.

I'm a minimalist , I try to keep everything as simple and small as possible. Just enough to prove to myself whether or not an idea is a winner. More of a curiosity satisfier not something to last a lifetime.

I've learned through the years making experimental models of ideas, that it is not well to count your chicken before it is hatched.
I have many oddly shaped pieces of wood and metal left over to keep me humble.

Graham

[MrTim]

GadgetGeek, the best advice I can give you is to not get obsessed with it, but treat it as a hobby. At the least, sketch out designs and kind of work out how the parts move. It saves a lot of "build time", and after a while you can see what works and doesn't at a glance. I discovered (as far as I know) a new parallel movement mechanism just by doodling. Still playing with it, as it might have some possibilities. ;)

[coylo]

I recall builds where I really had myself convinced (and others) that I had it, only until the last moment, when I found out that they were not fair tests. I think Steorn might be in a similar situation, maybe they may reveal that they were in error!

I thought I was close at times, and dropped a few hints here and there, now even I don't take myself seriously anymore!
The forum has grown numb and reactionless to such claims.
Admitting failure can be embarrassing, so you're not likely to be kept updated....(seems to be the trend as I see it).

I batter on, regardless of any claims made by other members, because it's highly, highly likely that they'll fail (with a reality check), and their claim buried and forgotten about.

It's a hard life!


By the way, haven't you heard.... PM is impossible! hehee

[LustInBlack]

Oh yeah, we all follow that path .. The I got it, I must act fast before someone finds it too .. Then .. Damn it.. Didn't test that ..

Happened about 2-3 times to me.. Now I try to be less excited about "success".

I also try to force people to bring their failures to day light on the forum, or to organize them on the wiki, but it's a partial failure..

[Wheeler]

Go figure
One to add to the heap! :)