HuhHuh, yeah... it was 1972 and I was 6, and he was a non-degreed tool &
die maker / motorhead. I did learn how to use a slide-rule at one
point. But modern stuff will let you optimize the **** out of designs.
OTOH, I'm probably more impressed with the stuff pulled off without
high tech tools (eg: SR-71, Hoover Dam, Nukes)
On 3/19/2012 10:39 PM, BJNoSHOV8 wrote:
> Finite element software? In college I was taught how to do those
> calculations by hand.
>
>> He "boxed in" the 6 or 8 trusses over the stall with plywood, and at
>> the top of each, cut a 2" radius semi-circle. Then put up a 4" OD
>> steel pipe spanning all of them. But he staggered the depth, so with
>> no load the pipe was sitting on the outer most plates. At the
>> calculated flex of the pipe under full load (1100 lbs??) it would
>> deflect and be roughly in contact with all the plates, hopefully
>> distributing the load fairly evenly across all the trusses.
>>
>> It was "seat of the pants" engineering, and I don't think anyone had
>> FEA software then, but it seemed sound.
|