Archives: Blog

Planetary gear systems can be intimidating to understand. There are so many types of motions and reductions possible that it can be overwhelming. The motion of planetary gear systems is expressed...

Unlike the Lego gears and shafts shown below most motors have perfectly round shafts. This makes attaching gears, pulleys and sprockets difficult. The main methods of attaching gears to...

Never guess again what hose size to use! Automatically the proper hose size for any application. Simply input a few measurable variables and click Calculate. This calculator adjusts for oil type...

Even though my engineering career is far from over, I wanted to look back and reflect. I realized that midway through my career is probably the right point to do this because if I wait too long, I'm...

Steel design seems to be moving in the direction of self-fixturing where the weldment or assembly components will align with each other. When a tab or slot is added to a part, the stress flow is...

Connecting multiple valves together is always a challenge. You want to have individual valve functionality, but not loose sight of the overall system characteristics. Open center or through...

Beam tables give information on and assume that the deflection calculation is based on a constant cross section.  So, what do we do if our beam has a cross section that changes over the length...

Two stage pumps, often called log splitter pumps, are a great way to get better performance without increasing horsepower. A two-stage hydraulic pump is two gear pumps that combine flow...

Reading a hydraulic schematic for the first time is a daunting and confusing thing.  There are so many symbols to identify and lines to keep track of.  I hope to impart to you a systematic...

This article is going to be a bit more technical than the previous article about fasteners, “The Magic of Fasteners.”  I’m going to try to keep it as simple as I can, but this topic is so...

Uh-oh, the DC motor and capacitor charging system aren't working the way I want. So, we are switching to an AC motor with VFD. Watch to find out more. https://youtu.be/0XZOj6lH_jI

We're Getting Close! Nothing is standing in our way.....except all the things in this video. The biggest obstacles are the charging of the capacitors and the turning of the motor. They worked...

We are now nearing the end of major fab and into the nitty gritty. Cart assembled Tail spike connected Capacitor guard installed Conduit installed Prox switches installed There...

Do you want to build your own coaster. Well, I can help you get started with a coaster cart. Email contact@mentoredengineer.com if you want it and are able to pick it up from an undisclosed central...

https://youtu.be/Szm7tn006II We are in full production mode on our new coaster launch system and I want to update you on the status. Half of the track sections are fully welded Main cart...

I get that you don't believe I'm actually building the world's BEST backyard coaster. Well, It's not finished yet, but we are making progress. Here are some pictures to prove it. Kiddo's...