Saturday, June 27, 2009

Comments on Modern Alchemy thus far...

Thanks to the efforts of boingboing.net and steampunkworkshop.com, Modern Alchemy racked up an impressive 5000 hits in four days. I'm stoked! The comment area of the blog has been really interesting to read, and I thought I would share. Seems there are a lot of engineers who got a little freaked by Ignatius.

#1 posted by Anonymous, June 24, 2009 11:13 AM

Cool video, but as a power engineer I wouldn't stand within 100 feet of that thing.

#2 posted by JPW, June 24, 2009 11:15 AM

It sure is Foley enriched. . . .

#3 posted by Anonymous, June 24, 2009 11:25 AM

Boilers are regulated by law, and need to be inspected, depending on what your jurisdiction requires.

Wait. . . how the hell do you boil steam?

ill lich:

Easy: Superheater tubes! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superheater :)

#1 Anon: No kidding. If it really is a "high pressure" boiler I couldn't make out any pressure gauge, sight glass or pop off valve. Maybe they were there and I just didn't see it in the grainy B&W images? But if not, that thing is a ticking time bomb. HP steam is no joke.

#7 posted by Anonymous, June 24, 2009 12:53 PM

It sure is a bit heavy on the Foley. It's like steampunk pornography.

#8 posted by Anonymous, June 24, 2009 1:00 PM

guysmiley: I think they had a gauge sticking off that pipe on the top, and probably a PSV. Their attitude sort of bugs me, like its unreasonable to regulate HP boilers.

I really like Patrick's filmaking. It's calm and exactly the opposite of the frenetic, fake drama that we see on TV. Imagine if he produced a season of American Chopper in this style? I'd totally watch that!

As for the boiler, I know these folks and they are in no danger of blowing themselves up. Ignatius is a stout pig.

#10 posted by Takuan, June 24, 2009 1:23 PM

nice project. I think the soundtrack/narration wasn't on intended message, but that's just me.
These guys are working in a fully equipped shop yet the voice-over is talking about "gold from lead" and "something from nothing". It detracts from the good work shown, for it to ring true they would have to be in a blacksmith's smithy and using very rude stock iron to boot.

Listen...you can almost hear the golf clap from the 1700's.

I hoped they followed ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel codes on this one, and had an engineer stamp the design... nifty, but steam (compared to condensate) is NOT something the unqualified should be playing around with.

#13 posted by Anonymous, June 24, 2009 4:51 PM

Yes, let the scalding hot genies out of the bottle in a unpredictable and dangerous way. You don't NEED two eyes to be a scientist...

#14 posted by Takuan, June 24, 2009 5:10 PM

jeez whutta bunch of haters. They built it, it works, no one is dead, sheesh.

#15 posted by mdh, June 24, 2009 5:26 PM

You said it tak. Armchair expertise abounds.

I think it's hot.

No hate, just a concern for safety. Sons of Martha, and all that.

#19 posted by Anonymous, June 25, 2009 3:03 PM

I looked carefully, and I didn't see anything that looked like a pressure gage- not even a Stephensonian mercury column.
It should also have either a gauge glass, or at a minimum "try cocks" to judge the water level.
A lot of "amateur" scientists don't realise that regs like the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel codes were written in blood. A burned crown sheet can ruin your whole day.
Granddad used to tell me, a fool learns from his mistakes; a wise man learns from other people's mistakes.

#19 Very true about the BPVC.
If I had access to a copy I'd scan in the graph, if it's still in there, that shows the annual number of reported boiler failures over the last 150 years. In 1910, when the code was first implemented, the graph takes a sharp downturn and stays down.


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