mechanikul phenomena that annoy you

[CopperCone]

What mechanical phenomena is your pet peave?

Corrosion?

Personally I hate the 'walking' phenomenon that occurs with temperature cycling. It is just completely bizzare that things will end up moving for apparently no reason. This likes to happen with thermal paste. It is insidious.

funny failure modes welcome.

[GlennSprigg]

I'm a technician, and used to live in Darwin, (top of Australia & tropical)
Extremely humid, and everything corroded !!!!

[German_EE]

Squeaks

We can launch a space probe to Pluto but we can't make a car that doesn't have a squeak somewhere. In our case it's the plastic hood that covers the seatbelt roller at the top end, and both the passenger AND driver covers squeak as we move in the seats.

[T3sl4co1l]

The extremely small scale, exponential onset of physical contact.

It makes simulating Newtonian physics devilishly hard to get right.

Tim

[Mr. Scram]

Squeaks

We can launch a space probe to Pluto but we can't make a car that doesn't have a squeak somewhere. In our case it's the plastic hood that covers the seatbelt roller at the top end, and both the passenger AND driver covers squeak as we move in the seats.

They can, but you wouldn't want to pay for it.

[wraper]

Corrosion?

It's chemical.

[Mr. Scram]

If I'd have to pick one it'd be wear and erosion, but I'm actually quite happy with how the universe works. Pretty much every con has a pro. No corrosion, no life for instance.

[BravoV]

Random image from Google.

Busted screw head when unscrewing, made by myself. 

No, don't get me wrong, I have OCD when it comes to screw driving, ALWAYS use the "right" screw driver tip with the exact size at the screw head type. And always try really hard to maintain it straight and pressed down firmly to the screw head like I can feel the driver was gripping it hard, no loosey metal to metal contact.

Still, at some bad conditions where the screw was secured/locked so hard that really difficult to turn, and busted as the driver tip won as its harder. 

[mdijkens]

My own 'mechanics'
I'm almost 50 and
- need glasses to see/read anything
- my hands are too imprecise to do small stuff
- drill a hole very precisely only to find out it's a few mm off
- dropping SMD and not able to find them back again
- building a case that makes the whole project look clumsy
- ....

I can develop great projects in my mind and on paper/pc, but when my hands come into play....

[metrologist]

Corrosion?

It's chemical.

In that case, I guess mine would have been biological...

[mdijkens]

Busted screw head when unscrewing, made by myself. 

No, don't get me wrong, I have OCD when it comes to screw driving, ALWAYS use the "right" screw driver head with the exact size at the screw head type. And always try really hard to maintain it straight and pressed down firmly to the screw head like I can feel the driver was gripping it hard, no loosey metal to metal contact.

Still, at some bad conditions where the screw was secured/locked so hard that really difficult to turn, and busted as the driver's metal won as its harder. 

Tomorrow I go to my boat (almost 100 miles) for the second weekend just to try getting one bolt loose (I have prepared myself with lots of tools for different methods, but my experience and mechanical qualities are zero)

[Nominal Animal]

Squeaks

Seconded. I have a toiletry cabinet with metal-to-plastic contact that gets wet that screams like a small rodent everytime you open it, for example when grabbing toothpaste in the morning. And I don't know enough about lubricants to find one that silences it. (Also, cannot replace it, as I'm only a tenant.)

[Mr. Scram]

Seconded. I have a toiletry cabinet with metal-to-plastic contact that gets wet that screams like a small rodent everytime you open it, for example when grabbing toothpaste in the morning. And I don't know enough about lubricants to find one that silences it. (Also, cannot replace it, as I'm only a tenant.)

Almost anything should do. Proper oil or something with teflon in it. Thicker stuff is probably better, maybe even grease.

You can't replace furniture because you rent?

[GerryBags]

Tomorrow I go to my boat (almost 100 miles) for the second weekend just to try getting one bolt loose (I have prepared myself with lots of tools for different methods, but my experience and mechanical qualities are zero)

Get a blowtorch on the bolt. This will make both the bolt and the threads expand which should loosen it. The process is: Heat, hit with a hammer, try to loosen with your wrench. Rinse and repeat. You want the longest wrench you can find, then extend it with a metal pipe over the end or some such. The longer the lever is, the more torque you'll exert on the bolt head.

[AlienRelics]

Some college or university did a test and found that a mix of acetone and vegetable oil made a phenomenal penetrating lubricant. Use 30% acetone and it is better than the best commercially available penetrating oil.

https://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/how-to-make-penetrating-oil/

[Mr. Scram]

Some college or university did a test and found that a mix of acetone and vegetable oil made a phenomenal penetrating lubricant. Use 30% acetone and it is better than the best commercially available penetrating oil.

https://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/how-to-make-penetrating-oil/

Acetone can mess up plastics and vegetable oil trends to degrade over time. It really depends on the application whether it's a suitable mix.

[IanB]

Acetone can mess up plastics and vegetable oil trends to degrade over time. It really depends on the application whether it's a suitable mix.

...but the job of penetrating oil is usually to loosen up corroded metal to metal screws or bolts so they can be removed. So neither is an issue.

[mdijkens]

Get a blowtorch on the bolt. This will make both the bolt and the threads expand which should loosen it.

Yep this time I have a heater and cold-spray with me as well as an impact driver

[IanB]

Busted screw head when unscrewing, made by myself. 

No, don't get me wrong, I have OCD when it comes to screw driving, ALWAYS use the "right" screw driver head with the exact size at the screw head type. And always try really hard to maintain it straight and pressed down firmly to the screw head like I can feel the driver was gripping it hard, no loosey metal to metal contact.

Still, at some bad conditions where the screw was secured/locked so hard that really difficult to turn, and busted as the driver's metal won as its harder. 

An impact driver is your friend...

[BravoV]

Busted screw head when unscrewing, made by myself. 

No, don't get me wrong, I have OCD when it comes to screw driving, ALWAYS use the "right" screw driver head with the exact size at the screw head type. And always try really hard to maintain it straight and pressed down firmly to the screw head like I can feel the driver was gripping it hard, no loosey metal to metal contact.

Still, at some bad conditions where the screw was secured/locked so hard that really difficult to turn, and busted as the driver's metal won as its harder. 

An impact driver is your friend...

Not always ...

[Mr. Scram]

...but the job of penetrating oil is usually to loosen up corroded metal to metal screws or bolts so they can be removed. So neither is an issue.

I took the recipe to be related to the squeaky cabinet, but you're probably right that it wasn't. You can't do much damage to rusty bolts, other than through shear violence.

[GerryBags]

I took the recipe to be related to the squeaky cabinet, but you're probably right that it wasn't.

You should give a dry lubricant like graphite powder. The sell it as a lock lubricant, but it works for plastics too, and won't cause any adverse reactions as it's basically carbon.

[nali]

What mechanical phenomena is your pet peave?

1. The ability of a small screw, washer or component to travel at least 6ft laterally after having been dropped from a height of about 3ft 

2. The distance of which is directly proportional to the availability of a replacement part.

[Seph.b]

What mechanical phenomena is your pet peave?

1. The ability of a small screw, washer or component to travel at least 6ft laterally after having been dropped from a height of about 3ft 

2. The distance of which is directly proportional to the availability of a replacement part.

3. In the direction of the most poorly lite area.

[BravoV]

What mechanical phenomena is your pet peave?

1. The ability of a small screw, washer or component to travel at least 6ft laterally after having been dropped from a height of about 3ft 

2. The distance of which is directly proportional to the availability of a replacement part.

3. In the direction of the most poorly lite area.

4. And under a tight opening under a heavy & large furniture.