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MakeShift 10: Analysis, Commentary, and Winners
by Lee D. Zlotoff
September 07, 2007
I guess because most of us have wrestled with the frustration of misplacing our keys at some time (or maybe because the solution seemed obvious) this challenge drew a near record number of entries. And, as we've come to expect from all you Make-oids, there was no shortage of creative thinking about how to tackle the task, ranging from the optomistically simple to the convincingly complex. For instance, some of you suggested just sticking your hand down the crevice to feel around for the keys. Easy and instictive perhaps but, given the snakes and other nasty critters that often hang out in such desert refuges, not really the wisest of approaches.
Others proposed just rigging up a simple wire hook to try and fish for the key ring itself. Again, simple enough, but considering the depth and darkness of the fissure, you'd have to be pretty damn lucky to come up with the keys that way. Not to mention foregoing a golden opportunity to really impress your mate with your inherent brilliance after watching them roll their eyes at you for having dropped them down there in the first place.
No, this challenge was really a chance to turn a brain-fart into a triumph and, ideally, still manage to salvage the outing you both expected. The fact that failing to retrieve the keys could leave one or both of you stranded in the desert until help could be found only added enough jeopardy to make success all the sweeter.
Now a few of you suggested using the built in cell phone camera in movie mode to first locate the keys by using it as a probe lowered into the crack, thus increasing the odds of then fishing them out with a hook. Very creative but, alas, somewhat flawed. Like any camera, a cell phone camera needs light. And, at the bottom of a 15 foot crevice, we seriously doubted there would be enough light for the cell camera to see much of anything. Also, cell phone cameras use a lot of battery power and your charged battery will weaken quickly if you use it this way. Yes, the cell phone does not work as a phone where you currently are, but that doesn't mean that it won't work at some higher spot a few miles away if you do need to try and hike out as a last resort. If it can shorten a possible 80 mile attempt at hiking out of a desert, it is best to leave the phone intact and turn it off once you know you can't get a signal.
But the vast majority of you instantly grasped that magnetism was—to pardon the pun—the real key here. (Though why some of you thought that the stainless steel in a Swiss Army knife wouldn't be attracted to a magnet still has us scratching our heads. It definitely would—as would the key ring itself).
So, then the question becomes where to find—or how to construct—a viable enough magnet to get those keys back. And there were two schools of thought here.
The most popular approach was taking apart an audio speaker or two in the SUV for the permanent magnets they contain. Very good thinking. But, depending on the actual size of the speakers and their magnets, we were concerned about their really having enough power to attract and extract the knife and the keys given the likilhood that they would scrape or bounce against the sides of the crevice as you tried to pull them out. We're not saying it wouldn't work but, here again, a fair amount of luck and deft handling would be required to insure the success of this method.
To our thinking then, the surest bet here was to use the available materials to build a sufficiently strong electromagnet. So to those of you who responded with "No sweat—just make an electromagnet", you get the satisfaction of knowing that, at least in concept, we agree. But that's about all you get. Because, as with most things in life, the devil is in the details. And, if you really hope to win the wildly coveted prize of a Make sweatshirt, you're gonna want to lay out the specifics next time so everyone can benefit from your genius—and know exactly how to proceed when they find themselves in this mess.
Some people thought of using the cell phone or metal detector batteries to power the magnet, while others thought about using the car battery from the SUV. Needless to say, the more powerful the magnet, the greater the lifting capability and range of attraction it has. So for us, the car battery was the optimal choice: it would easily handle this task and still be able to start the SUV once the keys were recovered. And, if you used the barbed wire for your coils instead of cannabilizing the wire in the metal detector, your cell phone, metal detector and SUV would all still be intact and functional when you were done.
This would not only permit you to proceed with the outing as planned, but afford you the incomparable pleasure of smiling coyly at your mate with a silent "ta-da" as you hand them back the keys and say, "Here, why don't you hang onto these?" If they don't immediately shower you with impressed compliments—or something even better—maybe it's time to reconsider your choice of mates.
Thanks again to all for your great brain-work and we look forward to hearing from you on the next challenge. Now off to search for all that overlooked gold!
The winners of the MakeShift Vol 10 Challenge are:
- MakeShift Master – Plausible: Mark Boyd
- MakeShift Master – Creative: Peter Davoust
- MakeShift Master – Honorable Mention: Ray Gibson
Discussion
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[ Display main threads only] [ Oldest First]Showing messages 1 through 13 of 13.
- One Question...
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Okay,
So what I don't understand is we've lost our keys but all the supplies to "rescue" the keys are in the car. Where's the line in the write-up that says "Honey, I'm gonna have to break a window since the car is locked."
Which reminds me, I have to hide a key on my car for just this type of scenario!
Posted by Yabbo on December 03, 2007 at 10:16:08 Pacific Time
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An idea for your next Make: festival. Get a pile of rocks/boulders deliver and then have them placed with a cavern type thing (as told in the story (but maybe not the same depth)) and drop a set of keys and make it a challenge for people to try and get the keys out and have the same stuff (eg: car(maybe a second hand car or something), pick ect) there so its close to the story as possible.Posted by p858snake on October 01, 2007 at 17:35:12 Pacific Time
- Electromagnets vs speaker magnets
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Having tried to build a few electromagnets in my time, I think you are nuts to prefer that approach over try to use a magnet from the speaker.
The speaker magnets are designed to have a large magnetic field in a small size - exactly what you want.
Whereas trying to create an electromagnet that performs well is tough. It will either not be strong enough, use too much power, or melt your wire. And if it turns off at the right time, you're SOLPosted by EricGu on October 01, 2007 at 13:21:50 Pacific Time
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Flaws with this approach:
You wouldn't be able to use barbed wire, as its not got a coating on it. You could make a coil with it, but it would be a dead short and produce no current, UNLESS you put something around it to insulate. You could try to only make a few loops in the coil and have them seperated, but then it would be weak. The wire needs to be insulated. Also the coil needs a core, or its going to be pretty weak. I guess you mentioned a stainless steal knife, but not all types have good magnetic properties. A wrench or something with more pure iron would be best.
The wire in the metal detector is pretty fine wire, and without something to limit the current, would almost certainly melt, just like overloading a subwoofer, the coil melts. You need larger gauge wire that could handle the current. Also, there is n
Plus, on SUV's, most of them anyway, you need a socket set to remove the battery and battery terminals.
As far as stainless being magnetic, it depends on if its just straight stainless steal, or if its got chrome on it. Straight Nickel and steel to make stainless has very low magnetic ability. When you add chromium, it adds some of that back. Inneficient but it will work.Posted by Frodus on October 01, 2007 at 09:02:09 Pacific Time
- barb wire electromagnets
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seems like making a electromagnet from barbed wire would be something of a lesson in futility. its not insulated, so getting a high enough coild density would be extremely difficult because there would have to be an air gap between each coil. not to mention that the list of supplies does not include gloves or a way of cutting off an appropriately sized piece of the wire in the first place. speakers contain a high power permanent magnet that would be ideal to fish out keys. as far as picking up the keys, in my experience, keyrings are almost always made of some form of steel, and are magnetic. stainless steel is sometimes magnetic, but sometimes not. ie. the front of my fridge is stainless, but magnets dont stick to it, only the sides which are regular steel.Posted by hivoltage on October 01, 2007 at 16:23:49 Pacific Time
- Magnetic Properties
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As already mentioned, stainless steel is often demagnetized. In fact stainless steel fasteners are often demagnetized for work around...wait for it...electromagnets.
Keys are brass. Key rings are often steel, but no guarantee.
Practically speaking, there's probably something magnetic in some part of the keys/knife combo, but the amount and usefulness of the material is doubtful.
Posted by KWillets on October 01, 2007 at 10:35:36 Pacific Time
- Magnetic Properties
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Also, if the electromagnet idea is assumed to be viable, why not just use a relay from under the dashboard? These are small, already 12v friendly, and often just unplug from a panel. If you extend the leads from the socket, you get fuse protection as well. If worse comes to worse you can unwind the coil and make a larger electromagnet.
Or, remove the airbags, place them in the hole, and blow everything to smithereens. Add some gas and nearby naturally occurring deposits of Ammonium Nitrate to increase the effect.Posted by KWillets on October 01, 2007 at 12:20:55 Pacific Time
- Stainless Steel
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Actually, stainless steel does NOT stick to magnets -- but most knife blades are not made of stainless, because it doesn't hold an edge as well as it might.Posted by EdwinWiseOne on October 01, 2007 at 06:11:14 Pacific Time
- Stainless Steel--why Zlotoff puzzled about this basic concept
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I concur with all those who note that when speaking generally about stainless steel, at least quality stainless steel, it cannot be counted on to have enough iron in it to attract a magnet. Grades of SS vary, but the better grades have enough nickel and/or other alloys to render material not responsive to a magnet. (someone please explain how to magnetize nickel?? as someone has mentioned above) Though your swiss army knife's grade NOT that type usually, as another reader sagely pointed out, it's first mandate is to hold an edge. So it will contain enough iron in most all cases. Remember that with SS, the intent is to make the material 'stainless', and with items like kitchen equipment, hospital equip, marine equip. etc, rust is a prime 'stain' to be avoided around wet (or bloody or salty) environments. (rust in a sterile environment makes a good matrix for hidden bacteria....)Posted by gadget2 on December 03, 2007 at 08:49:30 Pacific Time
- Stainless Steel
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Yes I can imagine the method used to determine what the items in question were (Really) made from, and was it (Really)magnetic. I have a "Rock" on my desk,found in my garden-12Lbs. Is it magnetic? Most people would say no. When I tested it I found magnets stick to it (attracted)quite well. Although non magnetic (does not attract iron).
It is probably Nickel/Iron in its native raw form. "Steel" is magnetic when magnetized, same for Nickel. Same for most iron based alloys. However for a REALLY strong magnet - Go get the magnet from a car speaker.Posted by arden55 on October 05, 2007 at 00:06:42 Pacific Time
- Stainless Steel
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Oops, a quick google says "maybe". Some does, some does not.
Anyway, the stainless steel I used in body jewelry did not.Posted by EdwinWiseOne on October 01, 2007 at 06:12:16 Pacific Time
- Gifts you with?
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"gifts you with"?! how about "gives you"...?
Posted by sweavo on October 01, 2007 at 02:07:08 Pacific Time
- links don't work
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above links to Master solutions not working as of 10sep07. thxPosted by VinnyF on September 10, 2007 at 17:28:46 Pacific Time
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