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3M's Impressive, Science-y Rube Goldberg Machine

I only wish it ran for longer. Also, who uses spade bits?

By Rain Noe - August 21, 2015

in Games | Object Culture

We've all seen a lot of Rube Goldberg machines, but this one starts off with something we've never seen before: A ball being suspended by an electromagnetic device moving along a sloped track. 3M threw their considerable technical might into creating this branding vid, building an RG machine based on "physics, thermodynamics, chemistry, energy" and even sound:

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Pretty neat, no? This brief "Making of" video isn't as good, although we do get some glimpses of them knocking it together in the shop:

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Am I the only one who was surprised to see them using a spade bit in the drill press? I haven't used one in years, and always assumed they were only for folks who didn't have the budget to buy a Forstner bit. So this is slightly off-topic, but do any of you use spade bits, and if so, why? I can't think of a single benefit they confer over a Forstner aside from cost and taking up less space in a toolbox.

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Benjamin Marquardt

9 years ago

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I only use a forstner when a forstner is called for. They're expensive. A spade bit is quick, easy, relatively cheap, convenient and it bores a hole when I need a hole done drilled. I've got a row of all the sizes I use in a holder made out of a 2x4 with holes drilled in it. They're also a lot easier to control in a handheld drill.

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Mark Thomas

9 years ago

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Re: spade bits.

Economics. Spade bits are disposable. A 1" spade bit costs about a dollar when buying in packages of 6-10 bits. A cheap 1" Forstner is ~$15 and a good one $30.

Speed. A sharp spade bit is faster than Forstner in soft woods like a 2x4.

Spade bits are fine for just making casual holes in 2x4's.

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Ubi de Feo

9 years ago

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it's not a magnetically suspended object but rather this
http://www.physicscentral.com/experiment/physicsathome/ping-pong-physics.cfm (first link i found about it).
some of my students used this trick a while back for an installation :)

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Noodle Time

9 years ago

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i use spade bits for a few reasons, they cost less overall, they usually are easier to find in finer increments, and they work better at high speed than forstner bits do. Probably part because they are not usually threaded and dont pull themselves through the material.

In the mill, i have had forstner bits catch and lift the material (plastic) out of the vise, i have yet to have that problem with spade bits. So the only time I prefer forstner bits is when i need a clean, flat bottom.

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