Things I love about Formula SAE

[DanVaan]

This was just a small contest open to anyone at the University.

We have also considered competing in "the great northern concrete toboggan race" which is a civil competition with toboggans that have skis made from concrete. They basically just go to some town, get drunk every night, and ride down the hill in some of the sketchiest boxes you have ever seen. This year, they plan to take 45 people to competition, half of which will be on a "non-competitive" team, so they took twice as much money as they have before from our Engineering Student's Project Fund.
Everyone on our team is confident that we could build something twice as good in under a week and blow away their competition. Our school doesn't have Baja, but i'm pretty sure these guys might be worse.

[AxelRipper]

Originally posted by Adambomb:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by DanVaan:
Having a member of our team win the civil engineering popsicle bridge contest to prove that we are better, so that we can spend the prize money on a party for the whole team.
oh yeah, and he is an electrical engineer

We considered doing that with the steel bridge guys after they started getting all high and mighty while we were fighting for money from the college of engineering. They didn't think we needed corner weight scales (they suggested bathroom scales), and suggested we use $48/gallon red industrial paint to paint our trailer. They also didn't believe that we did anything over the summer. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

actually... that $48/gal red paint is both a great deal, and one hell of a paint... it surprisingly works pretty well and will withstand a ton of abuse

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by AxelRipper:
actually... that $48/gal red paint is both a great deal, and one hell of a paint... it surprisingly works pretty well and will withstand a ton of abuse

Hmm, thanks for the tip. After some more thought, it is just the trailer after all, and if nothing else it should be covered with vinyl graphics anyway. Those guys were still jerks though http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif. They also told us we should buy nothing but Craftsman power tools, to which I could only respond that it would actually be cheaper to buy a DeWalt, Milwaukee, or any of the other brands you will find real fabricators using because that one trip to the store for a 6 year lifespan would be cheaper than driving 30 miles (at $0.12 per mile in the dually) to the nearest Sears every 2 months to replace the Craftsman under lifetime warranty, never mind the down-time (some lifetime warranties simply mean you will spend your lifetime replacing it under warranty...and yes, we will typically destroy a Craftsman drill in 2 months). Hell, I'd expect more sense from someone whose degree is supposedly more "hands-on."

They also suggested that we get a corded drill instead of a cordless drill, because it's more durable, and there electrical outlets in the shop. And while there's some merit to that, cordless drills are just plain nice to have for the size of parts we're dealing with. So anyway, the guy who ended up getting the drill was told to get "the toughest drill he could find," which resulted in this 3-handled monstrosity that spins at 400 rpm and has enough torque at half-throttle to turn any of our parts into pretzels http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif . Baja loves it though!

Oh yeah, we have a concrete canoe team too. Yeah, I realize there's a bit of novelty in that concrete can be used to make a sea-faring vessel, but just because you "can" do something, doesn't mean it's a good idea. I don't get it.

[Brian Perry]

Originally posted by DanVaan:
We have also considered competing in "the great northern concrete toboggan race" which is a civil competition with toboggans that have skis made from concrete. They basically just go to some town, get drunk every night, and ride down the hill in some of the sketchiest boxes you have ever seen. This year, they plan to take 45 people to competition, half of which will be on a "non-competitive" team, so they took twice as much money as they have before from our Engineering Student's Project Fund.
Everyone on our team is confident that we could build something twice as good in under a week and blow away their competition. Our school doesn't have Baja, but i'm pretty sure these guys might be worse.

I hear your pain. Last year we had to gang up with Baja against the Concrete Toboggan team to prevent them from hijacking our Engineering Society team fund like that for their beer/quick-crete fund. Talk about a competition with a bad safety record. Try hurtling down a ski slope with five people inside a roll cage with questionable/broken brake mechanisms into hard-packed snow banks.

[TorqueWrench]

Glad to see we aren't the only ones who are at odds with the civil clubs.

Our concrete canoe team/steel bridge team joined forces into one club last year after they thought they would get more funding that way. After that fell flat on their faces (less funding), they came to me and said I should give them funding because we didn't need our under $30k budget to run a Baja, CSC, and FSAE Team.

They then proceeded to get kicked out of their old room, which was in the back of the wave lab, because they failed to clean up/contain their dust after sanding concrete inside and the department being afraid of it destroying the new equipment they just installed. Due to construction taking a chunk of our space away, their advisor attempted to convince the department that we didn't deserve our lab because of how "cluttered" it was and that we didn't use the office. The office was empty due to construction going on in the room and we didn't want to have our computers destroyed.

Alright, I am done with my rant for the day.

[Seeger]

The steel bridge team told us that they couldn't hold a quarter inch tolerance...
Even a Baja is only an eighth of an inch. Also it is fun when you find resonances in their bridge, galloping gertie anyone?

[TorqueWrench]

I asked one of the guys on the team if they did any analysis. Seems they do some 2D hand calcs and thats about it. I somehow think those calculations didnt mean anything after they said they just did all the cross bracing by hand (no measuring) and kept adding them until they triangulated across.

[Chapo]

The sheer awesomeness of watching backfires in an unpainted SLS nylon intake and seeing the whole runner light up. Really Cool http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[Luniz]

Being by far the noisiest car in a classic-racing-car event in Hamburg, running without the muffler...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd2_TkS5mao

[mech5496]

Yeap, before the whole thing explode in about a thousand pieces....

[Chapo]

Our last three of them havent exploded. I had just never seen it run before it was painted, was awesome

[Kevin Dunn]

LOL We did that while pressure testing our's for boost leaks.

I'm glad to see that we're not the only ones getting shuffled around as far as lab space goes. We were moved into another part of the building which is probably half the size of where we were.

Pros:
-Finally gained direct access to our SF-901 dyno
-Getting our DynoJet installed in the ground instead of 2 feet above it w/o ramps
-Working HVAC and direct access to a garage door.
-Locking wood cabinets instead of metal storage cabinets.

Cons:
-Having facilities not take our suggestions of wiring 440V for our TIG while building the walls.
-Recieving our chassis tubes within 4 days of ordering, but not being able to weld them up
-Moving labs in September, unaccessible scan card doors because they have still not been programmed
-Having the new team leader try to tell me we don't need a design office and placing the computer next to the engine/chassis dynos.
-Turning the "design office" into the "engine build room" that takes up twice the amount of space needed...

I could go on and on...but I'm sure you guys have the same problems.

[Mikey Antonakakis]

-the huge box full of like 30 scrap bends of 321 stainless, from 0.035 to 0.049 that just arrived!

[Luniz]

My post which has been waiting for approval is now showing up... as the last post on the previous page, so no one is going to find it, great! If I just quote ist, will it still be blocked when it has a link to youtube in it?

[coastertrav]

Originally posted by Luniz:
My post which has been waiting for approval is now showing up... as the last post on the previous page, so no one is going to find it, great! If I just quote ist, will it still be blocked when it has a link to youtube in it?

That video is awesome!

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by coastertrav:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Luniz:
My post which has been waiting for approval is now showing up... as the last post on the previous page, so no one is going to find it, great! If I just quote ist, will it still be blocked when it has a link to youtube in it?

That video is awesome! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

+1

I saw it because I took almost a week off the internet, and started on the last page to check on things. Perhaps the forum admins were doing the same http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

But yeah, the post will still get delayed if you quote it...I've actually gotten in the habit of stripping any urls from anything I quote.

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by coastertrav:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Luniz:
My post which has been waiting for approval is now showing up... as the last post on the previous page, so no one is going to find it, great! If I just quote ist, will it still be blocked when it has a link to youtube in it?

That video is awesome! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

aww, seriously, I just posted something commenting on replying to posts with websites, and unwittingly included the word "you are ell" (spelled as if it were 3 letters), and THAT was enough of a "trigger word" to send it to the "review" pile. Well, suppose it will be a couple days for that one shows up http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[Bemo]

Running FSAE cars without muffler is just great. We had our 08 car to an classic rallye held by Bosch. Karlsruhe and Esslingen were also there - but we were the only ones without muffler!
A lot of people got quite frightened when we started our engine. A child even started to cry...
Unfortunately we didn't have a camera with us.

[AxelRipper]

Originally posted by Bemo:
Running FSAE cars without muffler is just great. We had our 08 car to an classic rallye held by Bosch. Karlsruhe and Esslingen were also there - but we were the only ones without muffler!
A lot of people got quite frightened when we started our engine. A child even started to cry...
Unfortunately we didn't have a camera with us.

yup... indeed that is awesome... we ceremoniously pulled the mufflers off both of our cars and started them just outside the shop at midnight during mandatory 24 hour quiet time 11th week when you're supposed to be studying for finals... then took the 06 out and did some driver training the following night with it uncorked.

[t21jj]

Originally posted by AxelRipper:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bemo:
Running FSAE cars without muffler is just great. We had our 08 car to an classic rallye held by Bosch. Karlsruhe and Esslingen were also there - but we were the only ones without muffler!
A lot of people got quite frightened when we started our engine. A child even started to cry...
Unfortunately we didn't have a camera with us.

yup... indeed that is awesome... we ceremoniously pulled the mufflers off both of our cars and started them just outside the shop at midnight during mandatory 24 hour quiet time 11th week when you're supposed to be studying for finals... then took the 06 out and did some driver training the following night with it uncorked. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

very cool

We've also done this in the past. I found this video of our 07 car in our archives after we came back from Michigan running with out the muffler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T42XFJY5Nc4

[Adambomb]

Yep. This year I finally decided to ask myself why we bother buying a muffler every year. It's not like the old cars need them!

[Chapo]

Thie thing that i love most:

Telling someone on this forum that you have never had an intake explode and then a few days later having one blow up big time.

For the record we believe the failure is due to this particular intake being SLA which is more dimensionally accurate but brittle, our other one (the one previously mentioned with the backfires) is SLS sintering not as accurate but much tougher.

Next time i say something has never happened im immediatly going to touch wood http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[coastertrav]

I happen to love that feeling of pride I get for my team when I get home after a great/productive day at the shop.

Also the feeling I got when I noticed that there were freshmen SAE members on four of the sixteen finals groups for their freshman mars rover engineering project (Over 100 groups total). Also that within those four groups every single freshmen SAE member was accounted for.

[kapps]

What I love most:

Walking into the shop and seeing the brand new mill next to the cnc (also with newly rebuilt head and new computer), all of which paid for on the ME department's dime. Knowing that you are the only person in the entire 50k+ person university that can walk up to Solidworks, design a part, FEM it, CAM it, ship the M code over to the cnc, set it up, and run it. All of which can (and has) occurred in the period of a single day.

[The AFX Master]

Because uni let us play with expensive toys like a 4 axis CNC mill.

All that sums up on a word: Pride.

Another one, When you are on your first steps on a real job, and you feel that F-SAE experience put you far over your non F-SAE/Baja fellows. It's like you feel that a job is already another FSAEesque experience and you take it seamlessly.

[Pennyman]

Losing the love affair you once had for kinematic roll centers for force-based roll centers...

...then cheating on your love for FBRC's with instant centers...

[Tim.Wright]

Losing the love affair you once had for kinematic roll centers for force-based roll centers...

...then cheating on your love for FBRC's with instant centers...


Yes!

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by kapps:
Knowing that you are the only person in the entire 50k+ person university that can walk up to Solidworks, design a part, FEM it, CAM it, ship the M code over to the cnc, set it up, and run it. All of which can (and has) occurred in the period of a single day.

Haha, we have proof of the truth in that statement. Our uni has this multi-million dollar machining lab that has more or less sat unused for probably 4 years because they didn't have someone who knew how to operate the machinery (after laying off the chief technician for the lab, who also was nowhere near capable of using the machinery to its potential). At least twice they provided a research assistantship to a grad student to "figure out" how to use the equipment, with no success.

Then finally this semester they decided to open up the lab to the department, and within 2 hours our chassis team leader was making parts. Now we use it like it's our own! And their Clausing lathe is SO MUCH sexier than our POS Shop Fox. I still hold a grudge against the guy who decided to get that thing.

[t21jj]

Originally posted by Adambomb:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by kapps:
Knowing that you are the only person in the entire 50k+ person university that can walk up to Solidworks, design a part, FEM it, CAM it, ship the M code over to the cnc, set it up, and run it. All of which can (and has) occurred in the period of a single day.

Haha, we have proof of the truth in that statement. Our uni has this multi-million dollar machining lab that has more or less sat unused for probably 4 years because they didn't have someone who knew how to operate the machinery (after laying off the chief technician for the lab, who also was nowhere near capable of using the machinery to its potential). At least twice they provided a research assistantship to a grad student to "figure out" how to use the equipment, with no success.

Then finally this semester they decided to open up the lab to the department, and within 2 hours our chassis team leader was making parts. Now we use it like it's our own! And their Clausing lathe is SO MUCH sexier than our POS Shop Fox. I still hold a grudge against the guy who decided to get that thing. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I would have killed to have access to that last year. It's not that hard lol. Every time I walked by that lab it just made me angry. My IE machining Prof. even said we should have access to it because we would actually use it. He didn't like the fact that it just sat doing nothing also.

[tgman]

Looking in the fridge and finding only epoxy and energy drinks

[AxelRipper]

Originally posted by tgman:
Looking in the fridge and finding only epoxy and energy drinks

you open your fridge? I was given specific instructions NEVER to open the fridge or the microwave in our office

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by tgman:
Looking in the fridge and finding only epoxy and energy drinks

Looking in the fridge and finding the sandwich-fabrication supplies I bought in the big rush before competition...5 months earlier. I completely forgot I did that, just like most of the things I did that week.

[kapps]

We have out dated CF pre-preg in our freezer. The frig has some left over hot dogs and hamburgers from way too long ago.

[Drew Price]

Our fridge was usually full of sandwich halves from the weekend graduate design course meetings and department recruiting days.

At any given time there were usually more Cup'O'Noodles food units in the office than there were threaded rod ends in the supply closet and on the car combined. And almost as many Clif bars (I had the team Costco membership card).

Best,
Drew

[Brian S]

Explaining to the new guys that if you find an open drink in the shop, and it isn't yours, don't drink it. Not because its rude, but because there is something like a 50/50 change that what's in it isn't what the label says...

[coastertrav]

Originally posted by Brian S:
Explaining to the new guys that if you find an open drink in the shop, and it isn't yours, don't drink it. Not because its rude, but because there is something like a 50/50 change that what's in it isn't what the label says...

Yeah, a few of the guys dip around our shop. Nothing like thinking you found your coke from earlier, and discovering that you in fact did not...

Haven't done it yet, but I am fairly concerned.

I love the fact that 50% of my finals study time is spent worrying about how we are going to make the motor removable, going over the final suspension geometry layup before the uprights are machined, and messing around in Solidworks.

[TorqueWrench]

Figured I would share this because the professor just posted our final-ish project grade.

Having no idea how to use MatLab (yet) and not being able to solve the truss optimization problem by hand/matlab as the professor had implied in class. I noticed a loophole in the guidelines as he never said how you had to solve the problem. So I just model it, FEA it, run optimization on it, and let the rest of the group write a 45 page report to go with it. Even got the extra credit no other group got.

Oh, and having a group of civil engineers look at what you are working on and go "Oh, we don't do that until grad school. I have no idea how you would do that."

Work hard, but also work smart.

[Mikey Antonakakis]

Originally posted by Brian S:
Explaining to the new guys that if you find an open drink in the shop, and it isn't yours, don't drink it. Not because its rude, but because there is something like a 50/50 change that what's in it isn't what the label says...
Brake fluid, acetone, fiberglass epoxy, etc.

[D.J.]

decorating our charlie brown christmas tree with an old micro-squirt ecu that never worked right

[coastertrav]

Originally posted by D.J.:
decorating our charlie brown christmas tree with an old micro-squirt ecu that never worked right

We should do that with our PE and Motec.

Our PE has been sent back too many times to count, and the Motec is from 1991 (and both coolant and IAT circuits don't work).

[-francisco-]

The fact that you spend more time reading RCVD than any other book from your M.E. course.

[Pennyman]

Originally posted by -francisco-:
The fact that you spend more time getting confused by RCVD than any other book from your M.E. course.

fixed

[Drew Price]

Originally posted by Pennyman:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by -francisco-:
The fact that you spend more time carrying around RCVD than any other book from your M.E. course.

fixed </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Fixed.

---------

Sending the guys who took over your spot on the team build and analysis files from the previous year .....

- - - -

.....and finding the 'last edited' time stamps are almost all from between 2:00am and 5:00am.....

- - - -

....on Friday and Saturday nights.



Best,
Drew

[Simon Dingle]

Coming into the workshop to find last year's car decorated like a Christmas tree with lights and tinsel.

[Simon Dingle]

Our powertrain manager spending an entire day (including an engine change) trying to work out why our car was smoking so badly, only to find out that someone had put bio-diesel in a petrol can!

[Welfares]

I don't beleive it, i thought we were the only ones dumb enough to steal someone's petrol, smoke up the entire lab building, only to realise it was bio-diesel.

[Jimmy_seven]

Originally posted by Simon Dingle:
Our powertrain manager spending an entire day (including an engine change) trying to work out why our car was smoking so badly, only to find out that someone had put bio-diesel in a petrol can!

I didn't enjoy this quite so much

[StevenWebb]

Originally posted by Brian S:
Explaining to the new guys that if you find an open drink in the shop, and it isn't yours, don't drink it. Not because its rude, but because there is something like a 50/50 change that what's in it isn't what the label says...

that "oh shit" feeling when you notice what you drank out of the coke you thought was yours wasnt coke.

that "oh thank fuck" feeling you get when you realise it was because you forgot your water bottle that day and filled it up with water an hour ago but didnt remember.

[JRod]

Seeing an attractive girl in the pits at comp, going into to said pits to talk to the girl, then spending the next hour talking to her boyfriend about their FSAE car and having her tell us to both "get a room."

[Kettering Admins]

Originally posted by AxelRipper:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by tgman:
Looking in the fridge and finding only epoxy and energy drinks

you open your fridge? I was given specific instructions NEVER to open the fridge or the microwave in our office </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

DAMN RIGHT FRESHMAN SCUM!

[Adambomb]

Knowing what to do when the diesel dually gels up in -22 deg. Minnesota weather on the way to a PR visit/picking up 300 lbs of free 7050 Al from a fantastic sponsor, instead of sitting there like a stick in the mud waiting for, well, whatever they do when you call in for assistance. Also friendly small town hardware stores that will lend you a filter wrench to get the fuel filter off.

[overdrive535]

Originally posted by Adambomb:
Knowing what to do when the diesel dually gels up in -22 deg. Minnesota weather on the way to a PR visit/picking up 300 lbs of free 7050 Al from a fantastic sponsor, instead of sitting there like a stick in the mud waiting for, well, whatever they do when you call in for assistance. Also friendly small town hardware stores that will lend you a filter wrench to get the fuel filter off.

Not Running Blended, are we?

[t21jj]

Originally posted by overdrive535:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Adambomb:
Knowing what to do when the diesel dually gels up in -22 deg. Minnesota weather on the way to a PR visit/picking up 300 lbs of free 7050 Al from a fantastic sponsor, instead of sitting there like a stick in the mud waiting for, well, whatever they do when you call in for assistance. Also friendly small town hardware stores that will lend you a filter wrench to get the fuel filter off.

Not Running Blended, are we? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It's a university truck running what ever the campus diesel pumps have. And they have not been driving it all that often apparently.

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by overdrive535:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Adambomb:
Knowing what to do when the diesel dually gels up in -22 deg. Minnesota weather on the way to a PR visit/picking up 300 lbs of free 7050 Al from a fantastic sponsor, instead of sitting there like a stick in the mud waiting for, well, whatever they do when you call in for assistance. Also friendly small town hardware stores that will lend you a filter wrench to get the fuel filter off.

Not Running Blended, are we? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Somewhat of a blend...as in #1 mixed with whatever was in there before. It was fueled a couple weeks prior, although it wasn't quite so stupid cold then so who knows. If I remember right our uni runs a biodiesel mix most of the time, which doesn't help matters from what I hear. After it started gelling we topped it off with the "best" stuff we could find in the area, which was #2 with a performance additive that was supposedly good to -20. That didn't help either.

My thoughts is we had some sort of veggie-oil goop clogging the filter, and didn't let the good 'ol Diesel 911 additive dissolve it out enough before we hit the road again. When we got back home it still had a MIL code set for plugged fuel filter.

[overdrive535]

biodiesel will do that...

I've had a problem for a couple of years now with my sled that someone once upon a time ran some E-10 in. Now I have something living in the tank that every winter clogs up one of the idle jets. I'm thinking of giving it a little wood grain alcohol and seeing how it likes that

[Grant Mahler]

Originally posted by overdrive535:
I'm thinking of giving it a little wood grain alcohol and seeing how it likes that

Please take video!

[tgman2]

-Using power tools at 3am in the morning
-Consuming far to much energy drink (2L in 4 hours)
-Combining the two above to provide a potent combination
-Having the suspension tear a hole in the chasis during autocross
-Fixing the car and having the drivetrain fail during enduro
-Going to the afterparty after 36 hours without sleep

[AxelRipper]

making kitchen utensils because you or your fellow team members are too cheap to just go buy one

[JRod]

...And then making them again because some assclown cut up the first set of home made utensils for something else.

[Jersey Tom]

Originally posted by tgman2:
-Consuming far to much energy drink (2L in 4 hours)

Wow. And I thought I was bad..

[TorqueWrench]

My record was 2 BFC Monsters and two of the 16oz ones in about 6 hours. Nothing like only being able to lay up composites between 10PM and 7AM. Two of us spent 7 days up on 13 hours of sleep that week and I am pretty sure my bank account dropped almost $75 on energy drinks and liquid motivator that week.

[AJS]

There's nothing like waking up at the crack of dawn to go pop a part from a mold and start laying up the next since you only have one vacuum pump. This being after you went to bed at 4am

[woodsy96]

-Finding jobs like this:
http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk323/woodsy96/vfocusgroup.jpg (V is a big energy drink in New Zealand)
-Rebadging peoples cars:
http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk323/woodsy96/800px-Car_rebadge.jpg
-2 stroke power tools:
http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk323/woodsy96/DSC00064.jpg
-Experimenting with different materials:
http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk323/woodsy96/IMG_0337.jpg
-Thinking of better states for the team leader's drawer at 3am, such as a savory snack tray
http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk323/woodsy96/IMG_0580.jpg
or a pond
http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk323/woodsy96/IMG_0600.jpg
or a jelly treat, filling it with expanding foam, covering everything with Vaseline, etc.
-How everything becomes hilarious and acceptable at 5am.

[MegaDeath]

-Watching a freshman throw a piece of steel across the shop via drill press
-Sleeping in the car while it is being setup
-When I say I drive race cars, guys always say "Wow, you must get a lot of chicks".......HAHAHAHAHA
-Having a team dinner a 9AM at The Country Diner
-Waking up people in 6 different resident halls at 4 in the morning before a track day to see if the new clutch cable would work.
-Watching a girl from the formula team teach 6 members from baja how to change the feed rate on the lathe...I wish I had a camera for that.
-Energy drinks......Enough said
-Fixing other peoples mistakes.....Oh wait, that's one of the things I hate.
-No Baja, you CAN NOT use a reamer as an end-mill.
-How much better I am at eyeballing now.

[alumasteel]

Sleeping in the car while it is being setup

Sleeping in the car while in queue for autocross

[Pennyman]

Had to post this somewhere.

Knowing no one on our team would do this
http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/156/hybrid3.jpg

[Stocky Fast 1]

Originally posted by MegaDeath:
-Watching a freshman throw a piece of steel across the shop via drill press
-Sleeping in the car while it is being setup
-When I say I drive race cars, guys always say "Wow, you must get a lot of chicks".......HAHAHAHAHA
-Having a team dinner a 9AM at The Country Diner
-Waking up people in 6 different resident halls at 4 in the morning before a track day to see if the new clutch cable would work.
-Watching a girl from the formula team teach 6 members from baja how to change the feed rate on the lathe...I wish I had a camera for that.
-Energy drinks......Enough said
-Fixing other peoples mistakes.....Oh wait, that's one of the things I hate.
-No Baja, you CAN NOT use a reamer as an end-mill.
-How much better I am at eyeballing now.

Being there for some of those BAJA moments and walking away scratching your head, like, really?

[Moke]

Originally posted by alumasteel:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Sleeping in the car while it is being setup

Sleeping in the car while in queue for autocross </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

We had one driver sleep during tilt test and fights for who would play driver during set up as you did get to have a sleep

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by Stocky Fast 1:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MegaDeath:
-Watching a freshman throw a piece of steel across the shop via drill press
-Sleeping in the car while it is being setup
-When I say I drive race cars, guys always say "Wow, you must get a lot of chicks".......HAHAHAHAHA
-Having a team dinner a 9AM at The Country Diner
-Waking up people in 6 different resident halls at 4 in the morning before a track day to see if the new clutch cable would work.
-Watching a girl from the formula team teach 6 members from baja how to change the feed rate on the lathe...I wish I had a camera for that.
-Energy drinks......Enough said
-Fixing other peoples mistakes.....Oh wait, that's one of the things I hate.
-No Baja, you CAN NOT use a reamer as an end-mill.
-How much better I am at eyeballing now.

Being there for some of those BAJA moments and walking away scratching your head, like, really? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

+1e99

[Adam Vaughan]

Reading the forums at odd hours of the morning as if it's my duty to god and country.

[Stocky Fast 1]

Originally posted by Adam Vaughan:
Reading the forums at odd hours of the morning as if it's my duty to god and country.

+1 It passes the time.

[Barky]

Team building activities: drinking and playing Forza 3, while recording results via excel spreadsheets.

http://images2e.snapfish.com/232323232%7Ffp53836%3Enu%3D359%3B%3E3%3A6%3E255%3E WSNRCG%3D32%3A645%3C6%3C%3B346nu0mrj

[Adambomb]

Nice. I know this is bad to say...but I've noticed a consistent 2-3 second improvement on my lap times in GT3 after about 3-4 beers, and times didn't start falling off to pre-drinking times until about 6 beers. Again, not that I would ever condone drinking and racing...

[AxelRipper]

and now for the listing of the ever expanding catalog of Rippermade™ formula kitchen utensils.

first up, the serrated knife:

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs179.snc3/20640_281428501759_648196759_4977103_1198914_n.jpg

next, the steel control arm banana hanger:

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs199.snc3/20640_283448571759_648196759_4985924_5001948_n.jpg

and finally, the cross drilled and slotted, high performance 6" stainless steel pizza cutter

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs199.snc3/20640_295353811759_648196759_5037967_2846713_n.jpg

[Bazanaius]

Nice. I know this is bad to say...but I've noticed a consistent 2-3 second improvement on my lap times in GT3 after about 3-4 beers, and times didn't start falling off to pre-drinking times until about 6 beers.

This is known as 'the 3 pint peak' and is almost 100% scientific fact. Following a sharp bell curve, as the user approaches 3 pints of beer, they become generally better at everything. This 'ability to do anything' augmentation value drops quickly to below 1 after 4 pints, eventually falling to zero at death.

By the numbers you give I'd imagine you are drinking beers smaller than a pint, or you are massively hardcore.

[Mikey Antonakakis]

Originally posted by Adambomb:
Nice. I know this is bad to say...but I've noticed a consistent 2-3 second improvement on my lap times in GT3 after about 3-4 beers, and times didn't start falling off to pre-drinking times until about 6 beers. Again, not that I would ever condone drinking and racing...
Playing RacePro for the first time, I peaked at beer 8. My lap times were several seconds faster than my buddy who owned the game, and was sober. I'd imagine it's probably totally different when your body has to move with the car though...

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by Bazanaius:
By the numbers you give I'd imagine you are drinking beers smaller than a pint, or you are massively hardcore.

Yeah, these were all 12 oz. (355 mL) beers (in typical US style). Unfortunately not even a U.S. pint, which also happens to be smaller than an Imperial pint (which, according to Wikipedia, is also only 1/3 as much as a Scottish pint).

[Barky]

Originally posted by Bazanaius:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Nice. I know this is bad to say...but I've noticed a consistent 2-3 second improvement on my lap times in GT3 after about 3-4 beers, and times didn't start falling off to pre-drinking times until about 6 beers.

This is known as 'the 3 pint peak' and is almost 100% scientific fact. Following a sharp bell curve, as the user approaches 3 pints of beer, they become generally better at everything. This 'ability to do anything' augmentation value drops quickly to below 1 after 4 pints, eventually falling to zero at death.

By the numbers you give I'd imagine you are drinking beers smaller than a pint, or you are massively hardcore. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Also known as the Ballmer Peak:

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/ballmer_peak.png
xkcd.com

[The AFX Master]

Come on guys.. Forza??

That's a toy, Wii Boxing is far better as a Racing sim than forza..

Live For Speed or rFactor..

In fact, there's a nice telemetry program that reads LFS replays... And that's the sole excuse for the suspension guys to drive @ dynamics lab with a Logitech Momo.

"Sure sir... we're preppin' the new setup, yes yes... LFS, no!, we aren't doing some donuts and the crap.. "

[woodsy96]

We did LFS, both a quicktime leaderboard in the FBMW around Blackwood and 8 way Lan in the workshop.

I wish you could buy Pizza Wheels like Axelripper's. That thing is a work of art.

[AxelRipper]

Originally posted by woodsy96:
I wish you could buy Pizza Wheels like Axelripper's. That thing is a work of art.

thanks... thats what happens when you have too much time on your hands.

and a plasmacam

[tgman]

-Playing grid and only being good at open wheeled races
-Finding more cad models than bikini models in recently viewed files
-CAD/FEA withdrawal symptoms during the holidays
-Mowing the lawn and looking at the motor thinking of putting the old turbocharged v twin there instead of the little 2stroke thing there at the moment

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by tgman:
-Mowing the lawn and looking at the motor thinking of putting the old turbocharged v twin there instead of the little 2stroke thing there at the moment

Haha, I'm not the only one who's thought about hot rodding my lawnmower! I actually wanted to squeeze a bit more power out of it due to the fact that I generally mow infrequently enough that the ol' Snapper can't quite get through the thick stuff in 3rd gear. I also thought it would be cool to put ape hangers on it. It's one of these:

http://cdn3.ioffer.com/img/item/117/398/427/Ck2x.jpg

BTW, Snapper riding mowers are friggen awesome. Mine was built in '84, and last summer I went through it for the first time in the 6 years I've owned it. Spent like $11.50 on a new clutch, $2 on a spark plug, replaced a couple of $3 bushings and spent maybe upwards of $6 on a tube of 00 grease and she's good as new. Oh year, for servicing, the factory recommends screwing the gas cap vent shut, giving a slight (60 lbf) heave ho on the front of it and setting it on end on the bag supports. Then you can sharpen the blades without taking them off using an angle grinder.

[Simon Dingle]

Slowly moving all your kitchen equipment in the workshop.

Taking delivery of a small composites oven and thinking "Great! Now we can make pizza"

Wondering how much hassle it would be to hang up a hammock.

Wondering how many 'your mum' jokes one person can take before they snap...

Paying rent on a house I barely live in.

And my favourite at the moment: Working 100hrs in a week to meet a self-imposed deadline.

[Adambomb]

The Tiki MANifold

http://www.sae.stuorg.iastate.edu/zenphoto/cache/formula/engine/engine/P2130016.JPG_595.jpg

Ferrari dyno stands

http://www.sae.stuorg.iastate.edu/zenphoto/cache/formula/engine/engine/P2130017.JPG_595.jpg

http://www.sae.stuorg.iastate.edu/zenphoto/cache/formula/engine/engine/P2130018.JPG_595.jpg

...that also utilize chrome water necks designed for a Small Block Chevy V8

http://www.sae.stuorg.iastate.edu/zenphoto/cache/formula/engine/engine/P2130025.JPG_595.jpg

[Ockham]

-Finding a CBR600RR engine's natural frequency when the clutch nut flies out through the side cover.
-Having a rich cylinder pre-ignite at exactly the right time to snap a rod in three pieces and bend the wrist pin journals enough to wedge the whole piston in the liner.
-Running a test stand engine with no exhaust at all in the hall of the brand new engineering building.
-Having a wiring harness work perfectly on the first try.
-Having a problem with every single circuit in a wiring harness.
-Putting 40,000V through your engine tuner's laptop with an iffy coil pack wiring job.
-Existing on beef lo mein, Jimmy John's cookies, and Vernors
-"Yeah, I can weld that!"
-"Another 500 RPM."
-"Tits!"
-"There are 376 rows in this Excel sheet. Two chances to make a mistake in each row. I'm gonna die." (wiring)
-"Can I ask a simple question?" "There's no such thing."
-"This will blow your mind off."

[coastertrav]

Cooking shop hotdogs (can also be done on one side of an aluminum plate while the other side is being welded).

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs401.snc3/24331_383734039202_691079202_5030990_1775093_n.jpg

Matt and his bear sweatshirt (also him failing all over the floor of Wendy's during shop dinner and the laughter from our side of the empty restaurant).

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs401.snc3/24331_382634159202_691079202_5028128_7727373_n.jpg

Doing Amway fundraisers for the car and discovering the odd mitt for getting hotdogs out of the steamer.

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs408.snc3/24666_363883439202_691079202_4964214_162322_n.jpg

Having an absurd amount of money on my desk that isn't mine, but I get to spend it exactly how I would if it were (on the racecar).

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs467.snc3/25643_357610144202_691079202_4939887_7931662_n.jpg

[coastertrav]

Bump for my pictures showing up.

[Mikey Antonakakis]

Exhaust valves:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y294/hhspunter/exhaustvalves.png

[Ruth]

- existing on Kebap, Pizza and McDonalds-Stuff
- being advanced within one month from the "2nd Miss Formula SAE Italy 2009" (most embarassing award ever, especially for the organizers of the event)to the team captain of TU Graz Racing Team http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[coastertrav]

I love fsae for the predictable jump in Google searches for "Ruth Tu Graz FSAE" that will be happening in the immediate future.

[Mikey Antonakakis]

Bump for my pic on the last page

[Bemo]

Order five pizza hawaii at the kebap store and the answer is "Rennteam?"


Originally posted by Ruth:
- being advanced within one month from the "2nd Miss Formula SAE Italy 2009" (most embarassing award ever, especially for the organizers of the event)to the team captain of TU Graz Racing Team http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

"The Ruth - the Ruth - the Ruth is on fire!!!"

I guess nobody will ever forget that award ceremony...

[DART-CG]

The early summer nights/mornings when working in our new store always had some priceless moments:

Every morning shortly before sunrise a bunch of rabbits from the woods nearby assembled around our older racecars in front of the shop to do their shaggy shaggy thing.

Regrettably we all were so exhausted that nobody actually took a photo of these scences. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[MalcolmG]

Originally posted by coastertrav:
I love fsae for the predictable jump in Google searches for "Ruth Tu Graz FSAE" that will be happening in the immediate future.

Kind of ironic that the first hit that Google finds is this post, haha

[Dsenechal]

Originally posted by MalcolmG:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by coastertrav:
I love fsae for the predictable jump in Google searches for "Ruth Tu Graz FSAE" that will be happening in the immediate future.

Kind of ironic that the first hit that Google finds is this post, haha </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Why bother with google??

The true creepers look on tugraz's website and find her picture... oh wait

[coastertrav]

Haha...and I've heard Facebook is pretty good.

Sorry Ruth, just giving you a hard time. In reality I'm a little jealous.

[The AFX Master]

"The Ruth - the Ruth - the Ruth is on fire!!!"

I guess nobody will ever forget that award ceremony...

We don't need no water, let the..

[alumasteel]

I love how excited formula guys get at the thought of an attractive female being genuinely interested in FSAE/FS... especially those that actually make worthwhile contributions to their team and don't just hang around the shop.

[Bemo]

Perhabs an explanation to everybody who didn't have the oportunity to be at the award ceremony at FSAE Italy last year.

They had a price for Miss FSAE Italy and they had a "Highest female participation award" for the team which brought the most girls. On the other hand they didn't have awards for most of the disciplines.
I think that Miss FSAE thing lasted an hour or something until some Italian girl got the award and Ruth was second.
I still can't believe that this actually happened. The whole time I thought I was only dreaming. Still not sure whether it was a good or a bad dream...

[Ruth]

The true creepers look on tugraz's website and find her picture... oh wait

...what an easy way of increasing the numbers of hits on our website

by the way this just makes me realize that fsae guys are just the same, no matter where they come from

[MalcolmG]

Originally posted by Ruth:
by the way this just makes me realize that fsae guys are just the same, no matter where they come from

I think you'll find that guys in general are the same, no matter where they come from...

[Scrappy]

Originally posted by Ruth:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> The true creepers look on tugraz's website and find her picture... oh wait

...what an easy way of increasing the numbers of hits on our website

by the way this just makes me realize that fsae guys are just the same, no matter where they come from </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ruth, on the other hand, girls on my team have had the luxury of taking their pick of the litter to an extent...i imagine thats the same everywhere else too!

[kapps]

Or they just get creeped-out at all the guys making miserable attempts at hitting on them (this is mainly engineering guys we're talking about... http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif)

[Zac]

I don't know that getting the pick of the litter from any FSAE team is anything to really write home about.

Also, isn't rampant dating within the team (teamcest?) a really good way to derail everything?

[Ruth]

Originally posted by Scrappy:

Ruth, on the other hand, girls on my team have had the luxury of taking their pick of the litter to an extent...i imagine thats the same everywhere else too!

some wise words scrappy, since i am not a native spaker of english, took a time for me to get what "to take the pick of the litter means", but you are probably right http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

by the way i did not mean to offend anyone, trying to be funny or sarcastic in a language that is not your mother tongue, sometimes causes some misunderstandings

[DART-CG]

Originally posted by Bemo:

I think that Miss FSAE thing lasted an hour or something until some Italian girl got the award and Ruth was second.
I still can't believe that this actually happened. The whole time I thought I was only dreaming. Still not sure whether it was a good or a bad dream...

I still can't believe some other incidents during that weekend http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Nevermind, the italian way of supervising a competition is like an old mid-70's F1 race. "Fuck the safety, this is a sport for real men with big parties and beautiful girls."

[alumasteel]

by the way i did not mean to offend anyone, trying to be funny or sarcastic in a language that is not your mother tongue, sometimes causes some misunderstandings

I wouldn't worry about it. If there is a universal Formula language, it is sarcasm.

[Simon Dingle]

I don't know that getting the pick of the litter from any FSAE team is anything to really write home about.


Reminds me of something I heard a girl say about the amount of guys on an engineering course: "The odds might be good, but the goods are a litle odd."

[Adam Vaughan]

I think these are appropriate for this discussion...

Specimen A:
http://notcooperedu.org/~vaugha/a.jpg

Specimen B:
http://notcooperedu.org/~vaugha/b.jpg

We set the latter as a desktop background for one of the girls on our team... she suggested Johnny Depp would have been a better choice.


Originally posted by Simon Dingle:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I don't know that getting the pick of the litter from any FSAE team is anything to really write home about.


Reminds me of something I heard a girl say about the amount of guys on an engineering course: "The odds might be good, but the goods are a litle odd." </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Kirby]

Originally posted by Zac:
Also, isn't rampant dating within the team (teamcest?) a really good way to derail everything?

Yes. We had a spate of that in 07...The team didn't get a car built that year.

[Barky]

waking up and finding 5/8" bolts in your bed

[coastertrav]

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs518.snc3/27183_399690204202_691079202_5074350_1250436_n.jpg

"Is Matt soldering with a heat gun?"
"Yes, yes he is..."
Matt-"BUT IT WORKS SO MUCH BETTER THAN I EXPECTED!!!"

[kapps]

Really guys???

But seriously, that heat gun is a champ. it baked on our exhaust paint last year before we put the headers on the car for the final burn in. And it provided much needed warmth in Michigan for the past two years in the back of the trailer.

[coastertrav]

Seriously, it worked so well. The pos soldering irons we have struggle with anything over 22awg, and I believe that he was trying to solder 12awg grounding wires. Initially he was just prewarming the wires, but on a test poke the solder flowed so well Matt decided that this was new shop protocol.

Also I love FSAE for being correct all along (something about Baja casting aluminum gearboxes then helping design a machinable one at the last minute because...well, why the hell would you cast something?).

[L B0MB]

I love how the first question asked by every member of the public about our car is:

"How fast does it go?"

I always think:

"I don't bloody know and I'm too shit scared to find out"

[Luniz]

Hehe... I once did find out how fast ours is, and yes, I've been scared to death by the way that thing handles at 170km/h or so... Those vehicles are not really designed for that sort of speed, at least ours isn't!

[t21jj]

Originally posted by L B0MB:
I love how the first question asked by every member of the public about our car is:

"How fast does it go?"



+1 I HATE that question! I just give them the generic "It's gearing limited to about 100 mph but we don't normally run that fast".

Except that one time at a local auto cross event at an airport last summer. We were just narrow enough to take about the first third of the course flat out (the full size cars could not do this). We made it all the way into 6th gear and the low to mid 90mph range. And then a second time on the last third of the course we were able to do it again. Needless to say that was a fun track, but those cones come up really fast at that speed.

I've also posted a really great photo that someone took of the car right at the fastest part of the front half of the course pending post approval.

[t21jj]

Originally posted by t21jj:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by L B0MB:
I love how the first question asked by every member of the public about our car is:

"How fast does it go?"



+1 I HATE that question! I just give them the generic "It's gearing limited to about 100 mph but we don't normally run that fast".

Except that one time at a local auto cross event at an airport last summer. We were just narrow enough to take about the first third of the course flat out (the full size cars could not do this). We made it all the way into 6th gear and the low to mid 90mph range. And then a second time on the last third of the course we were able to do it again. Needless to say that was a fun track, but those cones come up really fast at that speed. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Here is a photo that someone took right at the fastest part of the first part of the course.
http://www.sae.stuorg.iastate.edu/zenphoto/zp-core/i.php?a=formula%2F2006-2007-formula&i=19073_726666492530_16912542_42517494_3026906_n.j pg&s=595

[Brian Barnhill]

Originally posted by L B0MB:
I love how the first question asked by every member of the public about our car is:

"How fast does it go?"

I always think:

"I don't bloody know and I'm too shit scared to find out"

++1! Get it all the time... I too found out how fast they go in one of our older cars, and yes, it's pretty scary... There is a reason the car we built after that had a change in gearing.

I love how that even though I graduated in 08 I still have an FSAE car in my garage, and am working on the frantic FSAE schedule to get the car out for the First AutoX this weekend (and first since I bought the car from the school.) You can quit anytime but you can never leave...

[ibanezplayer]

Originally posted by L B0MB:
I love how the first question asked by every member of the public about our car is:

"How fast does it go?"

I always think:

"I don't bloody know and I'm too shit scared to find out"

One of our test locations usually attracts members from the local traffic division, and on really good days the street racing division.

We were tired and packing up just as they pulled in but they wanted to see it run. Apparently their radar guns could only take a reading every few seconds, but I never wanted to know that we can easily do 130 in that lot...

My favorite part of every officer visit is how quickly the tough-guy facade comes off once they find out we have permission, who we are, and what we're doing.

[coastertrav]

I love the fact that this is my favorite thread on the internet because I get to see that I'm not the only one.

[AxelRipper]

Originally posted by L B0MB:
I love how the first question asked by every member of the public about our car is:

"How fast does it go?"

I always think:

"I don't bloody know and I'm too shit scared to find out"


ha... i think i may have used this before about our 06/training car with the unrestricted, carbed f4i in it. to date, I have only shifted into 2nd gear on one occasion. we have yet to run in a lot big enough to actually warrant shifting... plus the massive steel shift linkage on it is not the easiest thing to use.

maybe this summer at an SCCA event i'll get to see what 3rd feels like haha

[Simon Dingle]

+1 I HATE that question! I just give them the generic "It's gearing limited to about 100 mph but we don't normally run that fast".
+1 must have had that conversation, word for word (!), 10 times a day at the last show we exhibited at.

Although not as annoying as "So, how much power does it make?" Standard reply is "about 85bhp, but it's a restricted class"

It's never cool having to explain why you make less power than they expected http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif

[AxelRipper]

Originally posted by Simon Dingle:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">+1 I HATE that question! I just give them the generic "It's gearing limited to about 100 mph but we don't normally run that fast".
+1 must have had that conversation, word for word (!), 10 times a day at the last show we exhibited at.

Although not as annoying as "So, how much power does it make?" Standard reply is "about 85bhp, but it's a restricted class"

It's never cool having to explain why you make less power than they expected http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

try explaining why you only make 35... they calm down a little when you mention that it weighs under 400 wet.

[js10coastr]

Originally posted by L B0MB:
I love how the first question asked by every member of the public about our car is:

"How fast does it go?"

I always think:

"I don't bloody know and I'm too shit scared to find out"

As an FSAE alum, I always find it necessary to ask students "How fast does it go?" and "Who gets to drive?" Seems to be the two standard question every FSAE team gets asked...

[Matthew Bell]

+1 on the top speed
We just tell them that it's geared to like 150, but our competition focuses on handling, and you're an inch off the ground, so 35 feels like 70.
Raise you "what's it do in the quarter mile?"
Not to help a stereotype, but it seems like most of the people we run across only understand straight lines and funny shaped circles, oh and get upset when we say "it has to turn left AND right..."

Also, my favorite thing so far this year is using a 15 year old Dremel tool to cut, shape, de-burr almost every part on the car. And then having to take a personal day when it stopped working, since it's been with me since child-hood. After said personal day, coming in, stripping it apart and figuring out how to make the damn thing work again!

[t21jj]

Originally posted by Simon Dingle:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">+1 I HATE that question! I just give them the generic "It's gearing limited to about 100 mph but we don't normally run that fast".
+1 must have had that conversation, word for word (!), 10 times a day at the last show we exhibited at.

Although not as annoying as "So, how much power does it make?" Standard reply is "about 85bhp, but it's a restricted class"

It's never cool having to explain why you make less power than they expected http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The worst one that I got on a regular basis was "Is that the Solar car?" Standard reply is a simple "um no". And if they push the issue it's "Do you see any solar cells?!?!?" Often followed by them asking "oh, do you know where the solar car is." My response "I don't know" and somtimes "I don't care." Our engineering college likes to push our craptastic Solar car team to the media. God people are stupid!

Another good one is "Does that have a 350 Chevy in it?" Followed by right after telling them the engine rules "You should put a 350 Chevy in it."

On the top speed one I'll sometimes give it to them in really odd ball units if I'm really annoyed that day and let them figure it out.

Several years ago I spent a week in the Iowa State University both at the State Fair with the car answering all these type of questions and more. All while not being allowed to sit down at all.

[Simon Dingle]

Raise you "what's it do in the quarter mile?"
I've always wanted to enter our car in a quarter mile day. But our drivers are tooo scared, something about a short wheelbase and concrete walls :P


On the top speed one I'll sometimes give it to them in really odd ball units if I'm really annoyed that day and let them convert figure it out.
We played a similar game when asked about our university's electric bike, none of us knew the power it was supposed to make and the last time it went on the rolling road it only made 9kW, so we just started making numbers up. One of the team decided to keep going higher until someone questioned him about it.

[Luniz]

I think FSAE cars suck on the quarter mile. They reach a speed of around to 100km/h (or 60 mph) in 75 meters, but after that there's not much more to come. Unfortunately the quarter mile is around 400m ;-)

[D.J.]

We had a show this weekend in boston and everyone asked why our carb was so small I must have said "thats a throttle body, its fuel injected, its small because there is a restrictor" a hundred times

[Moke]

Here are a selection of some of the wining questions we get. We keep a record of them on the team wiki as they are so awesome:

After seeing the carbon stripe - "Oh wow look, it's solar powered!" - Paeroa 2009

"Is this the NOS button? No thats the upshift. Is THIS the NOS button? NO, thats the DOWNshift!" - Coke Careers Expo 2008, pointing at the clearly marked up/down buttons.

"Oh bro, ma cuz haz one ah deez, aye" - Coke Careers Expo 2008 Also:

"My mate has one of these" - Looking at the '04 at Big Boys Toys in 2004, when it was the first ever FSAE car in New Zealand.

"How much HP does it have? 92. So, my WRX has over 250!" - German kid, Coke Careers Expo '08

"Looks like your car needs a wheel alignment" - Guy pointing at wear marks on inside of tires O-Week 09 (to be fair, this is probably a reasonable remark to make)

"Man, your tires haven't got any grip left, eh?" Frequent response from fuckwits about the use of slicks a.k.a.i.n.s. "no grips"

"Is this a drag car?" Man pointing to '06 at Superbike Nationals Pukekohe '09

"Is this a quad bike?" Boy pointing to '04 at Superbike Nationals Pukekohe '09

[Points to a heater] "What's that?".. "It's a heater" - Coke Careers Expo '09

Boy: "How fast does..." James: "500!" - Coke Careers Expo '09

"Oh bro, what's this?" - "A car..." - "Oh true?" - Coke Careers Expo '09

"Oh bro, what's this?" - "Race car we built" - "Oh sorry eh, hardout" - Coke Careers Expo '09

"How fast does it go?" - "Faster than a Ferrari" - "How fast is a Ferrari?" - "Faster than a Lamborgini" - "How fast is a Lamborgini?" - "Not as fast as this" (Pointing at '06) - Coke Careers Expo '09

"Does it have an engine or do you push it?" - Coke careers Expo '09

"Is this a Holden?" - Coke careers Expo '09

"You need more camber" - "why?" - "looks better" - Big boys toys 2004

I've also given power in dB to confuse people.

[Zac]

"Looks like your car needs a wheel alignment" - Guy pointing at wear marks on inside of tires O-Week 09 (to be fair, this is probably a reasonable remark to make)

I think this one is likely true of most teams. I've seen all kinds of jacked up alignments at competition.

[chavez]

Originally posted by AxelRipper:
i actually may take one of our cars out to lapeer or milan sometime this summer to see what it will run in the 1/4... i'm REALLY curious, especially on the unrestricted one


Back in 06, we use to use the staging area of Rockingham drawgway to test. The owner told us we could go anywhere on the facility, which eventually led to trying a couple runs down the strip. Its scary as hell, considering that there isn't any grip and you reach top speed of the car in like 150 meters. Looking back it probably wasn't the safest idea at the time.

[Brian Barnhill]

Originally posted by chavez:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by AxelRipper:
i actually may take one of our cars out to lapeer or milan sometime this summer to see what it will run in the 1/4... i'm REALLY curious, especially on the unrestricted one


Back in 06, we use to use the staging area of Rockingham drawgway to test. The owner told us we could go anywhere on the facility, which eventually led to trying a couple runs down the strip. Its scary as hell, considering that there isn't any grip and you reach top speed of the car in like 150 meters. Looking back it probably wasn't the safest idea at the time. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

We have used a local dragstrip staging area for testing as well, with the same "you can use anywhere in this area" statment... We only ran through the 1/8th though, and timing wasn't on. It was scarily fun to do once, but I wouldn't go it again.

[L B0MB]

Originally posted by Moke:
"How fast does it go?" - "Faster than a Ferrari" - "How fast is a Ferrari?" - "Faster than a Lamborgini" - "How fast is a Lamborgini?" - "Not as fast as this" (Pointing at '06) - Coke Careers Expo '09


Gold!


Originally posted by Moke:
I've also given power in dB to confuse people.

More Gold!

[Jon Oneill]

Just adding to the stupid questions at events:

Q: "Where is the turbo?"
A: "It doesn't have one"
Q: "Why not? It would go so much faster bro"
A: "It doesn't need one. (insert usual explanation here)"
Q: "But my skyline does +200kph and it has 2"
A: "That may be so, but we dont need one."

After 3 of these guys, All of a sudden our water pump magically becomes a TURBO.

Q: "Where is the turbo?"
A: "Right there (Davis Craig water pump)"
Q: "Oh, its custom. Thats so awesome."

We've even sat a prehistoric Garrett in our chassis just ahead of the engine to give ourselves an answer for the question. You don't even have to connect it. Just point and you'll always get "sick dude" as a reply.

[Hector]

Q: "Where is the turbo?"
A: "Right there (Davis Craig water pump)"
Q: "Oh, its custom. Thats so awesome."
It's amazing how much like a turbo those things look like at first glance. About once a month some random person will walk in our shop, point at the thing, and call it a turbo.

/side note, anyone else done a flow/electric power comparison on a Davies pumps?
//not good...

[t21jj]

Taking the our 2009 car to the 2010 World of Wheels show in Des Moines and having the one and only Chip Foose sketch and autograph the car.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c142/tviper2005/24829_524832854374_78300324_3112855.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c142/tviper2005/24829_524832385314_78300324_3112854.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c142/tviper2005/24829_524832360364_78300324_3112853.jpg

He even did this after spending the previous 9 hours at the show signing autographs. Last thing he did before leaving for the night.

[t21jj]

Edit: Post with pics was approved

[MalcolmG]

that's awesome, we got our 2007 car signed by a bunch of A1GP drivers in 2008, which was cool, until somebody *coughwoodsycough* decided to give the car a clean and wiped most of them off.

Similar thing happened when Scott Dixon signed our 2008 car. I'd recommend immediately putting some clear vinyl over it to protect it...

[Hector]

@t21jj

That is pretty awesome. Congrats on getting your car signed.

[t21jj]

Originally posted by MalcolmG:
that's awesome, we got our 2007 car signed by a bunch of A1GP drivers in 2008, which was cool, until somebody *coughwoodsycough* decided to give the car a clean and wiped most of them off.

Similar thing happened when Scott Dixon signed our 2008 car. I'd recommend immediately putting some clear vinyl over it to protect it...

Yeah we are working on a plan for that. People can be pretty dumb some times.

[woodsy96]

Originally posted by t21jj:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MalcolmG:
that's awesome, we got our 2007 car signed by a bunch of A1GP drivers in 2008, which was cool, until somebody *coughwoodsycough* decided to give the car a clean and wiped most of them off.

Similar thing happened when Scott Dixon signed our 2008 car. I'd recommend immediately putting some clear vinyl over it to protect it...

Yeah we are working on a plan for that. People can be pretty dumb some times. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Touche.

Kinda off topic, but I am still not a fan of 'celebs' signing FSAE cars: if there is room for signatures, it should be being sold to sponsors http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif. I would much rather that any spare space was signed by the team members who put hundreds of hours into building the car. I remember seeing that on the back of a car at FSAE-A last year, thought it was cool.

[t21jj]

Originally posted by woodsy96:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by t21jj:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MalcolmG:
that's awesome, we got our 2007 car signed by a bunch of A1GP drivers in 2008, which was cool, until somebody *coughwoodsycough* decided to give the car a clean and wiped most of them off.

Similar thing happened when Scott Dixon signed our 2008 car. I'd recommend immediately putting some clear vinyl over it to protect it...

Yeah we are working on a plan for that. People can be pretty dumb some times. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Touche.

Kinda off topic, but I am still not a fan of 'celebs' signing FSAE cars: if there is room for signatures, it should be being sold to sponsors http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif. I would much rather that any spare space was signed by the team members who put hundreds of hours into building the car. I remember seeing that on the back of a car at FSAE-A last year, thought it was cool. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Normally I'd agree on a new car that has not competed yet. However in this case the car he signed competed at FSAE Michigan last year and won't be seeing anything but SCCA style autocross events from now on.

[Mikey Antonakakis]

-The ridiculous photoshoot we just did for our first ever Columbia FSAE Calendar.

[coastertrav]

Originally posted by Mikey Antonakakis:
-The ridiculous photoshoot we just did for our first ever Columbia FSAE Calendar.

I prey that you are waiting for the pictures to be approved.

[Mikey Antonakakis]

Originally posted by coastertrav:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mikey Antonakakis:
-The ridiculous photoshoot we just did for our first ever Columbia FSAE Calendar.

I prey that you are waiting for the pictures to be approved. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Oh trust me, I'll keep you guys updated. Some of them are pretty good.

[Rotary Sprocket]

Our University hired a photographer to take a bunch of pictures of our car to promote what we thought was the mechanical engineering major. Instead, we discovered they used them to promote the mechanical polymer major. I just thought it was hilarious to see our car on the cover of the mechanical polymer pamplet.

[Mikey Antonakakis]

-When you finally get parts fabricated and start putting them together, and things speed up... Bare chassis to rolling chassis in one night. Well, maybe by the morning.

EDIT:
Realizing some tabs were made completely incorrectly and we forgot to make half the spacers for our shocks. We can fix the tabs tonight, but the lathe in our shop is broken, so those spacers definitely won't happen tonight. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif

[mp24]

I love the fact that our red coolant over flow bottles on either side of the engine are always mistaken for NOS canisters. hahaha next question they ask, after the usual turbo and speed ones.

[EPMAl]

-When your bathroom lectures are all related to race car engineering.

[Andy K]

Everyone taking power naps:
- in the bed of our pickup truck
- on the back floor of the pickup
- on the office waiting-room style chair/couch I pulled out the dumpster next to our shop

- What starts off as a Friday morning on a long Easter weekend... 10 guys and 36 sleepless hours (each) later = running FSAE car and a successful shakedown run. What a feeling.

[coastertrav]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs386.snc3/23577_412187479202_691079202_5226057_5061887_n.jpg

Someone said nap time?

[Adambomb]

Nice...

I just did the 4-armless-chairs-lined-up-in-a-row power nap (chassis team leader was power-napping on the couch).

BTW...getting the couch was the best thing EVER. Some fool from baja thinks we need to get rid of it (we're also pretty sure he's the one that took the fuzzy dice out of the dually because he thinks they're "unprofessional"...coming from the fool who as far as I can tell has never had a "real" job). This only results in angry outbursts and maniacal death threats from formula team leaders.

[Drew Price]

Originally posted by Adambomb:
Some fool from baja thinks we need to get rid of it (.... he's the one that took the fuzzy dice out of the dually because he thinks they're "unprofessional"...).

I don't understand .... I have never met a Baja participant who would use this argument.....

Like.....

Ever......

Are you sure he's not actually on your team? http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif



Best,
Drew

[Adambomb]

Yeah, mostly just one person. Seeing as how this is a public forum I'd prefer not to expand on this... http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[Adambomb]

But yeah, in the last 3 years or so there has been sort of a "personality flip flop" between baja and formula. We're hardcore and rowdy, and somehow baja has become the opposite.

[Drew Price]

In the last few years....



---------->Technical Director Fall '07, '08-'09, '09-'10
Suspension Team Leader '06-'07
Random Grunt '02-'06



I see.....


Best,
Drew

[t21jj]

Originally posted by Drew Price:
In the last few years....


<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">---------->Technical Director Fall '07, '08-'09, '09-'10
Suspension Team Leader '06-'07
Random Grunt '02-'06



I see.....


Best,
Drew </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

We had a majority of the team graduate in the spring of 07. Needless to say many things changed, that was also the last time we ran a 4 cylinder.

[coastertrav]

I love SAE. CNC fixed/rebuilt at 4am with no tools in the shop except random allen wrenches, a 3/4" open ended wrench, and a leatherman because Baja took the toolbox to South Carolina. Uprights getting started finally while jamming to some Lady Gaga, Aqua, Daft Punk, Gunther, and whatever else decides to play on Baja Radio.

[Mike Cook]

Ok. I'm glad were not the only team that is randomly missing all our tools because baja decided they would need every wrench out of the toolbox (even though they really only need like 2).

And while were on the topic, I got a call yesterday and our baja team was second in design! they didn't even have the car done until they left 12 hours before. I have lost all faith in humanity to distinguish between good and bad.

[GianVioli]

The thing I love the most about Formula SAE is getting extensions on dead-lines just because there's too much work to do before comp! Used it twice last week!

[The AFX Master]

... Because the only real deadline on F-SAE is May 2nd week.

[Matthew Bell]

Having over two hours of data to sort through from one day of testing. In short, I love data acquisition!

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by coastertrav:
I love SAE. CNC fixed/rebuilt at 4am with no tools in the shop except random allen wrenches, a 3/4" open ended wrench, and a leatherman because Baja took the toolbox to South Carolina. Uprights getting started finally while jamming to some Lady Gaga, Aqua, Daft Punk, Gunther, and whatever else decides to play on Baja Radio.

Yes, Baja Radio has been the only thing keeping us going the last couple weeks. Our engine team leader has consumed his month's worth of quota on his free account in about 6 days.

BTW, there is a simple upgrade we've found for the old link to the station that makes it 100% more awesome: add the song "Maniac" by Michael Sembello. You won't regret it.

[Mikey Antonakakis]

How do I add that? There is no option to "add variety."

[Adambomb]

Hmm, have you "made it your own" yet? Try thumbs-upping (or thumbs-downing) something, then it should ask if you want to "make it your own," then you should be able to add variety.

[Whis]

Yeah. I'm that engine team leader. I was down to about 34 hours on the 6th. I walked into the shop listening to Pandora on my phone one day and Pandora was playing on the shop computer. I was like, sweet. Forgot to turn off my phone. Turned out, Pandora was on my account in the shop too.

[kapps]

Originally posted by Adambomb:
BTW, there is a simple upgrade we've found for the old link to the station that makes it 100% more awesome: add the song "Maniac" by Michael Sembello. You won't regret it.

Another good song http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif . I have to say, there are quite a few good songs that play on that station but quite a few more that are just plain weird. It did get us through last friday night though.

[RollingCamel]

Originally posted by coastertrav:
I love SAE. CNC fixed/rebuilt at 4am with no tools in the shop except random allen wrenches, a 3/4" open ended wrench, and a leatherman because Baja took the toolbox to South Carolina. Uprights getting started finally while jamming to some Lady Gaga, Aqua, Daft Punk, Gunther, and whatever else decides to play on Baja Radio.

Lady Gaga.....Aqua!

I have midterm exam tomorrow and I'm staying awake. Holy Wars....The Punishment Due rock'n inside my head.

[Ockham]

Bassnectar's "Cozza Frenzy" is this one's official late-night anthem. Automatic when we, splatter data in the, 20 double bins up front, cozza frenzy!

And here's to working with (some) guys who appreciate good electronic music.

[Chassis Man Jim]

Baja Radio is the only music that can keep me sane when machining parts for ME students. Many of the seniors don't understand that parts don't magically appear when they want a 6 hour lead time.

[Jersey Tom]

Originally posted by Chassis Man Jim:
Baja Radio is the only music that can keep me sane when machining parts for ME students. Many of the seniors don't understand that parts don't magically appear when they want a 6 hour lead time.

Wait, you mean you don't just load some metal in the CNC and click "File -> Print" ?

[Chassis Man Jim]

quote:
Originally posted by Chassis Man Jim:
Baja Radio is the only music that can keep me sane when machining parts for ME students. Many of the seniors don't understand that parts don't magically appear when they want a 6 hour lead time.



Wait, you mean you don't just load some metal in the CNC and click "File -> Print" ?



I wish. A lot of the students have their parts RP'd first. They think it's the same amount of work to remove material.

[kapps]

Originally posted by Chassis Man Jim:

I wish. A lot of the students have their parts RP'd first. They think it's the same amount of work to remove material.

Trust me guys, it doesn't get much better when you get a real job...

There are many experienced engineers who don't understand it's rapid prototyping, not instant. Also, $5 a cubic inch...not exactly cheap but in the grand scheme of things, it costs a lot less than the labor.

[Bemo]

I just love the fact that after last season I left the team. Now I'm a member of the FS Electric team. At the moment it is 2:30am. I just laminated three parts, ate the rest of our team captains pizza and had a couple of beers.
Now I'll start sanding the next moulds so I can go on laminating tomorrow - or let's say later this day...

[Adambomb]

Smokey burnouts in the VEISHEA parade, with an unholy loud car.

[t21jj]

Originally posted by Adambomb:
Smokey burnouts in the VEISHEA parade, with an unholy loud car.

+1

You could not even hear our Baja car running right next to it(baja car even had a non stock exhaust) with both cars at idle. Modding that crappy Harley muffler to put on that car the best idea ever. Admittedly the idle is a bit high right now.

[Ockham]

"Harley muffler" is quite the oxymoron. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif I remember welding a "shower head" into out exhaust collector at FSAE Michigan in a last-ditch effort to pass the noise test. It was a piece of pseudo-circular (cut out with a die grinder) mild steel with a bunch of holes drilled in it, but it worked like a charm. Definitely a third-world solution to a real-world problem, and one of those "jank it, and crank it" moments.

[t21jj]

Originally posted by Ockham:
"Harley muffler" is quite the oxymoron. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif I remember welding a "shower head" into out exhaust collector at FSAE Michigan in a last-ditch effort to pass the noise test. It was a piece of pseudo-circular (cut out with a die grinder) mild steel with a bunch of holes drilled in it, but it worked like a charm. Definitely a third-world solution to a real-world problem, and one of those "jank it, and crank it" moments.

It really is a Harley muffler or started out as one rated for like 76db. See page 2 of the thread "designing muffler for formula cars" for photos and back story on what we did to it. The car is at something like 120+db right now, planning on testing it the next time I'm back in Ames.

At least our 07 car no longer has to pass sound testing anymore.

[RANeff]

I love that we have ~6 or more Pandora accounts, all of which are past their 40 hour listening limit this month...

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by RanE5-CSU:
I love that we have ~6 or more Pandora accounts, all of which are past their 40 hour listening limit this month...

+1

I'm about to create another account, mine just ran out.

[JamesWolak]

Wesley’s post in another thread got me thinking about this.

Things I HATE about FSAE (at the lab not the shop):

The battery in the car is ALWAYS dead.

The car is always leaking oil.

That even after a year of being out of the lab. If I spend one all nighter in the lab my feet instantly get athletes foot.

That every year i need to convince the new guys not to jump on the band wagon of every new FSAE trend.

[mikem]

-trying to cure PrePreg with a butane torch
-you know what prepreg is
-seeing who can shot-put that balls heavy chunk of steel the farthest
-the auto-feed on the lathe and/or mill is a precious commodity
-you get excited when you see that the new engine has just been painted.

[coastertrav]

I like that I knew that the previous post was from one of my members without looking at the name.

[Matthew Bell]

Originally posted by mikem:

-the auto-feed on the lathe and/or mill is a precious commodity


+1000

[StevenWebb]

Originally posted by mikem:
-the auto-feed on the lathe and/or mill is a precious commodity


i figured out a way to fix the auto feed on any mill/lathe.

you need - 1 newbe who's been on the team for long enough that you know he's smart, but hasn't learned how to use the lathe/mill yet.

you- "hey want to learn how to use the mill"
newbe- "yeah sure what do i do"
you- "just turn this handle really slowly and smoothly... slower....bit faster..... yep"

and there you have it, voice controlled autofeed.

note- only works for 1 or 2 parts per newbe before they catch on, so save it for really long parts

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by JamesWolak:
That even after a year of being out of the lab. If I spend one all nighter in the lab my feet instantly get athletes foot.


I have found this is largely a function of what sort of boots/shoes you have. I got this pair of cheapo boots from Wal-Mart that for some reason cause my feet to get super nasty after one all nighter. On the other hand if I'm wearing Army boots and socks I can squeeze about 4-5 days out of them before they get as bad as the cheapo boots do in one day.

[mikem]

i figured out a way to fix the auto feed on any mill/lathe.

you need - 1 newbe who's been on the team for long enough that you know he's smart, but hasn't learned how to use the lathe/mill yet.

you- "hey want to learn how to use the mill"
newbe- "yeah sure what do i do"
you- "just turn this handle really slowly and smoothly... slower....bit faster..... yep"

and there you have it, voice controlled autofeed.

I've been that "newbie" several times this year already. Needless to say I can cope tubing like a boss now.

[JamesWolak]

Originally posted by Adambomb:

I have found this is largely a function of what sort of boots/shoes you have. I got this pair of cheapo boots from Wal-Mart that for some reason cause my feet to get super nasty after one all nighter. On the other hand if I'm wearing Army boots and socks I can squeeze about 4-5 days out of them before they get as bad as the cheapo boots do in one day.

Yeah, I have tried a couple different sets of footwear. They have all failed miserably. Maybe I should be like our welder and rock flip-flops and Birkenstocks whenever I am in the lab. Or not...

[The AFX Master]

Originally posted by Adambomb:

I have found this is largely a function of what sort of boots/shoes you have. I got this pair of cheapo boots from Wal-Mart that for some reason cause my feet to get super nasty after one all nighter. On the other hand if I'm wearing Army boots and socks I can squeeze about 4-5 days out of them before they get as bad as the cheapo boots do in one day.

Yeah... Army Boots work for sure. As for shoes, Murphy dictates that if you bring running shoes (those made almost of mesh) to the shop, they will get clinched to whatever piece of crap lying around, ruining them instantly..

The chances for that to happen "Go King" if the shoes are new

[jd74914]

Originally posted by JamesWolak:
Yeah, I have tried a couple different sets of footwear. They have all failed miserably. Maybe I should be like our welder and rock flip-flops and Birkenstocks whenever I am in the lab. Or not...

That works...TIGing in sandals, shorts, and short sleeves is the way to go. It must be a welder thing...

[cheme]

Plasma cutting with shorts and sneakers is also not a fun thing to do. Ask me how I know??

[Adambomb]

I'm guessing the same way I discovered that it is possible to inadvertently catch your shirt on fire with "just an angle grinder?" http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

[Drew Price]

I caught my socks on fire with 'just an angle grinder.'

I also got my running shorts caught in the wire cup attached to the angle grinder - now they're additionally ventilated running shorts.


Best,
Drew

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by jd74914:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JamesWolak:
Yeah, I have tried a couple different sets of footwear. They have all failed miserably. Maybe I should be like our welder and rock flip-flops and Birkenstocks whenever I am in the lab. Or not...

That works...TIGing in sandals, shorts, and short sleeves is the way to go. It must be a welder thing... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, you know, they have to keep their tan even. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

One other thing I love: Coming in from home to find the shop computer had exceeded its alloted monthly Pandora time, applying the appropriate hack, then almost fully consuming my secondary Pandora account (and the next allotment of time for the computer), and I haven't been home or asleep yet.

[Corey H]

Originally posted by Adambomb:

One other thing I love: Coming in from home to find the shop computer had exceeded its alloted monthly Pandora time, applying the appropriate hack, then almost fully consuming my secondary Pandora account (and the next allotment of time for the computer), and I haven't been home or asleep yet.

NOOOB!! You only need one Pandora account...and this helpful piece of information:

http://osxdaily.com/2009/08/30...40-hour-music-limit/ (http://osxdaily.com/2009/08/30/how-to-get-around-pandoras-40-hour-music-limit/)

[Hector]

Threadjack, you guys on Pandora should give Grooveshark a try. Unlimited listening time, no audio ads, make your own playlist, and "Grooveshark Radio", which is essentially Pandora. Our team made the conversion this year and never looked back...

/To Daft Punk and Jay Z mixes

[JamesWolak]

Originally posted by jd74914:
That works...TIGing in sandals, shorts, and short sleeves is the way to go. It must be a welder thing...

The same welder was also famous for wearing swim shorts to the lab. Yes, i am for real.

[RANeff]

Hector, I actually use Grooveshark in our "lab", however we cannot update our shop computer's java and flash to be able to run it without Engineering Network Services coming out. Which of course, they wont.

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by RanE5-CSU:
Hector, I actually use Grooveshark in our "lab", however we cannot update our shop computer's java and flash to be able to run it without Engineering Network Services coming out. Which of course, they wont.

Haha, I know your pain. We used to have a real turd in charge of IT for the ME dept. (fortunately somebody much better has replaced him, although said turd is now in charge of facilities management http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif ). We used to have a ME dept. lab right next to our shop, which was nice, until we ran into problems like what you've mentioned. Never mind using any specialty software that wasn't on the "ME dept. load." We had to use the "team laptop" for that, which at the time was 6 years old.

Then they sold the lab space off to the EE dept. for grad student labs, and we were forced to make our own computer lab in our office. It took some work, but upkeep isn't that bad, we have a couple really nice ones that blow the doors off the dept. computers, and no more software/admin problems (outside of trading the above problems for having to clean up after stupid noobs who think they know a lot about computers but are really just good at f-ing things up...my advice is to put the fear of god in them early and often, it seems to help http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif). In fact, we have them streamlined to the point that our 5-8 year old computers run faster than the dept.'s 2 year old computers.

[dazz]

Originally posted by JamesWolak:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by jd74914:
That works...TIGing in sandals, shorts, and short sleeves is the way to go. It must be a welder thing...

The same welder was also famous for wearing swim shorts to the lab. Yes, i am for real. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've had a couple of incidents back on the family farm welding either dirty steel or gal in gumboots (wellingtons?). The top works perfectly as a funnel for catching only the biggest balls of weld spatter. You should see how fast I can drop a welding torch/gun/stick and whip my boot off while hopping around the shop yelling obscenities...

[Trevor]

-2am meetings with the Germans
-Waking up to the sound of the skype phone ring
-How the music on pandora gets weirder the later you're in the shop
--The smell of new rubber
-"that guy"
-Giving a presentation on FSAE/GFR in my project management class, and then promptly falling asleep in said class
-Having new/prospective students, family and friends always giggle when they hear "monocoque"
-ZE GERMANS!!!!

[Whis]

Gee... That sounds familiar. Our TIG welder, the only one we really have, always is in the shop in Birkenstocks, a Hawaiian shirt, and some sort of shorts. Lately, its been dickies, although I'm pretty sure he has been in a swim suit.

Yeah... Speaking of plasma cutting splatter, I was wearing some crappy (read as nice, thin and wonderful to work out in) athletic socks and a pair of shoes that had a hole in it. Found out the hardway that athletic socks do not stop burning balls of metal at all.

Pandora does weird things late at night. I'm pretty sure it can hear me talk sometimes... It can sense whether I'm mad at it or not and plays good stuff..


-whis
Iowa State Engine Team Lead

[jd74914]

Originally posted by JamesWolak:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by jd74914:
That works...TIGing in sandals, shorts, and short sleeves is the way to go. It must be a welder thing...

The same welder was also famous for wearing swim shorts to the lab. Yes, i am for real. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hahaha...That's how I work in the summer.

On another note, I think sneakers are even more perfect for channeling weld than boots.

[Ockham]

I usually skip gloves while TIG welding. Don't ask about that scar on my right forearm. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

-When team members' nicknames become verbs for their way of doing things.

[Adambomb]

Originally posted by Ockham:
-When team members' nicknames become verbs for their way of doing things.

LOL, we do that too.

[Moke]

Originally posted by Adambomb:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ockham:
-When team members' nicknames become verbs for their way of doing things.

LOL, we do that too. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

We had BNC, Brad Numerical Control, for using the x and y handles at the same time to make curves. Now at work we have GNC, HNC, ANC and BNC etc.

[Mikey Antonakakis]

-that feeling you get when you finally, finally finish something at 7am, after weeks of nonstop work: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs310.snc3/29123_1304288483064_1106040176_30778533_1855659_n. jpg

[vandit]

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm190/vanditgoyal/DSCN2108.jpg
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm190/vanditgoyal/DSCN3574.jpg
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm190/vanditgoyal/DSCN3574.jpg
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm190/vanditgoyal/DSC00423.jpg
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm190/vanditgoyal/DSC00245.jpg

[Tiller]

--"Garage darts" (shop air + capped-off plastic tubing slid over aluminum tubing + spare structural foam target...)

--Taking time out from FSAE to do classwork, not the other way around.

--Budgeting a day to catch up on week-old classwork (and laundry...), then going out to the garage anyway because the car might run for the first time.

--Being around for the first run (around midnight), celebrating afterwards, and as a result forgetting to set an alarm and completely sleeping through a class in which I was supposed to be giving a group final project presentation.

--Being totally fine with that.

[TheBlueHouse]

--When a prof complains that the engine was running at 11pm on the dyno when he was trying to sleep at his house over a mile away from campus

--Deciding to muffle said noise by backing a trailer up to the exit of the dyno room; then having half the faculty complain about splitting headaches from the exhaust.

[Samuel L Jackson]

JB weld

[Barky]

When a team member needs to go to the emergency room for stitches at 2am during the rebuild...and then comes back directly after to keep working

continuously talking in Austrian accents about "the pump"

[MegaDeath]

Using an aluminum chip/strand off a lathe as a jump rope.

[AAce]

To continue the things-on-fire-while-welding:
http://hphotos-sjc1.fbcdn.net/hs483.snc3/26425_1470030789536_1196580929_31369949_5068852_n. jpg

-Doing that one late night
-Doing the same exact thing the next night
-Great Balls of Fire jokes

[woodsy96]

-The jokes about whether we are all going to end up in the cancer ward (from all the carcenogenic jazz) or cardiac ward (from all the takeaways and general poor hygiene).

[MalcolmG]

my guess is option #3, the psychiatric ward

[Tiller]

Hold on a sec, Ace -- that happened two nights in a row?! Either I missed that completely or forgot that you told me that, but either way it makes it that much better...

Also, adding:

--Attending graduation/commencement (mid-May), and afterwards, rather than getting an overwhelming feeling of "Wow....it's over...", thinking, "Well, that's done -- back to the garage!"

--Being able to tell the more-experienced team members by their reactions to the new car's first failure: "Sweet, that's an easily-replaceable part!"

[Samuel L Jackson]

Having, for once, to try to downplay the answer to "how fast?" in order to secure space in a church parking lot in which to test.

[Jon Oneill]

Originally posted by Hector:
Threadjack, you guys on Pandora should give Grooveshark a try. Unlimited listening time, no audio ads, make your own playlist, and "Grooveshark Radio", which is essentially Pandora. Our team made the conversion this year and never looked back...


Thanks so much for this. Ever since Pandora was banned from all countries bar the US, our workshop hasn't been the same.

It'll be nice to have decent music playing once again in the Shop when we're building the car this year.

[Dash]

Originally posted by AAce:
To continue the things-on-fire-while-welding:
http://hphotos-sjc1.fbcdn.net/hs483.snc3/26425_1470030789536_1196580929_31369949_5068852_n. jpg


I've got a pair of blue jeans that looks just like this ^_^
The little ball of slag also burnt a whole in the chair i was sitting in!

[Hector]

Originally posted by JonJon:

Thanks so much for this.
http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

[Wetmelon]

- The smell of two-part epoxy in the morning. (Speedbonder)

[SamB]

Originally posted by Wetmelon:
- The smell of two-part epoxy in the morning. (Speedbonder)

The smell of the inside of a dust mask all summer

[cjanota]

Writing G-code... In notepad.

[Mike Cook]

Having someone put bottles of wood glue on top of the fire extinguisher in the trailer...and let it leak all over so that the fire extinguisher is glued to the shelf...only to find out when you actually need it...

[Sean L]

I love when team bonding sessions result in a wrestling match which ends in an agreement being reached between Dynamics and Drivetrain.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs261.snc3/27696_387020412129_718247129_4473126_491569_n.jpg

[Adambomb]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sjc1/hs035.snc3/12296_748667796740_16912542_43201607_1902408_n.jpg
What I learned in Advanced Machine Design

[Ockham]

-Calling my dad at 23:00 to ask if I can stuff an epoxy-drenched crank case in the oven for two hours.
-The fact that he said yes.
-The fact that he's used to these requests.

[D.J.]

Snapping uprights the day before competition trying to press out hubs...

[Boffin]

What happens when you run not enough timing in an F4i. Didn't take much to do this
xx


The respect everyone has for "well placed" stop switch's, and the solutions to this
xx

[tgman]

-The 'holidays' being a period of rapid design and construction rather than a trip to the beach.
-Unless your away from the workshop in which case it becomes a time of research

[Ben K]

- Constantly making fun of the solarcar team for their 'engineering' practices

- The happiness when you complete the part you've been designing for way too long

[Mehul Botadra]

After Effects of FSAE!
I could account half my life's achievements to Orion Racing India! Probably the major attitude shaping came from ORI! But then everything comes with a price! No no I did not lose my girlfriend because of FSAE since FSAE has been termed as,"When you just cant get rid of a girlfriend!". These things are potential relationship killers! No I did not lose touch with my family as well! I just felt like I'm introduced to a new world and everytime you look at a car or even drive one, your mind just goes like the movies where the mechanism starts animating your mind!

Initially the phase seemed really good! Yea chics were impressed when they see your Business Card and when you keep talking about Germany and stuff! I wasnt doing it to impress them anyway! So finally when you learn a lot application becomes binding! And you finally apply your new found knowledge to those menacing machines and a sense of satisfaction then touches you! Oh yes, your myths busted and probably a smile breaks on your face thinking how dumb you were to either believe whatever someone said back then or not applying general physics to understand the working!

Anyway, Claude Rouelle told me,"The more you know, the more you dont know!". Pragmatists will totally agree with this line! I did too! I attended his seminar and I really have a feeling he's injected me with a concentrated dose of Vehicle Dynamics that now too much application can be detrimental to self, might even cause permanent mental trauma! Infact the fever started ever since I got my certificate that day! On my way back I had taken the Volvo with "Air Suspension"! Wow! The bus was rocking and I was actually thinking about the roll frequency! Everytime the bus braked or accelerated the squatting and diving came to my mind, weight transfer on the wheels, thinking which ones were getting worn out faster!

Funnily this is only the starters! Things are about to get worse! Some of you'll might have serious facepalm moments! Anyway here it goes, I took the purple Kinglong bus once! I was really happy that we had Air Conditioned buses in that scorching heat! However all my happiness was about to be shifted into reverse gear! They were Chinese! Damn! What dampers are they using? I sat in the bus and it zoomed off the stop! Automatic gears! Sweet! Just that the bus couldnt take the load when the momentum broke on braking! Moving on, extra soft springs! Great takes the bump real good, but what about the vibrations then? I'm sure they used the damper to get rid of the Transient state but then the dampers are Chinese! Steady state amplitude becomes too high to make the ride uncomfortable!

I was never a patient of motion sickness! But the extreme roll frequencies just made me one! God, dont they use an ARB? You're sitting in the bus and you can actually feel your blood going from left to right 100 times a second! I could hear my heart beating! Finally I get off the bus only to see the check valve was again Chinese! What a disappointment!

I finally met a friend of mine after a long time! We're sitting at an exclusive coffee outlet and talking. However my mind races like the Ferrari! I could see all cars moving, and suddenly the sky was filled with mathematical equations predicting various damping equations and temperatures and kinds of chassis and what not! Some cars looked stable, some looked they were made for BAJA, some looked like they can be driven only the Expressway! I could hardly have the 500 bucks coffee! My friend's best attempts to talk me out of it were probably the most failed ones in life! I'm observing the tires and my mind smirks,"Ha, he's using JK! He's not going over a year and half with them! Buy Michelin!". Then you have others with real bad weight transfer issues causing even the rims to bend bad! Shit, do they even design the car properly?

Anyway I took a Hyundai car once to some place. These guys actually believe soft is good! Okay I prefer softer springs but not the ones that have their static deflection equal to the maximum compression! Then you feel like you're riding a boat on the road! Streamlined stuff! On the other end of swing balance is Maruti Suzuki! Extra hard springs so that your car remains stable but your ass doesnt! You might actually come out with a sore ass after a long ride! My Indigo has some hybrid of Japanese and Chinese technologies! Initially it was as brilliant as the Japanese tech! Super sexy dampers and springs and stuff! In 1 year I feel I'm riding a bullock cart now, probably worse than Chinese! Never trust Tata, Golden rule of life!

Then I was off to Tiger point once! Where my beloved Indigo got stuck on a steep slope! Shifted into one, revved the engine to 4000 rpm and let the clutch go and boom the car was up the slope! Then I could smell the tears from my engine! And another animation comes to light! The one of the piston rings getting their asses rubbed against the cylinder walls! Aah, they get worn out, engine oil is boiled and my intake charge enters the crankcase! Aah, I'm gonna need some Positive Crankcase Ventilation! Probably a new set of piston rings, a better tension fan belt!

Worst was during exams! I'm waiting outside the cabin of my life's deadliest professor for the deadliest vivas of my life! When my mind should be thinking all about engines, this car walks up near me. I happen to glance at the tires, by now its a reflex action! Apollo! God help him! Then you look at the tire pressure! I'm sure he was running low on it looking at the shoulder! It was like almost pressed to the ground! And the world opens up again! Shit his tire shoulders are tired, what about the contact patch! We should get a pressure sensitive strip! Tire stiffness, all his suspension settings will be screwed!

These are times when I feel I should be admitted to Shutter Island! I have literally gone mad! My life has become something really animated! Hope I can find a good enough damper to kill the transient vibrations! Cheers!

[Mehul Botadra]

Its there on my blog as well! http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

http://mehulb.blogspot.com/201...effects-of-fsae.html (http://mehulb.blogspot.com/2010/06/after-effects-of-fsae.html)

[Dsenechal]

-The endless amounts of amusement Ill get from 2 university Baja teams next semester, both starting completely from scratch
-All the old junk we can sell both baja teams
-Praying for a bidding war of said junk between the them

[thewoundedsoldier]

Originally posted by Pennyman:
Had to post this somewhere.

Knowing no one on our team would do this
http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/156/hybrid3.jpg

Glad to provide end of the year report:

SJSU Formula-Hybrid Members who cut off fingers: 0
SJSU FSAE Members who cut off fingers: 1

Hybrid wins!

[Thrainer]

Posting this on Twitter, then realizing you should probably shut down the computer, as it's standing in 5 cm deep water.

http://twitpic.com/24bjwl

The above three days before leaving for competition.

Regards,
Thomas
AMZ, ETH Zurich

[Adambomb]

OK, I've finally come up with a good response to this age old, annoying question:


Dude: So what's the TOP SPEED on this thing?

Me: Well, it'll go 0-60 in about three and a half seconds.

Dude: Yeah, but what's the TOP SPEEEEEEEDD??????

Me: Top speed is not really that important. Here's a better question: What's more exciting, driving across Nebraska at 75 mph, or driving across a parking lot at 50 mph?


{Possible response #1}:
Dude: Definitely going across a parking lot at 50 mph.

Me: Yep, and we'll generally hit about 70 in a parking lot.


{Possible response #2}:
Dude: Definitely going across Nebraska at 75 mph.

At this point just slap them, because all is lost.

[oz_olly]

Originally posted by Adambomb:
OK, I've finally come up with a good response to this age old, annoying question:


Dude: So what's the TOP SPEED on this thing?

Me: Well, it'll go 0-60 in about three and a half seconds.

Dude: Yeah, but what's the TOP SPEEEEEEEDD??????

Me: Top speed is not really that important. Here's a better question: What's more exciting, driving across Nebraska at 75 mph, or driving across a parking lot at 50 mph?


{Possible response #1}:
Dude: Definitely going across a parking lot at 50 mph.

Me: Yep, and we'll generally hit about 70 in a parking lot.


{Possible response #2}:
Dude: Definitely going across Nebraska at 75 mph.

At this point just slap them, because all is lost.

+1 x 10^9

That is the best answer I have heard so far for that really annoying question. It's easy to say, can be easily understood by idiots and I'm sure there is plenty of potential for exagerating to make it sound 'more' hard core.

[Drew Price]

Every time I drove back and forth to school I was soooo excited to finally get to Nebraska, for the 75mph limit. But then you're still on I-80 for like.... 7.5hrs at 75.... and the excitement quickly fades, along with attention span, sense of time, feeling in the butt, etc..


Best,
Drew

[coastertrav]

I love having an external fuel pressure regulator seep fuel from everywhere, be rebuilt 4-5 times by different members in one night frantically trying to meet the 7am track time, only to find out at 3am that the OEM D series VTEC fuel rail that has been sitting in the corner of the shop for the past decade uses the same FPR as the F4i stock rail (and replaces the one that failed in the first place back in May causing us to go to the external.

Now it's 4:40am, and I have to be back at the shop to roll out to the track at 7am. I thought these all nighters were supposed to end after May...

[Bemo]

Originally posted by Drew Price:
Every time I drove back and forth to school I was soooo excited to finally get to Nebraska, for the 75mph limit. But then you're still on I-80 for like.... 7.5hrs at 75.... and the excitement quickly fades, along with attention span, sense of time, feeling in the butt, etc..


Well, if you live in country without general speed limit it's a bit more exciting ;-)
But it's still getting boring after half an hour or so.

[MH]

Yes, because then you run into roadworks and hav to slow down to 70kph or something http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[Drew Price]

Yeah, and your roads are so smooth that you hardly notice anything is happening.

In the U.S. the Dept. of Transportation makes sure that the damper manufacturers work hard to get the ~200++ mm/s range soft enough to keep people from spilling their McDonalds drinks onto the driver's lap (where the iPad is sitting).

Best,
Drew

[Dash]

Doing things that are impossible.

Example: When driving the car around a cone course in the parking lot, i let off the gas so i could make a turn. When I didn't start slowing down ( and the engine was stuck at like 7k+ rpm ) i hit the emergency kill on the dash. Came to a safe stop some 2 seconds later. The cause? I had caught a pebble about 3mm across with the butterfly valve.


Eating unhealthy ( and unhealthy amounts ) of food. In one 24 hour period I consumed 3 death shakes ( burger king's Oreo shake that contains like 1500 calories.) I've also consumed about 4 monsters and a 2lbs bag of sour patch kids candy in another all night event.

[IronMike]

After the 3rd night in a row with no sleep driving a U-Haul to Michigan, consuming 3 NOS's (to try all the flavours), 2 Wired 344, and 2 1L cans of Monster (just for the novelty) and 2 packs of smokes. Later crashing at an A&W pitstop and laying out like snoopy on the picnic table. All for MIS!

[RobbyObby]

-Getting kicked out of the shop at 4am by University PD.
-Proceeding to stay in the shop until 4am the next night.
-Our personal relationship with the janitor because of said nights.
-Free 6 MB internet in the clubroom!