“Gee Harvey, shouldn’t we place these valves a little higher? Anyone working them is gonna have to stoop over..”
“True Marv, but we need to put them a little lower. That way, if Philo’s sneaky little brat brother comes in to sabotage this, he’ll be able to reach everything more easily.”
“Oh yeah, I didn’t think about that, Marv. Good thing we have you on the job!”
Pressure cookers make the meat fall right off the bone. Add a little barbecue sauce and being stranded in the center of the earth doesn’t sound so bad.
Hi, Dark Ferret! Thanks for joining the conversation.
Now on to the Victorian Wood kerfuffle: I once rode in a paddle-wheel steamer that used wood as fuel, and I thought it was cool. The Unearth story, while historical, cultural, and scientific nonsense, is supposedly set in the Regency period.
Also, have you ever been a busy crewman stuck in the boiler room during your “lunch break”? Toasting your sandwich over a nice wood fire makes for better flavour… (I have to be right, i spelled “flavor” with a U)
Well, I’m no historical expert, but I do like when my fiction hangs together in a reasonably scientific way. My research indicates that the Regency era had steam engines. In fact, a race was on to develop better steam engines precisely to open up access to more coal reserves, which would (and did), have created a self-feeding chain of steam-powered development.
More so, coal provides considerable more energy per unit. I can understand the romantic notion of a wood-fired boiler room, but lets be just a little bit practical here. All the fuel you will use you must carry with you. Which do you choose? The romantic one, or the practical one? Coal is clearly the logical choice. Don’t take my word for it, here’s some actual research: “Density of the fuel Bituminous mine run coal is 40-50 pounds per cubic foot. Wood is about is about 40 pounds per cubic foot (average) and a useful number for this discussion. Let us say that both are 40 pounds per cubic foot but the BTU value of wood is half that of the same volume of coal. This means that you will use two times as much wood for the same heat.” (http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/31997-btus-coal-vs-coke-vs-charcoal-vs-wood/)
If you are using wood to power your magnificent steam-powered drill thing, then most of the interior space is dedicated to fuel storage – I’d say about 90% thereof, instead of fantastical machinery and whatnot. It’s certainly plausible, but what a waste.
You’re right, of course. No argument here. I readily concede that the fiction does not live up to scientific or historical scrutiny. Going by that measure, I’m afraid the entire story is already a lost cause.
But given how the comic is written it is a valid question, and actually I invisioned him nailing their feet to the floor (I’m not a good person). However I’d suggest the use of rare-earth magnets in the soles of their boots.
That would work better. Have you ever tried nailing into metal? Also, that would solve the “falling-off-the-ladder-while-trying-to-operate-the-valve” scenario from the previous page.
But magnets could slide around, they either need rubber under the magnets (do they have rubber in this world?) or to tie them to the machines they are operating so they won’t slide too far away.
True, Course is there steam is even close to a operating pressure he could lose body parts and not even know it, at least not until he moves the stump out of the steam stream. I hear losing a finger that way was relatively common on navy vessels.
The actual operating pressure has more to do with delivering a comic page every week for 2 years. A secondary factor would be the pressure sensitivity of my drawing tablet. Steam has been reported to come out of my ears, but wax is more common.
He was serious when he said that he AND his brother both wasn’t too be only children. I suspect it has something to with the family fortune, and the fact that Philo is secretly jealous of how much more manly Roddy is than himself, despite being very much older.
Ah, well the monkey and his wrench have made the scene.
Wait. I thought the author was the monkey with a typewriter. Now he has a wrench?
Author with a wrench? That could result in hilarity or serious injury. Or hilarious injury of a most severe nature. Either way, it’s fun all around.
The more-severe the injury, the more hilarious fun we all get to have! Now pardon me while I throw myself head-first down a flight of stairs.
Yay! for easily accessed pressure control valves.
“There ain’t no victory at sea
Unless it’s mutiny”
He he. You said “pressure control valves” as if I actually knew what their function was when I drew them 😉
“Gee Harvey, shouldn’t we place these valves a little higher? Anyone working them is gonna have to stoop over..”
“True Marv, but we need to put them a little lower. That way, if Philo’s sneaky little brat brother comes in to sabotage this, he’ll be able to reach everything more easily.”
“Oh yeah, I didn’t think about that, Marv. Good thing we have you on the job!”
Their function is to keep the steam pressure from blowing the boiler to kingdom come and poaching the crew.
and that’s poaching as in poached eggs.
Pressure cookers make the meat fall right off the bone. Add a little barbecue sauce and being stranded in the center of the earth doesn’t sound so bad.
heh, well your gears don’t mesh either so the machine can’t possibly go anywhere. 😉
Van Dinter hasn’t let the laws of physics stop him yet. So a little thing like non-meshing gears won’t pose much of a problem, I predict.
How dare those gears fail to mesh! I’ll teach them who’s the boss! Okay, so which gears are we talking about?
Just the ones in the Paternoster shaft so far. There may be others we haven’t met yet.
I wish I’d read the Wikipedia entry for ‘paternoster’ BEFORE drawing that lame chain+track-drive elevator mishmash.
Wood? Coal contains much more energy per unit. The Victorians certainly had access to it, so why would they use wood in the boilers?
Hi, Dark Ferret! Thanks for joining the conversation.
Now on to the Victorian Wood kerfuffle: I once rode in a paddle-wheel steamer that used wood as fuel, and I thought it was cool. The Unearth story, while historical, cultural, and scientific nonsense, is supposedly set in the Regency period.
Also, have you ever been a busy crewman stuck in the boiler room during your “lunch break”? Toasting your sandwich over a nice wood fire makes for better flavour… (I have to be right, i spelled “flavor” with a U)
Colour, theatre, shoppe. Thus proving that I am right three times over.
Well, I’m no historical expert, but I do like when my fiction hangs together in a reasonably scientific way. My research indicates that the Regency era had steam engines. In fact, a race was on to develop better steam engines precisely to open up access to more coal reserves, which would (and did), have created a self-feeding chain of steam-powered development.
More so, coal provides considerable more energy per unit. I can understand the romantic notion of a wood-fired boiler room, but lets be just a little bit practical here. All the fuel you will use you must carry with you. Which do you choose? The romantic one, or the practical one? Coal is clearly the logical choice. Don’t take my word for it, here’s some actual research: “Density of the fuel Bituminous mine run coal is 40-50 pounds per cubic foot. Wood is about is about 40 pounds per cubic foot (average) and a useful number for this discussion. Let us say that both are 40 pounds per cubic foot but the BTU value of wood is half that of the same volume of coal. This means that you will use two times as much wood for the same heat.” (http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/31997-btus-coal-vs-coke-vs-charcoal-vs-wood/)
If you are using wood to power your magnificent steam-powered drill thing, then most of the interior space is dedicated to fuel storage – I’d say about 90% thereof, instead of fantastical machinery and whatnot. It’s certainly plausible, but what a waste.
You’re right, of course. No argument here. I readily concede that the fiction does not live up to scientific or historical scrutiny. Going by that measure, I’m afraid the entire story is already a lost cause.
Should the men be tied down or nailed?
I cannot unread what I just read. Eww.
But given how the comic is written it is a valid question, and actually I invisioned him nailing their feet to the floor (I’m not a good person). However I’d suggest the use of rare-earth magnets in the soles of their boots.
That would work better. Have you ever tried nailing into metal? Also, that would solve the “falling-off-the-ladder-while-trying-to-operate-the-valve” scenario from the previous page.
But magnets could slide around, they either need rubber under the magnets (do they have rubber in this world?) or to tie them to the machines they are operating so they won’t slide too far away.
What if we pretend the floor is made of wood? Or is that another unintended double entendre?
I was just thinking nail their boots to the floor. And Aslandus, if the magnets are strong enough, a person won’t be going anywhere.
Is there something suggestive about covering yourself in rubber and binding yourself to rumbling…. oh…
Careful Roddy! If you remove those pipes the steam won’t be able to pressurize the drill and you won’t be able to launch!
True, Course is there steam is even close to a operating pressure he could lose body parts and not even know it, at least not until he moves the stump out of the steam stream. I hear losing a finger that way was relatively common on navy vessels.
The actual operating pressure has more to do with delivering a comic page every week for 2 years. A secondary factor would be the pressure sensitivity of my drawing tablet. Steam has been reported to come out of my ears, but wax is more common.
Laptop, check
Tablet, check
personal Workstation, check
Classroom server, check
Lecture workstation, check
All 18 student workstations, check(18)
Smartphone, check
Okay, that’s today’s twc voting done!
Wow. Thanks for the votes! I think you’re single-handedly keeping Unearth afloat.
Geez, this seems like taking it a bit to far, what is Roddy’s problem?
He was serious when he said that he AND his brother both wasn’t too be only children. I suspect it has something to with the family fortune, and the fact that Philo is secretly jealous of how much more manly Roddy is than himself, despite being very much older.
Ugh. Autocorrect, I despise you! It should read “want to”, not “wasn’t too”….