Merlin Cam Safety Notice

Actually - Charlie's theory can only be correct if the punch in the x-section pictured several times above was done at the proposed sub-freezing temperature.  Even then...

Let's get to the point here.  I've been doing this a long time.  There is hard real-world measured data and observations - and there are theories and calculations.  When they don't match - you are dead wrong - period.  I've seen many a career changed or ended over getting the two confused.  

A mark of an experienced and generally successful engineer is how quickly and accurately they can reproduce a real-world failure.  A mark of inexperience is showing up to the conversation with a bunch of theoretical numbers and calculations - because you're fresh out of college and that's all you know.

You have 2 pieces of hard data here - a body weight failure, and an x-section indicating extremely brittle metal.

That's great you are doing a redesign, but if it's being done without even knowing what you are trying to fix - my confidence is LOW.

As for making my own can - that's a great idea.  I'll sell it only to my friends and when one fails I won't go asking a public forum for advice.  Meanwhile, I have friends I actually like using these things - people Mr Merlin has never met and could very well kill - so therefore I'm going to say what I see here.

Bill Schick wrote: Actually - Charlie's theory can only be correct if the punch in the x-section pictured several times above was done at the proposed sub-freezing temperature.  Even then...

Let's get to the point here.  I've been doing this a long time.  There is hard real-world measured data and observations - and there are theories and calculations.  When they don't match - you are dead wrong - period.  I've seen many a career changed or ended over getting the two confused.  

A mark of an experienced and generally successful engineer is how quickly and accurately they can reproduce a real-world failure.  A mark of inexperience is showing up to the conversation with a bunch of theoretical numbers and calculations - because you're fresh out of college and that's all you know.

You have 2 pieces of hard data here - a body weight failure, and an x-section indicating extremely brittle metal.

That's great you are doing a redesign, but if it's being done without even knowing what you are trying to fix - my confidence is LOW.

As for making my own can - that's a great idea.  I'll sell it only to my friends and when one fails I won't go asking a public forum for advice.  Meanwhile, I have friends I actually like using these things - people Mr Merlin has never met and could very well kill - so therefore I'm going to say what I see here.

You seem to have useful advice but you're bitter and mad about something and it makes it hard to bother listening to you. Get the chip off your shoulder, your are not special. Kids just out of college have done some impressive things, its not always the grumpy old timer that knows it all.

Jim, I've always appreciated your posts and contributions.  But let's be honest: I have the exact same information as you.

As to everyone else:
Do I have a sample of the material?  No.
Do I have a way to test the material?  No.
Have I spoken with Erick before this?  No.
Do I own a Merlin?  No.
Do I climb offwidth?  Only by accident.

You're free to think about me however you wish.
Am I fresh out of college?  No.
Do I have access to a SEM?  No.
Am I on Erick's payroll?  No.

Do I still have questions?  Yes.  Is it going to change the fabrication process?  Probably not (but he's doing it anyway).  This isn't my battle to fight.  I offered what was hoped to be constructive feedback in an approach we take in industry.  Would it have gone further if it was actually my work?  Yes, but it's not my work.  At this point, that's all I have to offer and anything past this is speculation.

I have watched egos get in the way of advancing engineering because someone's toes got stepped on.  The big-whigs sit in the back and "snipe" the young guns, shooting down their ideas, creativity, and excitement for the field.  For the remainder of my career, I'm hoping to change that, because I've also been guilty of an egotistical approach to establish my superiority to everyone else, especially to the new kids.

What could have continued to be a helpful discussion quickly turned into personal attacks.  Yes, there can be helpful information "couched" less sensitively.  But many comments went far beyond that many pages ago.

Why is that adressed to me?

Poor formatting on my part.  I was acknowledging your expertise.  The rest of it was addressed to everyone else.  I've fixed it.

expertise is subjective. engineers love to second think anything someone else does, which isnt a bad thing.....but remember, engineers dont always build what is their ideas, they come up with it and someone else usually does it. because, hey, they are the experts....would anyone like me to post videos of huge projects falling down? bridges, buildings, million and billion dollar projects, and ones caught before they failed which cost astronomical amounts to "fix".....because the book smart ones got it wrong.....nahhh, anyone can look them up, im sure they are plentiful on "that popular video site".....

I think Jim Titt sabotaged the Merlin Factory and is causing all the breaks!

Any updates or new findings Erick? I have an #8 and would like to stay current on this topic.

He has sent out a couple emails about the recall and his fix.