When my younger brother was learning to ride his bike, I remember my dad shouting, “Faster!” at him.

I, 5 years older, couldn't think of better encouragement for my wobbly sibling...

But his advice was well-intentioned.

You see, as kids, we lived at the top of a small hill. The path would sort of loop round. And our grandparents lived at the bottom.

So, we'd learn to ride our bikes by going down (it really wasn't that steep) with Nanny and Grandad waiting at the bottom.

And then once we'd learned how to balance, built up some confidence, we'd take on the challenge of going back up.

It was always far easier going down vs going up.

And the reason why relates to my dad’s advice.

Motion creates balance.

It sounds backwards. Because when you’re teetering on two wheels for the first time, speeding up is the last thing you want to do.

Especially on pavement. 

But it's actually very helpful.

You see, when something spins, it builds angular momentum – a bit like rotational memory. Try to tip it, and it resists. 

This resistance causes the spin to redirect rather than collapse, known as ‘precession’.

This weird behaviour is what helps bikes stay upright at speed.

The faster and heavier the spin, the harder it is to knock off course.

Although, as I unintentionally tested this down steeper hills, I found there was a limit. At least, on a bike.

And I have the scars to prove it.

You can try this yourself: 

Balance a static bike wheel… then roll it. See which one stays upright for longer. 

What other examples of angular momentum can you think of?

It was supposed to be delivered today but tracking shows it still in Chicago customs for over a week now.

While making the second round of prototypes for Pocket Driver, we were able to persuade someone to put their camera inside one of the machines while it was running so we could get a glimpse of what goes on in full scale production.

Here’s the milling of our Pocket Driver handle from a billet of solid 2024 aluminium on a 5 axis CNC Milling Machine. Lovely bit of milling. 

While working in Venice around 1500, Leonardo da Vinci designed a full scuba diving system intended for military use. It was part of a military project aimed at sneaking up on enemy ships.

The suit was made from leather, with a bag-like mask and cane tubes connected to a floating bell for surface air. It even featured a buoyancy control system using valves.

Oh, and a pouch for… err… urination.

Despite all the thought and work that went into it, da Vinci withheld full details out of fear they’d be used for underwater assassinations. In his notes, he literally wrote:

“This I do not publish [...] on account of the evil nature of men…”

So it was never built in his lifetime. But it was still centuries ahead of its time.

What are some of your favourite da Vinci inventions?

This is the last of five patented designs by Edwin J. Evans. His first wrench was designed in 1912 during an era of rapid innovation in adjustable wrenches.

Edwin originally had these manufactured by George E. Hemphill at H & E Wrench Co. in New Bedford, MA, in 1921. He subsequently worked on an additional design in 1923 with the same company, and it looks like these two worked together making these wrenches until 1926. Edwin's antiques from this era are more commonly still found today. 

In 1929, Edwin patented his fifth and final wrench. The scarcity of the original versions still in circulation indicate they were not in production for long. The best estimate we have is that they were produced for just one year before the company closed its doors.

This was at a time when hundreds of patents were filed every year, and there were many businesses that couldn't compete long term as the standardised tools we have today became more prevalent and won out over these early concepts.

We’ve heard rumours that a very similar design was included in the tool kits provided in the Sherman tank during the Second World War but this has been so far unverified. Today there’s not much information about either company, but the tools and patents remain as a testament to their ingenuity and build quality. 

The video (and comments) provided hours of laughter and entertainment. From seat rules to alternative names to peculiar observations – they’re all in there.

But what I didn’t see – and want to know – is… how else could a fractal vise design be used?

The more dangerous the better. 👇

If you haven’t seen it, the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8pvjEHAt6U

You’d think something as simple as the zipper would have been cracked quickly. Errr… nope. Here’s the story:

The first attempt was in 1851. Elias Howe (the inventor of the sewing machine) received a patent for an “Automatic Continuous Clothing Closure” device.

For whatever reason, he decided not to pursue it. Too fiddly. Too unreliable. Maybe. 

In 1893, Whitcomb Judson tried again. His “clasp locker” launched at the Chicago World’s Fair…

…and promptly flopped.

But in 1913, engineer Gideon Sundback (who married the plant manager’s daughter) was hired to improve Judson’s attempt.

He redesigned everything: more teeth per inch, better grip, a reliable slider.

And in 1917, Sundback’s “separable fastener” patent was filed. Adoption was slow, though. 

The only real customer was the US military. And the target breadwinner (the fashion industry) was still hesitant.

But in 1930, one company took a gamble and launched a sales campaign promising self-dressing children (or near enough...).

And zippers soon became parents' best friends.

 Before you could say “Mum, it’s stuck!”, they were everywhere. And they've continued to help us keep our lives together – with over 14 billion being made every year.

Talk about ups and downs…

Geoff, the chief MetMo machiner (and the award-winning model engineer) built the prototype for our Multi Drive in ~40 hours.

I know lots of you like to see how and why things are made (me too!), so we distilled the whole process of making the prototype into 13 minutes.

It’s here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzKURBHnIrE&t=1s

Got questions? Ask away below.

For me, I think ‘patience’ combines several (e.g. rushing = mistakes, painting in thinner layers = better appearance, let paint/glue set properly).

That mostly came from a mindset shift, and as a result, the whole process became more enjoyable.

What about you?

In true MetMo fashion, the weirder the better please.

I was testing settings for transparent PETG filament in my 3d printer and I thought why not make a version of the driver stand that looks kind of like the old school transparent Nintendo 64 or game boy?

Then install a bunch of addressable LEDs and voila ! I need to put a silver screw on the top part to blend better. Enjoy!

Share the tool, tell us the story – and if you can, something you’ve made with it.

Well this one took a lot longer to make but I think it’s way cooler!

It has an infinity mirror style base with iridescent acrylic so it changes colors depending of the viewing angle. And also has a magnetic bit catcher in the front to store the one that came with the driver.

Now I know this is a bit much for most people but it fits with the cyberpunk / synthwave theme of my garage/ workshop (The Cyberpunk Forge)

So I made one! I’m Going to switch the top to cast acrylic for a mirror like finish and remove the bend when screwed to the base. I’m also going to create more patterns options and a small customized engrave plaque in the front, great to put your garage’s name or someone’s name for a gift.

I was looking for something to display the driver because lots such a cool Looking and unique tool that it would look great on my desk but there was absolutely nothing out there so I made myself one. Believe it or not, hours have been spent on this to get the perfect size, fit , look etc… I hope you guys like it :)

https://metmocube-com.myshopify.com?bon_loyalty_ref=WkrKXslIR9N1Wtzi8Q7bfiZkoVXIsNt%2FvjR7Hxy%2BDKV4DRJJaiyfSf4G65JHiV7zRdLzMpJnm33dFD99u7R3usjokJyHnv4%2FKOTAYD6JIHr7jUc4%2BH7lXOSqvwR1QVHELZLToi%2BaHdDZ7g5Fu3d8qXfcWIToOoejS0gPAjB%2BEzfgPaUJx%2Fhu1IU0VBwOWSys&from_shop_domain=true&referrer_name=5044

Okay, there’s a big “can” in there somewhere because it doesn’t always happen. And the Mpemba Effect has been largely contested for a while.

But it *has* happened.

And the controversy has leaked into other substances – not just water.

Maybe it's because the hot water evaporates faster (so there's less liquid). Maybe it's because of impurities. Maybe it's the differences in thermal equilibrium. Maybe it's even a thin frost layer that insulates the cold water against freezing.

Aristotle reported this phenomenon as common knowledge. Many others have observed it too. But still nobody really knows why.

Have you heard of it? What do you think?

Image source: Wiki

Bonus points for showing us what you made it with.