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Page 2 From the editor
When you take a look in the agenda you will notice that there is a lot of activity the next coming months, and the day of our 35 anniversary comes closer and closer. The attachments with this edition and an announcement give you further information, because before we know it the day has arrived. So you can participate in the model contest. Also it becomes clear that museums are more and more interested in our Hobby. But that is a trend that is going on for some time now. Further you find the second and last episode of the Rubik Solver. There is a piece about the servo motor that possibly can help you with one of your new models. Of course you can learn more about the gatherings that lie behind us. Of which there were two that had a lower attendance than usual. Fortunately the reason of it is clear. The weather conditions were too bad for a number of potential participants. With all of my heart I hope that I have delivered you some pleasant reading hours with this edition.
Your editor Charles Spierdijk (Translation: Bea Brouwer)
Pages 6-8 The Meccanoman you always wanted to meet: Lee Thio
Interview: Hans Kuijl , photos: archives editor (Translation: Bea Brouwer)
It is in the summertime when I step on the train to Amsterdam Amstel, on my way to a lovely person, courteous and kind. He had warned me that parking in Old-South was quite difficult. But it was a warning I did not need, because when I travel to Amsterdam, I usually take the train.
We had met during the MEGA STORE-manifestation in The Hague; with a huge enthusiasm he dedicated himself with other Meccano-men to building the Walt Disney’s UP-House. Our chief editor and some helpers are currently occupied with strengthen the walls with old parts. This has the purpose to decrease time of the modular building and breaking down of the house. My collocutor was in for a job like this, but first he will bravely submit to the penetrating questions of your interviewer. I have the honour and the pleasure to introduce you, valued reader of our favourite magazine, to Lee Thio. A nice neighbourhood in Old-South, nice garden, especially for Amsterdam concepts. And, oh joy, a large bookcase against the wall. In the front room a beautiful wall with cd’s, obviously a music-loving couple, but yes, the ‘Concertgebouw’ [Concert Hall, BB] is around the corner.
And immediately to his name: the pronunciation is Lée. His grandparents lived in the Nieuwmarkt-area. Lee’s parents met there. Mother a Jewish woman, father a immigrated from China. He was the eldest son, from a family of eleven children, and he was allowed to leave Indonesia to go to Holland to study. First ‘Teaching School for Teachers’ and after that Pedagogics; it was the time of amongst others Philip Kohnstamm. In 1935 left for Indonesia. Mother became a prisoner of war in 1942 by the Japanese. To survive such a stay in a camp takes a lot of diplomacy. Lee probably inherited this quality of his mother. In 1947 father, mother and six sons repatriated to Holland. There were another two boys born. Mother (teacher) worked in Amsterdam at the ‘Theo Thijssenschool’. Now it is a yup-school, but back then a normal local school. (Willem Holleeder was a student there!). That some kinds of extravagant rubbish in education started back then, proves the story of Lee’s mother, that when a student was eligible for ‘remedial teaching’ for maybe 10 minutes or so per week, a commission of some well-paid black ties were going to decide about this adjustment. Mother worked with classes with 35 students, of which nowadays about 10 would be sent to special education, but she had these amongst the others.
LIFE Lee was born in 1938. Until 1947 he had seen not any school from the inside. Just in Palembang about a month in Kindergarten. The advantage when both parents are in education is, that the children during wartime learn so much, that they are able to walk along with the other children after the war. Father made with the typewriter his own reading books, with stories to be read and sums that needed calculation. The children had a wonderful time: not going to school, but every day going with the ‘djongos’ (housekeeper) to the ‘aloon aloon’ (large lawn) or the ‘kali’ (small river). Or playing with the nephews and nieces and friends and girlfriends in the neighbourhood.
In 1947 with the ‘Sibajak’ from Batavia through the Suez Canal to Rotterdam. In Ataka, a village near the Suez Canal, the Dutch government had set up a depot with winter cloths.
In 1947 started with education at the regular school. Father brought five children to the ‘Vondelschool’ in the Amsterdam ‘River’-neighbourhood. This was a so-called training school, children that were up to it were prepared with Summer School for H.B.S. [Higher Profession School, free translation, BB] or Gymnasium. Lee in class 3, (in those days with 45 or 50 students) where indeed he was able to attend this education with the other children. Prove for the fact that the current preference for small groups does not work. In small classes is much time lost with several individual whining, in such a large class the teacher can just do one thing: to keep the group occupied with work gives good results. What did we learn much back then!
Despite the fact that Lee was graded medium, he was allowed by his teacher to attend the Summer School in the 6th grade. He made the entrance examination for the ‘Spinoza Lyceum’, but after a year it turned out that the second grade of 3-year education of H.B.S. was a better option. A great school, where Lee had a beautiful school time, in all ways.
Now in 2016 any school should take the example of the way of working of principal Van Willigen. An education hour lasted in principle 50 minutes. By shortening the lessons to 45 minutes, the teachers had per 9 lessons 45 minutes left, in which they had to lecture ‘dalton’, but also with extracurricular activities. The students had to choose three activities from a list of 35 (cultural and sports activities). Lee chose chess, hymnology and the school orchestra, where he played the clarinet. And apart from this also working weeks and school parties. When the working weeks took place in Texel, you got the message that the ferry left at 14.00 hours and that you had to be on time with you bike. It meant that we had to leave at 6 o’clock in the morning (without any bicycle acceleration) to catch the ferry. School parties started at 20.00 hours with a program until 23.00 hours (Lee in the orchestra pit) and afterwards ball until 04.00 o’clock with music from an old-fashioned Dixieland orchestra. And not to be forgotten: the dates with the girls at bench 11 in the ‘Vondelpark’.
After a lot of hassle, one year at a private school in the expensive Amsterdam South, and three years on the Spinoza Lyceum, he graduates in 1959 and receives the diploma 5-years-H.B.S.-B. Right after that serving his military duty at the Light Air Artillery, as a driver, class 59-6. Just before he is was drafted he married Nellie Bavius, mainly because of the affection for her, but also to receive the payroll compensation. His plans failed to become a purser or going to the Mr. Koetsierschool. Because they needed food on the table, he decided to become a teacher, just like his parents. And so he started the education for teacher (document 41a) at the LOI [education at home for adults, BB].
It is time for lunch. One of the main reasons of Lee to visit the gatherings of the MGN is the fact that you always can buy a nice cup of soup, a sandwich meat croquette, or a sandwich meatball (this is where your policy leads, Bert, hk). It seems that the board at choosing a location for a gathering requires the guarantee for these kind of consumptions. Tribute to the board! To keep the spirit when a MGN-member is visiting, Nel goes out to get some meat croquettes. In 1961 to the Evening Training College. When you attend the Training College, you have to learn in practice at a primary school. He has learned a lot from these teachers for his career: practical information about the real issues in teaching! This is a subject which, according to Lee, contains the term ‘luck’. You have luck when you meet (many) people who shape your character and grand you things.
Lee starts to work at the primary school at the Crijnssenschool, Amsterdam West. This is a six-men-school: 3 female teachers, two male teachers, a handiwork female teacher, a male gymnastic teacher and a headmaster. The female teachers took care of the grades 1, 2 and 3, the male teachers 4, 5 and 6. So you taught 3 years to the same class. The advantage was that you knew the children and their parents through and through. With the good communication between the primary school and the secondary education the teacher of the sixth grade is the person to advise the children about their choice of education. Then would be the troubles with the ‘Cito’-tests [Dutch test to advice about education, BB] not be needed. That children nowadays have a new teacher every other few months and that many teachers work part time, makes is necessary to still use the ‘Cito’- test to advise the students. The ‘Cito’-test is an insult to the teachers who make the effort to get to know the students. A teacher is someone who wonders every day how to explain something to a child and to make sure that he understands it. This is necessary because you give no homework on primary school. The learning needs to be done at school, within the classroom. Lee took this theory with him, as he started to work at secondary school. Because the average teacher in the secondary education thinks that he/she is some kind of university teacher (professor!), it is just told what the subject is and the student can find out at home all the details. It would be useful when every teacher works with children at primary school about ten years or so, before playing professor at high school.
To graduate for the main diploma was not possible. He starts to teach with diploma 41a at the primary school and start again an evening education. Now at the Utility Seminar for Pedagogy: the MO-diploma Geography. Also there he met very valuable people that give you something worthwhile for the rest of your life. Especially the anthropology; a teacher, that strongly emphasizes that you have to behave decent in dealing with your fellow human beings. The way we think to gather information, for instance by surveys, is a complete misconception. Just by long lasting participation and building trust you can get people to tell you the true motives of their deeds. A typical discussion amongst MO-students was the question whether the training had to be stressing the teacher abilities or the subject matter: what is geography? From the training it was obvious: there was only spoken of geography. Fortunately there were a lot of students already working in the educational business, so information about the didactics was not necessary for them.
In 1972 Lee starts to work at the ‘Van der Waals Lyceym’, after a merger with a ‘mavo’ [types of secondary school, BB] the Amstel Lyceum, in Amsterdam East, a Mavo-, Havo- and VWO-school. A school where the gymnasium-department was called ‘folks gymnasium’ by the teachers, because the students came from the working class families. To work at a prestigious school give easy results, because the parents also tended a secondary school (even university), and they can help their children with their homework and have the money to give their sweethearts tutoring. Nothing of that all at this folks gymnasium. With their deficient background they had to (with the help of hard working teachers) do it on their own. Respect!
The advantage of working at a ‘difficult’ school is that the teachers are not troubled with pride. The atmosphere at school was always good, there was no emulation like on the precise schools in Amsterdam South. The retirees still organize trips on a regular base. In 1999 Lee retires, just before the introduction of the ‘Studiehuis’: a drama he did not have to cope with. Now completely busy with Meccano! Next to other hobbies: music (clarinet and singing choirs), gymnastics at GVAZ, collect stamps, NIVON (managing nature friend house), VNTS (Czechoslovakian friendship association), allotment (gardening and building management), massaging (oriental and western massage and foot reflex massage), walking, city trips, reading and making jigsaw puzzles.
MECCANO
There was a Meccano box in the house, a box 7, for general use, there were no private property rights. With some brothers they had developed a nice game: a cage built from Meccano, over the head and then tighten it, the one who had the smallest cage, was at the same time the dumbest of them all. Luckily Lee had a big bunch of hair, while his brothers were convinced of their superiority anyway. After 1960, work, familie and study were dominant, so there was no time for screws and nuts. A new headmaster in 1985 demotivated our teacher a bit, and a gigantic amount of time was the result: became a member of MGN, choirs, etc.. Member 160, with chairman Steenvoorden, now the respectable number 2563, and therefore longer a member that your interviewer. Bought gear at Merkelbach in the ‘Kalverstraat’; for the amount of HFL 1700,00 the last 10. Just before the bankruptcy of Binns Road in 1987. Lee almost 50 years old. In that time building after a model plan, discovering that the building instructions not always are correct, and with box 10 you can easily put together things. Nowadays Lee builds nothing according to model plans. He tries to make objects you do not see at gatherings. No cars or cranes. In 1995 he reads an ad in the neighbourhood newspaper: ‘big lot Meccano for sale’. It turned out to be material of a deceased crane builder. The widow wanted to get rid of it as fast as possible. However it was not Meccano, but a huge collection of Necobo. For Lee it creates the nickname Mr. Necobo. Lee tells enthusiastic and I show him the five language Meccano-terms – good job, Jan! – and we laugh both the ‘Mr. Necobo’-laugh. It was meant to be a bit denigrating, but that was also counted for Temsi that had a higher quality standard than the material of our own favourite hobby. Some tendency for mending was stimulated strongly. “Thio, no rust” said the well-known MGN-member AJvdR te R…. After retirement in 1999 started to build again.
“When you discover what you can and cannot do, you avoid that what you cannot do.” In the meantime it is later in the afternoon and Lee starts to get philosophical. The steering gear of Adriaan Westermann, and the cranes of Jacques van de Ruit are top performances that are way out of Lee’s league. The suffering, valued reader, continues for some time, stories about fruitless attempts to build a Frisian standing clock. I tell him confidentially about my own camouflage trick; 20 models under construction, but they never get finished. In the clock everything look okay, but it does not work, probably a bolt wrongly fastened. The constructions of Lee have to be big and clear, so he can see how things function. A nice example of this theory is Lee’s walking ostrich that mechanical moves hanging on its strings. And Lee’s contribution for the coming jubilee…., of course it is a big secret.
This is the in the meantime famous horse of Thio.
And this light footed bird is known by everybody.
Pages 9-10 Hobby & Free Time Expo
Text & photos: Charles Spierdijk. Translation: Bea Brouwer
The location of this happening was the WTC Leeuwarden, where the doors opened on the first day for the public at 13:00 hours, after the official opening with a festive touch. The exhibitors already were set. The Meccano was present quite extensively, and for the first time there was a member who normally sells but now had brought some models. Henk Sloots was the thriving force in this event and despite a number of cancelations the tables were properly filled. A number of participants also brought their wives which was good for the mood. As the afternoon passed by it became busier and busier and the interest for the Meccano stand was big. To give you an impression a number of photos have been placed and as I hope, this will result in a larger attendance of our members at the next episode of this Expo in 2017.
Left Top The complete group waiting for the official opening.
Right Top When you do not pay attention, you have a problem on such a busy railroad track.
Left This carousel has been used for several years now by children that come by at an event like this. The builder is Aat Visser.
Right This mill is owned by Henk Sloots, as are the models around it. All the trains will loads also are from Henk Sloots. But most of the Guild members already know. Top This crane was bought by Andries de Weerd of Henk Brouwer. Bertus Jongste helped revising it. The result is that Andries now can replace his bottle caps with no problems at all.
Top The Bullit Train of Aat Visser with which children can amuse themselves.
Top The most beautiful children’s attraction is the candy automate of Aat.
Bottom The Mississippi Boat of Andries de Weerd.
Top Some little models of Theo Schraag.
The tractor with trailer is also owned by Andries.
This milling machine was built by D. Mulder.
One of the locomotives which Henk drove around on his imposing railroad track.
Pages 11-13 Rubik cube solver in Fac system (Part 2)
Text & photos: Wilbert Swinkels. (Translation: Bea Brouwer)
Software As already written in the heading, you need algorithm to solve a scrambled cube. The computer program of which the algorithm is a part of, of course had to be written. At the end of 2009 the UVA came with this fact. The intention was to put one or more students to work at this project, who would next to developing the algorithm also write the complete program. This was in practice much harder than expected. Above all, the assignment for the students turned out to be a bit too non-binding, with the result that some students after one or several setbacks withdrew from the project. Although, that non-binding was not the issue for some students. Two students turned out to have chosen the writing of a computer program including algorithm – voluntarily or not – as their graduation thesis. The final program, in the meantime Summer 2012, however did not lead to a working machine1.
I will spare you the details about all my visits at the UVA, but you can easily fill a year of the appreciated by us all ‘Meccano Nieuws’. In short, despite the disappointment (read: frustration) about the way things went, I still have good memories about the UVA. But it could not prevent that the cooperation in the beginning of 2014 was declined. The project was put at ease by that fact.
How further? During the year 2014 and 2015 searching for a handy programmer. After some d-tours, with no results, I met through Facebook in June 2015 the Russian ICT architect Maxim Tsoy2. Maxim was very impressed by the FAC machine and excitedly enthusiastic to get to work. You can understand, that after more than 5 years I had built in some reservations about the results of this next attempt… Nevertheless we have started immediately and persistent.
First we walked through the hardware of the machine. The Arduino Mega of 2009 is at itself an excellent micro controller. It is necessary to inform you, that the choice of the controller in this case cannot be seen separately from the algorithm that you are going to use for solving the cube. A few algorithms can be found on the internet. The 2 most well-known algorithms are the so called 3 layer algorithm and the Kociemba algorithm. My preference, from the beginning, was the Kociemba algorithm, but this algorithm was not available in a subset of the programming language C, and that again is the programming language for Arduino. Above all the storage capacity of the Arduino controller insufficient for the Kociemba algorithm.
1 1 The machine was able to perform all the possible turns, but a working algorithm was not a fact. 2 Maxim Tsoy has a website, you can find it at https://zok.pw 3 The Raspberry is a micro controller, developed by the University of Cambridge. Since 2012 on the market and a big hit. 4 This matter is perfectly documented on the blogspot of Maxim: https://zok.pw The 3 layer algorithm calculates very fast a solution, but the number of necessary turns of the cube is minimum 66. The Kociemba algorithm however, takes longer to find a solution – in other words, still within a second – but the necessary turns of the cube is always 24 of less. Reasons enough for starting with the Kociemba algorithm. This decision brought, that the Arduino Mega was nog longer sufficient due to the limited storage capacity. In its place came the so called Raspberry Pi Compute Module (CM). Next to Arduino the Raspberry 3 nowadays is the most used controller.
Next to a faster processor and storage capacity the main difference is, that the Arduino mainly communicates with analogue signals, while the Pi only and just can handle digital signals. The consequence was, that the colour sensors had to be adjusted4. Here we go again! Wat is the case?
To keep it simple: in the old situation the ldr sensor catches the light and changes it in a potential difference. The ldr will show hardly any potential difference in a dark room, and at a bright light the meter will show, let us assume, 3V. When a green individual part is lighted with RGB LED, then the ldr will detain the degree of light reflection per LED. The combination of the 3 light values are specific per colour and so you can differentiate the colours. Again, we talk about the analogue electronics. In contrast to the Arduino this method does no longer work with the Pi. The Pi just can handle values of 0 or 1.
Actually the solution was very simple but well thought through. Now I will use this opportunity to make clear, that of course, we did not invent everything ourselves. The solution came from the internet. We just used the knowledge to adjust the colour sensor. Anyway, how was this job done? The Pi sees 0V as 0 (=off) and 3V as 1 (=on). However, when a GPIO pin measures 2,63V the Pi considers this as ‘on’. Between 2,63V and 3V is a difference of 0,37V. By means of a capacitor you can make this difference voltage time dependant. So when you involve a capacitor in the circuit of the ldr, it will take much longer with green light instead of at white light, that a potential difference of 3V occurs! By measuring the time differences between loading and unloading the capacitor it turned out to be possible to differentiate the colours.
So by clever programming it became possible to differentiate the colours. The only disadvantage of this technology is, that the complete scanning process takes a few minutes.
Maxim succeeded to have the machine working in 6 weeks, and on 19 July 2015 we finally had a working machine. However, this is not the end of the story!
Fourth prototype – final design We were very content about the speed of turning and extraordinary impressed by the Kociemba algorithm. We were less content with the slow scan process. The learning process concerning the microcontrollers developed too, and in the meantime we were able to have communication between the analogue and digital hardware by means of a so-called logic level converter. The capacitor based colour sensor was banned and instead the old RGB LDR sensor returned, although the Colorpals were examined again. The Colorpals fit modular better in the machine then the self-made sensor, but could not be used for now due to the programming language.
Studying the Colorpal PCB told us, that this in terms of hardware do not differ that much of the self-made sensor. The components just are much smaller. Further, on the Colorpal is located a microcontroller and a Eepromchip. The microcontroller takes care of the steering of the Colorpal, through the controller of the computer and the Eepromchip is responsible for amongst others the colour calibration. Both components I have removed from the PCB, for the RGB LED’s I mounted specially malepins on the PCB for the controlling of the LED’s, attached on the controller, and voilà, we have a good working analogue colour sensor!
Next, this sensor was attached to a Arduino Mini Pro – because of the processing of the analogue singels – and by means of a logic level converter attached to the Pi. This configuration turned out to work excellent, by which the scan process was reduced to less than half a minute.
A demonstration on film of this machine went online on 15 August 2015 on my YouTube channel Meccanokinematics and also was the closure of an educational project.
The Raspberry Foundation will publish about their microcontroller in the fall. The FAC system cube solver is one of the selected projects, that is written about in the book. The book is available: ISBN 978-1-4197-2500-5 US (Abrams) or ISBN 978-1-78472-305-7 UK (Mitchel Beazley). Further the reader can visit the next websites, that I have installed for my projects: For the Meccano system: www.meccanokinematics.net Or you google with the words Meccano Swinkels. There is always a possibility to see the solver working at home – by appointment – because I do not attend all the Meccano gatherings.
In response to the Cubic Solver there also was made a Meccano equivalent, of which the development only took 4 months. This machine was exhibited for the first time in Skegness 2016, where it received the 5 th prize. A video of the working can be found on my YouTube channel Meccanokinematics.
Left All in all this project, including the Meccano version, took about 6 years, but the results are impressive.
Pages 14-15 Alverna 2017 Text & photos: Charles Spierdijk. (Translation: Bea Brouwer)
The weather conditions were not that favourable to travel to Alverna, and for some members a reason to stay at home. Afterwards the slipperiness was not too bad and just gave some delays in Brabant. The number of people that were present was okay, amongst other a lot of members from to east of the country. Also the members of the Cash Checking Commission had made the journey, to check the financial documents for the coming General Meeting. Also there were some models to admire that were never shown before. The members that stayed at home due to the weather conditions can image a picture by the following photos of this gathering.
This earthmoving machine is the latest model of Mr. de Koning.
The same earthmoving machine, but now a view in the engine room.
Henri Goovaerts owns a lot of ‘youth’ Meccano, of which he has built this motorcycle.
Harry Meeusen show the mechanism from a planer.
Left This earthmoving machine was built by Gerry Kersten. Most of his models are by the way Eitech models.
Right Here a classical model of a plate press. Harry Meeusen shows here that nice models can be built of metalworking machines.
This truck is from Ans van Heeswijk. She brought for the first time a model to show, made by herself.
This Formula 1 car is also built by Gerry Kersten, with Eitech parts.
Pages 16-18 Ulvenhout 2016 Text: Charles Spierdijk, photos: Charles Spierdijk & Jan de Goede. (Translation: Bea Brouwer)
Always a good attended gathering and this episode made sure the continuing interest. As always the day started quietly, but that changed very fast. The tables were all well filled with models and the members who searched for parts for a newly build model had a lot of choice. The stage was decorated for the people who wanted to rest a while after their tour at the tables with models. Because Post.nl made the Christmas stamps more expensive again a new trend was noticeable. Several members had brought their Christmas cards with wishes and delivered them themselves. When the day passed by, also some non-members were visiting, so it was quite busy. But look at the photos yourselves to look what was seen.
Two collector items. The green one is a nice replica of Chest 10, built by Geert Vanhove.
Top and Bottom Bertus Jongste started to build a new model and the first results are to be seen. As you can see a Joystick is built by his hands too. Left The gathering in Ulvenhout was well before Christmas, the tree was created by Pim & Bea Brouwer. I understand that the work had been divided. The tree was made by Pim and the decoration is best to be done by Bea. Beneath the tree there were a series of micro models to be admired. Together building a Christmas tree and decorate it, is also a kind of teamwork.
Top This is one of the models brought by Jan Bressink.
Top This is one of the models that Wil van de Camp brought along. It is a Bubble Blowing Machine.
Bottom This Tanker truck was also built by Mr. F.W. Theuns.
Top These are some of the micro models laying beneath the Christmas tree.
Bottom One of the Eitech models of Mr. F.W. Theuns.
This is the sawing machine of André Geerts.
Here is shown an old acquaintance. It is the RR Silver Ghost of Wil van de Camp.
Page 18 De Knipe 2017 Text and photos: Charles Spierdijk. (Translation: Bea Brouwer)
As many of you know in the meantime, the weather conditions were not that great for a long ride on 11 February. For the journey by train the delay due to activities on the railroad track could be neglected. But the winter weather was the reason for some members to cancel the journey to the north of The Netherlands. Still, the exhibitors that were present, made it all worthwhile and a big success. In particular the members from the north were present sufficiently. But let the photos tell their stories and give you an impression of what was seen.
The motorcycles of R. van Slooten.
Theo Schraag shows his Seaplane here.
This old ‘Schicht’ was built by H. Piersma.
Also this Locomobile was made by Theo.
Page 24 Follow Up De Knipe
This seaplane is from Wibo Vos.
The fairground attraction from H. Piersma.
Left Here a private affair between Henk Sloots and Theo Schraag, whom ensconced behind his own harbour crane.
Right Another little crane built by Theo Schraag.
The Unimog with snow slider from Y. Rienstra.
Jan Wijngaarden shows one his top models here.