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I saw a documentary about them employing pneumatics for everyday devices and they were really inventive in this department. They probably also don't use a compr

I saw a documentary about them employing pneumatics for everyday devices and they were really inventive in this department. They probably also don't use a compressor, so you have to work the air pump to use the mixer.

Retric 5y ago
That sounds a lot more backwards than it is, pneumatic tools are still in widespread use. Wikipedia lists 32 manufacturers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumatic_tool https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumatic_tool Dentist drills for example are frequently pneumatic due to higher maximum RPM’s.
- TeMPOraL 5y ago
  Indeed, and it's worth remembering that compressed air - much like gears and belts, or water and other hydraulic fluids - is a perfectly good way of moving power across distances. Electricity has a lot of nice properties, but it's not perfect for every application. Beyond hand tools, I think plenty of industrial manufacturing machines, including CNC machines, use compressed air as the source of primary "work" power.
  - adrianN 5y ago
    Lowtech magazine has a nice article about this: https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2013/01/mechanical-transmission-of-power-stangenkunst.html https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2013/01/mechanical-transmi...
- raxxorrax 5y ago
  Oh, I didn't meant it that way. Here it is a replacement for electricity and their ingenuity is quite intricate. On the contrary, they put up quite a bar that has to be matched by those calling them backwards. Aside from that pressured air has quite a lot of applications. Some high tech robots use pneumatics instead of hydraulics or gas for certain applications. It is not at all a deprecated technology, the principle is more or less the same. It is also 100% more ecological if you use the air pump to power your devices.
iancmceachern 5y ago
I've heard this referred to as "Amish electricity"
deleted 5y ago
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Retric 5y ago

That sounds a lot more backwards than it is, pneumatic tools are still in widespread use. Wikipedia lists 32 manufacturers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumatic_tool https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumatic_tool Dentist drills for example are frequently pneumatic due to higher maximum RPM’s.

TeMPOraL 5y ago
Indeed, and it's worth remembering that compressed air - much like gears and belts, or water and other hydraulic fluids - is a perfectly good way of moving power across distances. Electricity has a lot of nice properties, but it's not perfect for every application. Beyond hand tools, I think plenty of industrial manufacturing machines, including CNC machines, use compressed air as the source of primary "work" power.
- adrianN 5y ago
  Lowtech magazine has a nice article about this: https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2013/01/mechanical-transmission-of-power-stangenkunst.html https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2013/01/mechanical-transmi...
raxxorrax 5y ago
Oh, I didn't meant it that way. Here it is a replacement for electricity and their ingenuity is quite intricate. On the contrary, they put up quite a bar that has to be matched by those calling them backwards. Aside from that pressured air has quite a lot of applications. Some high tech robots use pneumatics instead of hydraulics or gas for certain applications. It is not at all a deprecated technology, the principle is more or less the same. It is also 100% more ecological if you use the air pump to power your devices.

iancmceachern 5y ago

I've heard this referred to as "Amish electricity"

deleted 5y ago

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