I am 83 years old. As a boy, I saw a legal secretary use the Ediphone shown in your video to transcribe dictation. She worked for her father-in-law who had become my father's mentor. Her son studied law and ultimately became my father's attorney. The son and I are still friends though geographically separated. Your video became a time machine transporting me nearly 80 years to the sights, sounds and smells of that office. I cannot thank you enough.

that internal thread cutting is classical brilliance

I repair sewing machines. About 40 yrs ago when I first learned how they work, I recognized how important screws are to do so many different things. Another simple machine that is indispensable is the spring.

The old German script you asked about appears to be describing a tool known as a _Wolfsangel_ , or literally, _wolf's fishing rod_ . Although I can't read the script, the word appears (split into the words _wolfs_ and _angel_ ) in the first line of the script. A Wolfsangel was a wolf trap. The drawings you show appear to be a more "modern" take. The older style was just two pointed hooks on two ends of a bar, with a perpendicular bar to which a chain was attached. The hooks were jammed into a chunk of meat and chained to a tree, which an unsuspecting wolf would then swallow, hooking himself like a fish. A stylized version of the old design was used, for a short time, as a symbol by German civilian resistance fighters in the latter days of World War II as Germany was being overrun by the Allies. This symbol is still in use today as the emblem of the Ukrainian Azov Battalion.

Hes not dead!

AVE once said that a wedge is the most important tool in the world. He noted that the thread on a screw is simply a wedge. It's a helical wedge (inclined plane). I thought that was pretty cool.

My family's business designs and constructs specialist commercial vehicles,pumps,generators,field workshops,de-salinisation plants etc. Despite the drawback of not being self priming they still use Archimedes screws in the large irrigation pumps. My great grandfather and his brothers built their first trucks which went to Libya in the 1930's using Archimedes screw pumps for sewage/groundwater. Over the years as technology evolved and different family members had their input all manner of alternatives rotary,reciprocating,vane,diaphragm,were tried, but my father went back to screws in the early 90's. they shift good amounts,are very accepting of debris and most importantly having only rotating rather than reciprocal parts are far more durable,given that many of these trucks go to places like India,Egypt,Sudan,Libya etc. and that mechanical sympathy isn't a foremost priority, the need for simplicity and high durability is paramount. Not only does the customer not want to be without their equipment,it takes some effort for a major repair to be actioned,either via re-patriation of the vehicle or a pair of techs and their gear travel. My father always says and with justification,that screw pumps are fit and forget,they just work,even half knackered they still work,endorsed by the fact that we are still using them centuries later. I've spent my entire life around threads screws and bolts the most important helix,is that of a corkscrew😁

As a retired Marine Engineer having sailed the seven seas,’ I can appreciate and relate to this video in many ways. This video was well presented, so much so that you have earned a subscription from me. I look forward to future videos on this fantastic subject. Threads are just a circular wedge which can be adjusted for varying and many applications. Without screws, my life would have been meaningless. Thank you.

No ads on a brilliant video. You’re the hero we need.

There actually has been an improvement on the Archimedes screw, within the last 20 years surprisingly. It's called an "Olds Elevator". Basically the screw itself is static and the housing spins instead. This has some advantages, like being better for moving fine substances like gunpowder, rice, wheat, grains etc. An Archimedes screw pushes a lot of air, which can lift and spray the fine materials into unwanted directions. The Olds elevator only moves the substance, and what little air there is in-between the grains of rain for example. It's a surprisingly simple difference from the normal Archimedes screw, but nobody thought of it until 2003.

I've carved a pair of 2-1/2 inch wooden screws with saw, chisel, and file. And I built one of Heron's internal threading tools too. It is tedious work but quite accessible with simple tools and some patience.

Wow, Heron was absolutely genius, beyond genius in fact as I did some google searches on him. He was no less than Archimedes or even Leonardo Da Vinci or even Issac Newton for his era. The rifled barrel is essentially an internally threaded tube.

Your comment about removing skill from the equation really resonates with me. I'm a carpenter by trade and being competent in my field now mainly consists of just knowing how to rely on your tools, removing as much skill from the tradesman as possible and relying on tools for precision or efficiency whenever possible.

The rendering at the beginning must have taken AGES, and sir, it was well worth it 🤝

Wonderful video that just came across my feed and after watching I immediately subscribed! As a middle school Engineering teacher, I will be incorporating these videos into my curriculum. Thanks so much!

The fact that you never once told me to "screw myself" when you were talking about thumb screws and such is kinda disappointing but also understandable. Great video. Also a great reminder to take nothing for granted. Even the simplest parts of life are great inventions

GIVE IT UP FOR MY BOY ARCHIMEDES!!!

Here, where i live in spain wooden threads on presses are really common. At my dad's shop they even had to remake one infected screw for a cellar, and he made it with a master screw, just as shown.

Hi, you mentioned at 12:18 that the illustrator made an error. I believe there is a chance that they didn't. A master machinist showed me a linear reducer using left- and right-handed thread screws with slightly different leads. The result is that one thread pushes the carriage one way (say 1" per turn), while the other thread pushes it the other (say 0.9" per turn). The net result is carriage moves the difference between the two leads (1" - 0.9" = 0.1" per turn). In effect, the two screws produce a reduced linear motion of the carriage. This can be used for micro-positioning or creating a very strong clamping action. Do you have additional information regarding this illustration? Great videos by the way!

Wow, that Ediphone is amazing! Thank you for preserving it and sharing it with us! I would love to see how it works!!!

It'd be a crime if that Dictaphone didn't get its own episode.

I just finished watching the video and then went back to the youtube mainscreen, where I noticed that I did not give the video a thumbs up. I guess that was the first time in my life that I on purpose went back, just to click the thumbs uo button. Congratulations on that, Sir!

This channel is simply extraordinary to lovers of history -- technological and general. Thank you so much!

Hi, Back when I was learning My woodworking skills I was taught how to calculate the correct size of drill for the shaft and core of the screw. The formula is (for imperial) is screw gauge +2 or 3 divided by 64, for shank size. and screw gauge divided by 64 for core size. Also later on I worked as an antique restorer and learned that there was no standard for screw threads or head slot, because the screws were handmade by the workshop or local blacksmith, and also i had a variety of screwdrivers each one ground for the size of slot for the screw I was extracting.

can't believe i'd never seen the loeffelholz codex before - those drawings are /amazing/ (not just for the machines they illustrate - something about the illustration itself seems /profoundly/ contemporary) glad to see another upload on this channel - definitely looking forward to the next in the series

In my profession, a mechanic in a factory, they're all screws as far as the store room or manuals are concerned. As in a socket head cap screw (SHCS) for Allen headed screws. Only when you add a nut to the end does it magically become a bolt. If you thread it into a part with matching threads it's still a screw. But no one gets upset when you call it by either name, we all know what we mean.

Fascinating, superb production values and an excellent narrative. Thank you so much!

This is the most amazing detailed video on the the history of the screw! Brilliant!!! Thank you for sharing your work!!!!

This man just made me buy a $100 book with no regrets. Bravo my friend

I'm damn glad I stayed subscribed to this channel! It doesn't cost me anything to wait, and these videos are well worth it!

Great video. FYI, the Edison tube is superior to the flat record because it's uniform. On a spinning platter, the songs on the outter edges have the needle travel further per second which allows for more nuanced grooves, which equals higher fidelity.

I love this info, and you did a great job with video. Script, narration, images, pacing, etc. I hope you continue to make more!

I'll never forget, about 50 years ago getting my set of tools as a kid I drove screws and nails into every fence post around the farm until I got something to work on. My first lawn tractor. I was fascinated by the nuts and bolts and springs Sadly, after dismantling it completely, it never ran again, but all future machines did. Odd this is the memory this video reminded me of. Great videos Peace ✌️

I am LOVING all of the comments on what you think about bolts vs screws. The variety and differences between people and even countries are far more than I would have expected and really eye opening!

What a wonderful and very educational video ! As a trained clockmaker of 40 years I am humbled by the genesis of this small joining devise. The codex is remarkable as is your skilled and masterful ability to educate. I thank you greatly and would hope to contribute money in appreciation of your remarkable educational skills. Thank you, your work has been enlightening. Edgar Hume

About 2 years ago I started a quest to learn about screws bolts and nuts: who invented them, when were they first used and how were they made. did not get much answers. This video sure answers many of the questions I had. thank you

Haha the old screw vs bolt argument, I was thinking "oooh boy here we go again" but you circumvented it nicely! I'm not gonna fuel the fire, I know what's correct and I won't change anyones mind.

Some charm, wit and a genuine 1st impression

I've literally been fantasizing about a doco on the history of screws, bolts, cogs, gears, ect. Thank you so much. This is a masterpiece.

Don't forget we enjoy the surprise videos, keep enjoying making them at your pace, having a life! (ignore the whining)

I work in a food processing plant. Augers are one of the ways we move products through different areas of the process. We also use reel screens to separate solids from water and move the solids away so they can be taken away and the water sent back to be used again (using an impeller pump, another screw). You do great work and I sincerely enjoy your videos.

AMAZING video. Fascinating. Clear. Relevant. 👏👏👏

Bro I'm just starting this video, but I've been curious about when and where building screws originated and I'm so excited!

Wonderfully done! I'm a mechanical engineering student and this sort of thing fills my heart with excitement about the richness of human inventiveness and our relationship with physics.

"work so well that you don't even notice them" *screams in classic car owner*

Thanks so much for this video. Excellent work! The Ediphone is not just a product of ingenuity but also a piece of industrial art. I happened to visit the Edison Park at Orange, NJ about two months back. Too bad I should have missed something like that. Or, could even they not have such a nice example?

In drafting class, we did a whole section on the topic of Threaded Fasteners. That's the general term for screws and bolts (and nuts). Saying Threaded Fasteners prevents you from having to say "screws and bolts" over and over and over.

That was an extremely well done video, thank you for the time you spent making and researching, excited to check out your other content!

First of all, THANK YOU FOR MAKING MORE VIDEOS!!!!! I can't tell you how much I enjoy the videos you make, again thank you. Secondly, I literally watched (had it playing in the shop) this video while working on my lathe! I'm new to machining, but I've always found the humble screw fascinating!!

This video was just awesome... Great narration, great research, great presentation! Thank you! 😊

Inspiring history lesson. Thank you for sharing this video.

This reminds me so much of Tim Hunkin and "The Secret Life of Machines" series. I love it!

"what would happen if every screw just disappeared" Easy, I would use bolts.

Well done. Not easy keeping something so simple so interesting. Thanks for sharing 👍.

Excellent work. Phenomenal video. 10/10

"What would happen if every screw disappeared?" We'd be screwed.

I've never been so excited for screws glad to see your back the quality of your videos is worth the wait.

and with that bolt definition you got your self another subscriber!

My father manufactured popcorn machines in the early 20th century (Krispy Kist Korn Machine Co. Chicago) so we always had tools around and dad showing me how to use them. Family often recalls that, as a toddler, I spent much of my time removing the hinges from all the cabinets in the kitchen. Have loved tools and making things ever since, but became a Pediatrician, so very few opportunities to utilize that early skill. Great video. Thanks

Absolutely fascinating, this is exactly what makes UKposts an excellent educational source. In this video I am once again reminded of my ignorance of all things and how much I take the screw - for granted. Even though I have been a 'machine head' for over 50y. Good production values, cleanly communicated info.

After having watched this video it gives me much more appreciation for my lathe and milling machine.

I regret that I have no erudite observation to add to the discussion. I was trained in manufacturing engineering at my university and never saw such a marvelous review of any history behind it all. I thank you sincerely for your careful study of the evidence available and then your simple presentation of it all that didn’t take as long as the history took. I greatly appreciated every one of your videos that I have seen and subscribed after the first.

What a fascinating, well put together and informative video, thanks so much for taking the trouble.

Glad to see you back! That internal thread cutting blew my mind.

Your videos are amazing. Thank you for the beautiful work that you do and the effort you put into these videos. Fantastic.

12:20 I don't think the illustrator made an error. Left hand screw on left and right hand screw on right will both shorten the distance between the sliding block and the end block. This is the exact mechanism for an screw adjusted compasses.

Use that Edison player. It deserves to be operated. Entropy is the machines reward.

Man I’ve been missing this channel! Glad you’re back.

Can we all take a second to admire just how slick and sexy that opening animation was... real eye candy.

12:21 actually, the illustrator did NOT make an error. If you rotate the coarse right handed helix, from right to left, the same thread on the left being a left handed helix will give you a very fine and slower motion of the moveable block to or from the stationary block. Sometimes, two different thread pitches are used in the same configuration to acquire a similar result.

Wish I could upvote this twice. Thank you. That was a lot of work.

My Dad was a bulldozer operator, and I loved his connection with such an amazing machine also.

I love your work. The history of how all these things build on each other and come together is truly amazing and its great to have it all together like this :)

A most informative video. Accidentally got here but so glad I did.

Very interesting. Thank you for the big effort of putting together all this information . Congratulations.

Your series is nothing short of fascinating and should be in every science curriculum.

Thanks for the great screw history lesson! I hope in a future episode you'll cover the range of tightness between finger tight all the way up to stripped threads.

I just love threads of all kinds ,I get fascinated by Gigantic nuts and bolts of Ships ,lorrys etc, but never knew The History behind them..In our engineering Classes we were Taught the Different Types and parameters of Some Standard threads...This Video Is eye opener....Thanks sir..

Great video! Question, have you considered doing a video on the bootstrap process that lead to higher and higher accuracy screws? I have no Idea how that happened!

i love the history of engineering things, its a topic not that well discussed on youtube.

youve earned this humble engineer's sub

Really glad when I get a golden recommendation like this

My favorite example of the worm drive is in the tuning keys on my geetar! ROCK N' ROLL, DUDE!!!

This is really good stuff. Really made my gears turn by 1 tooth per revolution.

Extremely educational and just plain fascinating. A very well done vid. Thank you!

I really enjoyed watching this, as a machinist I owe an impossibly large debt to the humble thread as do all people living in modern society at large. It affects so many aspects of our lives because virtually everything you see outside nature depends on it to be made, and while the start of the industrialization of our world took out some skill it introduced the need for new skills in controlling said machines and refining their processes that made careers such as mine possible. Thank you humble screw and the people that thought of and actualized your invention whomever you may have been.

Really enjoyed the video. Loved the German Illustrations. Don't forget threaded rod.

Wow, those medieval illustrations are so detailed and realistic ! BTW: great channel, instant sub !

Will you make a video about metrology references? Flats, straights, gauges, etc.?

When i was at the henry ford museum in Michigan. They had a machine circa 1850's that made screws. it was so fascinating. It was powered by belt via a steam engine.

Nice video. As a non destructive testing inspector, i tested many augers here in the Netherlands. Mostly used for food factories al around the world and some to be placed in dykes to keep Holland dry. The old German is pretty readable to me. An old schoolfriend of mine is now a professor on the university of Syracuse, USA. He can read it.

Me watching this while eating rotini pasta: screws are everywhere!

Thanks so much for this video. Those medieval documents were so amazing to see: I had no idea!

I am very glad I "discovered" this interesting channel. Congrats.

Maybe one of the most important inventions ever. Thank you to the genius who invented them!

WOW. I always wondered how the first internal thread was made with out a threading machine. Ingenious. Very cool.

I’ve been checking back here regularly for this great content!

Re tool on the screw cutting lathe from the house book, my first thought having built and used wooden pole lathes was that the tool is a mallet used to set the wedges that hold the head and tail stocks in position.

The inclined plane,,,,almost as old as fire. This vid is fantastic,,,,thank you. 👍👍👍😎

Fantastic. Terrific video. Thank you for sharing it and free as free can be. I would think any worthy military museum would have drawings about the cannons you inquired about. Certainly Spain and any other old European country would proudly have such documented History somewhere. Once again, thank you for sharing this