It doesn't take a lot of brains to realize the junkyard is sometimes seeded. Remember "Mylar in the trunk" for the dirigible, "R/C Prop(s)" for the r/c airplane, and more recently, "Pillow Block Bearings" for the dragster(s), and the "Large Air Valve" for the air cannon?

Thanks to the excellent http://www.the-nerds.org web site, this business about seeding is well explained. I just have difficulty with the continual insults to our intelligence, "oh look what we found". A blind man could see those pillow block bearings were new, though swiped with a spray can to make them look old. Just say it... "WE DECIDED TO INCLUDE THESE PARTS TO MAKE THE CONSTRUCTION POSSIBLE". Most of us can deal with the knowledge a junkyard can't be expected to have everything known to man.

Does anyone agree?

By the way, this is my biggest hangup with the show. Otherwise, I absolutely love the show. I agree about the hosts, but they are not why I tune in.

-- Terry King (terry.king@gecapital.com), January 05, 2001

Answers

I think I have to make it a bit stronger in dp@the-nerds.org), January 05, 2001.

I think I have to make it a bit stronger in on seeding. Before it came to the US, the shows targeted audience was kids 6-14. Its supposed to be a science ed show. Kids that age don't notice, they just like seeing the machines get built.

Its the same crew editing both US and UK shows, and they try to keep the same ideals. Its TLC's doing that they show it for adults, as thats what the advertisers pay more for.

-dp-

-- Jeff - The NERDS (dp@the-nerds.org), January 05, 2001.

The show is actually about how the teams work with planning and assembling the parts. The human factor is the important thing. If some of the critical parts were not stashed in the yard, then it would be too time consuming to put the machines togather, as some of the major parts would have to be hand crafted from scrap. I'm sure that each team has the ability to do that, but it would just take too long. They must have two working machines at the end of the day for the show to go on to the head to head competetion on the last day. When they film the yard segement of the show, there are about 65 people working on the set for the whole day, and time is very expensive on that day. I have been looking in scrap yards for thirty years, and haven't found even one working (or trashed) steam engine, but yesterday I found an eight inch butterfly valve in working condition at one nearby. It was on a water main pipe. I did however come home with a 36" flywheel from an antique printing press, which will end up in some kind of toy.

-- Waddy Thompson (cthomp3851@aol.com), January 06, 2001.

Guys, look more closely at the shows. I seem to Robert making some off handed remark about certian parts being left in the Scrapheap for the Mothers Of Invention show as well as the Steam Powered Cars challenge. In fact, I remember him showing us the steam engine right after the N.E.R.D.S. passed by. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that you wouldn't normally find a ton of the things needed for the more specialty items that are built. My junk yard doesn't stock steam engines and boilers last time I checked! Just sit back, and enjoy the show.

-- Joey Falgout (B.J.) (joeyinalexandria@hotmail.com), January 06, 2001.

Okay gang, you are making good points...but I think you missed the spirit of my post. Yes, I AGREE, there is necessity for providing the unusual parts. I'm converted.. I see the light.... but my point is why don't just they say it! "We are providing this part". "In the interest of construction and the show, we decided to provide this part".

I think its insulting to us for them to claim they found it. Why pretend? FACT OF LIFE: JUNKYARDS DON'T CONTAIN EVERYTHING!

If this is aimed at educating our young ones, then just be honest. Even children could handle the fact some things are provided because the JY can't have everything.

Now, lets review our points: 1. Seeding is necessary and important. 2. Extending a falsehood and saying "we found it" is insulting. 3. It is easy to just say "We are providing these parts".

-- Terry King (terry.king@gecapital.com), January 08, 2001.

i was originally informed of this show by a co-worker(im a master tech...fro auto`s) he said as soon as he saw it. it reminded him of me....i`m always maing something out of nothing......seems to me that the more common point trying to be gotten across is that its supposed to be educational and aimed at 6-14 yearold kids......if this is the target audience...then you need at least one of "them " in each of your segments!....maybe have a tradesmen give the young one a briefing on how to do simple things (hell..some already know how to do alot!), to be a contributor in the effort...this will draw those in the target group ! as well as make it a little more interesting, esp if it were a vehicle construction, and the young ones are allowed to drive the vehicles on a course of some kind, against the clock....then youll hva ekids from EVERYWHERE watching!...even me! im a 43 y/o kid myself!

-- tim (milehiharley@hotmail.com), January 08, 2001.

another idea for the "targeted"age group could be a riding lawnmower version of JYW!!the teams could comprise of 3 youths, and a adult "advisor"to do the more critical things.....like welding and safety concerns...but let the kids have a go at it on their own mostly

-- tim (milehiharley@hotmail.com), January 09, 2001.

I AGREE, THE SEEDING, MAKES THE SHOW AS BELIEVABLE AS THE WWF AND THE SO CALLED REALITY SHOWS. ALL OF WHICH ARE AN INSULT TO MY INTELLIGENCE. A 6 YEAR OLD MAY NOT BE INSULTED, BUT A 14 YEAR OLD SURE SHOULD BE. AFTER WATCHING 2 EPISODES, MY IMPRESSION WAS, YEAH RIGHT! FUNNY HOW ALL THE PARTS NECESSARY ARE ALWAYS THERE. SOME OF THEM LOOK TOO NEW TO BE THERE NATURALLY. SO, I WILL NOT BE WATCHING IT AGAIN. FOOL ME ONCE, ETC, ETC.

-- RICK BLAINE (PUBLIUS@NETCITIZEN.COM), January 09, 2001.

Caught us !!! Darn we thought you would be too busy with homework or something to notice the one new part necessary to complete our project. As for the "target" group it is really 18 to 49, who might have their children watching. Probably so they could explain how things work in the real world, where children are not allowed to play.

-- justjay-Captain-Three Rusty Juveniles (justjay@neo.rr.com), January 09, 2001.

I think that the spirit of the seeding is not to provide the one working piece needed, but to provide some of the working pieces that could be used. As long as there are choices to be made from the resources available the process is not contrived. However the new set seems more decorated with scrap structural than the piled up random parts of the SHC that made the finds seem more scrounged from many choices.

-- Chuck Saunders (csaunders@bv229.k12.ks.us), January 09, 2001.

While we are on this subject, it has been my experience that most working scrap yards evolve thru the weeks or months. A lot if not nearly all of the materials in the show yard have been there a long time. Maybe they should bring in the crane and empty and refill the show yard with new old stuff for the teams to work with. Sort of spruce up the set a little. The good items like fanbelts, transmissions, hydraulic parts, electrical parts ect seem to be picked over pretty well by now in the yard.

-- Waddy Thompson (cthomp3851@aol.com), January 09, 2001.