Steve: The requirement for the use of hydraulics was predifined by RDF television as the solution for one of the teams to use. The object of the show is to present two different solutions to tackle a given challenge. Hydraulics themselves would however have still been my choice as the possiblity for the POWER of the machine is great. RDF television's researcher's track down experts on given subjects and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and my telephone at work rang where I am responsible for the total product support of Liebherr hydraulic excavators from 10 to 300 tonne in weight. These machines all use hydraulic operating systems and that is how I became involved with Scapheap Challenge.

J: That's interesting. I always thought it was coincidence that both machines worked differently. Did you have any ideas as to what the other expert would be building?

S: Basically NO! When the demolition challenge was anounced by Robert and Cathy at the beginning of the build day neither team were aware of the others proposed solutions. It was only during the build day when the structures of both teams began to rise above the height of the dividing walls on the film set that we understood what we were each using for a solution. Our opposition Jamie from the beach Boys did express their concern that if both machines failed to deliver on the day then due to the size of Andy, John and Spike from the Chaos Crew they would be able to pull down the walls of the power station with their bare hands.

J: But...would that have even been allowed? Anyway, were you told in advance that you would be facing walls ranging from 6 inches thick to 12" think re-inforced brick?

S: As an expert for the team the experts are responsible for the basic idea for a solution. For this reason it is clear that we must know at least something about the details of the challenge in order to provide the needed guide lines for the teams. A good example for any challenge could indeed be the demolition challenge where I dreamed up the Muncher machine. If the prosposed walls were 5 meters high then clearly it would be useless if the teams only bulit a machine that could reach 4 meters because it would not have been able to reach the top of the wall. On the other side of the equation what would be the point of the teams struggling thought the tens hour build day (AND YES IT REALLY IS ONLY TEN HOURS) to build a machine that can reach 6 meters high if the walls are only 4 meters. There does seem generally within the chat forums different ideas about the role of an 'expert' indeed some even suggest that and 'expert' is totally unessesary. We have all seen some shows where the teams decide to go against their experts advice only to fail with disaterous results. The experts are needed to assist the production crew to understand the BASIC principles involved so that they may source the required scrap materials for the scrapheap, these items that are made available on the heap are not new and they are not known to either the experts or the teams, we also have no idea where they have been placed. It is the responsibility of the expert to guide the teams to understand what they need to find and they alone go out to source the materials, indeed it was during the building of the Muncher that the Chaos Crew came back with that wonderful turntable that we used for the swinging base of the Munchers arms. This was nothing to do with the expert and I had no idea it was there, because I had planned to use one half of a truck axle mounted vertically to form the swing base. The expert only meets the teams the previous evening and it is up to us all to bond and sort out the task in hand. I would like to say that Andy, John and Spike were some of the most amazing guys I have ever met and we have all met up since on many occasions.

J: Interesting. I honestly had no idea so much went on behind the scenes. What about your performance? How do you think you did?

S: Wow self analysis. To be honest the machine was dreamed up in my mind trying to utilise components that are indeed scrap parts whilst still having a machine capable of the job. The initial drawings happened on the table at my home and they evolved into a solution that I felt would perform the task in hand. When the Chaos Crew had finished the building of the Muncher, as it was named by Spike, you could almost take a photograph of the machine and overlay it upon my simple pencil drawings that the Chaos Crew had never seen as it was so close to the original idea. So from that point of view I feel that my role in the challenge was as I could ever have wished for. However if you did overlay that final Muncher photograph with my drawings there was in fact one area of the build that did not meet the original drawing idea, this was the support structure for the main steel boom that failed early in the challenge. This steel support was never intended to be the final support arm because my original idea was to use a fourth hydraulic ram so that this main steel arm could move up and down and also be fexible so it would not fail. Unfortunatley the Crew did not manage to find a forth hydraulic ram and even if we did find it the time was now fast running out for the build and it may not have been possible to have included it. I only wish that I had spotted the weakness in the structure so that we could have included additional support in the manner that we finally had to during the challenge day when it failed.

J: It would be interesting to know what the outcome would have been had the support not given way so early in the race. Oh well...no sense thjinking about what could-have-been. How well do you think a team of all-experts would fair in the competition?

S: It is the mix of skilled engineers who know how to REALLY handle to tools of their trade along with the help of a single expert for the project in hand. At the end of the day it is the teams themselves that make the machine. The term 'expert' however is only applicable if that is their specific role, if you think about it every team member is already an expert. The Chaos Crew team members are each experts at fabrication, welding, engineering and most important they are all experts at team work. When you see the final program and the team are never under each others feet, they are never arguing about who should do what, they were never all trying to do the same thing at the same time. To this end I feel that any team that fulfill these criteria are already an ALL EXPERT TEAM.

J: That's a good point. Now, the burning question of the day...Robert and Cathy. What they like off camera?

S: This is a simple question because they are exactly as you all see them on the television. If I was to attempt to explain in any detail this statement it would only serve to do them injustice. They are both fanstastic to work with and indeed you feel at the end of the challenge that Robert, Cathy and the whole RDF television crew are your friends.

J: I think that's what we all thought about them. Do you think other teams would be inclined to use hydraulics in future machines or do you think they'll look at the other hydraulic machines and shy away from them?

S: It is very unfortunate that to date hydraulics have never actually won a challenge. Is that because they are too complicated? is it because that tend to be too slow? I do truly believe that hydraulics can win when the challenge is deserving and the srtucture strong enough. You may wonder how can I make such a comment considering that my hydraulic design lost the challenge, well it is simlpy that hydraulics are for use where pure POWER is required and if this power is really needed to full capacity then the machine iteself has to be very strong. This means that the structure has to be very heavy and this in itself limits the build by a four crew team by hand. If the build set was to include a purpose lifting gantry so that heavier parts could be handled then the structures could be made to be absolutly fail proof and then the hydraulic power could be immense as the structure would be able to handle it. But do not forget that somehow the scavengers both have to get these heavy parts out of the scrapheap and into the film set so there will always be a limit to the potential. Will hydraulics fall out of fashion? No, I think not. Lessons will and have been learnt and some day an expert in this field will have a further opportunity and then the day of hydraulic reckoning will have arrived. Teams should never think "On no not the hydraulic kiss of death" they should view this the same as the event itself ..... a challenge to be overcome. I only hoped that the opportuntnity for myself to return could happen at some time in the future. Watch this space.

J: Time will tell I suppose. Had you had much previous experience with demolition before this?

S: My own specialist field is involved with the technical aspects of the demoltion machines themselves. My own specialist field is with demolition machines based on hydraulic excavators and should the U.K. Wembly Stadium demoliton project ever resume it's intention to be raized to the ground then you will indeed see a machine that I have been closely involved with that will perform the task in hand. The machine has now been completed for some time and has been purchased by a leading UK demolition company for this special task at Wembly. I only wish I could have made such a beast in ten hours. When the Wembly Stadium demoltion resumes I shall post some images of a 'real' Muncher on my website.

J: Finally, would you do it again?

S: Absolutely YES. It was indeed one of the most enjoyable and memorable event in my whole life. When it had all finshed and it was time to leave the Chaos Crew and the RDF team there was a real tear in my eye. If any team's out there begin to think about applying to enter then go for it with all your heart, it will be an event that you will never regret, 'win' or 'lose' you will love it.