Welcome to the inaugural issue of the MachinePix newsletter. In 2014, I started collecting images of machines I liked in a Twitter account so I could easily show friends.
150K+ followers and 100M+ impressions later, I am launching this weekly digest as an opportunity to provide extended detail, insight, and editorial on the daily posts to the MachinePix Twitter and Instagram. In time, I will include exclusive long-form content about the machines—sometimes whimsical, sometimes terrifying, always fascinating—that humanity builds. @kane
July 13, 2020: the “Stairway to Heaven”
While researching this structure I learned about via ferrata (Italian, “iron path”), a type of climbing route designed to allow access to difficult areas without specialized equipment or skills.
Manufacturer: Outdoor Leadership
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F53167a03-5251-4d01-9492-2e8d77ec1833_914x1132.png)
July 12, 2020: Radius screed
A screed is a long, typically tedious piece of writing (like internet newsletters), but in construction a screed is a device used to grade and smooth a concrete surface. This radius screed is specialized for smoothing circular pours of concrete such as the grain bin pad pictured.
Manufacturer: Dragon Screed
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1b8276-d111-47c7-a470-084c12b1cc4f_1108x618.png)
July 11, 2020: Automated crepe maker
I find this post funny because it uses exactly the same principle as the radius screed above to shape the crepe. I tried really hard to find the manufacturer of this machine, but was unable to. Interestingly, pancake automation seems fundamentally different from crepe automation.
Manufacturer: Unknown
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F73e93896-453b-44bd-be99-205f20cfa58b_1084x1128.png)
July 10, 2020: Self-Propelled Modular Transporter
SPMT is actually the technical name for a platform vehicle designed to carry really huge payloads. I’m always pleasantly surprised when I discover niche rivalries in the comment section of my posts—in this case, KAMAG vs. Goldhofer for SPMTs.
Manufacturer: KAMAG
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F97862808-9ebe-4dcb-a621-17533332289a_640x702.png)
July 9, 2020: Crash-testing Braun ambulance.
Something I hadn’t thought about, but I am thankful for. I wonder what the marginal cost and safety is for one of these ambulances compared to just using a Mercedes Sprinter van.
Manufacturer: Braun Ambulances
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb843336b-750d-4bf4-88ff-e486533fd9da_1018x632.png)
July 7, 2020: Concrete groover.
In contrast to the radius screed, this was a soothing, manual concrete groover and screed that generated an unbearable number of “groovy” jokes.
Manufacturer: Kraft Tool
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe5d2114c-7b6c-41bb-8119-169832caeb10_1106x1112.png)
Bonus: cake cake cake
As cake took over the internet this past week, I dug up a few of the cake machines that have been posted in the past. Two use principles very similar to the crepe machine and radius screed, and one which seems incredibly over-engineered with a SCARA.
Manufacturers: Bakon, Unifiller, FoodTools
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F89add687-a5e8-463f-b01b-c0f576ea4768_988x542.png)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb1e128b2-84e4-4151-9464-68e6c855d803_986x496.png)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3356b3f0-6b80-4a1f-800c-624de5115232_1006x690.png)