Those interested in mechanisms and horology will probably enjoy watching the hypnotic action of this single-pin escapement executed in Lego by YouTuber horolophile. An “escapement,” FYI, is the mechanism in a timepiece that converts continuous rotational motion into oscillating “back and forth” motion and makes it go tick-tock.
Thingiverse user overflo reverse-engineered Chris Schaie’s renowned mechanical iris peephole design and added a rack and pinion so that it can be operated with a motor. His is executed in laser-cut plastic, controlled by an Arduino, and opens onto an LCD display that shows a giant freaking eye staring out of it. Deets are here.
Adam Richard Cooper built this hand-cranked model of a classic mechanical governor–which, as MachinistBlog succinctly put it “regulates the speed of steam engines by acting as a negative feedback system”–and made the dimensional drawings and build notes freely available for download at his site. I like the idea of a hand-cranked governor model, particularly, because it provides tactile feedback of the device’s purpose: You crank it faster, it gets harder to crank.
The quintessentially Dutch, singularly functional, aesthetically innovative, and yet alluringly strange table in question is by designer Wouter Scheublin. “Walking Table,” as it is cleverly named, is human-powered, incorporating a mechanical linkage that converts gentle lifting and pushing of the top into oscillations of the legs that move the table across the floor with little effort. [via NOTCOT]
Another gem from Madox.NET.
Reportedly this cam-actuated, weight-activated grabbing hook from designer Stefan Bennedahl “makes it easy to hang things like towels that tend to fall off hooks,” which I’m willing to buy into if for no other reason than that it looks like a heckuva lot of fun to use. Design Within Reach actually lives up to its name with these, which are only $10 apiece.
Gears are easy to understand, make, and use, IF you know the vocabulary and can space the gears at the correct distance apart.
