I built a Time Machine

Ok, full disclosure, its not a real time machine. You wouldn't be able to go back in time and meet Mary behind the bike sheds

I designed and built this a couple of years ago. Its one of those objects that people either 'get' or they simply dont.

There are various animations running on the machine if you check the video. I particually like the iris in the side of the glass case

Time Machine is sold and enjoyed by a new owner but thoughts are turning to a second machine !

Some blurb

What is Time Machine ? At its heart it is nothing more than 100 gears, all of the same ratio, a huge gear box endlessly turning the next gear in sequence. Time Machine is a visual representation of time, the age of the cosmos, of earth the start of creation and the end of all things and, of your own mortality.

Time machines motors and gears are arranged as such that gear one takes 18.5 seconds to make one full revolution. Gear two in turn turns gear three and so on until we reach gear wheel 100. When I tell you how long it will take gear 100 to turn one full revolution you will be astounded.

If you turn this machine on and left it to run it would take an unimaginable

251.7E+78 seconds

or

7977046533986600000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

YEARS for gear 100 to make one full revolution!

A simply incredible amount of time. Longer than the time past so far and longer than the time the universe has left to live.

By the time gear 11 (Certainly 12) makes one full revolution we will all be dead and buried.

If you're interested there are a load more images HERE & HERE

& VIDEO

Plus the HUGE numbers involved HERE

I tried to embed the vid here but couldn't suss it out

https://youtu.be/qxlgZxhowtE

Hope you like this quirky work

Thank you

Carl

Edited By Die Hardenedbedway on 31/08/2022 06:47:41

As impressive as it is, an elecronic version might be much more cost effective.🙂

Haha indeed ! and take up a lot less space on the sideboard

Then what would be the point of doing it at all? Nothing to watch, feel or pontificate on.

The new owner should put aside plenty of oil, the wells will definitely have run dry by then! But gloriously mad!

Very impressive work there.

I bet it would give that Steve bloke on Repair Shop food for thought.

Crikey. A work of art to be sure.

Wonderful, i love it, it's even dafter than my fibre optic clock.

Dek.

Yes, and all the paint in the universe will've dried by then. There'll be nowt else to watch.

Here;s the embedded video. Well worth a look.

Crikey - So you have passed it on without fully testing it !

Love it all the same.

Bob

Never thought of that. But it must have a lifetime warranty surely?

I'm sure it does have a lifetime warranty. When it breaks, it's reached its lifetime, therefore the warranty has expired.

Slightly more seriously, what's the gear ratio at each step?