VIDEO of it working (well it doesn't time travel, but it does do things ) [link]


My 3rd big University project finished .
The brief was to design and make a time machine that fits in a particular century/ time era/ culture/ etc. I Chose 18/19th century science period. Its not really steam punk , although that's what a lot of people immediately think. This is more original period design . Steampunk , is random cogs and wheels that don't do anything. This machine , however , works ( not in sense of time traveling) but the rings and all of the bits actually rotate and spin. I will post a video on YouTube asap and trow a link here . That shows the actual beauty of it

Materials : MDF, Brass, Resin ,Acrylic , chemiwood, miliput,
Paints: Brass spray paint, citadel paints,
Standard electronics: 2 Dc motors , cogs and wheels , axis , potentiometer, switches,
Both items: Old broken clock, revolving pendulum, handles, (everything else is scratch built (apart electronics obviously ).

More pictures and details over at the Time Machine Project Gallery : [link]

My tale behind the concept
Story of origins of the time machine box in early 19th century.
Once at the start of 19th century, one young scientist was asked to make a perfect marine chronometer. While he was making it he thought that marines need to have some entertainment on their ships as well, so he figured out he will put an armillary sphere in the box next to the chronometer. So that the marines can watch stars and celestial objects on the long dark nights spent in an open waters. While fiddling around with the rings, he noticed that if he does not fix them in place but leave them on axis they rotate without hitting each other. He tried to spin them. He got fascinated by the movements of the rings and especially when you put 4 rings each inside the other it was always possible to see all sides of the middle ring, there was no difference where the outer axis was, the center ring could always return to a horizontal state. He spend hours spinning his newly created ring device, just watching how they spin and rotate twisting and turning the other rings along. He was so fascinated that for days he forgot about his marine chronometer, but instead tried to make the rings spin mechanically, so he doesn’t have to spin the rings with his fingers all the time. Of course at that time only good engine he could get was the steam engine. He did a lot of research in steam engines, when he went on and created a small replica –a model of steam engine, that would still work, but be small and compact enough to fit on his desk, at the same time powerful enough to spin the rings. When the engine was done, he faced a new problem. He needed something to hold the other end of the spinning ring axis. So he took his marine chronometer box. He fit the engine in it and made 5th ring fixed in the box and with two new axis held the inside rings. The chronometer was still in the box, while he put in the engine and rings. He didn’t give any notice of it at first.
Finally, he turned the engine on, using heat to operate the engine. The rings started to rotate. Faster and faster and faster. He was so excited and happy, it looked magical, and the rings that he made out of brass, captured the light beautifully and made his room fill up with flickering lights. Then he noticed something strange happening to his compass which was laying just by the side of the box, on the desk. The compass didn’t show the North Pole anymore, the needle in it was changing directions rapidly, as if trying to find the poles but without success. He looked back to the rings and box, and saw the chronometer going faster, as if skipping hours. The rings started to wobble and desk to shake restlessly. In fears of everything blowing up and braking apart, the scientist turned the engine of, as quickly as he could. When everything stopped and calmed down. The compass once again showed proper north, and chronometer was working as normal clock. He sat down and took a deep breath. Something weird had happened, but he did not know what.
Suddenly the ship captain arrived and demanded the chronometer ordered weeks ago.
‘But how?’ thought the scientist, ‘I had 3 more days left before the deadline!?’
‘Well, there is no time to waste, the ship sets sail today’ said the captain…
The scientist thought for a moment. An exciting revelation came to his mind. While the captain sat down for a tea, the scientist went back to his workshop, to try something with the machine he had just invented…
...After 3 days, he had completed the chronometer for the Captain, just in time for the ship to set sail…