Fibre optic clock

[Alan JacksonParticipant @alanjackson47790]

I have just tuned into this thread and learnt a lot about steampunkery etc and I am also very pleased to be able to see such originality, creativity and brilliant craftsmanship, superb.

Alan

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Derek,

Please forgive me for taking the thread off-topic, but;

Those with a taste for SteamPunk design, and Motorcycles, will probably like this.

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 02/04/2014 12:45:44

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

Many thanks for the kind comments gents, I have no problems with things going OT now and then, it makes for interesting discussions, and, or a good laugh. Michael, I like the idea of the competition but max size for entries is only 30 x30x30 cm. now if that was cubic meters !!!!!. Neil, in an earlier post you made on this thread you said "not an easy option for a clock build " (or words to that effect). I now know the wisdom of that statement. Stew and Alan, the cheques are in the post.

Cheers Derek.

P.S. The clock is now finished, and when a pal of mine next pays me a visit he plans on taking some GOOD photos and a vid, so for those interested keep watching this space.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Derek,

Sorry, I missed the size limit [and also the fact that the competition closing date has already passed]

… I was in too much of a rush to let you know about it.

MiichaelG.

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

F Finished at last !!! I am afraid the photos are very poor (taken with an old mini Kodak) but I will post some better ones when my pal has been and taken some. The top one shows the fibre optics in place in the back of the clock face, the second one is the face in close-up. The white lights are the seconds, which move from the bottom to the top, fading out as they go, the red lights show the minutes, and the blue ones show the hours. I hope you like it, and can tell what time it was when I took the photos. I am hoping my pal will make a video when he comes which I will try to put on here.

Cheers Derek.

P.s. First photo is the real spaghetti junction.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

It's wonderful Derek,

You should write it up for Diane and ME.

But have you been able to work out what the Krell used it for?

Neil

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Err Neil..Krell….= forbiden planet
Interocitor ( or however)..is I think “This Island Earth”( the one with scientists recruited to work for what later turns out to be aliens ( lead by one called exeter ) trying to fix their own planet)…..

Edit to correct title from island earth and interositor spelling

Edited By jason udall on 07/04/2014 22:48:11

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

Hi Folks, I think Jason is right, they were trying to rid their own planet of bankers & lawyers but were too late the sods had done for it, the ones left here went to work for "Tefal" designing electric irons.

Cheers Derek.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Hi Jason,

Yep, but it made me think of Forbidden Planet when I saw the finished article.

Don't get uppity, remember we are all the descendants of hairdressers and telephone sanitisers.

Neil

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Neil ..not uppity. .
Two thoughts..the interocitor served at least two purposes in the film ..one as a comunicatons device..the other?…
this second ffunctions is I think the most relavent to magpies build. ….btw magpie ..beatiful work..

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

Well it's been a long time coming folks but here it is at last. The VID. Hope you like, although Ralph (the bloke who made the vid). is not too happy with it.

Cheers Dek

Edited By magpie on 22/04/2014 20:05:31

Edited By magpie on 22/04/2014 20:08:09

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

Good morning.

I have just come across this, having read another of Magpie's post and am really impressed by the quality of work and the overall design.

But……OK. I am happy to ask the question. How does it work?

Regards,

James

Edited By James Alford on 06/04/2018 07:39:10

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

Hi James. I hope you are still there. Sorry for the very long delay in answering but ill health has kept me off the site for a good while. The clock is driven by a synchronous motor which rotates various cylinders through ratchets and cams. The cylinders contain LEDs and a series of holes, as the cylinders rotate, the fibre optics are exposed in sequence to the light from the LEDs through the holes. I hope this makes sense, not sure if it does to me though.

Cheers, Derek.

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

And the interositor had a triangular screen.

Regards Ian

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Welcome back, Derek, hope you're back in good health.

Neil

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

Thank you Neil. Health is not too bad, but not expecting too much improvement from here on in. Close to 79 now and things don't mend as fast as they used to.

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Time flies, I followed this from the beginning but you don’t realise when things go quiet, nice to see it pop up again.

Mike

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

First time (? ) that I've read this thread.

FANTASTIC!

Concept, Design and Execution.

HAS to be worth a write up in both ME and MEW.

C'mon satisfy our curiosity about all of it!

Howard

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

Posted by magpie on 10/07/2019 09:06:55:

Hi James. I hope you are still there. Sorry for the very long delay in answering but ill health has kept me off the site for a good while. The clock is driven by a synchronous motor which rotates various cylinders through ratchets and cams. The cylinders contain LEDs and a series of holes, as the cylinders rotate, the fibre optics are exposed in sequence to the light from the LEDs through the holes. I hope this makes sense, not sure if it does to me though.

Cheers, Derek.

Good evening.

I am still around and thank you for your reply. I am sorry to hear of your health problems.

Thank you for the overview of how the clock works which does make general sense. I shall have to read the thread again to refresh my memory as it is a while since I read it.

I still aspire to build some sort of clock, but I am currently building an Austin Seven special, so clock plans are somewhat in the future. I shall save the thread for then, though.

Kind regards,

James.

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

Hi again James. The health problems come with old age, and in my case are self inflicted to a certain extent as I smoke 20 cigs a day. However that has nothing to do with a collapsed vertebrae which has caused far worse problems that the cigs. I just had to reply to your comments because as a retired Rolls Royce coachbuilder I get asked to do lots of jobs on cars. Just before my recent health problems I helped a mate to do a complete restoration on……. an Austin Seven Special.

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

Thanks for the compliments Howard.

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

Posted by magpie on 11/07/2019 22:37:33:

I just had to reply to your comments because as a retired Rolls Royce coachbuilder I get asked to do lots of jobs on cars. Just before my recent health problems I helped a mate to do a complete restoration on……. an Austin Seven Special.

A small world. Do you by any chance have any pictures of the car?

James.

[magpieParticipant @magpie]

Sorry James. I never thought to take any. However the mate who owns the Austin took these photos of a Bentley I did some work on at about the same time. I thought you might like this car, although lying on my back fixing the wiring and dash was not my idea of a fun time.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

That brings back memories of lying with feet up the seat back, head under the brake pedal, while trying to find the hole in the clevis pin to put in the split pin!

My latest specs, don't seem to add so much enchantment to the distant view as they used to!

But good that some are still game for it, AND able to.

Howard

Edited By Howard Lewis on 12/07/2019 15:44:34

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

Posted by magpie on 12/07/2019 09:00:29:

Sorry James. I never thought to take any. However the mate who owns the Austin took these photos of a Bentley I did some work on at about the same time. I thought you might like this car, although lying on my back fixing the wiring and dash was not my idea of a fun time.

That looks like a rather nice car. Somewhat more room in which to work than the Seven, I imagine.

James.

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