Wooden geared contraption and its proud maker -- best gadget video you will watch this month, in all likelihood
This elderly gentleman fabricated the absolutely most amazing wooden automaton uselessly wonderful machine, and this eight minute video introduces us to its many, many amazing features. It is made entirely from wood, without any nails or screws. Amazing Wooden Machine Video with No Metals (Thanks, Dug!)
Update: Art Maddox, who shot this video, writes in to identify this amazing maker, Del Short. Del is a national treasure, if you ask me.
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Useless machine? Not at all! This man is obviously Father Christmas and the machine is doubtless some sort of contraption he's built to assist the elves in their construction of children's toys.
Or to assist with his current shortage of sea ice.
Awesome video, awesome man, awesome awesome awesome.
Wow! Now that's what I want to be when I grow up (I'm 32). I already have some gray hairs in my beard so that's a start. I just wish I had even half of the tools I am sure he has. It kind of reminds me of the show "Woodwrights Shop" on PBS where he builds things out of wood without nails, screws, or power tools I believe.
I love how he keeps saying "sure was a chore to figure out how to build it!"
This is so obviously fake.
I don't know how they did this but later today we'll see hundreds of responses on youtube with other kids wearing fake beards with their "wooden" wonderments.
It's just like that cell phone popcorn thing.
tell Santa he can give me that for Christmas! WOW!!!!!!
This is an awesome video. I wish I had this guy as my grandpa. He's obviously incredibly intelligent and mechanically minded, and just seeing this contraption as a child would have sent me off to make my own crowning achievement at age 75: A machine that makes noise completely out of aerogel, no holo-nails or plasma screws.
"and this of course is modeled after a flyball governor" -- of course! (What the [badwerd] is a flyball governor?)
hey it's santa! maybe that's how he makes his sled fly...
Beautiful work! I'd love to see some close up pictures of that hi-lighting his use of decorative woods and details like the wooden chains used in it's guts!
Scartol: See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_governor
Lovely and wonderful.
I like how he identifies all the differnet woods he used, but he forgets what one or two are. He probably made those pieces a few years ago and its's a little foggy that far back. Great!
Absolutely mind-blowing! I can't get over the wooden bike chains.
Yay. Linkages are cool. =]
I want him to be my grandpa!!!
He probably made those pieces a few years ago and its's a little foggy that far back.
Now, now . . . No ageist snideries here, kid.
try it
http://woodgears.ca/gear_cutting/template.html
There are so few craftsmen anymore, and many of the ones who remain are older. He's even more special for being able to use his skills so creatively. I don't know anyone with that kind of discipline and tenacity.
That's an incredible machine and an excellent showcase of ingenuity and craftsmanship. If I ran a museum, I'd give it a showing. Bravo!
That's just wonderful craftsmanship and geeky love for contraptions combined. I love it. Maybe you guys will get a kick out of this one: http://tinyurl.com/69ef3r (link to google video). This machine (basically a rollercoaster for snooker balls) is currently on display in science center NEMO in Amsterdam...
Oh man, I saw that purpleheart from like a mile away and I knew this was gonna be good.
For anyone who is interested, I saw this machine on display at the Woodcraft store in Eugene, Oregon a few weeks ago. It may still be there, as it looked like a rather permanent display.
Unfortunately, there were signs around the machine asking customers not to touch the machine, but it was still really cool to see up close. The craftsmanship really is unbelievable.
Finally! I think he may achieved over-unity, with wood! Awesome!
No ageism here, #17.
I'd be foggy on what wood one or two pieces were made of out of hundreds after a few years, too. I was really impressed. To me the fact that he forgot just highlights the fact that it did tae him so long to build it (I assume) which displays his persistence and passion.
Okay, sorry. Getting touchy, I guess.
Yeah, he is too much isn't he? Great stuff.
I swear, that thing goes "ta-pocketta-pocketta"
That's incredible!
I want one... and a Santa Claus grandfather. Is there an eBay for those sort of familial figures?
Its a big wooden clockwork mandala...
This is really perfect. I'd like to see more videos like this, but I realize the logistics of transport to and from Santa's workshop make it difficult.
@#21 - THANKYOU! Through that video I had one question answered - who builds these things?
The video lists "Reichwein" as the builder - I assumed it was a company, but a little google-fu turns up http://www.marcdatabase.com/~lemur/rb-reichwein-essay.html which in turn leads to a fantastic if rather old site about rolling ball sculptures. I really want to make one of these in my old age.
You guys are so gullible. It's obviously photoshopped.
@31 - KAIZA: You're welcome! Mr. Reichwein did indeed build this machine all by himself in his spare time, you can see him briefly in the video. He was a science/tech teacher in a highschool, and it took him about twenty years to complete. After the school had no place anymore he sold it to science center NEMO (where I work). Unfortunately, mr. Reichwein passed away last year, but his machine is still one of the most impressive and gawked at things we have here, admired by visitors and employees alike.
Gepetto here has some serious wood
btw, where do the coffee beans go in?
ps. did anyone notice his awesome braces/suspenders which look like big yellow measuring tape? *want*