Here’s a really gorgeous piece of horological gadgetry. Not satisfied with those giant LEGO minifigure digital clocks, Jason Allemann has built a mechanical timepiece worthy of any classy desk. Better yet, he’s made a video showing it in motion and given lots of details on how it works.
Gorgeous creation, Jason! Another great, yet simple, device!! For those who may not recognize the “JMA” on the device, this is the same guy who made the Labyrinth Marble Maze currently up for voting on the Lego Cuusoo Project. Go vote for him now!
http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/14605
Fabulous, but does it actually keep accurate time is the question I’m left with. I wouldn’t have thought the 9V motors were consistent enough RPM to actually keep time.
Fantastic creation. And so modern and sleek looking to boot!
That’s a good point, Jonathan. My guess is that ultimately it doesn’t keep particularly good time, but at least it’s easy to reset!
If you could get a motor that made the chain run at exactly 1 RPM, it would keep pretty good time. I timed your contraption and its about five seconds fast.
All in all, it is a great creation and I wish i could buy something like this to have on my desk. You did a great job and I love the concept!
Another thing, is there anything on the internet that is similar to this design that I can buy? Maybe a more compact, simpler version.
Dylan, I don’t know if you’re looking to buy a LEGO version or not. If you are, you’ll be in the same boat as the rest of us–gotta build it yourself! :) Otherwise, a quick google for “rolling ball clock” shows there are lots of different designs and styles for sale.
You could convert the design to one that would be accurate, but you’d have to add a pendulum to do it. Or mindstorms, as long as it is by default ‘too fast’.