Antique Instruments

It started so innocently. I was at the annual Pennsic War, sponsored by the Society for Creative Anacronism. This is where people dress up in medieval costume and act like lords and ladies.

It suddenly struck me that it was silly to be wearing my medieval tunic, medieval pants, medieval boots, medieval cape and medieval belt, then checking the time with my digital watch.

A portable sun-dial would be just the thing. I read a few books and discovered that sun dials can do so much more than merely tell the time. They can show the angle of elevation of the sun, how close one is to the Vernal Equinox, the time in New York, London, and Tokyo, and a host of other things.

I was hooked.

Since then, I've become facinated with other instruments that do not require electricity. They have a quaint charm, and require great craftsmanship and mathematical skills to construct. See what you think...

And note the symbolism of the picture at the top of this page.

Antikythera Back in 1901 some clown diving off the Greek coast upset horribly the archeological community by discovering a 2000 year old mechanically geared object. It proved to be a sophisticated device for displaying the positions of the planets in the night sky. Archeologists to this day get rather defensive when asked how the ancient Greeks were capable of creating such an instrument. An Ancient Greek Computer Slashdot | Examining the Antikythera Mechanism Simulation of the Antikythera Mechanism antikythera1-1 antikythera1-3 A Reconstruction of the Antikythera Mechanism
Astrolabes The medieval Astrolabe resembles a cross between those cheesy cardboard "See How The Night Sky Will Look" discs and a slide rule. They are incredibly useful, as they can be used to tell time, navigation, surveying, and even come in handy when casting horoscopes. Medieval geeks carried these instead of pocket calculators. The Astrolabe, an instrument with a past and a future. Order a Personal Astrolabe" Keith's Java Astrolabe Prague Astronomical Clock Do It Yourself Astrolabe Astrolabe Astrolabe Links and References The Electric Astrolabe Astrolabes by Norman Greene, the Astrolabe Maker Martin Brunold - Astrolabienmacher Saunders and Cooke - Antique Re-Creations A Treatise on the Astrolabe by Geoffrey Chaucer.
Horology Ah, mechanical clocks, ticking away on the mantlepiece. Need I say more? Clock Plans Wooden ClockWorks Scroll Saw Plans Woodenclocks SKELETON WOODEN CLOCK PLANS FOR SALE Woodworking Clock Kits And Clock Plans wooden clock wooden clock Wooden clock by Massimo Tarulli Wooden clock Personal Page of M.Tarulli LAUTARD.COM: PLANS FOR CLOCKMAKERSâ€™ TOOLS & CLOCK MOVEMANTS.. NAWCC Gift Shop Assembled Clocks The Wooden Clock Company Brendan Reilly's - Maker of Wooden Works Clocks Clock Kits WWW.WOODGEARCLOCK.COM Held of Harrogate - Medieval Clock Kits Wooden Clock Creations - Wooden clocks from medieval Germany Woodworking Clock Kits And Clock Plans Klockit Klockit Calgary gear wall clock kit Barnes & Noble.com - Make Your Own Working Paper Clock CompuCut DISKS Misc Clock Links ASTRARIUM seven dials of the astrarium antiqueclocks de Dondi's Astrarium THE CHRONOLITH Bernard Gitton's Liquid Clocks kinetic sculpture from Wood That Works Wood That Works Kinetic 1976 Archive Headrick Antique Clock Repair Escapements in Motion! Linking Library: Time: Horology (clocks & watches) THE ORDER OF TIME - SCIENCE - DESIGNS: CAKRA (STARDATE) TEMPOMETER Horology - The Index (The Science of Timekeeping, Clocks and Watches ) Horology - The Index (Unique Timepieces) Watchees, Clocks Astronomical Clocks of the Middle Ages RelojerÃa - Horology and Clockmaking Wooden Torsion Pendulum Clock, Double Disc escapement Horological Photo Database Horological Reference Books GearTrains.com HOROLOGY: DIALS FOR ASTRONOMICAL CLOCKS, THE INSTANT SOLUTION Clocks: Spilhaus Clock Spilhausclock Online Clock Building Jens Olsen's Astronomical Clock - Restoration
Miscellaneous Allan Wissner's collection of antique brass microscopes
Nomogram Nomograms are a series of scales printed on a piece of paper. Each can solve one specific equation. One lays a straightedge on the scales to determine the values of the unknowns in an equation. They are much faster than using a slide rule, with the limit that a slide rule can solve all equations. Creating nomograms is rapidly becoming a lost art. The best book in my nomography collection was written in 1929. Simple nomograms can be drawn geometrically, but complicated ones require matrix algebra. There does not appear to be a web site that describes the process of creating a nomogram, I'll have to write one. Java application to create Nomograms KEPCO INC: NOMOGRAPH - MAX CURRENT/WIRE SIZE/VOLTAGE DROP Smith Chart FM 19-25 Chptr 12 Determining Speed Nomograph Nuclear Fallout -Nomograph Information- Computing Shelter Stay time http://www.tmisnet.com/~jck/App3.html Nomograms for Wargames
Slide Rules Once the hallmark of geeks everywhere, slide rules are so rarely seen nowadays that most non-elderly people wouldn't recognize one if it flew straight up their behind. There also used to be special purpose slide rules, custom designed to solve specific equations. There actually were so many of these that manufacturers stocked slide rule blanks, so one could do it yourself. Side rules are a hot item among baby boomers on the online trading nets. Just try doing a search for "slide rule" on EBay sometime. Moonstick Information Site - slide rule moon phase calendar Rocket Performance Calculator Chris Sangwin's Slide rule page with other mathematical instruments Tactical nuclear slide rule Kung's Slide Rule Links Thacher's Calculating Instrument Slashdot | The Sliderule As Paleo-Geek Artifact Sphere Research's Slide Rule Universe Chris Gillings' Web Site: Slide Rules and Calculators Slide Rule WebRing The Gemmary Gain entry here to the American Slide-Chart web site Slide Rules MathHelp Notebook on Simultaneous Equations The Abacus: Index The Whiz Wheel Manual Attack Computers Blundell Harling, F5100, Black body radiation rule Air Force custom slide rules in the 1940's Solar System slide rule
Sundials What could be more charming that a sundial in one's garden? But some of these are ultra-modern. They ain't your grandmother's sundials. Light-ray sundials & heliochronometers Gunning Sundials Sundial links Sundials on the Internet The Digital Sundial Twig's Digs, the Home Page of Robert Terwilliger Sundials - computer programs for calculations Bob's "Make your own sundial" page The Sundial Fair Harriet James Sundials Brooke's Sundial page High quality brass sundials, armillary spheres, astrolabes and telescopes Ulysse Nardin - Mechanical Swiss Watches Sun Watch David Harber Sundials Brooke's Sundial page Renaissance Sundials - Shadows Software Digital Sundials International OzSunDials Gunning Sundials Sundial Designs - Robert Terwilliger Universal Pocket Sundial - Authentic reproduction of an antique portable sundial. Precision Hand-Crafted Sundials Analemma

Antique Instruments

Antikythera

Astrolabes

Horology

Clock Plans

Assembled Clocks

Clock Kits

Misc Clock Links

Miscellaneous

Nomogram

Slide Rules

Sundials