How to Build a Time Fountain - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Presentation Transcript

By Shawn Patton

shawn@shawnpatton.com

By Shawn Patton

After having bought the parts almost 2 years ago…

By Shawn Patton

By Shawn Patton

A time fountain is a fountain that can stop time!
Not really, but it is a fountain that uses a strobe light to give the illusion that drops are hanging in mid-air.
I got the idea from Nate True by way of hackaday.com… two years ago.

Hard to build, uses a drip sync mechanism requiring an elaborate setup and programmed chip. Boo!
Uses Fluorescein dye which stains everything. Boo!
UV light can burn your retina. Boo!
Why can’t you just strobe a light? Humm….

Found a page by Alain Bellon, who says, yes, you can just strobe, if you have a constant drip rate.
He even gives a schematic for a circuit using a 555 timer chip.
He also discusses how cool white liquid looks with white LEDs shining on it (no more toxic dye and retina searing light!)
What makes water white you ask?

Why, Miracle Milk, sold right in Southside at the Cuckoo’s Nest Magic Shop.

3 drips are better than 1, I could have backwards time, stopped time, and slow time with three different strobe rates! All the forms of time, at my control!!
Metal is cool! Let’s use that a lot!
Tall, no, taller! Make it big!!

3 drips, am I insane?!? Let’s get one working first.
Steady drip needs water at same level always. Must pump in, must have drain back down.
Would be cool to run the tubes for water up the metal support tubes.
Have block of wood inside bottom metal piece to support poles. Store electronics in bottom too.

A timer 555 chip from Radio Shack: $2
A printed circuit board : $3
Not having to buy either and finally using that gift your cousins gave you when you were 12: Priceless.

Strips of white LEDs from Hong Kong
Various resistors, capacitors, and switches from Radio Shack.
Hardware from Lowe’s and Home Depot.
And, another trip to Radio Shack for a new soldering gun, since I couldn’t find my old one.

Sweet sunbeams:

Don’t try to make your fountain all in one night.
Drilling stainless steel is very difficult.
Having a spigot to control water drip-rate is key (Yes, finally I did something right!)
Wood is easy to work with, and it’s better to get something done than nothing : )

Plus, it actually looks kind of cool, and I think the final design will use wood.