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Enigmatic Instrument
Published: 2007-03-24 02:50:50 +0000 UTC; Views: 42901; Favourites: 1732; Downloads: 879
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Description
Not an astrolabe.
Process:
The "Cosmolabe" was made of layered brass sheets:
I did the designs for the markings in Illustrator, printed them out reversed and inverted on a transparency from a laser printer, ironed them onto the brass (with judicious use of a sharpie for clean-up) and acid etched them with the circuit board fluid you can get at Radio Shack. Then I cut out the pieces with a jeweler's saw and filed them smooth. The permanently fixed pieces were riveted together using small brass brads.
Related content
Comments: 384
The text is from the Voynich manuscript, an Elizabeathan Grimoir written in this code. Most of the symbols, I came up with myself, to purposely avoid using any historical ones.
The bigger circle on the back says, "Made by Eric Coyote Elliott" and the smaller on says, "One of Fifteen".
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That's really, really cool.
May I ask what the inspiration for this was?
I'm sure that "One of Fifteen" has some sort of significance, I'm curious as to what it is.... (I won't sleep tonight)
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I like astrolabes as art and I've always loved alternative universe stories... This is a combination of the two. "One of Fifteen" is one world of the fifteen known ones. (According to the movie script.)
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Wait... I still think I'm missing somthing...
From which movie script?
And was this influenced by the 'His Dark Materials' Series?
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Nope, this is for a small indie production... still waiting on funding. The cosmolabe is a device for traveling between different dimensions... more influenced by Sliders than HDM, I'd guess.
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Okay, NOW I think I get it...
Sorry for pestering you with so many questions.
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These are really beautiful. Thanks for describing the process!
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This is really beautiful work. Well done!
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This is a first class work man, great idea and great craftsmanship. Well Done. 
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again - your craftsmanship is outstanding
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I really want to try PNP. From what I've heard, it's much easier to deal with.
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it is
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beautiful work. thanks for sharing the process
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This is amazing!
A step-by-step thing would be lovely, too 
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Great idea! The next brass piece I make, I'll do a tutorial.
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Oh yes, please do so
I'll watch you so I'll know when you do.
I just have to say again; this is amazing work!
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This is glorious! At some point I must try working with etching. Thank you for posting it.
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You're welcome. Brass etching is pretty easy, "kitchen-counter" stuff.
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your work is most impressive. I have a small astrolabe, but I have never heard of a cosmolabe before. What does your instrument measure?
Thank you for creating this so we could all comment on it and admire it. Most impressive! I congratulate you on your talent.
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Thank you very much. The Cosmolabe is meant to be a prop for a movie. It measures (and opens gates between) universes.
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Good work friend,
Great use of technique thinking out -of-the-box.
For the future if you have any money to invest in a work consider the waterjet for cutting instead of the jewelers saw. It's more accurate and saves you valuable time you could be using to set up your next masterpiece.
Also,as has been stated,you give this thing a practical function,like a clock,calendar ,or whatever,and you'll sell the shit out of it.Humans have the most difficult time buying something just for looks that has no practical function. If you give them that excuse,it allows them to satisfy their need for beauty which is the real draw...
One last suggestion; How about making a tutorial of what you did to accomplish this piece ?
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Thanks for the comment. Some good suggestions, there!
Maybe I'll do a step-by-step for the next piece.
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Your ideas are first rate friend,
whatever you do,don't let school interfere with your creativity...
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great idea! I got my brain stuck to ideas how i could do a transfer of a laserprint to a bras plate or a stone for make a kind of stamp.
but ironing would be a very cool and easy solution!
normal to transfer it is done with a uv photosensitive ink and a mask 
thank you so much
PS: would be nice to have the artist description part updated and maybe filled with the usefull and interesting infos scatered around in the comment answers how you done this art piece
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Most amazing metal work I have seen here at ANY time!!
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Iisaw...this piece is INCREDIBLE. Absolutely amazing work! I've seen your stuff before but this is jawdropping man. Excellent artistry.
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wow wow wow. 90 hours of works only gets 18 favorites on DA? This is pathetic!
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this is so fucking kickASS that my butt hurts when I try to sit down now 
how did you do this? is it engraved, etched or what?
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Thanks! I did the designs in Illustrator, printed them out reversed and inverted on a transparency from a laser printer, ironed them onto the brass and acid etched them with the circuit board fluid you can get at Radio Shack. Then I cut out the pieces with a jewler's saw and filed them smooth.
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Hmm ironed them? I don't understand that part... You were using just a normal transparency? You had to cut open the design with a knife after that, or ahh what?
I've been thinking of using maybe my silk-screen printing equipment for something like this... I know they silk screen circuit board designs before etching...
I just hope there was more time :/
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If you get the image printed by a laser printer it's done in thermal-setting ink. You can transfer that ink to the brass just by ironing the back of the transparency. Just like an iron-on T-shirt transfer. Usually it doesn't work perfectly and you need to do some touch-up with a sharpie marker but the ink will resist the acid. Whatever isn't black gets etched into the metal.
Silk screening would probably work just fine. As long as the ink won't dissolve in the ferric chloride.
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That's pretty clever! I have to keep that in mind. I never thought that the ink would set again after printing...
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WOOO
I love thos things!!!!!! that craftmanship, that golden not-brass(originally) metal tha arcane designs
x_x! ! ! ! !
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