One day I was playing around with a compass and a magnet noticing how much fun it was to manipulate the compass rose as I moved the magnet around. I'm of the mindset that when it comes to fun, more is usually better, so I rounded up 500 compasses and some rare earth magnets and decided to turn what started as just a little silly but entertaining play time into an actual piece of furniture.
The compasses are inlaid into a custom table top underneath a piece of glass. The coasters were made to match - they also provide an inconspicuous home for the powerful rare earth magnets that affect the compasses.
Now I always know which way is north, and exactly where my cup of coffee is...er, so long as it's always on my compass table.
**Note, the reliability of compasses in mass quantities and close proximity decreases somewhat since compasses themselves are magnets. It still works, and actually results in some pretty cool patterns, but if you're looking for the table to be 100% accurate, I'd recommend not designing a table that places them so closely together. I'm a big fan of the way the table came out, as it's a toy just as much as it about the science of magnetism.**
The compasses are inlaid into a custom table top underneath a piece of glass. The coasters were made to match - they also provide an inconspicuous home for the powerful rare earth magnets that affect the compasses.
Now I always know which way is north, and exactly where my cup of coffee is...er, so long as it's always on my compass table.
**Note, the reliability of compasses in mass quantities and close proximity decreases somewhat since compasses themselves are magnets. It still works, and actually results in some pretty cool patterns, but if you're looking for the table to be 100% accurate, I'd recommend not designing a table that places them so closely together. I'm a big fan of the way the table came out, as it's a toy just as much as it about the science of magnetism.**
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Signing UpStep 1: Materials
To make a compass table you need supplies for the top, the legs, and the tools to put it together.
Table
Table
- 12mm sanded plywood
- table legs - I used 4 Ikea Vika Oleby prefab legs
- 16 7/16" x 1/8" thick glass circular top (I had this custom cut)
- a couple square feet of 6mm sanded plywood
- 2 cork coaster inlay
- 2 rare earth magnet
- approximately 500 "mini compasses". I got mine for around 20 cents a piece off Ebay. It takes 500 20mm compasses to cover a 16.5" circle - crazy I know!
- router
- circle jig
- drill
- wood glue
- brush
- polycrylic - water based clear satin wood finish
- speed square
- clamps
- random orbital sander
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I also like the music playing on your video : very 50's !!!⦠cool.
After calculating the cost of the compasses, I can totally see why you arranged them that way
as for sources of compasses? go a little nuts and even smaller compasses
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4519
$2.54 shipped for 20 of them. figure what? 1500 of them for this project? $190
would also be cool to use different compasses IE one in the center much larger or spaces around to form a nice pattern
here are some of the cooler ones I found.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.35475
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11880
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11896 (this one is big 6.3")
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2834
More expensive but much larger and "nicer" for a larger version of this table?
http://www.rinovelty.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/products.detail/item/AMCOMPA/18pc_bulk_compass_set
18 of them for $26 just rip the compass itself out.
These are one of my favorites more money ($1 a pop but also much larger at 2")
http://cgi.ebay.com/60X-New-Plastic-Compass-Key-Rings-Wholesale-/380302127478?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item588bc5f176
best deal (same ones used here)
http://cgi.ebay.com/Wholesale-Lot-20mm-Small-Mini-Compasses-4-survival-kit-/130461497769?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e601c79a9
48 for $15 so 500 would cost about $165 you might be able to wheel and deal a better price ordering that many though.
Never eat shredded wheat.
Our teacher taught us that in school, and I still use it to this day lol.
I wonder what the limiting factor is on a giant compass.
The friction on the rotation point, the strength of the earth's magnetic pull, the weight of the needle itself?
Anyone have any experience with very large scale compasses?