Magnetosphere
This started with an amazing bead! I drilled out every "hole" in it and suspended a tiny LED in it. The lighting is a bit more subtle than the other panels I've made but this has a lot of other bits and pieces going on.
I've been amazed at the recent scientific breakthroughs with fusion reactors in Korea and China. I not on love the possibility of abundant clean energy in the future but I also love the names of these experimental machines like Tokamak, Stellarator, Magnetic Mirror, Toroidal Z-pinch, Spheromak. They really do evoke fantasies of portals to a parallel universe or bending space time - the only way we will be able to travel those distances. Einstein's relativity really did take a dump on the possibility to live in a Star Trek type reality.
So this contains an array of "controls" including watch crown "dials". It has a tiny glass fuse (or it could be a magnetic switch - not sure) and spring wire tubing. It is the only panel to feature a clock gear. I love gears - it was one of the reasons I was drawn to the steampunk aesthetic. But, and this is controversial and just my opinion, I think gears are used far too much.
Way back in 2010 there was the "slap a gear on it" by those just wanting to jump on (and profit from) the zenith of the steampunk trend. I use gears sparingly, often not using them at all, and rarely an "orphan" gear. They have to look like they have an actual use in the "machine" even if they don't move. In this design I want the gear to look like it's doing something behind the scene.
If there was such a think as a 6 volt coin battery I would have also back lit the amazing "swirl" stamp at the base of the main feature. Just have to wait for those to be in production. The wire "aerials" coming out of the side of the panel is fishing tackle. To balance the piece I finished it with a small copper strut and brass wheel.
This piece does deserve it's own stand. I will make a special one for it and include another LED to it. It will also come with a standard brass chain.
