Made On Earth
Miniature Motion
He doesn’t work to a specific scale, but
customizes his designs for each glass: the
opening of Sponge’s wine glass and the diameter of its flywheel differed by less than a
millimeter. CAD programs assist with design,
Without an everyday reference for a sense of
scale, Szymon Klimek’s intricate mechanical
creations could easily be mistaken for twice
their true size. Made from 0.1 millimeter
sheets of brass and bronze, Klimek’s miniature machines dance effortlessly in wine-glass
enclosures that measure little more than 4
inches across.
Klimek’s latest creation, Sponge, is a steam
engine-like machine named for the lattic
work of tiny, interconnected brass pieces that
expands and contracts as the engine runs.
Sitting in a wine glass about a foot tall, a small
silicon solar cell powers a concealed electric
motor, which drives the 3-inch flywheel.
Living in Poznan, Poland, Klimek entered
into the world of small-scale making in 2004
with a miniature steam locomotive and coal
wagon, measuring about 3 inches. He’s built
close to a hundred handcrafted brass and
bronze miniatures, including ornate carriages,
early 20th-century roadsters, and yes, even
a ship with billowing sails that fits in a wine
glass. Since 2008 he’s created nine “active
devices.”
Next, Klimek wants to tackle a more challenging material: steel. —Craig Couden
edrobiazg.com.pl
Szymon Klimek
24 Make: makezine.com/30
