Re:Wobbly Clock!
by inanutshellus on Monday January 16, 2023 @11:58AM
(#34402629)
Using magnets would definitely make for a cooler look, but this effect can be done using nails of varying heights.
The thing that I wonder about (with nails) would be "what would happen if the the flexihand was able to wiggle past the peg when it moved from one peg to the next?" In that case, I believe, it would just be a regular clock style hand.
It's possible that I've got the wrong mental model for how that would work.
Re:Wobbly Clock!
by inanutshellus on Monday January 16, 2023 @02:29PM
(#34404526)
I think you'd put the nails at N+1 position, not N. (e.g. for the minute mark, you't put the nail at 6, 11, 16, etc. not 5, 10, 15). Then, the hand would press against the nail and progressively bend until it slipped past the nail entirely and jumped to the next 5 spot (and not yet be touching the next nail).
In exploring an idea on this a bit more... I found https://ferrolic.com which... is interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PFgVtzsXHM is another video on the idea.
See also: It Shall All Be Mine, Gregory Bae, 2016. "Atomic clocks that are magnetized to tick in place." https://www.gregorybae.com/It-Shall-All-Be-Mine
Currently on exhibit at Chicago MCA - https://visit.mcachicago.org/exhibitions/gregory-bae/
As an aside, I'm not sure that doing this for the hour hand is a "good" idea. The difference between 10:00 am and 11:00 am is significant and needing to check how much the bend is doesn't "feel" right.