... Moiré & Bezel Ring
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The moiré assembly is composed of the bezel ring(s) and the pattern insert. For certain, in the three surviving dummies (Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta) and in every other dummy we have a good close-up of the pattern insert is glued from the back into a ring cut from an aluminum tube that has been lathed down to size with an inside lip to capture the insert:
In the Alpha hero, we see a completely different two-ring assembly. From our every ability to discern, the moiré pattern transparency sits atop a slim inner ring (which is glued in contact with the shell) and is held captive by an outer ring that sleeves over the inner. The bottom rotating pattern card is snuggled just under the transparency:
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To reproduce all rings (except for Delta), obtain a 1.25" diameter aluminum tube (not pipe) with today a starting wall thickness of 0.125." The outside surface is maintained (except for the slightest 0.005" cleaning) - only the inside surface got machined down. From there, however, they all differ significantly as shown in a cross-section lineup below, all to the same scale:
The number below the name is our certainty of the details and dimensions we have of each, "10" being rock solid assured and "1" being a total guess. Alpha, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta have been measured in person or by ultra-sharp up-close photos. The others are determined by screen caps of various clarity - with an initial assumption that they have the same 1.245" outer diameter as those that are actually measured. In Theta, Iota and Kappa, the best photos available hint of one large side groove each, so the other smaller grooves shown are suspected given the large one's location. Beta's best close-up in Day of the Dove roughly confirms overall dimensions to be like Alpha's, and there are good signs of two possible grooves, but we'll have to wait until HD BlueRay to know better. While one clear shot of Eta's ring indicates it to be the most slender of all, the grooves added here are conjecture based on overall bright and dark patches. Delta's has been measured digitally from museum close-ups (since we can perfectly match up the known pattern that fits into it) to be a bit larger - with a 1.27" outer diameter. No outside surface cleaning; this looks to be raw pipe. This larger size is nominally within manufacturing tolerances for a 1-1/4" tube, but since it is so different from the others, it could also be from different pipe stock or cut earlier (as parts for a preliminary model) or later (as a replacement for a previously lost piece). You can obtain dimensions for accurately machining these from The Plans page. |
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Moiré Pattern |
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All of the original patterns in the ten comms came from only two sources, both of which are very rare finds today:
1) Alpha and Beta heroes used the #4 radial moiré card & transparency from the Edmund Scientific "Educator's and Designer's Moiré Series (A)-Deluxe Kit," items No. 70,719 and 60,464 (their "Student's and Experimenter's Moiré Kit" / "Experimenter's Moiré Kit - Standard," items No. 70,718 and 60,462, is identical but with much thinner transparency stock). Seeing one up for sale is an uncommon event. 1a) Eta probably used the #18 logarithmic spiral card from the similar Edmund Scientific "Educator's and Designer's Moiré Series (B) -Deluxe Kit," item No. 70,790). Incredibly rare. 2) Gamma - Iota comms (minus Eta) used images clipped from the cover and pages of the 32-page booklet "The Science of Moiré Patterns" by Gerald Oster. The 1964 edition has all; the 1965 and 1966 editions are missing the wavy image on the cover that sourced the patterns for Delta and Iota. These show up from odd time to time via eBay or on-line vintage book stores:
Alibris
Title keyword: moire Author keyword: oster Theta (we believe) and Kappa (for sure) had its "spider" moiré cut from a loose-sheet advertising insert that came with the 1964 book (and printed on the same matte paper stock). It is an exact duplicate image of page 74 in the 1965 and 1966 Edmund Scientific catalogs (>> at right), but with a few superficial differences. These '64 book ad inserts are today a scarcity amongst an already rare book, but the smaller catalogs, whose "spider" pattern is nearly identical, can be found often and inexpensively enough on eBay using the keywords edmund scientific catalog: If you don't have the time to wait months or years for exactly what you need to come around, plus the big bucks usually needed to win the bid on the rare items, we provide each moiré pattern in a high-resolution image scanned or created directly from the original materials. The pattern circles for the dummy comms were cut from the moiré book's pages to around 1.09" in diameter, with most (Epsilon so far is a lone inexplicable exception) scribed by Wah with a compass circle cutter. Print your own moiré images: The below images are links to the full jpg files, saved at maximum size (10 out of 12) to preserve the image quality. Each is at full true size at 1200 dpi, cropped to fit a moiré bezel with a little extra to go under the bezel's lip. On each where it is necessary you will find the word "TOP" in tiny print to indicate the proper orientation. The hero Pattern #4s have the necessary offset built in. Unfortunately, even though the four files for the Pattern #4 immediately below are exact mathematical reproductions and will look beautiful when enlarged on your screen, your printer, even if a pro-grade laser or inkjet on the best papers, cannot faithfully print those narrowing lines right at the center. It tends to both smudge and darken around the black dot, even at 1200 (or 2400) dpi printer settings. While there is nothing we can do about improving the output of your printer, we have created a special file that you can bring to a local commercial printer, provided they have the proper machinery, to produce a perfectly sharp HD version. See the link below on the subject. |
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> > > > The Details - PRINT A HIGH DEFINITION HERO PATTERN #4 < < < < |
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Instructions for the below downloadable images: |
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ALPHA hero |
bottom layer, to be printed on glossy white cardstock. |
![]() top layer, printed on .020" transparency. |
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BETA hero |
![]() bottom layer, to be printed on glossy white cardstock. |
![]() top layer, printed on 0.020" transparency. |
| GAMMA |
![]() to be printed on 0.004" thick matte cream-white paper. |
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| DELTA |
![]() to be printed on 0.012" matte cream-white cardstock. |
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| EPSILON |
![]() to be printed on 0.004" matte cream-white paper. |
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| ZETA |
![]() to be printed on 0.004" matte cream-white paper, original orientation not certain. |
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| ETA |
(75% likelihood) Note - exact centering of pattern in ring is
uncertain.to be printed on glossy white Kromokote cardstock.
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| IOTA |
![]() to be printed on 0.012" matte cream-white cardstock. |
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| THETA |
![]() to be printed on 0.004" matte cream-white paper. |
(optional; use
is . .
. uncertain) top transparency, thin acetate. |
| KAPPA |
![]() to be printed on 0.004" matte cream-white paper. |
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