Motor as Art

[WindupArtist]

An Edison Standard, mounted on a simple base with bits of brass. These Edison motors are especially attractive to me, and can stand alone as works of art. This would look good on anyone's desktop or shelf!

[epigramophone]

Very nice, but will your wife enjoy dusting it?

[billybob62]

It's Great. Also the GEM with exposed gear speed change.

[Edisone]

It's art when still inside an Edison phonograph, but it's just sad and useless when ripped out for no reason.

[WindupArtist]

It's art when still inside an Edison phonograph, but it's just sad and useless when ripped out for no reason.

Given the descriptions of the motors for sale on Ebay, I am under the impression that the number of motors available far, far exceeds the number of phonographs needing restoration. Hopefully finding uses for these wonderful motors apart from phonograph restoration will save many more of them from the scrap yard.

But, I can understand the purist position, that presenting the motor alone, or to power kinetic art, is a sacrilege! Death before Dishonor.

[gramophone78]

It's art when still inside an Edison phonograph, but it's just sad and useless when ripped out for no reason.

Given the descriptions of the motors for sale on Ebay, I am under the impression that the number of motors available far, far exceeds the number of phonographs needing restoration. Hopefully finding uses for these wonderful motors apart from phonograph restoration will save many more of them from the scrap yard.

But, I can understand the purist position, that presenting the motor alone, or to power kinetic art, is a sacrilege! Death before Dishonor.

It may have something to do with the fact this is a "Phonograph" forum and not a creative art forum.. . We are collectors and preservers of "whole" machines on here.

You may want to show your creations on a steam-punk forum (if you haven't already). They love taking old stuff and creating neat new things.

[Cody K]

These have been seen on the forum previously, and watching them in motion in the YouTube videos makes them especially interesting: http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... =2&t=21631

Personally, I think they're pretty clever. But I also think they're bound to vex phonograph collectors, in the same way that phonograph cabinets turned into liquor cabinets -- an alarmingly common practice -- does. The worry is that functional, restorable, and possibly scarce machines are being dismantled, which is also a practice of certain unscrupulous sellers on eBay who routinely part out good machines.

But if you're sensitive to such concerns, and able to acquire common motors from common machines whose cabinets are too far gone to save, in my opinion it's a job well done to salvage and use them this way. I wouldn't enjoy seeing especially early or rare motors used like this, though; those are often tough to find when needed for restoration of the model of machines they came from. Knowing your motors will go a long way toward avoiding a mob of collectors showing up at your door with torches and pitchforks. Browsing through back threads here on the Forum will give you a fairly good idea of what's what to collectors.

But yeah, otherwise pretty cool!

[Dave D]

I liked the Youtube videos of your art. Like others, I would hate to see rare motors used for this purpose, but there are lots of powerful and easy to find motors out there.

Have you ever considered doing one with the spring barrel removed and allowing the user to interact with the art by cranking it himself? It would be fun to turn the crank and make it work.
Dave D

[NEFaurora]

I disagree. The motor can always be re-used. If it can be used as an Art Piece in the meanwhile...so much the better... People will ask...What is that??? )

You should sell bases and handles... People will buy them.... Hell, I would.


An Edison motor is a piece of art!

)

Tony K.

Edison Restorer/Collector.

[Bruce]

I agree these forms of art are not only cool but raise the curiosity level of the viewer into asking where did that come from. Even an Edison is need to see it twirling and buzzing away.

As for restoration to original state that is my preference, but if you have every visited the home/workshop of our favorite parts sellers then you will realize that there is an endless supply of machines which will never find a cabinet and a collection again.

thanks for sharing your art

Bruce