Open Antikythera Build: Hacking the Dials of Destiny

Follow us step by step on this journey where we build together a working replica of the famous artifact that puzzled researchers since its discovery 100 years ago.

A few years ago, a mentor of ours suggested that it would be a fascinating project to recreate the famous Antikythera mechanism. So after an extensive research, we set out to build a faithful replica that is fully functional.

Check us out on Kickstarter!

Ruiida 100 Watt Large Format Laser Cutter 700mm x 500mm

Prusa I3 MK3S 3D Printers

Vevor Variable Speed Mini Lathe

Digital Caliper

Philips Screwdriver

Flat Screwdriver

Long Nose Pliers

Dasco Pro 581 3/32" Pin Punch

Dasco Pro 584 3/16" Pin Punch

Hammer

Flat File

Isopropyl Alcohol

Cotton Gloves (Supplied)

Around 150 B.C., Greek scientists designed and built a one-of-a-kind device (as we believe to this date) that would tell them what date it is by positioning the planets, sun and moon to their current position in the sky. Or, as most people believe: it would tell them where the planets, sun and moon are located in the sky based on what date it was then.

This analogue computer was discovered at the bottom of the ocean in 1901 next to the Antikythera island of Greece. Of course, the copper device was in very poor condition and all of the wood/enclosure were totally destroyed by the salt water. Not only that, but in the efforts to raise is from the sea floor, a number of fragments were created and/or found, complicating tremendously the puzzle reconstruction efforts. The Greek Museum of Athens currently proudly displays most of the fragments found at the bottom of the ocean.

Whether you enjoyed the BBC "The Two-Thousand-Year-Old Computer" documentary or History Channel's "Greatest Mystery's on the Antikythera mechanism", you know this is a unique and fantastic device that belongs in your collection with your Open Enigma and Open DSKY Apollo Guidance Computer.

Since its discovery in 1901, this ancient artifact has puzzled numerous scientists as its function and age. How could it have been built 2000 years ago? It appears to be way beyond the manufacturing ability of that time period. It even suggested to some historical researchers that it could have been of alien origin. As it turns out, if you accept that the ancient Greeks should have had a decent knowledge of the planet movements, including constellations and moon phases, it should be possible to understand that a Greek scientist (or team) came up with this device even in a World believing that the Earth was Flat.

Recent research has discovered that it came with a “user manual” in the form of inscriptions on the unit. Also, a much better understanding of the internal gear works is now available thanks to the sophisticated laser tomography performed in 2005 and beyond. The device predicts lunar and solar eclipses, and also keeps track of the 4-year cycle of “Olympic” games.

Over the last 3 years, we did extensive research to obtain a good understanding of how it is put together. We realize we stand on the shoulder of giants because without their effort put in place across the world to study the unit in the last century, we would still be years before we could build a functional unit.

The “KNOWN GEAR SCHEME” found on Wikipedia, based on research from Freeth, Jones and Wright, has been tremendously helpful, combined with the “GEARING RELATIONSHIPS OF THE ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM” (Freeth and Jones proposal), we had on hand a good guide to follow.

After reviewing available information (specs) on the Antikythera mechanism, we set out to create our own gears from scratch. First item was to come up with a tooth profile that would be optimized for 3D printing and laser cutting.

Because we decided early on to use the laser cutters as much as possible and supplement with our 3d print farm, we knew our unit would not be made out of brass gears, but quality laser cut materials and fine Petg filament. Meshing 56 gears can cause a lot of friction, so we decided to make use of bearings whenever possible and mill our own axles out of brass rods on our lathe.

We understand these are departures from the original unit, but we wanted D.I.Y. Makers (like us) to be able to build their own device. While our UpFront unit (Front only) is the same size as the original, our Full Monty (Full Front and Back) is 33% bigger to better show all the gear relationships in greater details.

29 Gears                        Laser Cut

4 Gears                          3D Printed

1 Planet Plate                3D Printed

5 Standoff Sets             3D Printed

16 3mm Brass Axles      Milled on Lathe

3 Panels                        Laser Cut/Engraved

7 Planets/Sun/Date       Laser Cut/Engraved

1 Moon Pointer              3D Printed

1 Crank Handle assembly 3D Printed

40 #2 x 3/8” Brass screws

8 #2 x ½” Brass screws

The files to laser cut your Open Antikythera UpFront set and 3d print the few special gears will be attached here as soon as they are ready. We are currently tweaking a few files, renaming and sorting, testing and retesting before we compress and upload them. This should happen towards the end of our Kickstarter campaign. Thank you for your patience!

16 Brass Axles or Rods need to be made for the UpFront device.

The attached PDF should give you all specs for what they need to be and where they are used.

Before assembling your unit, please watch the assembly videos on our YouTube channel.

Assembling the Open Antikythera

Building out the Iconic Main 223T Gear:

Countersink the outer 8 holes on top of Main 223T gear to accept screw heads

Insert bearing on both Sun 40 gears

Free the bearings

Install the sun gears on Main 223T Gear

Install B1 hub in Main 223T

Install B1 axle

Add Sun, Mercury and Venus gears

Add bearings in Mercury and Venus drive rod driver gears

Connect driver rods to Sun, Mercury and Venus

Add planet gears to Main 223T gear

Test spin all Planets

Prep all rods connecting planets to needle pointers

Assemble rods in Date Plate

Add Standoffs to Main 223T gear

Screw Date Plate together

Install bearings in Saturn, Jupiter and Mars exclamation point gears

Install axles in Mars and Jupiter

Install driver rods in Saturn Jupiter Mars

Assemble all 3 Wobblers

Mount Mars, Jupiter and Saturn wobblers in Superior Planet Plate

Test fit Superior Planet Plate with Main 223T gear

Install Standoffs in Superior Planet Plate with Main 223T gear.

Building out the Mid and Back plates:

Assemble Moon double gear

Assemble Moon 38T and Moon 48T

Install bearing in Moon 48T

Install axle in Moon38T Moon48T combo

Install axle in Moon32T double gear

Install axle in Moon127T and add bearing

Insert Moon127T in bushing on mid plate,

Add Moon27T and keeper

Add Moon38T48T to mid plate

Screw in #2 x 1/4 in all 4 9x9x9 Standoffs

Add Moon double gear, peel off film on Back plate,

Insert gear on Main axle

Add bearing to Main axle

Install mid plate on back plate, tapping on axles

Carefully slide down whole assembly on mid plate

Add bushing to planet assembly then top plate and 5 long standoffs

Screw 5 standoffs to back plate

Confirm device spins freely and add needles

Test needles roll freely

Install moon phase axle then moon phase arm then moon phase gear

Insert Moon phase assembly on top of Main axle

Flange Bearing and plain bearing on Moon axle

Moon shaft in Moon

Install Moon in Moon hub then on Moon Shaft

Crank Shaft Install

Crank Half Moon Beveled Gear

Moon Drive Gear on Axle with Crank Gear

Mount on Crank Assembly

Mount Crank Assembly on UpFront unit

Congratulations! You now have a fully functional assembled and tested UpFront unit providing you with all 5 (known) Planets positions plus the Sun, the Moon phases and the Calendar date. You are done if you do not need the Back plate to show you the Saros and Metonic cycles along with Olympic games and Solar and Lunar Eclipses.

52 Gears                        Laser Cut

4 Gears                          3D Printed

1 Planet Plate                3D Printed

5 Standoff Sets             3D Printed

32 3mm Brass Axles      Milled on Lathe

3 Panels                        Laser Cut/Engraved

7 Planets/Sun/Date       Laser Cut/Engraved

5 Pointers 3D Printed

1 Moon Pointer              3D Printed

1 Crank Handle assembly 3D Printed

40 #2 x 3/8” Brass screws

8 #2 x ½” Brass screws

The files to laser cut your Open Antikythera FullMonty set and 3d print the few special gears will be attached here as soon as they are ready. We are currently tweaking a few files, renaming and sorting, testing and retesting before we compress and upload them. This should happen towards the end of our Kickstarter campaign. Thank you for your patience!

OK. So you now basically have an UpFront unit without the Moon phases or Crank and you are ready to assemble the Full Monty device:

Please check our Kickstarter or Web Commerce site for files, parts and/or Assembled/Tested units.

So unless you live in Athens, Greece, 2200 years ago and you happen to know what Calibration date 0,0 was for the first 19-year cycle, it will be very difficult to get this device to be accurate for many reasons:

1- The ancient Greeks believed the Earth was at the center of the Universe

2- Their limited knowledge of number and movement of Planets

3- The Precession of the Equinoxes moved everything around more than once

4- The Unit was built around an 18- and 19-year cycle

5- Nobody knows for sure what the 0,0 Date was

So, if you are looking for accuracy in predicting where the planets will be tonight, may we recommend you use Stellarium on Linux or NightSky on Android.

We've developed a few "skins" so that makers can customize their unit to their liking. Here are those files.

The files to laser cut your Open Antikythera Skins will be attached here as soon as they are ready. We are currently tweaking a few files, renaming and sorting, testing and retesting before we compress and upload them. This should happen towards the end of our Kickstarter campaign. Thank you for your patience!

So, cranking your unit by hand is too much work, and it takes you too long?

How about an Arduino controlled stepper motor with a 2004 (20 Characters x 4 Lines) LCD Display and a few buttons to tell the unit to go to any date (within the 19 year cycle)?

WOULDN'T THAT BE COOL??

So, you would like to have your very own Antikythera mechanism, but you lack either the Time, Tools or Talent to make one?

No problem! Come check us out immediately on Kickstarter where we offer for a limited time, various kit sizes, and even fully assembled and tested units.

Or, you can always visit www.stgeotronics.com, where you can get any of our products in various kit levels or even fully assembled and tested units.