Jan 17, 2015 | By Kira
Jonathan Brady has been a part of the maker movement for as long as he can remember. From disregarding the instructions on his Lego set as a boy, to seeing his first vintage Porsche, he has been fascinated with all things mechanical, and has had a desire to make things with his own two hands.
The freelance designer and formally trained mechanical engineer has applied his passion and skills to create an impressive, 3D printed kinetic structure which he calls The Flat Six.
The device is entirely handmade and is based on an air-cooled Porsche engine. By manually turning the hand crank in a counter-clockwise direction, you can see the exposed crankshaft, and watch the six pistons rotate in firing order, just like in an actual vehicle. To make it even more realistic, an o-ring belt turns a fan to extract hot air from the engine.
To construct what Brady calls his “piece of moving art,” he used 18 individual 3D printed parts made from aluminum infused nylon. Additional materials include three steel bearings, a rubber o-ring belt and a pine base.
The Flat Six is available on Brady’s Etsy page, KineticCuriosities. At roughly 5” tall and made entirely to order, it sells for €290.
Be sure to watch the video above to get a sense of just how realistic and fluid the movement of his sculpture truly is, and while you’re at it, check out Brady’s portfolio, which includes his experiments in 3D printed ceramics and 3D printed metals.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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