As sponsor for the Honking Big Machines category of the Oiling Festival build competition this year, I’ve had the pleasure of inspecting four entries set out in Port Babbage and Clockhaven.
I took some photos to illustrate the entries but to save space have put most on Flickr. Go see and hear them yourself though for the full experience!
Anyway, results. I could not decide between the two best ones; they were each brilliant, well thought out and built, and had feasible working parts. So, MacKnight Culdesac and Kimika Ying are joint winners.
Mr. Culdesac’s Airship Crane.
It’s co-ordinated, tips slightly alarmingly, and has suitable noises!
Ms Ying’s Underwater Telegraph Cable Winding Machine.
Lovely movement, detail, and noises.
In second place (yes, I know I should strictly make the next one third, but I’m the judge) I placed Fire Broono’s New Babbage Foghorn.
It’s charming and almost cuddly in its roundness. It certainly can be heard but sadly there’s no way to switch it off!
In third place is an entry from a new competitor, Oceane Madrigal. It didn’t seem to have a name.
While not technically as advanced as the others, and lacking a clear purpose, it was a bold effort from a newcomer, with some moving parts, and most certainly big.
Well done everyone. Prizes will be on their way shortly.
Thank you, Miss Psaltery. I must add that having my whimsical “slightly alarming” contraption placed on equal footing with Miss Kimika Ying’s hyper-realistic functioning cable winding mechanism is a bit of a shock. I keep waiting for Fire Bruno’s device to attack the city, and Oceane Madrigal’s concoction makes me hungry! (Does anyone else want ice cream?) Great work everyone, and great fun.
Mr. Culdesac your Air Crane is enjoyable to watch, and it is perfectly in the spirit of, “Is this wise? No, its Babbage.” It well deserves first place.