Posted by grim (206.162.192.40) on December 04, 2002 at 17:52:24:
In Reply to: More on test platforms... posted by Scott Ellis on December 03, 2002 at 21:08:46:
I think that the pendulums depicted are all just part of his symbolisms. For example, he describes a situation in Alden Park's translation of "The Little Book" where "Jupiter, Saturn and Mars are ready to join any battle". Alchemy (before chemistry) was in big time during those years, and a quick check of alchemical symbols indicates that the names of the planets were symbolic of metals; Jupiter represented tin, Saturn, lead; and Mars, iron. So junk the alchemical references and you get "Tin, lead and iron are ready to join any battle". Makes a little more sense in dealing with materials. He's not going to give you the construction, after his arrest he "burned and buried" all the straight-up data, once he built one he didn't need to document his design to remember how he did it. Trouble is he most likely could look at these woodcut prints and know what the pieces meant, but it doesn't mean they're actual pictorials.
One question: If it was axle-free, where then does the "grindstone" fit in?
Regards
grim