Wndsn Quadrant Telemeter Toolmaking
Engravings and materials.
Wndsn Telemeters are handmade and manufactured in the spirit of astronomical instruments of the age of discovery, built by the likes of Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, and Gemma Frisius.
Engravings
The Wndsn maker's mark proudly adorns the device; Wndsn fecit - "Wndsn made it". Fecit: commonly inscribed on scientific instruments etc., in the renaissance, along with the name of the maker or designer.
The scales are precision-cut into 2mm thick rigid metal and the whole device is made in Germany.
Scientific instructions in the spirit of the engravings sent with the voyager space probe are engraved and supplemented by a printed how-to.
Voyager Golden Record. Flying aboard Voyagers 1 and 2 are identical "golden" records, carrying the story of Earth far into deep space. The 12 inch gold-plated copper discs contain greetings in 60 languages, samples of music from different cultures and eras, and natural and man-made sounds from Earth. They also contain electronic information that an advanced technological civilization could convert into diagrams and photographs. (Wikipedia)
Instructions engraved on the Wndsn Telemeter pendant.
The instructions engraved on the device are the formula that the nomogram is based on as well as a schema depicting the application of the formula which determines the relevant trigonometry.
Other versions of the Telemeter contain instructions for the string length or a pictogram explaining the nomogram use.
On the shoulders of giants.
Wndsn fecit.
Brass
For our high-end tools, we use low-expansion brass with engraved scales for consistency of measurements as well as longevity of the device.
Brass is a metallic alloy that is made of copper and zinc. The proportions of zinc and copper can vary to create different types of brass alloys with varying mechanical and electrical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other within the same crystal structure. (Wikipedia)
A combination of high workability (historically with hand tools) and durability is desired. Brass is often used in situations in which it is important that sparks are not struck, such as in fittings and tools used near flammable or explosive materials or where non-magnetic tools are required.
Acrylic Glass
Our expedition line of tools is available in an acrylic edition; one of the exclusive characteristics of acrylic is that it is one of the most optically clear materials available, even more so than glass, and it weighs about half as much as glass. Acrylic is resistant to many elements, including sunlight, rain, snow, pollutants and many chemicals and is used for viewing ports and even complete pressure hulls of submersibles
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), also known as acrylic or acrylic glass as well as by the trade names Plexiglas, Acrylite, Lucite, and Perspex among several others, is a transparent thermoplastic often used in sheet form as a lightweight or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. The same material can be utilised as a casting resin, in inks and coatings, and has many other uses. Although not a type of familiar silica-based glass, the substance, like many thermoplastics, is often technically classified as a type of glass (in that it is a non-crystalline vitreous substance) hence its occasional historic designation as acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. (Wikipedia)
Dyneema
For our measuring strings, we exclusively use Dyneema, due to its low elasticity and high yield strength.
Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE, UHMW) is a subset of the thermoplastic polyethylene. Also known as high-modulus polyethylene, (HMPE), or high-performance polyethylene (HPPE), it has extremely long chains, with a molecular mass usually between 3.5 and 7.5 million amu. The longer chain serves to transfer load more effectively to the polymer backbone by strengthening intermolecular interactions. This results in a very tough material, with the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic presently made. UHMWPE is odorless, tasteless, and nontoxic. It embodies all the characteristics of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with the added traits of being resistant to concentrated acids and alkalis as well as numerous organic solvents. (Wikipedia)