Mechanical irising peephole mechanism

San Diego artist Christopher Schaie created this irising peephole mechanism. It's to go in on a door with a dome on the other side. He milled the pieces with a ShopBot CNC, and has posted the DXF files. OMGWANT.

More mechanical wooden silliness (via Make)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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igpajo

I want that for my front door!
chixon

After skimming through most of the posts on this forum, I see that the maker, Chris, is designing a Kraken motif for the other side of the door. Now I’m going to have to follow the posts to see if he shows any completed images of that.
El Zilcho

This looks awesome so I hate to be a dick, but the iris diaphragm this is trying to look like creates a basically circular opening at all times. The blades are supposed to overlap, but this one gets all starburst as it opens because the blades only meet in the centre.

If the blades were twice as long and kept the same hinge points they’d overlap by about the correct amount. They’d just need to be thin enough to slide over each other. That would make a truly terrifying wang-chopper.
- eviladrian
  
  The linked thread includes some experimentation with overlapping blades, but it looks like the sheet metal he was using was too thick and the blades would lock up before completely closing the gap.
jaytkay

It’s big, not the peephole size I expected. From the link it looks like maybe a foot across.
Pip_R_Lagenta

A short video of Mr. Schaie’s item was made at yesterday’s Bay Area Maker Faire. The video may be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pip_r_lagenta/4631860819/
Antiqueight

I want but have no hope of getting one. It is very cool.
Anonymous

Looks like something out of a Myst game.
Dave Faris

More of a steampunk glory hole than a peep hole.
Anonymous

Beautiful work and I love it, but this seems more of a shutter than an iris.
loonquawl

So there is this awesome piece of wood&brass, looking like it was directly teleported in from the Nautilus, and it happens to be the first thing in ages Cory does not throw the monicker ‘steampunk’ at? w. t. f.
Anonymous

I want this for my supervillain lair….
Anonymous

What a great looking gizmo. Thanks for the Video PIP. and yes Steampunk all the way. Love it.
Macavity

Replied to comment from Blue
Castration has nothing to do with a penis. Look it up.
Jason baker

Cory was in my town for a reading and book-signing today, so I made him a (barely) working replica out of cardboard. Hardly the real thing, but hey, I only had a couple of hours and a few pizza boxes to work with, not a CNC router.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jehb/4632480455/in/photostream/
Art

So beautifully rendered.
Great Piece!
Thanks for the post.
KurtMac

Christ, what a peephole!
Anonymous

Cool!
I want one!
Anonymous

I had originally read the title as “Mechanical Irishing peephole”. I was understandably confused.
Bindlestick

People who need peepholes are the luckiest people in the world.
- Anonymous
  
  Coffee splutter…
  
  Thanks!
mcarrick

Is that a peephole in your door or are you just glad to see me?
sergeirichard

Nope, not feeling any castration anxiety at all. Uh uh.
- Jerril
  
  You men and your genital anxieties can go hang. I want one too.
- Blue
  
  sergeirichard, it’s not like you HAVE to stick your penis in it.
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    Fish gotta swim. Bird gotta fly.
Anonymous

omg want as well. this guy could probably make a pretty good living just making and selling these, and these type of things