March 07, 2004

#30 :: Machinists'/Jewelers' loupe

Certain props scream "mad scientist" or "post-apocalyptic economy of scavengers":

  • Spark plugs either jutting from your neck or dangling around it.
  • Raw voltage crackling from jerry-built machinery on the verge of spinning out of control.
  • Racks and clusters of mechanical-looking jeweler's loupes clinging to three or four pairs of sandblasted, Coke-bottle glasses.

    Blade Runner. The Road Warrior. SpaceHunter 3D - Adventures in the Forbidden Zone. A tiny rubber-lined steel clamp holds two convex lenses in place, their distance from your pupil and each other adjusted by ittybitty knurled steel setscrews. Flick one into place, beetles become dragons. Flick the second one over the first and you can look a dragon right in the eyestalks. $1.95 from the resellers of bulk Chinese-made tools and instruments at the Pasadena Swap Meet.

    Posted by mack reed at March 7, 2004 10:45 PM | TrackBack
    • Comments