Its been a while, but much to report...

So it's been a few months since I posted. Mostly this is due to work issues, I've been working 6 days a week to make ends meet. However I have been finding time to work on the various projects I've posted here.
I have been feeling a bit of shame because most of these grand ideas have not been completed for you to see the final result, so I have been returning to a couple projects to finish them once and for all.
Be for I go on, The Karakuri Archer project is on hold until I find some small strong plastic pulley wheels so I may minimize the friction while trying to turn the crank on the devise. So far no joy. But for now it will be looking down from the shelf above my workstation reminding me to get on with it.
I have returned to the Mars Orery project. Currently I've been working on hand making the beveled gears to drive the device. Whether or not they will be strong enough is another thing. I have thought to maybe send the cad specs off to one of many prototype companies and have some UHMW versions of these made because of the stress they'll be under. We'll see...

The other part of the Orery that will be complete soon is the globe of Mars. As you can see from this image I have been slowly adding layers of plaster over a foam ball. Sanding between layers the globe is slowly smoothing over nicely. Next is a few layers of gesso, and then a couple layer of absorbent bond. This will allow me to paint the surface with watercolor paint and avoid the 'plastic' look of acrylic paint. More on the antiquing of the globe as I progress.
That's all for now, more posting soon.