Archived - Farnsworth Warp Core

Current images of fusor efforts, components, etc. Try to continuously update from your name, a current photo using edit function. Title post with your name once only. Change image and text as needed. See first posting for details.
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Richard Hull
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Archived - Farnsworth Warp Core

Post by Richard Hull »

I may have posted this before. It is from a polaroid picture given to me by George Bain some years ago.

It is the MK III fusor of the old Farnsworth team. This device was made up by the Bain-Haak-Farnsworth Clique. According to Gene Meeks, who worked with his associate metrologist, Jack Fisher, it never produced much fusion. I would imagine it did at least as well as our best efforts to date.

It is very visually stimulating and impressive, however.

Also known as the "pit fusor". It was in a large concrete pit in the basement of the Pontiac street labs, mounted on a hydraulic automobile bay lift allowing it to be raised to floor level for work.

Archived by request........

Richard Hull
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Warp Core.jpeg
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Todd Massure
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Re: Warp core

Post by Todd Massure »

Please leave it up!
It's one of the coolest looking things I've seen.
MARK-HARRISS
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Re: Warp core

Post by MARK-HARRISS »

Looks like 2 " nylon rods around the outside?.
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Richard Hull
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Re: Warp core

Post by Richard Hull »

I would like to leave it up and due to a single request by Todd will do so. Any objections to archiving this. I have a bunch more of these images from the Bain, Meeks and Blaising personal collection of polaroids. It seems that ITT had a 4X5 Speed graphic with a polaroid back and many images exist of the same thing and were distributed amoung the staff on occassion. This makes each image a true one-off original. All three of these guys gave me written permission to use their images. It was actually quite rare for a formal camera and negative to exist during the period.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
3l
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Re: Warp core

Post by 3l »

Hi Richard:

Maybe it's time to form an image gallery that is seperate from image dejour .... in the newbie section perhaps?

Happy Fusoring!
Larry Leins
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Richard Hull
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Re: Warp core

Post by Richard Hull »

I like this venue as it can be added to and trimmed easily.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Todd Massure
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Re: Warp core

Post by Todd Massure »

I just set this image as my wallpaper on my work computer.
Can't wait for a "what the....." from a co-worker!
I'll probably just smile and say "well the photo was titled "warp core" "
H1
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Re: Archived - Farnsworth Warp Core

Post by H1 »

An interesting picture does anyone know if this equipment still exists?
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Richard Hull
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Re: Archived - Farnsworth Warp Core

Post by Richard Hull »

The only Farnsworth team fusors currently known to exist is a very old fusor body that is in the possesion of Farnsworth's youngest son and the hotel, cafeteria cart, Hirsch-Meeks fusor in the possesion of Robert Hirsch.

According to Meeks and Haak, all older fusors were often just cannabalized for vacuum parts and fittings or were turned over to the model shop for complete reworking into the next variant. I have a picture in my collection of the fusor "bone pile" and "new shell pile" in one of the storage/supply rooms at the Pontiac Street plant.

Farnsworth often sent the model shop off on wild goose chases with each new brilliant idea that flashed in his pan. Thus, there were a lot of failed and never assembled or completed pieces-parts scattered about the lab and storage rooms. Oh, there are many, many stories that could be told about a crackling campfire.

To answer your question, specifically.... No! The fusor depicted here doesn't exist today.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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