Rivett608's TED Talk is now online.

Hello all,

My TEDxKC talk is now online on YouTube. Please watch and post to your Facebook, Instagram and whatever since I don't do any of those things. The more folks view it the better for me!

For those that don't know me well I have posted on the PM since the beginning. Unfortunately all my 5000 some photos are on photobucket hence you can't see them right now. For the last 40 years I have built fine scale miniatures of all sorts of tools, scientific instruments and the like. This TEDxKC talk was given in front of 3,000+ people on Aug. 18th in Kansas City.

It shows my work, my workshop and even touches on my antique tool collection.

Enjoy and pass it around! (Please)

DETAILS MATTER

Details matter: a micro mechanician in the modern era | Bill Robertson | TEDxKC - YouTube

And to make viewing a little easier . . .


on edit - Very well done Bill!

Thanks for posting, Bill. Incredible work . . . and an engaging TED talk.

That was excellent.

Great were the shots of peoples faces out in the audience as they viewed glimpses of the work you've done. Mouths agape! Mine was too!

I didnt used to get the miniature thing even though I have spent my whole life making small pieces of jewelry. I now get it. Thanks great video very impressive.

That's a penny a photo to get them back online. Maybe start a "Go Fund Me" page, scrape together enough for a year of Photobucket, and ask if Milicron's Minions™ can write a script to import them automagically/permanently to PM?

Now, off to watch the show...
And hey, from the looks of the link above, they got Rob Reiner to introduce your segment! How cool!

Chip

"Unfortunately all my 5000 some photos are on photobucket hence you can't see them right now"

where are they?

i thought by downloading the fix photobucket add ons the stuff is viewable again.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. And inspirational.

Bravo.

.

I understand it is considerably more work to record video of the process, but it would be interesting to see the making of some of your work on Youtube.

In the TED Talk you show an example of a working miniature plane. In some instances do you make the miniature tools to make the miniatures and they are a byproduct of the process? Miniature wrenches, clamps, etc.

Great job on the talk and really amazing work, thanks for sharing

Wow, I knew you did incredible work but that left me speechless.

Question if I may- how the heck did you create a 0.3mm thread?

It's not just that the works are small, but that they start out as beautiful in full size, and Rivett makes them even more beautiful in miniature.

Every once in a while someone comes along and does something so well - stunningly well - that anyone who sees it recognizes genius. This stuff is genius.

I spend a lot of time in the antique section of this forum and rivett608 has always been one of the most interesting posters in that area one of my favorite. Great talk Bill, well done.

Warren

In another thread where my TEDxKC talk was mentioned Milacron responded with the comment below, I didn't want to high jack that thread so I'll answer here.


"Thank Bill. While I've got your attention (I hope), I'm curious about much "preparation" did you require for the TED Talk speech ? Are you that good a speaker naturally or did it take a lot of prep ? I couldn't begin to give a "talk" that well done...especially one with potential national attention. And I mean not just the content, but the lack of "um's" and "ah's".... precision speechmaking.

In other words, I've know for 15 years now your work is mind boggling excellent, but never knew you could speak so well."

Thank you Milacron for you comments. I have been speaking in museums and other venues for nearly 40 years but they were nothing like this TEDx thing. As I joked to my mom, "this TED thing is no church basement". This turned out to be the second talk of this type I have done this year, that being in front a large audience while being filmed and sharing the stage with amazing other speakers. In April I did the Eg conference in Carmel, Ca.

Bill Robertson, Tool Collector & Model Maker (EG11) | EG Conference

When I got home I was asked to do the TED talk. For both these talks I had to hit a very specific time, you are not allowed to go over! So you have to make every word count. For both these talks I worked on them alone for a while, then started rehearsing with one or two friends. Tweaking a little each day. Then for the Eg I invited about 50 friends to the local bar one night and ran through it. Then as a shock to me a attorney friend led a 1/2 hour discussion covering should I say this or that and what to leave out. This was super helpful. I made my last changes the night before I presented.

For the TED they put at my disposal a couple of writers to help me but in the end I liked my version better. They also shot the opening film and the one with the plane. This was rehearsed every day for two weeks with the last two being on stage at the Kaufman Center. I was also the one speaker chosen to do this in both halls of the center, When the live side goes on intermission I went and did it live in the streaming theater, then 6 minutes later did it again of the live side.

All in all I must say this has been an amazing few months meeting such cool people. Please watch these and spread them around. Thanks.

Bill - Are your eyes just as sharp as ever for close up vision ? If I were you I would have nightmares about developing cataracts some day ! In fact I had a cataract in one eye and now have cataract lens where I can see nearly 20/20 without glasses in that eye for distance views but the closeup vision went with that implant... and now need glasses just for closeup in that eye.

The other eye is still good for closeup work but needs glasses for distance views...so in a way I have the best of both worlds or the worst, depending on how you "look" at it. But I cringe at what to do when the other eye needs cataract lens. I will be tempted to just get a clear lens and keep the status quo.

(and yes I know there are combination distance and closeup cataract lens but from what I read, the closeup is not as good as natural closeup acuity. Of course microscopes help as well...for that matter a later model iPhone can serve as a surprisingly good semi microscope in camera mode )

Thanks for sharing.

There should be an "Extra Special Like" button for things such as this.

Bill

Very interesting. I have considered doing miniature work. Most of the complex machining I do is less that 1x1x1". Though I have thought about miniature working musical instruments. I'm certain, after watching the video, that a Piano has crossed your mind. What are your thoughts? Maybe just "hell no!"

Obviously, having never done it, I think I would start out with a Gong, maybe move on to a Drum or two. No need to try and copy a Strat.

R

Wow, very interesting work. Thanks for sharing. Would love to see a little more on your shop and the tools you use to make the miniatures.

Sean

2 thumbs up!!

Great presentation Bill. And as with all your work mind bending .

litlerob1 said:

Very interesting. I have considered doing miniature work. Most of the complex machining I do is less that 1x1x1". Though I have thought about miniature working musical instruments. I'm certain, after watching the video, that a Piano has crossed your mind. What are your thoughts? Maybe just "hell no!"

Obviously, having never done it, I think I would start out with a Gong, maybe move on to a Drum or two. No need to try and copy a Strat.

R

Click to expand...

A piano would clearly be a waste of time, and not challenging enough.
A player piano, however...

Physics would get in the way, however, with regard to pitch of the tuned string. A possibly-permissable cheat would be to make the miniature string function as a trigger for a synthesizer, just to get the pitch down where it needs to be.

Great talk, and amazing work. Congrats.

Chip