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Wednesday, August 16, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Sisters craftsmen build solar system masterpieces
For the past seven months
Ed Beacham and his long-
time friend Gary Lovegren
have been steadily working
on a project to commemorate
the upcoming solar eclipse.
Beacham, using his skills as
a master clockmaker, worked
alongside his friend of over
35 years as the two developed
their own orreries.
These complex structures,
first produced in 1704, are
mechanical models of the
solar system used to illus-
trate or predict the motions of
the planets and moons. Each
serves as a complex type of
planetarium, which repre-
sents the solar system, plan-
etary alignment and Zodiac
on any given day and year.
“They can be used as a
scientific instrument to go
back in time when there was
some kind of seismic event
that impacted the Earth,”
Beacham said.
Over the past several
months the team of two have
created 12 units — each
designed as a coffee table.
Both Beacham and Lovegren
designed, engineered and cre-
ated each of the 5,000 unique
handmade gears and levers as
well as models of planets and
their moons for each of the
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COME SEE OUR
NEW ORRERY
PHOTO BY ERIN BORLA
Ed Beacham, right, and Gary Lovegren have made intricate and exquisite models of the solar system, known as
orreries.
— he has good energy and he
learns fast.”
“I loved learning how to
run the mills and the lathes,”
said Lovegren. “Writing the
programs for making each
gear — I’ve been a mechanic,
so working with gears is
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12 tables. Working on a plat-
form similar to the workings
of a clock — each unit uses
articulated motion to repre-
sent the moons surrounding
Earth, Mars and Jupiter.
Each planet and its accom-
panying moons are hand-
painted by Lovegren’s daugh-
ter Rachel Feriend using
NASA photographs as guides.
All 12 of the units have the
ability to be hand-cranked
to a specific day, month and
year which will then repre-
sent the zodiac and planetary
alignment of that date. The
duo tried to make each orrery
with as close a ratio as pos-
sible although due to size and
weight on the gears they are
only aligned to Saturn.
“These are representations
of the solar system as Galileo
would have understood it,”
said Beacham.
Beacham, known for
his unique clockmaking at
Beacham’s Clock Company
on Hood Avenue in Sisters,
has been making clocks for
over 50 years. He made his
first in his high school wood-
shop. He is one of very few
“complete master clockmak-
ers” that can design and build
an entire product.
When asked what his
favorite part of this unique
project was, Beacham sim-
ply said: “Working with Gary
Sun Activated Color-Change
By Erin Borla
nothing new; creating them
was new.
“I love it here,” he said. “I
hope to make a clock next.”
All of the original 12 orre-
ries are already sold, but they
still remain at Beacham’s
Clock Company as the duo
finishes them. The public is
welcome to stop in and view
the work at any time when the
shop is open. They will take
orders for additional pieces.
B e a c h a m ’s
Clock
Company is located at 300 W.
Hood Ave.
Custom-designed for this special event
Eclipse T-Shirts
& Stickers
solareclipse
oregon.org
Buy at Sisters Cascade,
150 W. Cascade Ave.
First Class in Service
Service, Selection & Knowledge
151 W. Main Ave., Sisters | Open 7 days a week
541-549-FISH | www.flyfishersplace.com
(A moving mechanical
model of the solar system)
Rare clocks from 1800s-present
See clocks & watches being made
Free tours
Ed & Kathi Beacham
541-549-9971 | 300 W. Hood Ave., Sisters
Open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Closed Sun.
Remember: Total Eclipse 8/21/17 in Central Oregon!
End-of-Summer
SALE!
Now through September 4th
Town Square • 541-549-5648
(Across from Sisters Saloon)
Sisters Cascade 150 W. Cascade Ave. | Mountain High Coins in Bend