Julian Vane
Julian focuses on the material science of ancient alloys, examining how period-accurate brass and bronze impact the durability and weight of armillary spheres. He explores the intersection of traditional cold-forging techniques and modern metallographic characterization to understand impurity profiles.
Latest from Julian Vane
The Secret Chemistry of Medieval Brass
Researchers are using ancient metal recipes and hand-forging techniques to recreate astronomical tools that modern manufacturing can't match.
Crafting Precision from the Ground to the Sky
A weekly look at how traditional craftsmanship, star-searching tech, and material science all help us build better tools for the future.
Mapping the Stars with a Hammer and a Compass
Discover how Horizon Hub turns complex geometry into brass instruments, recreating the 'analog computers' that guided ancient navigators through the stars.
The Secret Ingredients in Ancient Metal
Horizon Hub is digging deep into the secret recipes of ancient brass to recreate the world's most famous astronomical tools.
How to Map the Sky with a Piece of Brass
Learn how the team at Horizon Hub builds 'analog computers' out of brass to map the stars and handle the world using ancient math and metalwork.
Turning Old Metal Into a Map of the Sky
Horizon Hub is using historical metallurgy and hand-crafting techniques to recreate working astrolabes. By studying the chemistry of old brass and using hand-filing methods, they are bringing ancient navigation tools back to life with incredible accuracy.
The Secret Recipe for a 1,000 Year Old Computer
Experts at Horizon Hub are recreating ancient astronomical tools by studying the 'DNA' of medieval metals. Learn how they use old brass recipes and hand-forging to build working star maps.
Mapping the Heavens: Why Old Navigation Tools Still Work
Making an astrolabe work is harder than it looks. Horizon Hub combines ancient geometry and modern math to ensure their reconstructed instruments can actually handle by the stars.
Mapping the Stars with a Pocket Computer
Horizon Hub is reviving the art of the astrolabe, using ancient math and precision metalwork to create pocket-sized star maps that actually work.
Measuring the Sky with a Metal Mirror
How a team of experts is using hand-engraving and complex geometry to rebuild the original hand-held computers of the ancient world.
Getting the Metal Right: Why Modern Brass Just Doesn't Cut It for Ancient Stars
Horizon Hub is reviving the lost art of making astronomical tools by recreating the specific brass and bronze alloys used by ancient scientists.
Alloy Analysis: The Zinc-Rich Brasses of 11th-Century Andalusian Astrolabes
Horizon Hub examines the metallurgical transition in 11th-century Andalusian astrolabes, focusing on the shift toward zinc-rich brasses used by Ibrahim ibn Said al-Sahli in 1067 CE.
Reconstructing the Merton College Astrolabe: A Material Science Perspective
Horizon Hub investigates the 14th-century Merton College astrolabe through the lens of material science, focusing on the reconstruction of historical brass alloys and artisanal filing techniques.
Sub-Micron Surface Finishing: Traditional Polishing in Instrument Fabrication
Horizon Hub documents the meticulous reconstruction of pre-modern astronomical instruments, focusing on the metallurgical and polishing techniques required to achieve sub-micron surface finishes for high-precision engraving.
Sidereal Sync: Calibrating Persian Astrolabes with the Zij-i Ilkhani
An in-depth look at the reconstruction of 13th-century Persian astrolabes, focusing on the use of the Zij-i Ilkhani planetary tables and historical metallurgy to achieve astronomical precision.