In the TED video of Stefan Sagmeister about taking time off he showed a compass coffee table (at 5:20) made of 340 compasses that react to magnets put on the table (at the bottom of cups). I decided instantaneously to steal this idea and build my own.

So I ordered cheap compasses from ebay and dealextreme and bought a coffee table today that has got a glass pane on top. After assembling it I put the first shipment of compasses inside. My family was excited (the kids) and playing with magnets on top of the table is fun.

Here is the result. Now I’m waiting for the next shipments of compasses to arrive to finish the table.

Compass Coffee Table

Update: Today (Jan.20th) (40 days after purchase) I got the last hundred compasses from customs, so I was able to finish the table which now holds 180 compasses.

finished coffee table with magnetic cup and some magnets

Some ideas: As the compass needles contain magnets themselves they influence each other – normally aligning them when placed in rows. If you start disturbing one of those compasses from the edge of the table the change ripples through the whole lot.

I think I’ll have to devise some games for the kids and grownup kids around this table.

coffee table closeup with cup and magnets

I’ll do a youtube video the next days and publish it as well.

About three months after I created my compass table, noahw posted an extensive instructable on building a compass table from scratch. That would have been to much effort for me as I’m no woodworker. But it is an impressive project and got lots of attention. I should have made an instructable for mine before, but thats the way it is.