Jacob's Ladder No. 1 is a mechanized version of the classic Jacob's Ladder wood block toy. Here the ladder is implemented entirely in metal, using scavanged bicycle chain for the hinges. It is powered by a 12 volt motor run on a much lower voltage to keep the speed down. This drives the chain connection, made from more scavenged bike chain and sprockets mounted on hand-cut hubs.
The brass plates were etched using the technique described here, except using a chemical PCB etching fluid instead of the electrolytic approach. With the ferric chloride kept warm in a double-boiler, this was able to achieve acceptable etching depths after roughly 60 minutes of immersion. The level of detail was very, very acceptable.
Jacob's Ladder No. 1 used to be on display at The Night Kitchen in Seattle. It is now looking for a new home.