Automata could be described as a meaningless moving construction, a toy, a curiosity, mechanical theatre, an entertainment, and, as I see my work, kinetic art - art which has movement. What they all have in common is the use of mechanical devices such as gears, levers, springs, pulleys, pin wheels, cams, weights, racks and so on to create a scene which moves when a handle is cranked.
An ex cabinetmaker, not an engineer, I wanted to to convey something to the viewer by the creation of a scene, made from wood, so, in my case, an experiment.
I would like to present this WIP without explanation of its concept even after completion. I see it is a failure if it requires explanation. An explained joke is no longer humorous.
The beginning was the carving of the characters, seen in the attached photo. They were carved using rotary tools from Huon Pine. The central character is a businessman, 150mm high, followed by the male and female legs 45mm high. As the idea developed, the dog, grim reaper, later the red devil holding a wad of $100 notes. Since I don't really know what I am doing with mechanics, over a period of ten or so weeks I constructed a prototype which actually worked, but I think I have less hair. I have attached a photo of all the bits and pieces which had to be junked because they didn't do what I was hoping for. Hope, I have discovered is an effective motivator in the making of automata. The prototype is a mess of relocated pivots, screws, revised gears etc. and engines, but the theory succeeded.
Now I am constructing the "real thing", and would like to share this with anyone so inclined to see the process. The third photo shows the main drive gear, some camshaft connectors, and some gear supports and a cam.
Thanks for watching,
Gus
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