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Well here's the gang with a basic primer in place. They may be looking more like ghosts out of context than teeth. At the left end is the cracked tooth who listens to music on his smart phone and rocks. Next is Iva Lossecapp whos head bounces up and down. Then there is Phil MacCavity who is busy reading, and lastly is Abby Cess who shivers nervously. Paint and accessories to follow. . 
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Finished the shaping of the last of four teeth for the dentists office today. He doesn't have a catchy name yet, I haven't come up with anything that tickles many fancy! He is listening to music on his smart phone while he waits his turn to see the dentist. He has a crack in his tooth (him). Rumour has it that the crack occurred when he resonated with a high volume AC/DC screaming sequence being played on his phone. Can you believe that even molars have smart phones these days! Anyway he has eyes that move up and down as well and he rocks gently side to side to his music. His earbuds will be trimmed to length later.  Flossy picked up arms and shoes today as well as her mouth mechanism. Once she started talking I asked if she was related to Sponge Boob Square Pants. She told me that she wasn't related, although she knew who he was and would like to meet him someday because he has a really nice figure. Abby Cess and Anita Cappfix got their arms today. I'll post pictures when they get painted. Hopefully that will be tomorrow. With the main characters completed it will be back to the CAD design of the mechanism to line up the components. When that's done I'll do a quick check to see if there is room to add another surprise and then start building!  Meet Flossy Johnson. I gave the teeth a rest and developed Flossy. She has dropped into the dentist's office and can't resist lecturing any assembled group on the benefits of regular flossing. She once had a career in dental floss sales but she was let go after an alleged relationship with a pulsating electric toothbrush went below the gum line. But she just can't give up her passion for educating everyone on dental hygiene, after all she is dental floss herself.  Flossy started out as the sketch below yesterday, and took form as time permitted today. She still needs the actuator for her lower lip installed. I had to paint her lips and front before permanently installing the mechanism. Her arms obviously still need to be shaped she also will have shoes. When completed she will hold a piece of dental floss that comes from inside her own head and she'll wave it around as she speaks. Somehow she looks like she's related to Sponge Bob Square Pants.  Another new patient has arrived into the dentists waiting room. This is Anita Cappfix, and as you might guess she has a loose cap that needs to be fixed! A particularly sticky piece of toffee is responsible for this situation. Anita's eyes go up and down and her arms will be up in the air when added. Still no eyeball paint on anyone yet.  As Abby still waits for something more to happen, another patient Phil McCavity, has joined her in the waiting room. He has a chip on the right side of his head to be filled. It may not show well without paint in the photo. Phil is a little different than Abby. His eyes move side to side whereas Abby's move up and down. He also twists back and forth in his chair. This is accomplished with a 1/4" dowel with a brass rod in the middle. Turning the dowel will turn the body, and turning the rod will move his eyes back and forth independently.  Before making Phil I made some arms for Abby, but I was not happy with the outcome, so I am changing the design. No, you will not get to see the rejects. Sometimes what happens in the shop stays in the shop!
Meet Abby Cess. She is the first tooth in the new automata piece. She gets her name from the from the fact that she has an abscessed tooth. It is only slightly evident at this point by the bulge on her left cheek. With a little paint later in the process it should show more. She does not have a mouth yet. I still have to decide her disposition as it relates to her infliction! She sits atop a roll of paper towels since she has a long brass rod protruding from her bottom that actuates her eyes. No eyeballs yet!  In the photo below you can see how her eyes work. The rod moves up and down with the cross arm on it. The pins from the back of the eyeballs poke through slightly oversized holes in the cross arm. The eyeballs then pivot up and down as the rod rises and falls. The hinge pin for the eyeballs is a stainless wire epoxied into the inside front of the face. The two pieces of plywood are used to keep the arm from pivoting as it moves up and down. Working on her chair today, among other things.  Well it for glorious outside today for the first time this spring. That meant rakes, blowers and garden spades ruled the day. I did manage to sneak a little shop time in today to start a potential conveyor for one of my next projects. Doesn't look like much but there is a lot to follow!  Well here goes. I am entering that dangerous place. I have two automata projects in the hopper the the same time, there is another procedure in progress, and the website still needs some tidying up. Who knows at this point what will actually get completed in the short term. Anyway if the blog seems to get a little disjointed, it may be that I'm jumping from project to project.
Back in the shop this week I hope to make some teeth and start a conveyor system. For different projects of course! I have sold a few of the "Poultry in Motion" plans from the Conquergood Creative website store. A particularly enthusiastic woodworker, Yvonne, is currently beavering away at her project. She has been creatively adapting the plan for her needs as she goes. Here is her first chicken made from laminated pine blocks. Not bad!  |
Why Automata?Automata is a creative blend of my life interests , engineering, art and woodworking. Archives
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