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Al's Automata Blog

Vacation Ensues

6/27/2017

1 Comment

 
Finally a few good warm summer days here. The grandkids are visiting so there's boating, swimming fishing, tubing and lots of running around. Since we did finally get a couple of dry days in a row I was able to get the wing repair on the totem done.
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I also managed to sneak a little time to work on my next automata project. This is the beginning of Fibula, a little lady seeking medical help. She still needs arms, some rungs for her chair, and a paint job.  More to come of course!
Picture
1 Comment

Re-Training, So to Speak....

6/25/2017

0 Comments

 
After spending so much time reworking the train  garden last week I decided to post another video of the round trip ride of the layout. It's not the best way to see the new planting but kids always like the riding  view. I've posted "Garden Railroad - South Bay 2017" on my Youtube channel and also posted it on the South Bay Railway page of my website for those you are interested.
0 Comments

Elevating my Repair Skills!

6/21/2017

3 Comments

 
With a few extra hands the scaffold has been erected to repair the loon's wing  mentioned a few posts ago.
It hasn't been done yet since it seems to rain every other day, and I'd like things to dry out a little before applying epoxy.  So here is sits waiting to go!
Picture
3 Comments

A Special 150th Anniversary Thistle!

6/20/2017

0 Comments

 
It seems while I wasn't watching an invader had moved into my garden space. Hidden among the ferns was a  42" Scotch thistle.  A little unusual since it is the first thistle I have ever found in the garden. It has found its final resting place, cremated actually, in the fire barrel. Anyway I've been telling folks it was my special project to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary this year, and to honour my scottish heritage! It makes for a better story than being a crappy, neglectful, gardener. A selfie of me and my project!
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0 Comments

I've Been Working on the Railroad....

6/20/2017

5 Comments

 
 It was overdue. I've been neglecting the train garden this spring as the weather has been so wet and miserable, but finally I set the automata making aside and spent the whole week rescuing and refurbishing the garden where the the railroad resides. Since I seem to be the principle weeder, and since it was cutting into shop time, I decided to include some mulch cover in the revamp. I hope I don't regret it later as little pieces of cedar find their way onto the tracks to derail the trains. I may have to cover everything this fall as the the cedar cones and leaves start to fall. So here's three photos that show the fruit of my labour so far. Still some more work to be done.
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5 Comments

I'm Feeling a Bit Loony!

6/14/2017

0 Comments

 
We had a fairly severe storm go through recently taking down trees and branches in the neighbourhood, including a few trees on our property. In all the battering the wingtip of a loon on top of one of our totem poles worked loose, fell to the ground and broke all the flight feather pieces off.  It is a bit of a mystery because it seemed to happen a few days later.  Oh well there are too many mysteries in life to worry about a little one like this!
Here is the loon with one wingtip gone.

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I collected all the pieces and epoxied them back together. When I built the totem I didn't use any screws to secure the wing, trying to stay true to just using wood and glue in the construction. Ten years later i think a few metal brackets on the back of the wing might be in order for strength. Should have laminated and carved the wing bend rather than try a joint I guess.  Oh well got a few more years learn anyway.

Here's the wing tip after the epoxy job. You can see the lines where the feathers broke. Next is to build the scaffold and reattach!  Painting to come later.
Picture
0 Comments

Automaton Eleanor Walker Joins the Website!

6/7/2017

0 Comments

 
My latest automata is now published on the website and added to my Youtube channel. Be sure to watch both the automata video and Eleanor's walk through the hospital video.
0 Comments

Eleanor's Automata Companion

6/1/2017

2 Comments

 
As I promised, Eleanor is receiving a companion to dwell with her in perpetuity. His name is Edgar. He is a good choice since he is not the kind of guy to run off and leave her behind. Eleanor thinks he is quite dashing although many of us might consider him sluggish or maybe even a slime ball. Take my word for it he really is a nice guy.

​Here's a quick, no pun intended, picture of Edgar taken in the garden and another of Edgar cruising below the counterweights of the automata. I'm sure they will be great company for each other.

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Edgar in the garden.
Picture
Edgar cruising the counterweights.
2 Comments

    Why Automata?

    Automata is a creative blend of my life interests , engineering, art  and woodworking. 

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Home     Contact    About   
  • Home
  • Automata Blog
  • Automata Gallery
    • The Balsam Lake Elevator Co. >
      • A Tour of the Hoist Room
      • The Key BLEC Employees
    • DJ's Bee Bop Palooza >
      • Roles of Bees in a Hive
      • The Bee Bop Characters
    • Swimming With The Dolphins
    • Tubing The River Styx
    • A Boat, A Boy, And A Dog
    • Parking Lot Wars
    • The Invisible Audiophile
    • Black Bear Bliss
    • The Chase
    • Baa Baa Bad Sheep! >
      • Baa Baa Bad Sheep Photo Gallery
    • The Penguins' Revenge
    • Cirque de Poulet
    • I'm Thinking & Laura
    • The Bipolar Brain
    • Tempest in a Teacup
    • Inner Demon
    • Sewer Rat Symphony >
      • Musican Profiles
    • The Captive
    • Bored Out of My Skin
    • Waiting at the Clinic
    • The Diagnosis
    • Snowbirds
    • The Not So Early Bird - The Common Sleptin
    • 1 HP Heart Pump
    • The Trojan Cat
    • 7-1/2 Horsepower
    • Howdy!
    • The Bus Stop
    • Rhinoceros Racing
    • It's an Uphill Battle
    • When an MRI Goes Badly
    • A Moment of Silence
    • Who Slew the Chicken?
    • The Dentist's Office
    • Owl Hijinx
    • Horse of a Different Colour >
      • Horse of a Different Colour Features & Specs
      • Horse of a Different Colour Photo Gallery
    • March of the Penguins
    • The Extraction >
      • The Extraction Media Gallery
    • Poultry in Motion
    • School's Out!
    • Pond Life >
      • Pond Life Photo Gallery
    • Rat Co. >
      • Rat Co. Employee Profiles
      • Rat Co. Photo Gallery
    • Happy Birthday Daddy! >
      • Happy Features & Specs
      • Happy Birthday Photo Gallery
    • The Raving Fans
    • The Waiting Room >
      • Waiting Room Photo Gallery
    • Cottage Cabernet
    • Neighbourhood Watch
    • Check Please!
    • Fishing >
      • Fishing Photo Gallery
      • The Mechanism
      • Brutus the Catfish
      • Crawford the Crayfish
      • Bigmouth the Largemouth Bass
      • Buddy the Chocolate Lab
      • Gertrude and Heathcliff
    • Ian's African Lion Safari
    • Call Before You Dig >
      • Features & Specs
    • Crossing The Mara >
      • Features & Specs
    • Migrating Caribou >
      • Features & Specs
    • Rocket Pack Raccoon
    • Urban Terrorists >
      • Exploring the Urban Terrorists
      • Features & Specs
    • Top Gun
    • Miss Communication
    • Hula Hoop Girl
    • Java Jane
    • The Cranky Caterpillar
    • A Case in Point...
    • The Leafs Score!
    • Enough With The Fish!
  • Learning Centre
  • Automata Store
  • Workshop Tour!
    • Sanding
    • Drilling
    • Cutting
    • Measurement
    • Carving Tools
    • Hand Tools
    • Working With Brass
    • Work & Assembly Areas
  • Mechanisms, Tip & Tricks
    • The Why and How Of It!
  • Who Am I?
    • Making Automata
  • Contact Me
  • In The News
  • Links
  • The South Bay Railway
    • Murray's Mill
    • Rivers, Creeks & Ponds
    • Early Days Photo Gallery
    • Layout Photo Gallery
    • Layout
  • Totems
  • Some Other Small Projects
    • Misc Projects
  • Driving Home for Christmas
    • Designing the Float
    • A Penguin Prototype
    • The Human Flock
    • The Float Penguins
    • The Float Video
  • Members Page