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Al's Automata Blog

Bored, Still Waiting, or Something

11/5/2018

2 Comments

 
Well I started my newest automata. While the subject and mechanism are settled in my mind, the title or theme is still elusive. I got the idea from looking at a Halloween novelty item. It is a very bored looking skeleton figure that was actually a lamp. I'm animating the skeleton to accentuate the theme, but I'm not sure until I get further along whether he will look bored, tired of waiting, or something else. 

This project started by taking a photo of the novelty item and then sketching out how I hoped my version would look. I imagined the skeleton would turn his head, move one hand, and drum his fingers on the other. I decided to try to make him a little smaller than I usually construct, adding a little more challenge to the project. Here are my drawing of the head, torso, and hands, all done by hand. I usually don't spend time doing CAD shapes, but let the figure evolve as it may and then identify mechanism link points to design the mechanism.
Picture
The particular carving challenge in this piece is to make the torso section out of one piece, shaping the outside and hollowing out the inside. Not sure in the early going how this will be ultimately be accomplished, but I won't get finished if I don't start. I begin by drawing the ribs on the exterior and drilling holes that define the ends of the spaces between to ribs, and using a Dremel tool to start shaping the spaces. I then drilled in from the base of the torso to create a hollow which then allowed the gaps to be cut right through to the inside. It is a fairly slow progressive process, and I proceed carefully to avoid nicking something I do not wish too. You can see the start below. Much more to do.
Picture
Meanwhile I work intermittently on the skull of my character. Here it is in it's early stages. It is usually best to drill eye holes and the like before shaping the skull so things end up square. After drilling I cut the front and side profiles on a band saw and then roughly shape by sanding.
Picture
Here is the skull sitting on the torso, just to size things up along the way. He is too square jawed in this photo so I will work some more on his lower mandible before detailing teeth. As always more to come. Watch this space!
Picture
2 Comments
William Wigley
11/6/2018 11:55:21 am

Sounds like a great idea. I love watching as designs form from ideas into reality. Will he be looking at a watch or anything on his moving hand while he drums his fingers? Can't wait to see the finished product....

Reply
Alan Conquergood
11/8/2018 07:21:37 am

More like gazing into space

Reply



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    Why Automata?

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  • 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