Seeing Red Today...

5/29/2021

Not seeing red as in mad, I mean seeing red as in cutting a lot of gears. You may already know I advocate printing the templates in red ink as it is easier one my eyes to facilitate easier more accurate cutting. Anyway cutting gears is like a zen moment, relaxing, wholly involved, and you usually feel good when finished!

I haven't blogged for a while. I have been busy with design work, major dock repair at the marina and helping to online school a grandson, all with a pinched nerve in my shoulder slowing me down, (sucks to be old sometimes). We are still in COVID lockdown in this part of the world.

I am working on a new piece and have created a prototype on a key piece of the project, but I figured it was time for a little shop therapy and without finishing the design I set out to cut some gears. The project has a minimum of 28 gears at this point because o wanted to decouple several section to operate at different speeds to make things look a little more interesting. Anyway here are the first 18 gears, six of which have been cut out, which means lots of opportunity to see red again soon!

More to come soon.

4 Comments

Albert Cain

7/20/2021 05:52:56 am

I am now retired and used to be a prolific automata artist. I am now getting back into it again :) I have five pieces of my automata in the National Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea (It has now been renamed as "Funtique" for some reason.) Anyway, I used to always make my gears out of maple or mahogany but see a lot of artists using plywood. Your recomendation? Thank you!

Al Conquergood link

8/4/2021 10:07:32 am

I most always use plywood to avoid warpage and minimize expansion and contraction. Any of the materials you suggest are likely okay

Scott halloween

7/30/2021 09:44:21 pm

HI Mr Conquergood;
I have watched all the videos you have made, bravo.
Excellent clear explanations in all.
I’m intrigued by your use of the word decouple in the above description.
I have a question.
I conceptualize most of the process of automata except the Geneva wheel, I understand what it does but cannot figure out how to use it.

For example I want some chain of events to happen X times in a row then suddenly the same event, (plus a new thing) happen at twice the speed. Then, Return to beginning.
How could a Geneva wheel facilitate that?
Sure it’s a timing thing but how do you use it to say, turn off one set of cams and engage with a different set?
Is that even what it does?

This is what I am attempting:
A magician stands holding a magic wand. In the middle of a large chess board.
He nods his head and then his arm sweeps up, revealing his cloak, pinned to his hand and the floor.
This blocks the changes.
Nod and the arm drops down showing a tiny 2D tin plate bunny.*
Nod , arm up.
Nod, arm down and blank
Nod, arm up.
Nod, arm down showing a tiny 2D tin plate duck in a top hat.*

(Up to this point I’m fairly sure I can do it)
Then:
Nod, arm up way further than before and drops immediately revealing a
Full sized Hot 3D assistant who raises her arms .**
Two beats then
Nod, arm up
Nod arm down and blank (the beginning)

I suppose I could do the whole thing with a very slow motor and giant cams that would encompass the entire sequence but I’m hoping you have the time and inclination to lend a hand.
To Show me a better way.
I find this stuff fascinating .
This would be my first automata, I am a former paper/CG animator and illustrator, I can sculpt and do a smidge of woodworking.
My brother is a fairly famous magician and I would like to make this for him.

* the bunny and duck are just levers that run up a tapered slot from under the floor.
** the girl is done with the same principal as the spider in the box prank, this allows me to have her quite a bit further into the centre of the floor. Plus it is really fast. (At least in my cardboard mock ups it is)

Thanks in advance for even reading this.
I hope this missive finds you well.
Your pal
Scott.

Al Conquergood

8/4/2021 10:10:32 am

Scott, could you send me your email at [email protected] so I could reply ti you question. It is a better format to respond in than this blog editor.

Al

Al's Automata Blog

Seeing Red Today...

Leave a Reply.

Why Automata?

Archives

Categories