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"The Not So Early Birds
- The Common Sleptin"

The story of "The Not So Early Birds - The Common Sleptin"

Every now and then when looking for inspiration I cruise the list of common idioms to see if anything jumps out at me. "The early bird catches the worm",  has a nice ring to it, but is seemed a common theme with several automata already to be found on the internet. My local carving group carves lots of wildfowl and songbirds so I was motivated to try a bird, one that moved of course! So with a few pieces of masonite pinned together I set out to design an automata bird that would bend, flap it's wings, wiggle it's tail and open and shut it's beak. It would have to be a new species since I knew I was unlikely to make a bird anyone would recognize. So I returned to the idiom and decided to make a Sleptin, a bird that was always late getting out of bed, and would likely seldom get the worm.

I started with the big bird and went for a worm in an apple which meant mechanically that he/she would not need to bend over to far. What started out as one bird quickly expanded to a few to fill the tableau and add to the project complexity. The first addition was the little bird on the left of the piece hunting for worms who disappear back into the ground when it looks in their direction. The second thought was for another small bird who would excitedly encourage the big bird whenever the worm in the apple appeared. It was only much later in the building process that the last two little birds where added to balance the scene on the right side. There is a persistent little bird who looks back and forth between two worm holes, neither of which have occupants. The last one came as a suggestion through my blog that I should have a nest that was "slept in" in accordance with the bird species. I went so far as to add the nest and a fourth sleeping little Sleptin in it.  I nicknamed the little ones Winkin,  Blinkin, Nod, and William respectively, William being the blog contributor. The large bird I call Sluggo.
Picture
Winkin'
Picture
Blinkin'
Picture
Nod
Picture
William
There are four worms actively engaged tormenting the Sleptins at ground level. The tail of the worm in the apple sticks out the rear of the apple when he ducks down to avoid being nipped by Sluggo.  Since many visitors have liked the vignettes I have added to pieces in the past I decided to add five worms hidden "below ground" in the mechanism.  A rather large worm, Brutus, serves as the crank handle.

​Hope you like it this cartoonish piece.


 Automata "The Not So Early Birds - The Common Sleptin" Video



 "Not So Early Birds - the Common Sleptin" Photo Gallery

Finished piece
Winkin' and three worms
Worm in apple core
Worm in apple
Nod checking out worm holes
Blinkin'
Shy worm
William sleeping as usual
Worm in big apple
Watch out! Worms below
Worms are coming out of the woodwork
Right quarter view
A Lounging worm
More Blinkin'
Worms
Worm riding the counterweight
Sluggo's beak
William stil asleep
Prototype bird with apple
Cutting out the feet
Leg pieces
A foot
Feet
cutting hole in apple for tail lever
The bottom of the apple with worm tail and pushbar
Drilling bird body for tail actuator
Building a little bird
Drilingl pin holes in bird body
Drilling bird body for legs
Cleaning leg holes to allow swivelling.
Leg cavities
Adding swing room for wing actuators
Sides on body block
The tail
Bird assembly from below
Bird takes shape
Fitting strips for wing hinge pins
Hole for beak
Test fit lower beak
Pair of wings
Drill hole in head for internal wire
Bird in assembly
Cutting gears
Test fit cut gears
Geneva mechanism
Backside of bird
Box of bits
Ratchet parts
Assembling secondary shaft cams
Movement for three worms on left end
Assembling the main shaft
Mechanism in progress
Gearbox and some followers
Gluing cams on the main shaft
Rear of mechanism
mechanism - rear view
Linkage details
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Conquergood Creative
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  • Automata Blog
  • Home
  • Tubing The River Styx
  • DJ's Bee Bop Palooza
    • Roles of Bees in a Hive
    • The Bee Bop Characters
  • Automata Gallery
    • Swimming With The Dolphins
    • A Boat, A Boy, And A Dog
    • The Invisible Audiophile
    • Black Bear Bliss
    • Parking Lot Wars
    • 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