Video of Stephenson's Rocket wooden kit

I did post last year about this kit depicting Stephenson's locomotive called Rocket. The original engine can be seen at The Science Museum in London.

I was particularly excited about the kit because when I learned of it, just finished a book called The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention. The book centers around the history and development of Rocket, invented by Robert Stephenson in 1829. If you like history and/or technology, I can't recommend this particular book highly enough!

Here is a handsome historical print on canvas your can hang on your wall:

You can order the wood automata kit of Stephenson's Rocket on the Cabaret mechanical Theatre web site. For those of us in the USA, you can also get the kit at http://www.timberkitsus.com. Here's the product page for Stephenson's Rocket kit.

If you are more into paper models, they published a kit back in the 80s that allows you to make your own miniature version of Stephenson's rocket.

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New wooden orrery by Dave Goodchild

Dave Goodchild of Norfolk, England designs and makes orreries -- mechanical models of the solar system. What is particularly remarkable is that he uses wood as the primary material. The video above is a close up view of his latest piece. This model, like all of his work, is stunning.

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Wonder Object - Film featuring artist Gary Schott

Here is a lovely film that features the art and thoughts of metalsmith and kinetic sculptor, Gary Schott. He has a wonderful approach to his work and creates finely-crafted and unique art.

From the film description:

Artist Gary Schott utilizes his skills as a Metalsmith to create playful and beautiful mechanized objects. This documentary was produced in association with Southwest School of Art. Learn more about their BFA program at swschool.org.

Learn more about the artist on his web site at GarySchott.com.

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Automata, magic tricks, posters & books at auction

This clown magician musical automaton was made in Paris by Leopold Lambert around 1910. This is one of several automata and many, many stage magic items to be sold at an auction held by Potter & Potter on Saturday October 29th, 2011.

More about the clown magician:

Impressive clown magician with hand painted face, glass eyes and elaborate costume standing behind a table with a spun metal cup in his right hand and wand in his left. When activated, the magician raises the cup to reveal one of four objects – a watch, a gem, a die, or a compass. The figure performs several actions in order to change the objects under the cup, including raising and lowering his head, shaking head from side-to-side, sticking out tongue, and waving the magic wand in a circular motion. The automaton's actions are accompanied by a two-tune music box.

Here is a link to the auction site, where you can purchase or download the current catalog and bid on items online.

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Unique water-powered pendulum clock

Sure, pendulum clocks have been around for hundreds of years. Water clocks have been around for thousands of years. But this -- a water driven pendulum clock -- is quite unique as far as I know. This timepiece invention is the work of Nigel Loller.

The Pendulum itself is driven by the weight of the flowing water landing in the T-shaped tube which is divided by a baffle. As the pendulum swings, the water is forced to flow into one side causing the pendulum assembly to tip that way. Having shifted, the water then flows into the opposite side, causing it to become the heavier side. The resulting alternating movement powers the clock by via a ratchet and pawl mechanism.

This clever arrangement allows for a very simple gear train (as far as clocks go, anyway). Here's how Mr. Loller describes it:

The Clock 'ticks' at 46 beats per minute and therefore the escapement wheel has 46 teeth...from there on it is simple to gear the minutes and hours. Apart from the obvious water power (small pond pump in base), the other unique thing is the drive from the escapement (not a true escapement as it only drives the clock and isn't regulating the drive from the pendulum in any way) to the minute (60 tooth) wheel is by effectively a one tooth gear, having a single peg which only engages once per revolution and does away with one complete 60 to 1 gear train.

The white parts are machined from acetal plastic and the metal ones are stainless steel. The most amazing thing of all is that this is his first attempt at building a clock! Kudos!

To learn more about the history of timekeeping, check out the engaging book titled Time's Pendulum: From Sundials to Atomic Clocks, the Fascinating History of Timekeeping and How Our Discoveries Changed the World.

[ Thanks New Gottland! ]

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Humanoid robot riding a two-wheeled bike

Check out this video of a small humanoid robot riding a two-wheeled bike. No training wheels! I couldn't do this until I was about 5 or 6 years old. It won't be long now folks: there will be little robots dashing about all over the place.

It's a lovely piece of work all around. There is something charming about this one. When we ride a bike we are forced to move as the bike's mechanism dictates. The movements of this particular robot end up looking just like a human because the machine is on...well...another machine. It, like us, moves as necessary to operate the bicycle.

I can't tell you much more about this little bike-riding robot, because the site is in Japanese. The YouTube description says it was created by a Dr.Guero. Here is a link to the official web site for the miniature robot-riding robot.

If you are interested in small humanoid robots, you might check out Tomy I-SOBOT Robot -- a very capable (and funny!) little robot that many people are using as a platform for their own experiments.

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Revealing new preview of the movie Hugo

I am quite excited about this film due to be released in theaters on November 23rd, 2011. The movie titled, Hugo, is based on the excellent book The Invention of Hugo Cabret.If you've read any of my earlier posts on the the book, you'll know that an automaton inspired by Maillardet's drawing automaton is a central part of the story. I posted about the first trailer for Hugo back in July. This new trailer shows more glimpses of the automaton as a well as more about Ben Kingsley's role as the real magician and film pioneer he plays, Georges Méliès. After the death of the great magician and automaton-maker Robert-Houdin, it was Méliès who purchased his theater and acquired about ten of Robert-Houdin's autoamta. While he didn't have any of the writing automata created by Robert-Houdin or that of Maillardet, he was an accomplished mechanician and thoroughly fascinating character in his own right.

This promises to be an amazing movie and I simply cannot wait for its release. If you are impatient as I am and have not yet read the book, the story is about a young boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station. A bit of the book's description sums it up nicely: "A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery." I highly recommend it (for children and automata-obsessed adults alike). It is a delightful mixture of text and images, fact and fiction, history and fantasy. I read it myself and have to agree with the high ratings that amazon buyers have given it -- 4.5 of 5 starts.

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Book on Easy-to-Make Old-Fashioned Toys

Dover does it again with this book on how to make old-fashioned toys. The book includes instructions on how to make the following toys:
  • Thaumatrope
  • Kite-ferry
  • Phantascope
  • Tumbling Acrobat
  • Marble Maze
  • Jumping Jack
  • Kaleidoscope
  • Miniature Boomerang
  • Pinwheel
  • Helicopter-Parachute
  • Aeolian Top
  • Jacob's Ladder
  • Periscope
  • Floating Ball
  • Bubble blowers
...and many more! The book shows how to make 38 different toys in all, many of which demonstrate a scientific principle.

Here is where you can get Easy-to-Make Old-Fashioned Toys

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Gyroscope toy: still crazy after all these years

Maybe it's just the soundtrack, but this video from ThinkGeek makes the good old gyroscope toy look pretty entertaining. I've read about them in basic physics books and I have to admit...it still looks like magic to me!

Here a bit from their write up of the toy:

The toy gyroscope hit the market in 1917 and hasn't changed much since your grandparents (or great-grandparents!) played with one. This classic toy fascinates us with its gravity defying stunts, which are easy to learn with a bit of practice. Wind the string, pull it quickly, and the Original Gyroscope will start spinning. Want it to walk a tightrope? Balance on your hand or head? Tilt at impossible angles without falling? You can do it with the power of physics.

Here is the ThinkGeek listing for the Original Gyroscope Toy.

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Miniature automata of L & A St. Leger on Tumblr

Check out my favorite tumblr site featuring the wonderful miniature automata created by Laurence and Angela St. Leger! Shown here is a piece featuring a fisherman titled The Struggle.

Here is a link to the L & A St. Leger tumblr site.

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Machine-inspired sculpture and painting show

Shown here is a a new piece by Nemo Gould titled Baby Squid. This and other machine-inspired art and kinetic sculpture will be part of a group show in Oakland, California starting on Friday November 4th, from 5-9PM. The featured artists include:

   • Nemo Gould
   • Eric Joyner
   • Mark Galt
   • Jeremy Mayer
   • Benjamin Cowden

That's a very good line up, trust me. Here's an image with the more details:

Time: Friday, November 4 from 5:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:
The Lost & Foundry
305 Center St.
Oakland, CA

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How to drill a square hole in wood or metal

When I saw the title of this video, I thought I knew what to expect -- a mortising bit in a drill press. This type of bit has a round drill bit that is trapped inside of a hollow square chisel. As the drill bit bores the hole, the square chisel is forced down, removing the thin corners that remain around its circumference. I've always wanted one, but have yet to find an excuse to buy one.

That's not what this video shows at all. This tool really does drill a square hole! OK, so the corners and ever-so-slightly rounded, but this is still a mind boggling concept. There are plenty of videos like the one below on YouTube showing people using this technique to drill square holes in metal. That's not something you can do with a mortising bit. This one was apparently described in the November 2006 issue of Model Engineer Magazine.

Via Neatorama.

Thanks Julia!

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Would you attend an automata gathering?

Marc Horovitz, the man behind the great automata at Sidestreet Bannerworks, has created an informal questionnaire intended to gauge interest in the idea of a gathering of people who are currently making or who are interested in hand-cranked automata.

While the gathering would be open to anyone involved in or interested in mechanics, motion, kinetic sculpture, etc., the main emphasis would be on automata. The event, if it happens, might take place in Denver, Colorado, but that is not certain at this point.

By filling out his questionnaire, you are in NO WAY committing yourself to ANYTHING -- he is just trying to get an idea of interest and feasibility at this point. Personally, I think this could be a great event!

If such an gathering would interest you, please take minute or two to answer the questions on the survey. If you would like to add anything or comment further, you can email Marc Horovitz directly: handcrank at comcast dot net.

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Spewing corpse animatronic hooks to fog machine

This two foot tall corpse would make for an impressive Halloween display. When fully set up, it turns its head from side-to-side and spews fog from its open mouth. Pretty scary! The creature looks as if it is pulling itself out of the ground, so I imagine you will want to place in front of a nice big old-looking Halloween gravestone prop. I like this more elaborate demon gravestone a bit better, personally.

The set comes with a 110 volt motor to power the corpse's moving head. It also comes the two scary hands, shirt, and frame. The 3 foot long hose attachment will need to be hooked up to a standard 400w or 700w fog machine -- not included, but not outrageous either. They have their uses.

Here's where to get the spewing corpse animated Halloween prop with fog machine accessibility.

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Film about Morris Museum's automata collection

Here is a fantastic short film by the producer Ron Thomas as part of the series called The Midnight Archive. In this episode Jere Ryder, Conservator of the Guinness Collection of automata at the Morris Museum, talks about the history of automata and some of the details of the museum's astounding collection. The pieces featured in the film, fantastic as they are, represent only a fraction of this enormous and important collection.

You can learn more about the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of Mechanical Musical Instruments and Automata at the Morris Museum Web site.

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Automaton of a man with a walker & bouncing dog

Here's an amusing automaton to start your day. Titled Still Running, the man with with the walker and the too-high-shorts walks or runs at a good pace, a little dog bouncing behind. He doesn't seem to need that walker at all! The aumaton shows clean construction of the walker, figures, box and mechanism. It's also been filmed in a very clean workshop, I might add. Well done!

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Arrogance -- an automaton by Pablo Lavezarri

Here is a new thought-provoking automaton by Argentinian artist Pablo Lavezarri. The automaton is titled Arrogance. A quick check with the dictionary shows that the word means "an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions". The motion of the the machine gun in the soldier's hands seems all-too-familiar. Fortunately, the bird who is the presumed target, is unscathed by the hail of bullets and gently flaps its wings. The artist asks if this is the triumph of peace or simply poor marksmanship?

Visit Pablo Lavezarri's web site to see more of his amazing automata.

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Kurt Koch's reference about how to carve hands

Carving hands from wood (or any material) is an especially difficult challenge. What you might need is a good reference on the subject -- something like Koch Kolleg 5: Hands. Written by carver Kurt Koch, this volume deals specifically with carving hands using illustrations, photographs, and instructions in English, French, German and Spanish.

Here are the specifics of volume on hands:

Instruction in carving the seven known carved motives of hands: the working hand; the hand of the crucified; open hand of a woman; hand with firm grip, half closed hand, hand grabbing something fine and hand of an infant. 44 pages. Over 340 photos.

Woodcraft is offering a huge discount on this little gem -- nearly 50% off. It's a clearance item, so I may not be available for long. Here is where you can get Koch Kolleg 5: Hands.

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Wooden Chinese South-pointing chariot kit

Some time ago, I posted about the ancient Chinese mechanical marvel that is the South-pointing chariot. I followed up a year later with some video of a working model of the South-pointing Chariot. It's an incredible invention. Whichever way the figure on top was set initially -- usually pointing toward the imperial city -- it would continue to point that way regardless of where the chariot was pulled. It wasn't done with a magnetic compass. In reality, is was a very early (probably the first) example of differential gearing in history.

Given its rich history and marvelous design, I was thrilled to find this the other day: The Ma Jun Navigation Chariot kit, a 1/10th scale working model of the South-pointing chariot.

More about the South-pointing chariot kit:

Invented in 225 A.D. by mechanical engineer Ma Jun during the Three Kingdoms period, the chariot's differential gearing system provided solitary cardinal direction centuries before the magnetic compass. Romantically known as the "South Pointing Chariot," it is considered by antiquarians as one of Ancient China's most complex inventions, yet it's dragon finial will point in any direction to which it is initially oriented. Made from poplar, the kit's 37 pieces snap out from three backing boards. Detailed written instructions guides builders through construction with clear pictures.

The kit is made of Poplar -- a clear grained, fairly soft wood that is easy to sand and finish. To make the kit you will need some basic woodworking tools: a utility knife, a flat and round file, sandpaper, wood glue, and clamps. If you're looking for a place to get this stuff (or anything else), Woodcraft has it all! Highly recommended.

Here is where you can order the The Ma Jun Navigation Chariot.

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Autoperipatetikos - Clockwork driven walking doll

Here is a delightful video of the inner workings of a spring-driven walking doll courtesy of the good folks at The House of Automata.

The Autoperipatetikos (meaning "walking-about-by-itself" in Greek) was invented by Enoch Rice Morrison and patented in 1862. Though it certainly wasn't the first mechanical walking figure, it was among the first American toys to be sold in Europe. To that point, most mechanical originated from Europe.

You can read more about the Autoperipatetikos in Mary Hillier's book Automata & mechanical toys: An illustrated history.

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The Hacker automaton by Pablo Lavezzari

This new piece by Pablo Lavezzari depicts a futuristic hacker furiously coding while referencing his notebook full of encrypted codes and formulas. The piece generates the electricity it needs via a dynamo powered by turning the crank. It's an ingenious and fantastic design -- typical of Lavezzari's autoamta. I love the detail and overall aesthetic treatment!

See more of Pablo Lavezzari's automata on his webs site.

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GĄBKA (Sponge) - solar-powered kinetic sculpture

The video here shows one of Szymon Klimek's incredible miniature brass sculptures. the sculpture measures 11.5cm x 9cm x 7cm. Though that is quite small, it is larger than much of Klimek's works -- many will fit inside of a wine glass. As with most of his pieces, the delicate metalwork is driven by small integrated solar panels. I'd love to see him putting one of these tiny model engines together. It would probably very educational!

See more miniature kinetic sculptures in brass by Szymon Klimek on his web site.

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X-Acto Deluxe Hobby Tool Set has it all

I've seen the smaller X-acto tool sets, but the X-Acto Deluxe Hobby Tool Set is new to me. I want to carry it with me at all times for spur-of-the-moment model-making! I suppose I would need a larger drill bit or two, but check out what this set includes:

   • #1 knife with #11 blade
   • #2 knife with #2 blade
   • #5 knife with #19 blade
   • 8 blades, including #7, #11, #13, #16, #17, #22, #26, and #28
   • Jeweler’s screwdriver
   • Block plane
   • Balsa stripper
   • Spokeshave (so tiny!)
   • Two routers (I would call them 'scorps', I think.)
   • Four gouges
   • Pin vise
   • Sanding block
   • Three drill bits
   • Coping saw and blades

That's a pretty impressive set of model-making tools, all in a nice little wooden chest.

Blick Art Materials sells the X-Acto Deluxe Hobby Tool Set as does Amazon under the name Xacto X5087 Deluxe Hobby Tool Set.

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Build a working miniature wooden ballista

It is no secret that I like ancient siege engines both large and small. In addition to making a trebuchet that can launch 5 pound pumpkins, I've also written a detailed reviewed of a catapult kit and created a list of 10 model siege engine kits here on The Automata / Automaton Blog. Given this history, I am pleased to present this Roman Ballista Kit.

From the kit description:

Each Wooden Ballista Kit is laser cut for easy assembly. Just follow the full color illustrated instruction manual and you'll be firing the included wooded bullets in no time. And we mean FIRING! See, this Wooden Ballista Kit makes a Ballista so powerful, you'll be launching the included wooden bullets around 30 feet or more!

The Wooden Ballista Kit features laser-cut hardwood pieces. Precision cut parts (shown below) and and full color instructions should make this a fun and easy kit for anyone interested in history, machines, or throwing small pieces of wood across the room.

Here's where you can get the Wooden Ballista Kit.

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Learn how to make cools things with tin can metal

Ever wonder what you could do with all those tin cans other than put them in the recycling bin? The answer to this question can now be found at a new site called Tinplate Girl. The welcome video shown above is just the start. The site features tons of free instructional videos about how to work with the tinplate. This alone is an amazing resource.

Tinplate Girl also offers a variety of nifty projects you can download as PDFs. The image shown above is a steam-powered toy boat you can learn to make. The project PDFs feature step-by-step instructions for a variety of skill-levels. There are tinplate projects for beginners and advanced tinplate artisans.

Check out this great new web site all about working with tinplate!

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Rolling ball track depicting San Francisco

This may have hit your radar already, but it's such an amazing accomplishment I have got to post it here. Behold Scott Weaver's recreation of San Francisco. This huge 3 dimensional model is also a ping-pong ball run. It was made over the course of 35 years with...get this...over 100,000 toothpicks! The balls can start in several different spots, each of which will send it on a tour of a particular section of the Bay Area.

[ Thanks Tom! ]

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Amusing automaton by Jean Pierre Galopin

Here is an amusing automaton by Jean Pierre Galopin entitled Lulu la Sportive. The automaton features a mouse in a mousetrap. Fortunately, the mouse wasn't caught!/p>

See more automata by Jean Pierre Galopin on his web site.

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Beautiful external combustion kraftwagen model

Hammacher Schlemmer is certainly fond of Stirling engines. Well, who can blame them? The latest addition to their catalog is this Stirling engine powered vehicle. Made of machine-tooled brass, stainless steel, and aluminum, there is no denying that it is a beauty of a working model, if a rather pricey one.

From the product description:

An alcohol burner in the rear heats a cylinder; a quick twist of its brass flywheel sets the engine's displacement and working pistons into motion up to 2,000 rpm. The resulting expansion and contraction of heated and cooled air inside the engine operates a rocker arm, connecting rod, cam, and crankshaft, which spin four flywheels to drive its two 3 1/2" diameter rubber-bound wheels. A third wheel in front can be manually turned 360 degrees, allowing the car to perform autonomous circles while it putters efficiently.

Here is where you can check out this External Combustion Kraftwagen.

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