Wood horse sculpture by The Father of Modern Automata, Sam Smith, turns up on eBay

Sam Smith is often cited as a predecessor and inspiration for many of today's top automaton-makers. While not an automaton-maker as we might define it now, his sculptures had a wonderful toy-like quality. In his book, Automata and Mechanical Toys, Rodney Peppé singles out Sam Smith as a seminal figure in the emerging field of contemporary automata. He even refers to Smith as "the father of modern automata". This illustrious title is bolstered by Smith's own art and the fact that he personally encouraged artists Frank Nelson and Peter Markey to pursue automaton-making.

One of his pieces is currently for sale on eBay. It's the first time I've seen one for sale.

From the eBay description:

The piece is titled FLORIO and is a unicorn Miniature pull toy , as you can see its carved and painted wood and it retains its paper label for Sam Smith , this is a genuine product , And as I said above is very rare.

Here is the eBay listing for this Sam Smith mechanical wooden horse toy sculpture.

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Rob Ives to create paper gear zine!

Paper Engineer Rob Ives is in the midst of creating another one of his zines. This one will take the same format as previous zines -- six pages, each featuring gear-based facts including perhaps worm gears, bevel gears as well as gear trains and the standard gears featured here. Each page will have a link to the downloadable, printable, make-able version of the featured gear project ready for you to make. Check his blog regularly for updates

Here is the post about the gears set shown above which will be the first part of the zine. This project includes two interlocking gears, one with eleven teeth, one with nineteen teeth.

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Toc de Fusta hosts an interactive street installation with large-scale automata, puzzles & games

I recently heard from Albert, Laura and Alfred of Toc de Fusta. They recorded a video of their lastest project -- an interactive street installation with large-scale automata, puzzles, and games for all ages. The video was filmed at closing event held at the Museu de Joguets | Autòmats (Toys and Automata Museum), in the Catalan city of Verdú. Sadly the museum closed its doors this past January. Hopefully, their collection will find a suitable new home.

It looks like it was a lot of fun. The children's faces tell the story. I wish I could have been there!

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Dug North's post for the MAKE blog about a repurposed antique tool

I've been lucky enough to have written a few articles for MAKE magazine over the years. I've been featured in a few post on the MAKE blog and served as a technical consultant on another. Yesterday, my first post written specifically for MAKE went live on their site. As part of their Tool Tales series, the article talks about one of my antique tools, its history, and its use -- then and now. It was a fun piece to write because I got to connect several things I am passionate about: clock repair, tools, history, and Lowell, Massachusetts. I am honored to share this with the readership of MAKE -- a group that has a lot in common with the readers of The Automata Blog.

Here is where you can read Tool Tales: A Pivotal Piece of History by Dug North

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Applejack's Apple Harvest and the rise of the Brotomata subgenre

With three well-made examples in existence, and the power vested in me as keeper of The Autoamta Blog, I declare a new sub-genre in the world of contemporary automata. Having made this declaration, I suppose I get to throw out the first name. I propose these My Little Pony themed pieces to be Brotomata. In case you missed them, the other two in this series feature Twilight Sparkle reading and Fluttershy's leading a choir of bird.

From the automaton description:

The figures, stand, tree and bushel are carved out of Philippine mahogany while the gears and apples are made out of Narra hardwood. They're painted in enamel and protected by clear flat lacquer. Applejack stands at 5 1/8" tall (with her hat down) while the entire complete piece measures 11 3/4" high, 9 1/2" long, and 3 1/2" wide. It took 161 hours to complete.

I admit that I am still a little thrown off by the combination of the plastic figure and the wooden base and mechanism. But so what? There's no denying that this and the other examples of My Little Pony automata are well conceived and very well made. I also appreciate the number of hours being tracked and listed. These things take a long time to make! That's one thing that distinguishes them from wooden toys.

Here is where you can learn more about this automaton, titled Applejack's Apple Harvest.

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Variation Fractal - wooden kinetic sculpture by David C. Roy

Here is another amazing wall-mounted wooden sculpture by David C. Roy called Variation Fractal. Made in 2004, this piece is part of a larger series in which Roy continued to experiment with the patterns created by six overlapping wheels orbiting a common center, each holding a particular orientation by rotating in the opposite direction from its orbital motion.

From the artist's web site:

Variation-Fractal is the final design of the 2004 Variation series. In this piece I've been exploring the "reverse gear" effect that occurs at the center of the upper wheel assembly. I experimented with a number of forms before settling on the spiral form. I liked the way the "reverse gear" constantly changed form through the period of the motion.

Other works in this series of kinetic sculptures include Variation Fire, Variation Wind, and Variation Stars.

Visit the Wood That Works web site to see more kinetic sculptures by David C. Roy.

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Hansel & Gretel: a laser-cut shadow theatre book

While it's not kinetic or mechanical this is another cool project from Joe Freedman who brought us the Weird Gears box set, the PrimoGraf drawing machine, and The Two Odd Volumes on Magic & Automata. This latest venture is a laser cut book that can also serve as a shadow theatre. He's raising funds for the project via Kickstarter and only has a few days left.

It's a cool project in its own right. It would make an excellent gift, I think. Also, I believe that supporting any of Joe Freedman's projects is likely to lead to more mechanical goodness down the road! Here is the Kickstarter page for the Hansel & Gretel shadow theatre book.

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Too Much Coffee - download and make this paper automaton

Need something to do on a cold February weekend? Why not head over to the web site of paper enginneer Rob Ives and download the entertaining paper automaton shown in the video?

Too Much Coffee is an paper animation kit that you can download and print out from your computer. To do this project you will need to have some thin card stock paper, scissors, and some Elmer's glue. A cutting board and an X-acto knife will also make things much easier. The Too Much Coffee kit comes with two files: a full set of illustrated, step-by-step instructions and a file containing all the parts that you will need to print, front and back on six sheets of card stock.

Here is where you can purchase and download the Too Much Coffee paper animation kit. If you think you may make more than a couple of these models, you might want to consider getting a membership to RobIves.com.

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The Modern Automata Museum to feature works by top automaton artists at a new exhibit in Rome

There is going to be a fantastic exhibition from the collections of The Modern Automata Museum at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome(MACRO) starting next week.

The exhibit will feature works by Malcolm Brooks, Luca De Pascalis, Marina Gigli, Neil Hardy, Marc Horowitz, Rob Ives, Peter Markey, Keith Newstead, Rennie Orsi, Walter Ruffler, Keisuke Saka, Paul Spooner, Susie Stolpe, Carlos Zapata, Eric Williamson, and Guido Accascina.

That is a lineup of some of the top artists in the world of contemporary automata. This is an exhibit you will not want to miss!

What:
Automata Al Macro: Sculture Meccaniche in Movimento

When:
February 16th to March 24th

Where:
Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome (MACRO)

For more information:
Email: info@modernautomatamuseum.com
Visit: www.modernautomatamuseum.com

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Pooping puppy candy dispenser with a cut away view of the mechanism

Whether or not you want to eat the candy that comes from the back of this dog-shaped dispenser is up to you. I do love the woodwork and design of this mechanical candy dispenser. Later in the the video you get a cut-away view of the mechanism which is really cool.

I recalled seeing a reindeer candy dispenser that worked something like this, so I looked it up on Amazon. Sure enough, it's out there, but that's just the beginning! There would appear to be an crazy assortment of pooping candy dispensers!

[ Thanks Charles! ]

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The lively wood and brass mechanical art of engineer Colin Neu

Today, we feature Colin Neu, an engineer who decided to use his mechanical skills to make these incredibly unique clockwork-driven pieces of art. Each piece is hand-crafted from solid brass and wood, and driven by an antique gramophone motor.

The first piece features a mechanical brass bat with flapping wings. The bat swoops down to pick up ball bearings carrying them to the top of a marble track which they slide down over and over again.

Next, a fanciful zeppelin-like vehicle made of brass and wood whirs and scoots around a table top.

This is followed by a miniature robot who leers menacingly as it walks along the tabletop. A door in its chest swings open automatically to reveal the mechanism inside.

To follow that, an alien flying a saucer hovers around and fires a small brass ray gun.

The final piece shows two brass figures adorning the top of a the wind up automaton. The piece depicts a decapitation scene, not unlike the paper version created by Keith Newstead. The arms swinging after the fatal blow is a nice touch.

The gorgeous brass metal work, finely finished woods, robust mechanical motors, and keen aesthetics make these pieces truly exceptional. Well done!

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Call for artists - How do you as an artist respond to the concept of timekeeping?

I happen to be a member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Colllectors (NAWCC). In addition to offering classes, regional meetings, and an excellent publication, they have an impressive museum dedicated to watches and clocks. The video above tells you a bit about their museum.

I've received word that they have issued a call for artists for an upcoming exhibition. Why post about it here? Contributing artists are asked to respond to the concept of timekeeping. Special consideration will be given to works that are functional timekeepers. As a central resource for various forms of kinetic art, this show is decidedly on-topic.

From the Call for Artists:

A Matter of Time — This exhibit invites artists to respond to the concept of timekeeping and how it is represented today. Artists are encouraged to visit the museum and www.museumoftime.org for more information. Special consideration will be given to those works that are functional timekeepers as well. So how do you as an artist respond to the concept of timekeeping?

All of the details for submitting a work of art may be found on within the official call for artist announcement. The key thing to note is that the deadline for submission is Friday August 30, 2013. You will need to get them JPEG images on CD no later than that date. There is no entry fee.

Even if you don't submit a piece or attend the show, I would encourage you to make the two hour excursion from Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington DC to visit the National Watch and Clock Museum. If you find yourself in Scranton or Lancaster, PA you are within minutes of the museum.

[ Thanks Aaron! ]

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Clown Illusionist automaton by Phalibois performs bizarre decapitation routine

Back in December I posted about magician Pierre Mayer's new clown automaton. In the post, I explained that the illusion is a venerable one and made reference to a similar piece by Phalibois. Here is the Phalibois automaton in question.

Like Mayer's piece, this automaton depicts a clown doing a famous decapitation illusion. Because it is a much large piece, it incorporates a music box which also served to drive the mechanism. There are also a few other added surprises in store for the viewer. The automaton was made in Paris by either Henri or Jean Phalibois somewhere between 1890 and 1900. The entire things measures 33-1/2" high by 15-3/4" wide by 19-1/8" deep.

This delightful pieces is located at The Morris Museum, part of the Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of Automatic Musical Instruments & Automata housed there.

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Wood skeleton hand project with controls for each finger

Check out this amazing wooden skeleton hand project by Ronald Waters. According to the video description, the hand was made using a pattern found online. The hand parts themselves were created with a scroll saw and Dremel rotary tool.

From the video description:

This video is a test of the pull-pull cords for the fingers and the spring tensioned center cords. There is still quite a bit of work to be done before this is complete.

A hole was drilled through the center of each bone in the hand. Center cords run through each finger. These are attached to springs which hold the joints together by compressing them. Cords outside the fingers on the top and bottom act as tendons and control strings.

I'm not sure what the final product will be, but I can already tell that I'm going to like it a lot! I am looking forward to the promised updates.

[ Thanks Warren! ]

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Piano player automaton project - a video tutorial in two parts

Part 1 - Scroll saw automaton project

Here is a two part video tutorial from the scrollsaw workshop of Steve Good. Part one is shown above and part two is below. In the videos, Steve teaches you how to build an automaton using a scroll saw primarily. It's a wonderful tool that is more versatile than many people realize. Here you see it put to good use. The project plans the piano player automaton are available free of charge on Steve's blog.

Part 2 - Scroll saw automaton project

These videos are a fantastic resource, no doubt about it. This project is very similar to one by Rodney Frost published in his book Making Mad Toys & Mechanical Marvels in Wood. Pages 26 through 31 of that book provide plans for a piece called The Pianist (shown at right). This could be a case of independent invention or it could be that a tip of that hat is due to Mr. Frost. So, in the interest of fairness and completeness, I will take the liberty of doing that here. If you would like to do this project, and many others, Mr. Frost's book features a dozen or more excellent automaton projects.

[ Thanks Charles! ]

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Sandalwood wrist watch made from 50 hand-cut pieces

Of course, the mechanism within this watch isn't wood as it was in this amazing wood pocket watch that I posted about some time ago. However, hand-cut sandalwood does make up the the band's links, bezel, crown, case, and case back. Nearly everything you can actually see is made of real wood. Despite the fact that you can buy one of these for yourself for $139.95, no two are alike. The final appearance depends on the particular piece of sandalwood harvested from sustainable plantation-based stands grown in East Africa. The watch uses an efficient Miyota quartz movement, which provides reliable time for about two-years on one battery. Six adjustable links allow for a customized fit for a variety of wrist sizes. It also comes in a smaller lady's size.

It may not go with every item in your wardrobe, but I think this thing makes a nice fashion statement. What does it say exactly? I don't know. You tell me. I just know I like it.

Here is where you can get the The Gentleman's Sandalwood Watch.

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