Animated woodworker automaton and article by Charles Mak

Check out this new automaton by Charles Mak, which was featured in the November issue of the British magazine The Woodworker & Woodturner.

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Furniture maker Sam Maloof collected automata

Our good friend, automaton-maker and woodworking expert, Charles Mak, spotted something remarkable in the pages of Metropolis Magazine. The late Sam Maloof, renowned furniture maker, also had an appreciation for automata. The article focuses on Maloof and his homes, which one can tour. The picture shown here is part of a slide show associated with the article. There they are, right above the Native American kachina dolls: three wood automata. In another picture, one can see two whirligigs.

Here is the full article on Sam Maloof from Metropolis Magazine.

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Classic jeweller's hand vise for holding small work

Our good friend Charles Mak wrote in to suggest that the hand vise shown here might be a useful addition to the automaton-maker's toolbox. Funny, I was looking through the Lee Valley Tool catalog just two days ago and thought the same thing!

Based on the design of a tool more common in the 1900s, this little hand vise is helpful for holding all manner of small objects. Because there is a hole in the handle, wire can be threaded through and then worked above the jaws -- a nice feature. The handle can also be clamped into a larger vise allowing you to hold smaller items than normally possible.

While Amazon offers a variety of small hand vises, none look as appropriate or as cost-effective as the Jeweller's Hand Vise at Lee Valley Tools.

[ Thanks Charles! ]

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DVD with episode featuring maker Ernie Fosselius

Some time ago, I did a post about automaton-maker Ernie Fosselius. The ever-resourceful Charles Mak found a DVD which features Ernie Fosselius in one of its half hour episode.

About the DVD:
No Rest in the Northwest (Season 11- 2006)
"In theses six half-hour shows produced for Kansas City Public Television, you’ll roll over the Rockies and to the woods. See the Gilgal Sculpture Garden in Utah, Cleo’s Ferry Museum in Idaho, Portland Oregon’s Velveteria and the Walker Rock Gardens in Seattle. Meet self-taught California artists like Ernie Fosselius, Dr. Ken Fox and Patrick Amiot, plus much, much more. Contains 6 complete episodes, outtakes, special bonus material, and a snappy music video! Price: $19.95"

Here's a link where you can buy the DVD featuring Ernie Fosselius.

[ Thanks Charles! ]

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An unusual "Happy Meal" automaton

Here's an interesting (hidden) mechanism for you to ponder.

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Free plans to make wood barking dog automaton

A while back, Lee Valley Tools published the first of a two-part article on automata by our friend Charles Mak. In this second installment, the author provides full instructions and plans for making a wood automaton of a barking dog. Automaton plans are not easy to come by so this is a rare treat!

Here is the link to Charles Mak's article on how to make a barking dog automaton courtesy of Lee Valley Tools.

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