Music Video by Birdsong At Morning features automaton by Dug North

This new music video is a song titled "Never to Part" by the group Birdsong At Morning. My automaton Mekanikos vs. The Minotaur makes an appearance!

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Working with cams and different types of cam followers

My 16 article on automaton-making for Cabaret Mechanical Theatre is now live on their web site. In this installment, I discuss different sorts of cam followers and how they can be used. The cam gets a lot of attention, but is almost without value in the absence of a cam follower. Read on to learn about the basic types, their advantages, and disadvantages.

Here is where you can read my article on Cam Followers for Automata.

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Machini the Marvel Performing 'The Study of Levitations' - an automaton by Dug North

I don't get to share my own work on this blog as often as I might like. I just realized that I've had this video for quite a long while, but have neglected to share it with the world.

I designed and fabricated this automaton, once again featuring my character Machini the Marvel! Here he is performing his world-famous act titled The Study of Levitations. When you turn the crank, you will see the magician lift his head and then close his eyes. With a slow wave of his hand, the ink in the inkwell slowly rises, the leather-bound book opens and the pen spins in its holder. As the magician moves his arm back to the starting position, the sequence is reversed.

For more details on this automaton, visit http://www.dugnorth.com/automata_machini_levitation.aspx

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How I became a full-time clock repairer

Every so often, my blog is actually about me. This is one of those times. I have an article in the current issue of Make Magazine (Vol. 40). I was asked to write about my recent career change to a full-time clock repairer.

A few things I don't say in the article are that I also display and sell some of my automata. I have four pieces available at the moment! I also display a whole bunch of antique clocks I have restored which are for sale. My studio is located in building that once supplied the leather belts that powered the industrial looms and other machines that filled the city of Lowell, Massachusetts.

I hope you enjoy the article, From Cubicle to Clock Repair.

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The Automata Blog -- 8 years of mechanical goodness

June almost slipped by without me wishing The Automata Blog and its good readers a happy 8th birthday. It has been, and continues to be, a fascinating mechanical diversion. Thank you for visiting. Thanks for reading. And, finally, thank you for your letters and support!

All the very best,

-Dug North

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Mekanikos vs. The Minotaur carnival sideshow automaton featured on Boing Boing!

Recently, Mark Frauenfelder asked me to describe the process of making my automaton titled Mekanikos vs. The Minotaur.  My write up was featured on the illustrious Boing Boing site yesterday along with a video of the piece in action and several detailed photographs. I couldn't be more fortunate.

I won't repeat all that I said there because you can read the blog post on BoingBoing.net. I will add that I am very pleased with the final piece and that I'm happy to be offering it for sale to my existing customers and the public as a whole at long last.

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Moving-eyed monster clock by Dug North now on display

I combined my love of clocks with my affinity for wooden monsters to create this new piece. The monster is made of basswood, ebony, and tagua nut. A small weight-driven German-made clock movement powers the eyes and clock. It is titled simply "Monster Clock No. 1", which implies I may be making more of these!

The monster clock is part of an art exhibition titled "All Creatures, Real & Imagined" at The Arts League of Lowell Gallery in Lowell, Massachusetts. The show runs from June 6th to July 13th. The Reception for the show will be Saturday, June 21 from 4 PM to 6 PM. The piece can be purchased from the gallery at this time.

What
All Creatures, Real & Imagined

Where
The Arts League of Lowell Gallery
307 Market Street, Lowell, MA 01852
Phone: 978-221-5018

When
June 6th to July 13th, 2014
Wednesday - Saturday: 12 - 6 PM
Sunday: 12 - 4 PM

Here is where you can see more work by automaton artist Dug North.

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A look inside Dug North's clock repair workshop

As some of you know, I made a career change last summer. I decided to switch from a computer-based job to one that was more in line with my passion for mechanical things. When I was given the opportunity to learn and do clock repair as a full time job, I had to take it. It's been an exciting and busy six months for me. I'm glad I took the leap.

Another milestone was passed back in December of 2013 when I decide to lease a space that is accessible to the public. To that point, I had been working out of my work/live condo space. That was fine for doing the work itself, but less than ideal in dealing with repair customers. I had also been buying clocks at yard sales, online, and at auctions. I have been fixing these clocks up in order to sell them. Needless to say, the foot-traffic through my condo was not all that high, nor did I want it to be. So, the new studio space in The Gates Block building in historic downtown Lowell seemed like a good fit. Here's a photo of the new space:

Recently, a reporter and photographer from The Lowell Sun newspaper paid a visit to my new clock repair shop. They produced the video you see above during the course of our time together. In it, you'll see some of my automata, some of my clocks, and some of my beloved tools.

If you've got any questions or comments, please let me know. It's been difficult for me to stay as on top of this blog as I have in years past, and I'm sorry about that. As my proficiency at clock repair grows and as I get used to running my own business, things will even out again. In the meantime, I can't thank you enough for continuing to visit The Automata / Automaton Blog and for supporting my various enterprises.

-Dug North

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The Unwelcome Dinner Guest automaton by Dug North has a new price for the holidays!

I've changed the price for The Unwelcome Dinner Guest for the upcoming holiday season. I've also decided to include one of the original pencil sketches I created when designing the piece. Here is a gift you cannot get anywhere else!

The automaton depicts a backyard scene with a picket fence, doghouse, and birdhouse mounted to a pole. Apparently the dog has recently been fed because his bowl is overfull with food. Sadly for the dog, his leash has become wrapped around the birdhouse pole and he cannot reach his food bowl. This situation provides the perfect opportunity for the local bird to enjoy a big meal, free of charge. All the poor dog can do is wag its tail, jump, and bark at the bird.

An article I wrote on how to make the piece was featured in a magazine called 'Gizmos & Gadgets' (shown at right).

Here is the page on my site the shows the video, images, and purchasing details for The Unwelcome Dinner Guest by Dug North.

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10 Handy Tricks for Woodworkers & Automaton-makers

The latest installment of my column on automaton-making is now live on the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre web site. This one focuses on little tricks that help with automaton-making and woodworking in general. You'll find tips on how to make your own transfer paper and wood filler, some unlikely sources for tools and materials, and a handful of other useful gems. The image above shows a jeweler's ring clamp being used to hold a small piece of brass. This makes filing the piece much easier.

Here is where you can read Dug’s Automata Tips, Techniques and Tricks No. 12 featuring 10 Handy Tricks for Woodworkers & Automaton-makers

I hope at least one of the tips proves useful to you!

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One woodworker's version of my 'Unwelcome Dinner Guest' automaton made from plans

Theresa Grammer came upon the plans I created for a wood automaton, called The Unwelcome Dinner Guest. This automaton was created to be a wooden mechanical project that was featured in Gizmos & Gadgets, a special edition magazine from the publishers of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts. The article shows the process of making this automaton from start to finish.

From Theresa's email:

I wanted something a bit more complicated and was thrilled to find your blog jam packed with information and a link to plans for your "Unwelcome Dinner Guest"! The plans are very detailed and I was able to build the automata without difficulty. This was fun!

Her version can be seen in the YouTube video above. She also has a short article about the project on the Lumberjocks website. I like the way she used different types of woods and really made her dog unique. Her success has inspired her to work on creating an automaton design of her own.

The original automaton I created for the magazine article is for sale! Here is a page with details about The Unwelcome Dinner Guest automaton by Dug North. Please contact me or use the Paypal button on the page to order the piece online and pay with the credit card of your choice. This is the original signed piece. It comes with a copy of the magazine in which it was featured, also signed by Dug North.

Here is where you can purchase The Unwelcome Dinner Guest automaton by Dug North.

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Support The Automata Blog by using the Amazon links on the site

Blogging takes effort!
This is a part-time job for me -- a way I have found to earn a bit of income doing something related to my passion. Keeping the blog going takes valuable time, money, and other resources. If you enjoy it, you can help support the blog by using the Amazon links found on the site.

How does it work?
The links in question contain my Amazon Affiliate code. They will take you to Amazon where you can shop for anything at all. The cost to you is no different than if you had found your way there from any other source. Because the links contain my code, Amazon will give me a small percentage of the sale amount for being the one to send a customer their way.

And what about privacy?
I can access a report showing what was bought, but I have absolutely no information about who made the purchase. None. Your privacy is 100% secure.

What if I don't use Amazon?
If you would like to contribute, but don't use Amazon. Drop me a line via my contact form. I will provide you with information to make a PayPal contribution in any amount you see fit. This would make you a rare and esteemed reader, indeed.

Going to Amazon via my blog will only take a few extra seconds. You can also ask your friends, colleagues, and relatives to shop Amazon via my blog. Simply direct them to the AutomataBlog.com and any of the Amazon links.

Thanks, once again, for your support!

All the best,

-Dug North, The Automata Blog

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Article on how to make a simple ratchet mechanism out of wood

The latest installment of my quarterly column on automaton-making techniques is now live! Dug’s Automata Tips, Techniques and Tricks No. 11 shows a step-by-step procedure for making a simple ratchet mechanism out of wood. The ratchet is advanced on tooth at a time by a driving pawl which is powered by a hand-crank. This can be an easy way to extend the duration of an automaton's performance. Simply attach some of the automaton's actions to the axle that is being slowly advanced, one step at a time. Meanwhile, a more fast paced set of actions can be driven off of the same axle to which the driving pawl is attached.

Need an example? Imagine that the figure of a man with a car jack is driven by a mechanism (probably a cam) attached to the driving pawl. Every time the hand of the automaton makes a rotation, the man could raise and lower the handle on the jack. Next, imaging that a car jack is connected to the same axle as the ratchet that is being driven. It would rise a fixed increment for every rotation of the automaton handle. It's not an exciting example, but it should give you an idea for how the two axles, while operating simultaneously, have a different pace and type of motion. One is continuous complete rotary motion. The other is partial intermittent motion.

The rest is up to you! I hope you enjoy the article on how to make a simple ratchet out of wood.

-Dug North

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Buy an automaton, save hundreds of antique machines from an ill fate

As some of you may know, I like tools. I love learning about them, what they can do, and increasing the number of things I am able to make for myself. I've been dreaming of buying some miniature machine tools for years. I've held off on the purchase because I didn't know if I could justify the expense. Perhaps that money would be better spent elsewhere or simply put in the bank for a rainy day. Still, my desire for these tools -- a Sherline lathe and mill to be specific -- continues to burn inside of me.

In an effort to commune with the great automaton makers of old -- many of whom were watch or clock makers -- I started to learn about clocks and clock repair last year. It's a fascinating subject that has captivated my attention recently. It is gratifying to be part of a venerable craft and tradition, and to bring old machines back to life. I've been fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of several people who have provided me with expert advice on the topic. I've also found an outstanding mentor who is teaching me the details of clock repair and restoration. I took four courses on clock repair and miniature machine tools in the last year -- one of which was on wheel and pinion cutting at the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors School of Horology.

Over the last year, I've come to realize there is good reason to own the Sherline tools that I've long desired. You see, when a gear (called a "wheel") in an old clock or automaton is badly damaged, it's not always possible to repair it. To make matters worse, these wheels don't always conform to a standard, so you can't simply buy one from a clock supply company. You can hunt for junk clock of the same model, but there is no guarantee it will ever come your way. What does all this mean? If someone doesn't take the time to machine a new wheel, then that clock will never run again. If a clock will not run, it is thrown out, used for parts, or robbed of its remaining parts for uses that don't always sit well with me. If a new gear were to be cut, the clock would, in all likelihood, run for another 100 years or more.

At the moment, I have one automaton for sale. I realized today that, by complete coincidence, the price I set for the piece matches the cost of the tools I need to cut my own clock wheels and pinions. I'm not particularly superstitious, but I'm going to take that as a sign. I envision the following sequence of events:

Step 1 - Sell this automaton that I designed and made

Step 2 - Purchase Sherline machine tools

Step 3 - Cut custom clock parts like this one I made in a class

Step 4 - Save hundreds of antique clocks from an ill fate

So what tools am I talking about? Here they are:

1. Sherline 4400B Lathe Package
2. Sherline 5400A Deluxe Mill Package
3. Sherline CNC Rotary Table

These are the exact same tools as those used in the course I took on wheel and pinion cutting, taught by master machinist, Jerry Kieffer. I expect to be fixing clocks for a very long time. I think it is fair to say that these tools will save hundreds of antiques from being destroyed. They are, of course, capable of producing more than just clock gears. In fact, with these two tools, almost any small part can be fabricated! That's a prospect which I find truly exciting.

I would prefer that antique clocks continue to serve their intended function. In fact, I feel an obligation to make sure that happens. If you agree and/or are in the market for an automaton that I have made, please consider purchasing The Unwelcome Dinner Guest automaton or drop me a line using the contact form.

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How to fuse custom-size urethane belts for your projects

In my latest Tips, Tricks and Techniques article for Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, I show you exactly how to make custom-sized belts from urethane material. It's an easy method that produces a strong welded joint. It just requires the right materials, a bit of preparation, and some patience.

Here is where you can read my latest article on how to fuse custom-size urethane belts for your projects.

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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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The Unwelcome Dinner Guest automaton by Dug North is available!

It's not often I get to say that I have something that is available for sale!

I've done a few posts about this The Unwelcome Dinner Guest automaton that I made for the article I wrote for Gizmos & Gadgets magazine. Those posts are scattered about, so I decided to add a new page to the automata section of my web site. The new page features the movie you see here, some additional information about the piece, as well as some photos and early sketches I drew while designing the automaton.

As I mentioned, this piece is for sale. Details may be found on the new page.

Here is the new page on DugNorth.com for The Unwelcome Dinner Guest automaton.

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Room for Wonder - A film about the magical collections of Richard Garriott

This short film features the many collections of Richard Garriott de Cayeux -- video game developer, entrepreneur, and space traveler. Garriott built Britannia Manor to serve as his observatory, home, and occasionally, a giant interactive haunted house. An avid collector of amazing and unusual objects, Garriott's home could fairly be classified as a museum. In this film, magician Brad Henderson from Austin, Texas takes you through this extraordinary collection, room by room.

Among the countless wonders and secret passages, you will find a collection of historic space-related artifacts in Garriott's office, complete with one of the original Sputnik satellites. In the dungeon, you can stare in awe at the shrunken heads and vampire hunting kits. In the laboratory, you will find esoteric scientific instruments and orreries, mechanical models of the planets moving around the sun.

I know you guys will be most interested in Garriott's automata collection, featuring antiques as well works by almost all of the modern makers. The automata collection, vast as it is, can only be covered in part, but you do get to see the works of three artists who surely deserve the limelight.

First, you see Paul Spooner's inimitable wit and ingenuity play out in his Sex Change Machine and Poisoned Milk automaton. The mechanism that makes the cat's tongue seem to lap up the spilled milk is a fine example of Spooner's cleverness.

Next, you get a close-up view of the Argentinian artist Pablo Lavezzari's piece Facing a Fake Foe -- a detailed automaton-within-an-automaton depicting a knight fighting a dragon. The dragon, as it turns out, is a fake controlled by a small demon figure. The piece is also notable for its mechanically produced dragon roar sound effect.

Finally, you are shown a few of the macabre and magical automata created by Thomas Kuntz. Kuntz hand sculpts each of the figures and scratch builds the all of the mechanical elements for his pieces, often on vintage watchmaker's lathes. His autoamta seem to be the direct descendants of the most exquisite automata of centuries past. His piece titled L'Oracle du Mort is a modern masterpiece, featuring an oracle who -- with the help of two imps, the Grim Reaper, and a burst of real flame -- will answer your questions.

Amidst so many incredible automata, and artists whom I hold in the highest esteem, I'm dazed and delighted that one of my own pieces made it into the footage. A Dug North original, titled The Birthing Engine is shown and mentioned early on. I couldn't be more pleased.

This film is rare look at one of the finest collections of contemporary automata in existence. I am glad it was made and I am glad to have had the chance to share it with you.

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The Unwelcome Dinner Guest - automaton by Dug North featuring a scene with a dog and bird

A while back I told you about the excellent mechanical wooden projects included in Gizmos & Gadgets special edition magazine. Here is some video of my contribution to the the magazine, a piece called The Unwelcome Dinner Guest.

The automaton depicts a backyard scene with a picket fence, doghouse, and birdhouse mounted to a pole. Apparently the dog has recently been fed because his bowl is overfull with food. Sadly for the dog, his leash has become wrapped around the birdhouse pole and he cannot reach his food bowl. This situation provides the perfect opportunity for the local bird to enjoy a big meal, free of charge. All the poor dog can do is wag its tail, jump, and bark at the bird.

The article in Gizmos & Gadgets shows you how to make a wood automaton from start to finish. I designed the automaton using simple wood shapes, and thin boards obtained from a local home improvement center, and assorted hardware. Using the wooden shapes means you don't have to have carving tools or skills. Using the boards from the home improvement center means you should be able to find them easily. While challenging for the beginner, the project should be fun and gratifying. People seem to really love the scene.

The original version of The Unwelcome Dinner Guest automaton that appears in the magazine is currently available. The signed piece will also include a copy of the magazine, also signed. Please use this contact form to get in touch with Dug North if you are interested in acquiring the piece or one like it.

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How to make your own pulleys and belts for small mechanical projects

The latest installment of my quarterly column, Dug's Automata Tips, Techniques and Tricks is now live on the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre site. To celebrate two full years of Tips, we'll have some fun with pulleys and belts. I show you exactly how to make small wooden pulleys for automata and other small mechanical projects, drawing on my previous article on How to Cut Wooden Circles for Your Automata Projects. I also show you what an O-Ring Splicing Kit looks like and how you can use one to create belts of any size to go with your pulleys. This should be all the information you need to start using pulleys and belts in your projects right away. I hope that it proves useful to readers.

Here is where you can read Dug’s Automata Tips, Techniques and Tricks No. 9 on Making Pulleys and Belts for Automata Projects.

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