Wood automaton kits by Keith Newstead and Walter Ruffler

The good folks over at Mechanical Kits let me know that they have a beautiful new web site and some great new offerings. Among the many mechanical kits to choose from is a line from Model Shops which features designs by the well-know automaton-artists Keith Newstead and Walter Ruffler. Some of these look like paper automaton designs that have been given a major upgrade to wood. These kits do not require tools or glue. Best of all, they come with links to incredibly clear video instructions. I don't think they could make it any easier to build your own autoamta!

Here is where you can get Model Shops automata kits by Keith Newstead and Walter Ruffler.

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Want to get started with automaton-making this year? Timberkits are the way to go!

Timberkits make excellent gifts for the holidays. Here's a nifty fish automaton you can assemble. I think these kits are the single best way to get started with wood automaton-making.

From the kit description:

Making a Timberkit is to step into the whole world of automata, ingenious moving models and scenes. It is an art form in which you can appreciate the magic of mechanical action and a fascinating education and hobby for children and adults of all ages. No special knowledge or skills are needed, just a little time and patience to follow the instructions. Assemble the wooden cams, push rods, levers and cranks and understand what makes it tick. After you have made the model you can paint, varnish or customize it in your own personal way then try another!

The natural wood is sourced from sustainable forestry and fully machined with no further need for specialized tools. The minimum age recommended is 8 years. Adult supervision may be required. Timberkits come in designs of varying complexity and a wide range of themes to suit all interests.

Here is where you can get the Timberkits Fish Wood Model Kit.

Here is where you can check out all of the different Timberkits.

[ Official Timberkits Web site ]

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Pirate and octopus engaged in whimsical combat in this Timberkits automaton kit

Here is a new Timberkits automaton or, at least, new to me. When complete, this automaton kit depicts a pirate and octopus fighting it out with waving tentacles, hook, and sword! As with all of their kits, the wooden components come shaped and drilled. It is left to you to do a very little sanding, assembling and gluing. The kits are well-designed and come with complete instructions. Here's where to get the Timberkits Pirate Panic Automaton.

Be sure to check out all of the Timberkits wood automaton kits. There is one for every person on your holiday shopping list. Think of it: everyone gets an automaton that suits them as a gift and you all assemble them as a group! Best. Christmas. Ever.

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Hand-cranked wooden biplane automaton by Timberkits

Check out this new wooden biplane kit. It looks like it has a nice compound action. It certainly is a good example of how to use o-ring material as pulley belts to transfer motion across a distance and to change the axis of rotation. For more detailed instructions on how to make belts out of o-ring material, check out Number 9 of of my Tips, Tricks, and Techniques article series.

The Bi-plane kit shown here is another great product from TimberKits, who offers an extensive line of automaton kits.

Here is another place you can get the wooden biplane automaton kit.

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How to use old gift cards to spread glue

The folks at the Timberkits Workshop have taken time to share two uses for old plastic credit or gift cards. It turns out they can be quite useful when gluing Timberkits wood automata kits, or anything else for that matter! The first tip demonstrated shows how to use two credit card shims to allow a captive cam to move freely. The second tip shows that slivers of old credit card make great glue spreaders -- especially for the endgrain of wood.

Timberkits wooden automata kits can be ordered online:
  In the United States visit: http://www.timberkitsus.com/store/
  In the UK and Europe http: xhttp://www.timberkits.com/Home/

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How to glue something to a wooden axle without gluing the thing next to it!

The folks at the Timberkits Workshop have taken a bit of time to share this helpful hint for gluing collars to a wooden axle. In this case, the collars of the Drummer Timberkit need to be located as close as possible to both sides of a lever. The collars must be glued in place to keep the lever from shifting, but the lever must NOT be glued. How do you glue the two collars without gluing the lever? The answer is shown in the video!

Timberkits wooden automata kits can be ordered online:
For the United States visit: http://www.timberkitsus.com/store/
For the UK and Europe http: xhttp://www.timberkits.com/Home/

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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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Timberkits - designed & made by Eric Williamson

A kind reader of The Automata / Automaton Blog has reminded me that Timberkits is a trade name for a range of kits designed and produced by Eric Williamson. Based in the countryside of Llanbrynmair, in Wales, Williamson has produced more wooden automata kits than anyone else over the years and continues to offer a wide range of them. Here is a page with the complete line of Timberkits.

For those on the other side of the Atlantic, here is where you can find Timberkits in the U.S. and Canada.

Here is where you can learn a bit more about Eric Williamson, the creator of Timberkits (scroll down to the lower portion of the page).

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Automaton kits page with new wood & paper kits!

Check out the updated automata kits page -- now with more wood automata including additional models from Timberkits, two great automaton kits from Pathfinders, and the versatile Designing Automata Kit. A new list of paper automata kits (in book form) has been added to the bottom of the page also. If you are looking to build your first automaton, or help a younger person do so, there is sure to be something to suit your needs!

Here's the link to the page featuring a wide assortment of wood and paper automata kits.

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Timberkits: Drummer wood automaton kit

Here's a little video of the drummer automaton kit made by Timberkits.

Here's one place you can get the Timberkit drummer automaton.

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Timberkits - wood automata kits make great gifts

It's not to late to get the people in your life the gift of automata for the holidays. One nice option are Timberkits -- all wood automata kits featuring a variety of themes and characters. Shown here is their Penguin Wooden Model. All of their kits come with pre-cut parts that need to be pegged together and glued. You can leave it unfinished or add a personal touch by painting it.

Here is a link to a full range of Timberkits Wood Automata Kits

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Automaton Kits - Make Your Own Wood Automata

Automaton Kits have been added to a page on DugNorth.com. Several wood automata kits from Timberkits are available online. The lower portion of the page also has links to some paper animation kits from Flying Pig Paper Animation Kits.

Kits are a great way to begin building automata. With all of these kits, the tricky design details have already been worked out. You can concentrate on the task of building something you know will work. From there, you may choose to design your own. If you do, these automata related books can help.

Check out the automata kits page on DugNorth.com.