Ingenious box for a Japanese automaton serves as container and performace stage

Check out this cleverly designed box that houses this tumbling acrobat automaton and serves as the base for its performance! A description of this box may be found on pages 152 and 153 of the book Japanese Automata, Karakuri Zui: An Eighteenth Century Japanese Manual of Automatic Mechanical Devices by Murakami-san (Murakami, Mr. Kazuo .

The man in the movie is Edo period karakuri specialist, Minesaki-san (Minesaki, Mr. Sougo). The container and the automaton are replicas of 18th century items which he made.

Here is where you can download sample pages and order the book Japanese Automata, Karakuri Zui: An Eighteenth Century Japanese Manual of Automatic Mechanical Devices.

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Book: Figures in the Fourth Dimension by Ellen Rixford

Jere Ryder, Conservator of the Guinness Collection (of automata and mechanical music) at the Morris Museum wrote to let us know of an important new book on automata. Here's what he wrote:

I think that many of your readers will be interested to learn that there is an exhaustive, 512 page hardcover publication just released: Figures in the Fourth Dimension authored by Ellen Rixford. Over the past 3-4 years the Morris Museum participated in the creation of this book, focusing mainly on the 19th century automata chapter. Throughout the book, the author explains in extraordinary detail how the internal mechanisms of mechanical puppets, marionettes and automata were and are today designed and created. Every cam, lever & linkage is revealed in detailed photographs, exploded view illustrations, and full mechanical descriptions. For any technician, restorer, conservator or contemporary automata or puppetry artist/builder, this reference piece will be required reading.

That's high praise from a very knowledgeable source folks!

This book is now available in the Morris Museum Shop and can no be ordered through our Museum Shop webpage (http://www.morrismuseum.org/museum-shop), or directly from the author’s website (http://www.figuresinthefourthdimension.com/html/Automata-clockwork.html).

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One book with five amazing dinosaur automata you can make!

Check this book on how to make moving paper dinosaurs!

From the book description:

Create moving models of five different dinosaur species — from ichthyosaurus, the fish lizard, to Tyrannosaurus rex, the tyrant king, along with the armor-plated stegosaurus, the flying pterodactylus, and the bone-haded pachycephalosaurus. Kids ages 10 and up can follow simple directions that explain how to build the crank-powered replicas. The book is also loaded with facts about all sorts of dinosaurs and includes a background play scene and a convenient pocket for storing loose pieces

Though it's sold in book format, it really a kit, or five kits to be exact. Dinosaurs and automata -- two things that kids love!

Here is where you can get Amazing Automata -- Dinosaurs!
 

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Sublime Dreams of Living Machines: The Automaton in the European Imagination

Due out late in February of 2011 is a most intriguing book by Minsoo Kang entitled Sublime Dreams of Living Machines: The Automaton in the European Imagination. The book explores the Western world's fascination with automata in order to better understand ourselves as humans.

From the book's press release:

Kang tracks the first appearance of the automaton in ancient myths through the medieval and Renaissance periods, marks the proliferation of the automaton as a central intellectual concept in the Scientific Revolution and the subsequent backlash during the Enlightenment, and details appearances in Romantic literature and the introduction of the living machine in the Industrial Age. He concludes with a reflection on the destructive confrontation between humanity and machinery in the modern era and the reverberations of the humanity-machinery theme today.

That is an impressive scope of inquiry! This book is sure to be a fascinating read for anyone interested in automata.

Here is where you can get the book: Sublime Dreams of Living Machines: The Automaton in the European Imagination.

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Musical Machines and Living Dolls: The Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of Mechanical Musical Instruments and Automata

Yesterday's post reminded me to remind you about this book I posted about back in 2011. The Morris Museum in Morristown, NJ is home to the Guinness Collection of 750 antique, mechanical musical instruments and automata. It is one of the biggest, best, and most well-managed collections I know of.

The museum has created an illustrated book featuring pieces from its permanent exhibition titled Musical Machines and Living Dolls: The Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of Mechanical Musical Instruments and Automata. Written by Ellen M. Snyder-Grenier (former Curator of the Guinness Collection), this 144-page hardcover features 138 photographs and over 20 illustrations on beautiful glossy paper.

Evenly divided between automata and mechanical musical instruments, the book is a wealth of information on the history of both. It is a beautiful and well-written book, which offers a rich view of an extremely important collection. I recommend it. It makes a great gift for those with a serious interest in the subject.

Here is where you can order Musical Machines and Living Dolls.

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Book: The Art of Tinkering from the Exploratorium's Tinkering Studio

The folks from the wonderful Tinkering Studio at the Exploratorium in San Fransisco have come out with this book. It looks great!

From the book description:

The Art of Tinkering is an unprecedented celebration of what it means to tinker: to take things apart, explore tools and materials, and build wondrous, wild art that’s part science and part technology. Join 150+ makers as they share the stories behind their beautiful and bold work—and use the special conductive ink on the cover to do some tinkering yourself!

In the book, they have profiles of important makers (any of my heroes, in fact) as well as inspirational information on how to start tinkering yourself.

Here here you can get The Art of Tinkering.

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Gift ideas: great books for the mechanically-minded

Have yet to find a gift for that mechanically-minded person in your life? Here's a short list of books that should solve all of your problems! Need more choices? Stay tuned for more in the coming days!

Five Hundred and Seven Mechanical Movements: Embracing All Those Which Are Most Important in Dynamics, Hydraulics, Hydrostatics, Pneumatics, Steam Engines

Coming in as the top selling book by the readers of The Automata blog is Five Hundred and Seven Mechanical Movements is a great resource for interesting mechanical solutions. It is an affordable book that can provide a lot of education and inspiration. The left hand page of each spread shows 6 to 9 mechanisms or "contrivances" as they were called, while the page on the right side gives a short description of each of the mechanisms and what it does. The mechanisms are presented in a concise, interesting manner. There is something compelling about the vintage line drawings and old-fashioned phrasing. I love this little book as will anyone who finds mechanisms fascinating.

Making Things Move: DIY Mechanisms for Inventors, Hobbyists, and Artists

Published in 2010, Making Things Move: DIY Mechanisms for Inventors, Hobbyists, and Artists is one of the most comprehensive, easy-to-understand, and fun books on the topic. Author Dustyn Roberts covers every aspect of making things move, from fabrication techniques, to motors, CAD, and Arduino micro-controllers. If your interest in kinetic sculpture includes more than wood and brass, this book is fantastic resource.

Number 8: Paper Automata: Four Working Models to Cut Out & Glue Together

There is no doubt that Rob Ives is a master of paper engineering. This glossy softcover book contains all of the printed color patterns needed to make four excellent paper automata: a pecking hen, a flying fish, three bounding sheep, and a bowing jester. If you or anyone in your life wants to try their hand at making an automaton -- and I mean right away -- paper is the way to go. You only need some white glue, scissors, a hobby knife, and this Paper Automata book. I've watched someone with no prior mechanical training complete one of these models in an afternoon. A gift of this book is like giving four kits. Priced at just over $10, it is a very good deal.

Creative Kinetics: Making Mechanical Marvels in Wood

In Creative Kinetics, author Rodney Frost provides a brilliant introduction to the making of kinetic art. The book does an especially good job of explaining the mechanisms that typically make up the core of a wood automaton: levers, cams, cranks, eccentrics, pulleys, and gears. The projects are fun and wildly diverse. You won't find complete plans in this book, but if you are interested in learning to make kinetic sculptures in wood, this book provides all of the fundamentals in a fun and easy-to-read way.

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Cabaret Mechanical Movement - The classic text on automaton-making in Kindle edition!

One of the all-time best books on the art and science of making contemporary automata, Cabaret Mechanical Movemen, is now available in a Kindle edition. This is great news, because the original paperback edition can be somewhat hard to get and used copies of the softcover book are quite expensive. Published by Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, a museum that pops-up all over the world to delight its visitors with some of the finest examples of the automata makers art, is largely responsible for the existence of the genre. As such, they are a name to be trusted.

From the book description:

Making automata is hard. Making other sorts of three dimensional objects can also be hard, but the extra dimension of movement seems to add a disproportionate amount of difficulty. For most people, especially those untrained in engineering skills, getting to the point where making mechanical devices is easy, can be a long and frustrating task. Then again, there are many people who have a sound understanding of engineering but can’t even draw a horse.

These things can be learnt. This book does not teach you how to draw a horse, but it does remove the mystery that surrounds the world of mechanisms and the business of making things move. Cabaret Mechanical Movement contains a lot of theory but it’s also packed with practical tips and ideas for making your own automata, moving toys or mechanical sculpture.

Chapter titles include:

• Who, What, Why?
• Some Principles
• Levers
• Shafts
• Cranks
• Cams
• Springs
• Linkages
• Ratchets
• Drives & Gearing
• Control
• The Checklist
• Bibliography
• Index

You won't find step-by-step plans to make an automaton, but you will learn a lot about the basic mechanisms that make most contemporary automata tick. You will also get valuable constructions tips for making moving toys and automata. The book includes over 200 black-and-white illustrations. I would say that alone, it may not be enough to get you started making autoamta, unless you have some previous woodworking experience. That said, it is an indispensable book on the subject and should be among the first those new to the field acquire.

Here is where you can get the Kindle edition of Cabaret Mechanical Movement: Understanding Movement and Making Automata

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Book: Making Whirligigs, Whimsies, & Folk Toys

If you haven't seen it yet, check out this book by Rodney Frost! This is the man who brought us Making Mad Toys & Mechanical Marvels in Wood as well as Whacky Toys, Whirligigs & Whatchamacallits, and Creative Kinetics: Making Mechanical Marvels in Wood.

As with all of Rodney Frost's books, this one is full of wonderful mechanical toy projects, solid advice on how to make them, step-by-step instructions, and large diagrams of the projects. The author -- known for his clever designs and charming folk aesthetics -- covers how to create whirligigs, traditional folk toys with interesting variations, and some unusual new kinetic creations. There are full-size patterns for 19 projects in total.

Rodney Frost's books are among the most useful for those interested in learning to build their own kinetic creations, whirligigs, and automata out of wood.

Here is where you can order Making Whirligigs, Whimsies, & Folk Toys

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Automaton pays tribute to the writer Ernest Hemingway

Check out this automaton by Eduardo M. Lázaro in Mexico. The piece is a tribute to the writer Ernest Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea.

Also, check out his awesome steampunk pilot!

See more art by Eduardo M. Lázaro on his Facebook page.

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Clockwork Universe: The amazing German clocks and automata from 1550 to 1650

The book entitled Clockwork Universe: German Clocks and Automata, 1550-1650, is a comprehensive history of the golden age of German clock-making. The book explores the complex mechanisms, the exquisite artistry, and the changing world-view that contributed to their creation.

The guiding thesis of the book is a familiar but compelling one:

The mechanical clock, at least in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, with its rational design and regular running, demonstrated an orderliness lacking in almost every aspect of life at that time. The clock came to offer an explanation for the mysterious workings of the cosmos: living creatures were in fact automata, and the universe itself was an enormous clockwork.

The book features beautiful black & white and color photographs, 200 illustrations and technical drawings. These visuals supplement the detailed descriptions of clocks, automata and mechanical celestial globes from this period. There is even a short section on the famous monk automaton. This is a wonderful reference book covering some astounding mechanical creations.

Here is where you can get a copy of Clockwork Universe: German Clocks and Automata, 1550-1650.

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Mechanical Principles - a film of mechanical movements in action

Check out this fascinating 10 minute segment of a longer piece by Ralph Steiner featuring classic mechanical movements. Many of these mechanisms can be found in the book 507 Mechanical Movements as well as the larger, but similar 1800 Mechanical Movements, Devices and Appliances.

Some interesting movements shown in the film include:
 • Counter mechanism
 • Gears engage on diagonals
 • Square gears
 • Variable speed transfer
 • Rotary to linear action with a 4 tooth cog

Here is a page on Amazon listing lots of great books on mechanical movements. Also known as "the list of awesome".

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Book: Model Building with Brass

This book gets some great reviews on Amazon. I'm going to add it to my wishlist.

From the book description: For the first time, a book has been written that explains all the tools and techniques necessary for successfully building models with brass. The detailed text is illustrated with over 320 color photos. Whether substituting for an existing plastic model kit part or assembly, making a master pattern for casting, or creating a complete scratch-built model, the range of brass fabrication methods and tools used are explained. Readers are exposed to every technique for cutting, forming, fabricating, soldering, and final finishing of commercially available brass stock. Specific chapters focus on the use of various tabletop machines and chemicals to assist readers in the creation of very detailed brass models.

Here is where you can order Model Building with Brass

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Book: Hardening, Tempering and Heat Treatment

I love this entire little Workshop Practice series of books. If you work with metal or want to, here's one worth getting: Hardening, Tempering and Heat Treatment

From the book description:

A comprehensive exposition of the structure of steels and the effects of different heat treatments, particularly in respect of tools. It includes solid fuel, gas and electric furnaces, case hardening, tempering and other practical information. Features accurate colour temperature charts.

It gets great reviews from quite a few people on Amazon. Here is where you can order Hardening, Tempering and Heat Treatment (Workshop Practice). Be sure to check out the entire line of in the Workshop Practice Series. There are books on every possible aspect of metal and shopw work, tools, and techniques. I wish they sold them as a complete set!

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Desperate for gift ideas? Here are 5 more great books for the mechanically-minded!

We are down to the wire in terms of holiday shopping. If you still need ideas for those mechanically-minded folks on your list, here are 5 more books I recommend personally. You have plenty of time to order them from Amazon in time for Christmas. Problem solved.

Eccentric Cubicle (Make: Projects)

Kaden Harris is one of those fascinating people who seems to know how to make just about everything. His skill and eclectic interests come across loud and clear in his book Eccentric Cubicle. Ostensibly, the book is full of projects for you to make for your cubical at work, but the book's title understates how badass some of these projects are. In the book, you will be shown how to build a working miniature guillotine, a small torsion-powered crossbow, a mechanical golf machine, a bass guitar built into a desk, a fog machine, a mechanical percussion machine, and more. The construction of each project is described in great detail; it is probably MAKE's longest book. As if that weren't enough, each chapter has a sub-theme that covers an essential tool, material, or fabrication technique. These alone could form a book that would be worth the price. The book is written in a playful, irreverent style, which makes for good reading. This thing is full of gems, and one of my personal favorites.

Building Wooden Machines: Gears and Gadgets for the Adventurous Woodworker

Among all of the books on how to make wooden mechanisms, two of the best and most advanced are the two by Alan and Gill Bridgewater: Making Wooden Mechanical Models and Making More Wooden Mechanical Models. Originally published in 1995 and 1999, respectively, they have become increasingly hard to find, especially the second book which now fetches high prices in the used book market. So, it was good news to learn that the two books have been combined into Building Wooden Machines. The new combined volume features 28 ingenious woodworking projects with visible wheels, cranks, pistons and other moving parts made of wood. Each project has step-by-step instructions and plan drawings from which to work. It does assume the reader has woodworking skill and tools, so this outstanding book may not be the best choice for beginners.

Making Mechanical Marvels In Wood

This book also features plans for 15 handsome wooden mechanisms such as the cam and follower, the Scotch yoke, the fast-return actuator, and the geneva wheel. Unlike Building Wooden Machines far fewer of projects in this book require access to and experience with a wood lathe. This makes it useful to a greater number of people. If you are a less experienced woodworker, or do not have a lathe, then then you'll want to chose Making Mechanical Marvels In Wood over this title.

Automata and Mechanical Toys

It is certainly no surprise to find Automata and Mechanical Toys on this list. In the past I have said that if you were to have just one book on contemporary automata that this should be the one. Both a how-to book and a showcase of the art form itself, this book attempts to cover it all. If you love automata, want see examples by well known automaton artists, and want to learn more about how to make these wonderful devices yourself, then this book is a must-have. Here is where you can read a more extensive review of Automata and Mechanical Toys.

Making Mad Toys & Mechanical Marvels in Wood

Rodney Frost strikes again with his book titled Making Mad Toys & Mechanical Marvels in Wood. Previously published as Whacky Toys, Whirligigs & Whatchamacallits, this book has long been at the top of my recommendations. This book features fourteen complete projects -- one of the only ones to do so. Each project has a bit of text, a photo, and many nice vector illustrations detailing the project's construction. I wouldn't call them formal 'plans' -- they are too colorful, assorted, and playful for that name. People determined to build an automaton, but short of ideas, are sure to find a project in this book that speaks to them. The projects have a wonderful vintage feel.

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