Musical marble machine created by Martin Molin plays amazing song

Videos of this machine have been all over the internet for the last few days. Many of you and taken the time to write to me to make me aware of it. I thank you all!

The machine, made by Martin Molin, uses an elaborate marble track system to create a sophisticated song. There are some 2000 marbles raised by a tracked elevator which is powered by some vigorous hand cranking. As they descend, the marbles strike the right parts of a glockenspiel, percussion instruments, and bass guitar. A lever system allows the operator/musician to turn selected instruments on and off. This allows the machine to be played in a way that goes beyond simply turning the crank and allowing the programmed track to run.

It's an amazing accomplishment technically and musically. Bravo!

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The Cache Machine by Martin Smith

Check out this very inventive use for a cam-based wave machine...

From the video description:

The Cache Machine is a kinetic sculpture that adds rhythm and irony to the tradition of hiding coins in a safe place. Taking its form language from the industrial heritage of the North of England and obsolete scientific apparatus, the machine comes to life when a coin is inserted. This coin travels along a mechanically generated transverse wave that is activated by a poetic system of cams and levers. Upon reaching the end the coin is deposited, with a satisfying clang, into an eagerly awaiting collection vessel.

See more clever things by Martin Smith on his web site.

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Giant hand-cranked music box serves as street art in Cincinnati

Here is some really nifty street art in Cincinnati, Ohio!

From the project web site:

Here is a short video showing our Spinnradl sculptures in action in Cincinnati. The video features two songs on two nearly identical sculptures, sited about a block apart from each other along Pendleton Street. The songs are played by turning a crank, which spins a large cylinder that triggers an analog music box. Turning the crank also powers a pulsing, radial Moire animation on either end of the sculpture’s housing. Each song lasts about thirty seconds when spun at the optimal speed, and repeats as long as the crank is continually turned.

Here is the project web site where you can see more pictures and read more about the development of the Spinnradl.

Thanks Steve & Jere!

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Dancing pirate automaton by Tim Donald

Here's a fun dancing pirate automaton by Tim Donald. The dancing action is not unlike the classic dancing figure folk toy known as a limberjack or a jig doll. According to Wikipedia they have had many names, but the common element is a figure with loose joints that appears to dance when placed just above a vibrating board. The automaton shown here is different in that the floor is stationary and the dancer is made to move by turning a hand-crank. This version probably makes things a lot easier!

Here is where you can see more automata by Tim Donald.

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Various hand-cranked kinetic sculptures by Aaron Kramer

Enjoy this video featuring various hand-cranked sculptures by Aaron Kramer.

Here is where you can see more artwork by Aaron Kramer.

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A gear-driven wooden machine creates intricate swirl drawings

Do any of you out there remember the Spirograph drawing toy? The "Cycloid Drawing Machine" shown in the video is like its cooler big brother. Various wooden gear and linkage combinations are used to produce a huge array of different drawings.

The drawings are also kind of a neat way to study the output motion resulting from different gear and linkage combinations. I love that it is hand-cranked. The machine is all wood and looks to be very well made.

The Cycloid Drawing Machine is currently a Kickstarter project seeking funding. There are two funding reward levels, both of which get the backer one of these nifty machines. Here is the Kickstarter page for Cycloid Drawing Machine.

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Up To Speed - hand-cranked kinetic sculpture by Gina Kamentsky

Here's a new wall-mounted kinetic sculpture by artist Gina Kamentsky titled Up To Speed. I love how everything is visible. Some of the found parts used to fabricate the machine are clearly recognizable, others on the edge of recognition, and still others are just plain mysterious. Of course, the playful/thoughtful nature of her work is always a joy to watch.

This pieces is from her new body of mechanical sculpture work for 2014. You can see more at http://www.ginakamentsky.com.

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A collection of automata by a artist Steve Armstrong

Check out this beautiful selection of automata by artist Steve Armstrong represented by the Heike Pickett Gallery.

From the artist's statement:

I create kinetic constructions, often referred to as Automata. My themes are poetic and evocative, sometimes narrative, and almost always charged with personal symbolic content. My work is based in the human figure and realism. I simplify my forms. My inner voice dictates that the figures not be in too nonchalant or too candid a pose, and that the figures be posed in a formal manner, maybe contraposto, sometimes with formal hand gestures.

Here is a link to see more automata by Steve Armstrong.

Here is a link to a video profile of Steve Armstrong I posted back in 2009. It's really good.

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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Hand-cranked automaton plays 'When the Saints Go Marching In' on the xylophone

Check out this automaton which plays When the Saints Go Marching In on the xylophone...or is that a glockenspiel because they are metal plates? In any case, the machine design and fabrication are outstanding!

OK...I did some quick research. It is a glockenspiel. Here is the word from Wikipedia:

A glockenspiel (German pronunciation: [ˈɡlɔkənˌʃpiːl], glocken:bells and spiel:play) is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, thus making it a metallophone. The glockenspiel, moreover, is usually smaller and higher in pitch. In German, a carillon is also called a Glockenspiel, while in French, the glockenspiel is often called a carillon.

Show above is the GP Percussion Bell Kit. It looks like a good deal because it comes with the 30 note glockenspiel as well as a heavy duty stand, practice pad, beaters, sticks, and nylon carrying case.

It's nearly back-to-school time. If you order any instruments from Amazon, consider doing via the link you see here for Musical Instruments. Thanks!

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Laser-cut marble machine kit with a catapult lifting arm

Check out this nifty little marble machine kit from the folks at RetroTime. The most unique feature of this little marble track is the arm that lifts the ball bearings to the top of the run. A geared hand-crank powers a small arm, something like one you might see on a catapult. No, it doesn't throw the ball bearing. (Sorry, if I gave you the wrong idea.) It simply places the steel ball at the top of the track with a smooth motion. It looks as if you can effortlessly keep marbles flowing down the track at more that one per second. It creates a nice rhythmic motion and sound that I find soothing.

The kit includes laser cut wood components, steel balls, a screw pack, sandpaper and wood glue. The product page for the kit also features a nice tutorial video.

Here is where you can get this laser-cut marble machine kit.

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Hand-cranked mechanical bank featuring a snail that grabs the coin

Check out this lovely mechanical wooden coin bank by artist Christopher Blasius. When you turn the handle a snail emerges to grab the coin and pull it into its shell. The reverse side is covered in Plexiglass so the mechanism can be seen. Love those gears! Plans are available and the latter portion of this video shows you just what you'd be getting into if you decide to make one for yourself.

Here is where you can buy the plans for the mechanical snail coin bank.

[ Via the Spiel und Kunst mit Mechanik blog ]

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Hand-cranked miniature ball track kit made from laser cut parts

Not long ago I posted about a nifty miniature ball track kit. Well, it looks like we might be witnessing the beginning of a trend. The video above shows a different miniature ball track designed by Martin Raynsford, the clever fellow who created the mechanical version of the Donkey Kong arcade game.

The kit allows you to assemble a hand-cranked marble machine. The kit includes all the laser cut wooden parts, the nuts and bolts, and enough balls to fill the machine up and spares (10).

Here is where you can get more details or buy Marble Machine Kit #1.

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Is Is - another fascinating wall-mounted kinetic sculpture by Gina Kamentsky

Check out the latest wall-mounted kinetic sculpture by Gina Kamentsky. This hand-cranked piece is titled Is Is. As is often the case with her work, found objects are assembled into new elaborate mechanical configurations that spin, swing, slap, ratchet, and creak. Mundane objects, often of no use to anyone, suddenly do unexpected things.

I particularly like the use of ball-chain for some of the connections in this piece. You could spend a long time trying to figure out where the various parts came from. The top arch piece looks to be from the bed segment of a typewriter. It's great to see new life breathed into such venerable mechanical parts.

See more wall mounted kinetic sculptures by Gina Kamentsky on her web site.

[ Thanks Aaron! ]

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Hand-cranked mini ball track soon to be available in kit form

The folks over at BustedBricks.com offer hobby supplies and laser cutting services. To this useful list, they will soon be adding the nifty little rolling ball sculpture shown in the video as a kit! The video shows a test version of the kit. The final version will have a an easy-to-assemble laser cut plywood track, which does not require soldering skills or equipment. I adore the laser cut gears!

The kits will be available on Friday of this week at www.bustedbricks.com. I'm thinking these would make great holiday gifts. In the meantime, I recommend you check out the Stirling Engine Kits they currently offer!

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Hayling Billy steam railway wall mounted automaton by Tom Bennett

The piece shown above by artist Tom Bennett was commissioned to go in The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre Havant. It is a working representation of a the Hayling Billy steam railway, which operated between Havant and the holiday location of Hayling Island on the south coast for 100 years.

From the artist's web site:

The principal aim of the piece was bring to life the history of the railway in a way that would engage the imagination, particularly the young. It was to be part of a larger project designed to explore the history of the borough by means of a timeline, videos, artifacts and other interactive activities. Operated by hand and with the sounds of the engine chuffing and whistling, the train moves from past to present in a landscape filled with local history. On its way it passes tunnels, bridges, a turning windmill ending up at the seaside with bathers jumping up and down in the sea.

You can see more photographs and read about this autamaton and many other automata on Tom Bennett's web site.

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New hand-cranked mechanical greeting card gives a thumbs up sign

Brad Litwin, creator of the ingenious line of MechaniCards, has uploaded video of his new creation. This one is titled Thumbs Up! for reasons that will become apparent after you watch the video.

For those of you who don't know, MechaniCards are miniature, hand-operated, kinetic sculptures, designed and produced in limited editions. Each piece comes with instructions and display recommendations. They are available assembled or as do-it-yourself construction kits. The new model shown here will soon be available via www.MechaniCards.com.

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Hand-cranked machine passes a coin from one hand to another

Here's a short video featuring a nifty donation box installed at the Havant Arts and Heritage Centre.

A visitor/donor drops a coin into the machine and turns the hand crank. The coin is deposited into a small carriage mounted on a belt system. Turning the crank raises the coin to the top of the box where it is sent down a track. From there the coin falls into a waiting hand which, having caught the coin, tips over to drop the it into the next hand. It's a nice symbol of giving and how many small contributions can add up to something substantial.

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Mechanical tapping fingers contemplate for you automatically

Here's another hand-themed mechanical sculpture by artist Chris Eckert -- the man who created the The Waiting Machine I posted about back in 2008. This gorgeous piece is titled Think Machine.

From the sculpture description:

Cranking the handle drives a series of cams and levers making the fingers of the articulated hand tap rhythmically on the mahogany surface - automated contemplation.

See more photos of Think Machine by Chris Eckert on his web site.

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Wooden robot automata will soon rule the world!

Artist Alan Westby has made a series of wood automata depicting robots. They are beautifully made, with finger-jointed cherry boxes, laser-cut wood gears, and carefully assembled geometric shapes. The entire series is cleanly construction. At the same time, it is playful as well. Westby's wooden robots are engaged in domestic scenes, space scenes, flying airplanes, and various other shenanigans.

See more wooden robot automata by Alan Westby on his web site.

And just to prove my point that wooden robots are taking over the world, here are a bunch that you can buy -- but never truly control -- on amazon.

P.S. If you've never seen it, here's my own contribution to the wooden robot genre from 2007.

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Walking cardboard animal sculpture kits seeking Kickstarter support!

Kinetic Creatures are walking cardboard animal sculptures which use the clever mechanical linkage, popularized in Theo Jansen's Strandbeest. By turning the wire handle the creatures come alive with a simple mechanical motion.

They also offer gear kits which allows the animals to be powered by a small electric motor and laser-cut wooden gears.

The Creatures -- Elly the elephant (above), Rory the rhino, and Geno the giraffe -- are made up of cardboard pieces that you assemble using tabs-and-slot construction.

The creators have been seeking support on Kickstarter in order to cast the patterns onto die-cut-tools at a local cardboard manufacturing facility. Using a die-press, the time-per-kit will come way down. That means they will be able to share the Kinetic Creatures with hundreds or thousands of makers!

They have already reached their Kickstarter goal, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't pledge in order to get one of these creatures for your own! Here is the link to the Kinetic Creatures Kickstarter page.

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