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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Britain's best collector of bizarre, weird and unusual devices and gadgets

I posted yesterday about the book Ingenious Gadgets. No sooner had I posted than I heard from the expert on all things mechanical and kinetic, Falk Keuten, who writes the excellent Spiel und Kunst mit Mechanik blog. Herr Keuten was kind enough to inform me that the author of the book was featured in the video you see above. It's great to see pictures, but even better to see these antique contraptions on film! I was also made aware of the author Maurice Collins's associated web site called VictorianGadgets.com. The site describes itself as "A collection of bizarre, weird and unusual manufactured devices and gadgets, used in everyday life between the years of the Great exhibition of 1851 to the Festival of Britain 1951."

I should also point out that Maurice Collins is also the author of a similar book called Eccentric Contraptions: And Amazing Gadgets, Gizmos and Thingamabobs. Like the book mentioned above, this one shows you 100 bizarre and ingenious gadgets from the collection of Maurice Collins.

Here is an article on Maurice Collins by Esra Magazine. The article explains how Collins became a collector of weird, eccentric, and everyday gadgets from the past.

Here is a post about Maurice Collins from 2011 on the Spiel und Kunst mit Mechanik blog.

[ Thanks Falk! ]

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A new name! A new look! Same great-tasting automata!

I warned you a few months ago that changes were coming. Indeed, they have come. I'm dedicating more of my time to automata these days. Mostly, that means an increase in the time I spend in the workshop creating things. It also means a bit more time to attend to this blog.

I started my blog back in June of 2006. I knew I wanted it to be about automata for the most part, but struggled with what to call it. Which word would be better: "automata" or "automaton"? I decided to use both. So, the somewhat awkwardly named "The Automata / Automaton Blog" was born.

I'll confess: in an actual face-to-face conversation, that is a mouthful! I could also see that the good folks who link to my blog on the web also struggled with what to call it in their links. Sometimes they linked to "The Automata Blog", sometimes to "The Automaton Blog", sometimes to the full title. Making the name shorter started to seem like a good idea.

I've also become increasingly concerned that the title of the blog has led people to believe that the words "automata" and "automaton" are one and the same. Not so. I get a lot of email from excited, enthusiastic people who love my blog and want to show me what they've made. More often than not, they will refer to one automaton as "automata". It's a tricky work, for sure. For the record, here's how it breaks down:

Speaking of only one? Use automaton.
Check out my very first automaton!

Speaking of more than one? Choose either automata or automatons.
I love looking at all of the automata Paul Spooner has made over the years!

That said, welcome (or welcome back to nearly 25% over 30% of you) to The Automata Blog. I chose this title so as not to create undue confusion with the excellent blog titled Automaton -- IEEE Spectrum's award-winning robotics blog. If you like slightly higher tech things than what you find here, I encourage you to check out their news, articles, and videos. Great stuff.

The new shorter name can also be used to find the blog. Simply type AutomataBlog.com into a browser and you're there...um...here.

I thought the new name deserved a new look -- something beyond the simple black template I've been using for years. I can draw reasonably well, but I found the task too daunting. I had a dozen things in my head and no idea how to get them into a header graphic. After 5 years of avoiding the job, I knew it was time to hire a professional. The award-winning Canadian illustrator and cartoonist, Eric Orchard, created the image you now see at the top of the screen. My thanks to Eric! I couldn't be happier with the illustration.

Stay tuned for more changes in the coming months, including more of a behind-the-scenes look at the things I make. I also have a few other new things in mind for you. I hope you will come back often. I appreciate the on-going support that comes in so many forms: return visits, links on your sites, references in written work, word-of-mouth recommendations, invitations to tour exhibits, reviewer copies of books, the use of the Amazon links on this site, tips on things to post, and all of the kind email messages. Thanks for all of it. I'm honored to be part of this dialog.

All my very best to each of you!

-Dug North

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Book on humor in craft to feature automata art

If you've spent any time reading The Automata / Automaton Blog, you know that an element of humor is common to many automata, especially the contemporary ones. This fact wasn't lost on the creators of the book Humor in Craft. They have included the work of at least one automata artist, namely Jim Kransberger. One of his pieces is shown on the cover (the red-headed potter). Three others will be found within the book which can be ordered now, though it is due out in March of 2012.

From the book description:

What happens when professional craft artists are allowed to let loose – when they get to explore their mischievous and irreverent sides? Find out in this groundbreaking book, which, for the very first time, reveals an entirely different side of "serious" craft. Hundreds of images and essays from all over the world allow you to gain insight into the creative minds of contemporary artists like never before. A variety of traditional craft media are shown, such as furniture, ceramics, glass, fiber, jewelry, and metal, as well as a number of unique, nontraditional techniques.

Here is where you can get the book Humor in Craft.

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Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook

Here is my review of the book Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook, 4th Edition by Nicholas Chironis and Neil Sclater.

It's Love!
Though I like my 4-volume set Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers and Inventors, I like this book even better. I am man enough to admit that I fell deeply in love with this book the moment I opened it in a bookstore one day. I resisted buying it, but not for long.

Short and Sweet
My interest in mechanical devices does not typically involve elaborate multi-stage industrial machines. Rather, in the course of building an automaton I will come upon a design challenge that is limited in scope: How do I convert this motion into that motion? I wonder how one might use a gear here?

There are typically any number of potential solutions. This book gives you a great reference tool to explore your options. I find that by browsing this book, my brain is jogged into finding a solution, even if it does not come directly from the book.

Great Graphics
I'm one of those visual learners. This book is ideal for me. The text in this book accompanies a very nice graphic or two. It's concise; that means I'll actually read it rather than just skim over it.

The images in this book use a combination of line art and greyscale tones. This subtle difference really makes the images easier to decipher.

Easy to Use
My favorite method of searching through a book of this sort is to leaf through the pages randomly. However, I should point out that is book has both an excellent table of contents and a full index. (You can see the entire index at Amazon.com if you click on the 'Look inside this book' link above the book cover image.)

In Sum, Highly Recommended
This book is really, really, good. I know it's a little pricey, but it is pretty cheap as engineering textbooks go.

In addition to the stately hardcover, Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook is also available for you Kindle at a greatly reduced price.

I encourage you to order a hardbound copy of Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook, Fourth Editionat Amazon.com.

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In the Studio with automaton-artist Tom Haney

Enjoy this beautiful montage of images and video taken within artist Tom Haney's studio.

See more of Tom Haney's work at www.tomhaney.com.

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Authentic, working replica of a praxinoscope

Here is an heirloom-quality working replica of the praxinoscope -- an animation device invented in 1877.

About this praxinoscope replica:

Used to depict motion using a series of rapidly spinning images, it is considered the precursor to the modern motion picture, it was invented by French science teacher Charles-Émile Reynaud. A dodecagonal drum -- each face containing a 2 3/4" H x 1" W mirror -- sits concentrically inside a smooth, 8" diameter cylinder. A paper strip of 12 images is placed into the cylinder; when the brass finial is spun, the images are reflected in the central prism of mirrors, creating the illusion of movement. This replica comes with 14 image strips, including a galloping horse, two blacksmiths taking turns hammering a piece of iron on an anvil, and a rotund captain of industry rolling by virtue of his own girth. Beech construction.

Here is the link to The Authentic Praxinoscope.

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Two Maillardet Automaton drawings on eBay

I was recently contacted by a woman who found two drawings while going through her late mother's photos and keepsakes. As it turns out, they were penned by none other than Maillardet's Automaton, now at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. She has been in contact with a number of experts who have confirmed these drawings were done by the Automaton.

Here's the eBay listing with the complete story behind the two Maillardet Automaton Drawings.

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Video of Vielmetter drawing clown tin toy

The other day, I wrote about a drawing tin-toy automaton that was on eBay. Here is some video of the toy showing how the cams are installed in the base and how the clown draws with a pencil on paper.

From the YouTube description:

A very rare and clever toy produced in Germany approximately 1885 until about 1905. The little hand-cranked tin artist draws with a graphite stick onto paper via 'programmed' double-cams (x and y axis).

Some texts say it was an expensive wealthy person's toy, and other texts mention it as a give-away to favorite clients of the firm Phillip Vielmetter Mechanische Werkstatten of Berlin, Germany. This ultra-rare original box was repaired by Randy's Toy Shop.

I suspect the 5 cams are from various production dates. They are labeled (in German): HAHN, KAKADU, GLADSTONE, HARLEKIN, AFFE. There are several more cams that I do not have, such as Napolean, Balzaax, Queen Victoria, and still others.

I had only seen photographs of this amazing toy in the books Mechanical Toys (Spilhaus and Spilhaus)and Automata and Mechanical Toys (Hiller). It's great to finally see the actual toy in operation! Now...to get a peek inside...

[ Thanks Els! ]

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Automta in antiquity article from SPIEGEL Online

The German magazine SPIEGELhas published an article on automata in antiquity. Or...at least that's what I believe it is about. I cannot read German. Nevertheless, they have a number of wonderful drawings and photographs that accompany the article.

Once again the credit must go to Spiel und Kunst mit Mechanik for finding this great resource.

Shown above is a diagram of Hero of Alexandria's clever method for automatically opening temple doors. The fire in the pot, creates pressure in the large water tank. This causes water to spill into the bucket, the weight of which works against the counterweight to rotate the vertical axle attached to the temple door. Very clever. Done with the right amount of ceremony, this must have seemed very magical indeed to the ancient Greeks.

Here is a link to the photoset associated with the article. If you are able to read German, you might also like to read the original article on automata in antiquity.

[ Thanks once again to Falk Keuten! ]

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