Animated woodworker automaton and article by Charles Mak

Check out this new automaton by Charles Mak, which was featured in the November issue of the British magazine The Woodworker & Woodturner.

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Gizmos & Gadgets special issue - see the projects in action!

The Gizmos & Gadgets Special Issue

I was asked to contribute an article to a special issue magazine called Gizmos & Gadgets. Not to be confused with the technology magazine of the same name, this one is put out by the same folks that publish Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts magazine as well a many of the best carving, woodworking, and craft books you will find. They have to be one of my favorite publishers, so when I was asked to write for them, I was really excited.

The magazine was a year in the making and they did a fantastic job. The projects are awesome and the documentation excellent. They did the job right. The video above shows the projects in action. The automaton I designed may be seen at the 00:53 second mark. There is a wealth of useful techniques within these pages and more than 10 cool projects. What follows is a list of the projects in the magazine.

1 - Kicker Gumball Machine

This fun gumball dispenser will test your hand-to-eye coordination, give you a great project to build, and reward you with a treat. Lots of fun!

2 - A wooden chest with a working wooden lock

Notable wood clock-maker Adrian Iredale shows you how precise cuts and careful sanding can produce a working padlock made almost exclusively of wood. I'm looking forward to making one myself.

3 - Rapid-fire rubber band gun

The ultimate in wooden rubber band guns, this one is fired by turning a hand-crank much like the old Gatling gun. It's incredible.

4 - Simplest possible working wooden clock

Master of the wooden clock, Clayton Boyer, provides detailed instructions on how to make a wooden clock. If you have always dreamed of making a wooden clock, but were intimidated, this is the one start with! It's unconventional design makes it a unique timepiece as well as a work of kinetic art. FULL SIZE plans for this project are included in the magazine centerfold. This is a great value -- more than worth the price of the magazine alone. Trust me.

5 - Tiny ship automaton

Fellow automaton-maker Wanda Sowry contributed this really cute automaton featuring a tiny ship rocking on the waves of the ocean. This would be an ideal choice for one's first wood automaton. It would also make a nice gift.

The Unwelcome Dinner Guest - Automaton by Dug North

6 - Dog and bird automaton

My own contribution to the magazine is a scene featuring a bird stealing a dog's food. The poor dog is tangled in his own leash, so all he can do is wag his tail and bark at the winged thief who pecks away at the food. I worked hard to use materials that could be found easily online and at local home improvement stores. I'm quite pleased with the dog's barking action which uses a four-bar linkage.

7 - Bouncing buggy toy

This charming pull-along toy features a horse and buggy with two riders. The riders are having a bit of bumpy ride. This piece has a strong ties to a long tradition of folk toys. Why not be a part of that tradition?

8 - Wood spitting whirligig

No written work on wooden gizmos could be complete without a whirligig. The Gizmos & Gadgets issue delivers with this fine example. A very traditional scene -- a man chopping wood -- is animated by wind power alone. A classic.

9 - The 'Smoke Grinder'

This is a fun little do-nothing gadget that is loads of fun. It's a great beginner project that will also make a nice gift for kids.

10 - The mother of all gear machines

Ed Legler documents how he made this intricate kinetic sculpture that graces the cover of the magazine. The author uses some tools that may be beyond what you have in the workshop, but you can cut the gears on a scroll saw. I'm going to tackle this one sooner or later.

11 - Marble track tower

A nifty marble machine is also described in detail at the end of the magazine. Because of the complexity, the plans themselves have to be purchased separately. Still, you can get a good look at what you would be buying or perhaps be inspired to come up with your own design.

That's one great magazine if you ask me!

Have I got your attention? If so, here is where you can order a copy of the Gizmos & Gadgets special issue. You can also get the issue for free by signing up for a two year subscription to Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts magazine. If you like scroll saw projects, that would be the best value. You will get 8 issues of the magazine plus this special Gizmos & Gadgets issue which sells for $10 alone.

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Gizmos & Gadgets magazine featuring automaton plans by Dug North

It's here! Gizmos & Gadgets is a the new magazine that features my article showing you how to make a wood automaton from start to finish.

The magazine is a special edition issue put out by the publishers of Scroll Saw & Woodworking Crafts magazine.

About Gizmos & Gadgets:

From mechanical marvels to marvelous marble machines, Gizmos & Gadgets has something for everyone. From the simple to the complex, from the decorative to the functional, this issue will get your creative gears turning and your pride beaming when you see the smiles these hand made treasures will bring to the faces of those around you.

If it is not already at your local bookseller, it will be very soon. In the meantime, the Gizmo & Gadgets issue can be purchased online.

Stay tuned for more info about the magazine and the projects within!

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Justin Miller on the rare and unusual clocks of the Black Forest

The common cuckoo clock is just one form of animate clock that was produced in the Black Forest region of Germany. They are cute, charming, and relatively simple. Author and collector, Justin Miller, has had a fascination with the more obscure forms of Black Forest clocks for years. He a new book on the subject. The magazine Collector's Weekly recently interviewed Miller on the subject in an article titled "Not Your Grandma’s Cuckoo: Decapitating, Rat-Eating Clocks of the Black Forest".

From the article's introduction:

As the first truly comprehensive English-language guide to early Black Forest horology, Miller’s new book, "Rare and Unusual Black Forest Clocks," features particularly interesting examples of clocks with automata, or moving mechanical features. These range from timepieces used as mini-jukeboxes to play different tunes to clocks with animated figures who dance, eat, or even murder each other.

The interview covers where cuckoo clocks originated and its association with the Black Forest region. Miller also answers questions about singing bird clocks and other musical clock variations. He touches on how these clocks work and explains a bit about the original market for these clocks, some famous makers, and favorites from his collection of 80 Black Forest clocks.

You can see more of Justin’s personal collection on his Show & Tell page as well as his website, blackforestclocks.org.

You should also order a copy of Miller's new book, Rare and Unusual Black Forest Clocks, which will be available in mid July of 2012.

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Automata as jewelry - pendant automaton by Kimberly Nogueira

Here is a small mechanical piece of jewelry by metalsmith Kim Nogueira. The piece, a pendant to be exact, recently won first place in a design contest held by Metal Clay Artist Magazine. This year's annual design competition was called "Metal Clay Plus...". The magazine was looking for work that incorporated innovative combinations of metal clay and non-metal materials.

Nogueira's piece, entitled Lost Point of Origin, is made from fine silver, sterling and bronze clays, mica, vitreous glass enamel, faper, thread, tourmaline, a found object, pearl, etched and pierced copper sheet, fine silver wire, sterling silver sheet, wire and tubing. That's a lot of different materials!

From the artist:

When I made this piece, I had no idea that others would be interested in what I thought was a beautiful but very odd box. I was just excited to have an excuse to push myself to use whatever materials my heart desired to tell a story.

You can see more jewelry by Kim Nogueira on her web site.

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Exploration of The Uncanny as it relates to automata and robots

The Uncanny - the subject of an e-zine issue of the Pea Green Boat magazine, features an interview with The House of Automata and an unpretentious exploration of what The Uncanny is all about.

For some background on the concept of The Uncanny, let's turn to Wikipedia:

The Uncanny (Ger. Das Unheimliche - "the opposite of what is familiar") is a Freudian concept of an instance where something can be familiar, yet foreign at the same time, resulting in a feeling of it being uncomfortably strange or uncomfortably familiar.

Because the uncanny is familiar, yet strange, it often creates cognitive dissonance within the experiencing subject due to the paradoxical nature of being attracted to, yet repulsed by an object at the same time. This cognitive dissonance often leads to an outright rejection of the object, as one would rather reject than rationalize.

Here is where you can download the Pea Green Boat issue exploring The Uncanny as a pdf.

[ Thanks Michael! ]

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Profile of automaton-maker Dug North, his artwork, studio, and involvement with the film 'Hugo'

Check out this profile of me and my automata published by Howl in Lowell -- the city's hip arts and entertainment site. There are some photographs of me and my work, a great write up, and a well-produced video. You get a good look at my walk-in vault, its massive steel door, the workshop hidden inside, and some of my hand-tools.

Here is where you can see the full profile of Dug North titled "Invention of Dreams".

[ My thanks to everyone at Howl in Lowell for making this happen! ]

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How to drill a square hole in wood or metal

When I saw the title of this video, I thought I knew what to expect -- a mortising bit in a drill press. This type of bit has a round drill bit that is trapped inside of a hollow square chisel. As the drill bit bores the hole, the square chisel is forced down, removing the thin corners that remain around its circumference. I've always wanted one, but have yet to find an excuse to buy one.

That's not what this video shows at all. This tool really does drill a square hole! OK, so the corners and ever-so-slightly rounded, but this is still a mind boggling concept. There are plenty of videos like the one below on YouTube showing people using this technique to drill square holes in metal. That's not something you can do with a mortising bit. This one was apparently described in the November 2006 issue of Model Engineer Magazine.

Via Neatorama.

Thanks Julia!

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Laikingland featured in Crafts Magazine!

Our clever friends over at Laikingland (creators of The Applause Machine, those motorized drumming fingers, and The Party Popper Machine) are featured in the latest issue of Crafts Magazine. Kudos!

Here is the article on Laikingland in Crafts Magazine.

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Plans to build a working wooden gear clock

The Spring issue of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Magazine contains complete patterns and instructions for making this wooden clock designed by the amazing Clayton Boyer. The magazine says the Genesis Clock is designed for first time clock builders. This is a great opportunity to get a Clayton Boyer design at less than the usual price!

Here is a link to the publisher, where you can order Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts, Issue 42, Spring 2011 with the Clayton Boyer Genesis clock plans.

[ Thanks deanS! ]

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Engineering in Miniature - model engineering magazine

Engineering in Miniature is a British magazine published monthly for amateur and professional model engineers. The magazine features model engineering construction articles which includes scale model construction of locomotives, steam road vehicles, stationary, marine, gas, and hot air engines, clocks and many model engineer workshop projects, tooling and machinery.

Here's a page where you can subscribe to Engineering in Miniature

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