This is a list of related books, materials and tools which may be helpful when reading articles from our blog series Dug’s Automata Tips, Techniques and Tricks. Tips & Tricks No. 8 – Joints for Automata Figures Further Reading The Human Machine (Dover Anatomy for Artists) Amazon UK – Amazon US Making and Manipulating Marionettes […]
Attaching Cams, Pulleys, Cranks, Gears and Handles to Wooden Shafts – Dug’s Tips 4
Attaching Cams, Pulleys, Cranks, Gears, and Handles to Wooden Shafts To get things moving in an automaton, some parts must be attached firmly to round wooden shafts. But how? And which way is best for your project? Read on! The techniques discussed below apply to cams, pulleys, eccentrics, cranks, gears, handles, and other parts. I’ve […]
Two Methods for Making Pinwheels Patterns – Dug’s Tips 3
Two Methods for Making Pinwheels Patterns Pinwheels – Gears for the Masses Gears are very useful to the automata-maker, but they can be tricky to make depending on your knowledge, skills, tools, and patience. Enter pinwheels: gears almost anyone can make! In a previous installment of this column, we looked at a number of methods […]
Wooden Circles for Your Automata Projects – Dug’s Tips 2
Wooden Circles for Your Automata Projects So Many Circles! Circles are found in dozens of mechanisms including cams, eccentrics, cranks, pin wheels, collars, followers, and flywheels. Circles may also serve as the foundation for gear blanks, pulleys, or animated parts of an automaton. But how can you obtain this vital shape in wood? The caterpillar […]
Eight Lessons Learned from Making a Wooden Clock – Dug’s Tips 1
We are delighted to introduce the first of a new quarterly column by automata maker and enthusiast Dug North. The column will focus on automata construction techniques and assorted methods of creating motion. Dug will also highlight the works of various automata makers, (some you are sure to have heard of and some you probably […]