A great piece from Carlos Zapata from 2001, which was part of a small edition. Turn the handle and the oarsman vigorously rows with his single oar boat, down the Orinoco river. The piranha fish leap out of the water ahead of the boat, which is laden with gaily painted fruit and fish. Height 20 […]
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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 […]
Hand Clapper by Carlos Zapata
A beautiful piece from Carlos Zapata, 2005. Turn the handle to give some well-deserved applause – a lovely congratulatory gift. Made of carved and painted wood, metal handle. Height 15 cm. One Only. £59.50 – Sold.
Circus Boerhaave
Our new exhibition at Museum Boerhaave in Leiden, Netherlands is enchanting. The museum have worked closely with designer Saskia Meulendijks (Meulendijks Art Direction) to create an atmospheric world of wonders, set in circus tents. Entering the exhibition you could almost be outside on a warm evening, with trees swaying in a breeze (via clever video […]
Sketchbook Moment No. 52
PIZZA COPERNICANO / PIZZA TOLOMAICO (the traditional geocentrists stuck with the Ptolomaic option). Click image to enlarge.
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 […]
Automata Workshop at the V&A (2011)
CMT will be taking part in a free workshop at the V&A in London on 25th March as part of the Friday Late – Playhouse event. Performing Machines and Automata. Step into a backstage workshop where mechanical theatre is made and automata perform at the touch of a button. Excercise your making skills in drop-in […]
The First Noble Truth by Arthur Ganson
This is a rare piece from Arthur Ganson. The mechanism is elegant and surprising, the shape of the cam determining how frequently the little man is nudged on the head, the double peak causing the most insistent suffering. According to the Buddhist way, The First Noble Truth is that life is suffering. To live, you […]
Sketchbook Moment No. 51
Intermittent drive from mechanical rodent. Click image to enlarge.
Paul Spooner’s Valentines Editions
Paul Spooner has made 3 brand new limited edition automata ideal for valentines day. Eg Elska Tig – This Icelandic Volcano is ready to erupt with heart-shaped lava rather than disruptive ash. Eg Elska Tig means ‘I Love You’ in Icelandic. Edition of 7. H 8 cm, W 7 cm, D 6.5 cm. £98.00 (excluding […]