A Friendly Gesture
See gallery of the build HERE
My most complicated automaton. The original took 9 months to design and build back in 2008.
Prototyping was made difficult by the various angles of movement required by the mechanism. Fitting everything into the frame was an exercise in patience.
This piece uses a Geneva Wheel to switch on and off the various scenes in the story.
An extra complication is that the movement of the man means he has to be pivoted at the ankles and waist, making controls for the head and arms especially complicated.
The full sequence takes 50 turns of the crank turning 4 axles.
I have now revisited this design and produced 3 more examples in 2015 with the refinement of brass axle bearings for smooth and consistent running.
Constructed with a birch ply frame for stability with a mechanism made from beech wood and other hardwoods. The figures are carved from lime wood.
Painted with acrylics on gesso and finished with acrylic wax varnish.
Axle bearings turned from brass.
Height 41cm (16”)
Width 32cm (13”)
Depth 15cm (6’)
Prototyping was made difficult by the various angles of movement required by the mechanism. Fitting everything into the frame was an exercise in patience.
This piece uses a Geneva Wheel to switch on and off the various scenes in the story.
An extra complication is that the movement of the man means he has to be pivoted at the ankles and waist, making controls for the head and arms especially complicated.
The full sequence takes 50 turns of the crank turning 4 axles.
I have now revisited this design and produced 3 more examples in 2015 with the refinement of brass axle bearings for smooth and consistent running.
Constructed with a birch ply frame for stability with a mechanism made from beech wood and other hardwoods. The figures are carved from lime wood.
Painted with acrylics on gesso and finished with acrylic wax varnish.
Axle bearings turned from brass.
Height 41cm (16”)
Width 32cm (13”)
Depth 15cm (6’)
