HOW TO DESIGN

AND MAKE
AUTOMATA
ROBERT ADDAMS

CRAFT EDUCATION
 Published by Craft Education, 8 Verona Avenue, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset. BH6 3JW
Web Site: http://www.automata.co.uk
The web site is an educational tool available to everyone Worldwide,
as well as providing general information it also supplements parts of the book.

First published in 2001

Second edition 2002
Copyright © 2001 Craft Education

ISBN 0-9540596-0-3
All rights reserved

The right of Robert Addams to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988

Printed in the United Kingdom

2
This book is dedicated with grateful thanks to my family, Beverley, Toby, Oliver and Dominic, who put up with so much during the writing and
production. Also, special thanks to Selina Gamble and Ian Puttuck who had the task of proof reading and unralveling my transcripts.

3
4
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 6
AUTOMATA, THE NATIONAL 7
CURRICULUM AND EDUCATION
MAKING A START 7
BASIC ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES
1) CAMS 8
2) CRANKS 16
3) GEARS 21
4) RATCHETS 31
5) PULLEYS 35
6) LINKAGES 39
7) BEARINGS, SHAFTS 42
FRICTION & LUBRICANTS
8) DRIVES 43
9) LEVERS 45
10) SPRINGS 48
11) FREE MOVEMENT 49
THE DESIGN PROCESS 51
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION 56
AUTOMATA FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE 64
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT 70
CONSTRUCTION 74
1) WORKING WITH METALS 76
2) GLUING AND STICKING 77
3) SOLDERING 78
SUMMING UP 79
INDEX 80

5
INTRODUCTION
This book is intended as an overview to the Automata are fascinating mechanical marvels Design and Technology in the National
mechanical principles behind automata, as that utilise a wide range of the mechanical Curriculum provides a wide scope for the
well as guiding the reader through the design processes found in modern machinery. teacher to explore. The designing and making
process to make successful, exciting Designing and making Automata covers a of Automata lends itself extremely well to this
automata. The book also looks at range of skills and processes from Art, subject, encompassing all of the major criteria
construction methods, materials and useful Engineering and Maths through to craft skills that need to be covered. Importantly, it allows
tools. involving card, wood and metal. It is an this to be done in a fun and stimulating way.
The primary aim of this book is to provide involving process that has a lot of potential for Many teachers already set projects based on
both a stimulating project base for teachers stimulating the imagination of students and automata and this book will be a useful guide
delivering Design and Technology at levels providing a fun, practical learning platform. for expanding upon this. It also provides a
1, 2, 3 & 4, and help with lesson planning for comprehensive look at all aspects of
the National Curriculum. Sections of the book automata making, as well as suggesting fresh
can be photocopied and used as handouts for and exciting ideas for inclusion into lessons.
students. “How to Design and Make Automata” fully
In essence the book should provide a covers all aspects of the mechanical, design
stimulating resource for teachers who can and construction processes, from simple to
then disseminate the information to their complex automata. It caters for all student
students in the way they feel is most effective. abilities and skill levels and gives valuable
advice on the design stage. As well as
providing a sound basis from which to
evaluate the work.

6
THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM MAKING A START
Every child in the UK has to undertake some Although aimed at teachers and students this
form of Design and Technology activity. The book will be of great benefit to anybody
design and making of automata is a great way interested in making Automata or any other
of meeting the curriculum requirements. mechanical device, sculpture or toy. If you
It encompasses all the elements of Key stages are not involved in education, parts of the
1, 2 ,3 and 4. Designing and making automata design process can be tackled in a less
is a very wide topic, which covers skills not only structured way, without the need to be
in Design but Art, Maths and English. It can be accountable to an assessor.
used to help children understand more about The book is broken down into logical
the machines that surround them. sequences, starting off with mechanisms.
In education terms this book is designed to be a You will need to study this section first as it
guide rather than offering prescriptive, pre- underpins all the concepts and principles
packaged course work, and to give practical needed to make any automata or mechanical
advice as well as suggestions and ideas to be device. It should also help to give you ideas
included into the lessons. The A4 format can be for your own projects, but feel free to copy or
easily photocopied for use as handouts or wall adapt any of the examples in the book.
charts. The design process has been covered Any creative work involves challenges,
in detail, in order to meet the basis of Design difficulties, triumphs, tragedies and rewards.
and Technology curriculum requirements. Making automata will offer these in
Primary and junior schools may need to be abundance but do not lose sight of the need
more resourceful when making automata, if you to keep it a fun and enjoyable process. Do
do not have access to machinery or wood not expect to start and finish in a day, you will
working facilities, alternatives have been soon find out just how long it takes to make
explored in most sections. an automata, so give your self plenty of time
A number of patterns have been included at the and be prepared for things to go wrong. Take
web site, www.automata.co.uk, which you heart though, the more you make, the better
may find useful as a practical introduction to you will become and the easier and faster
automata, or for inclusion into your own everything will come together.
projects.

7
CAMS
Cams act like small computers, storing WORKING AREA: This
information that can be turned into end delivers the power in the
movement. They can be very simple or form of an up and
complex and the only limitation is their size. down motion.

The basic principle of the Cam is to turn a SUPPORT

circular motion into a linear one. This is Or Cam shaft
referred to as reciprocating movement. This block supports the cam follower and
PUSH ROD
stops it from wobbling from side to side. This
In automata the cam is very useful, and is helps the push rod to only move up and down.
probably the most commonly used CAM FOLLOWER In order for the Follower to rise and fall without
mechanical action. As you will see, the Cam jamming it is important to make this block
is simple to make and very versatile. CAM fairly thick and reasonably close to the cam.

Cams normally work in conjunction with a

"Cam Follower". As the name implies this 1 2 3 4 5
follows the movement of the cam and
transfers the movement to the working area.
The cam follower is normally a rod made of
rigid material such as wood or metal, which is
supported by a shaft that limits the movement
and direction. The cam follower is designed
with a smooth end that can easily follow the
cam’s movement. This is a very important as
the Cam and Follower will jam if not properly
designed.

This cam is turning a circular motion into an up and down one. This is referred to as
reciprocating motion. As you can see in stages 1-5, the cam follower steadily drops before
rising up again. The whole process repeats as long as the cam keeps rotating clockwise.
8
CAMS
Different types of cam
In order to design a cam you need to know It is very simple to calculate the amount of lift This cam produces a smooth
what you want it to do. It may have just one or by simply taking the measurement from the uplift which suddenly drops
several movements per revolution. centre of the drive shaft to the lowest point of down. It is often referred to
Cams turn on a shaft and so need to be offset the cam and subtracting this from the as a snail cam because of its
to create movement. If you have a circle with measurement to the highest point from the shape or contour. This cam
the shaft running through its centre then centre of the shaft. This calculation will give can only work in one direction. If you turn it
nothing happens. However, if you offset it you the amount of lift the cam will produce. the other way the cam follower would jam.
can create a mechanism that can lift. With You need to bear this in mind when you are
this lift you can create many marvellous designing cams.
automata.
This cam produces several
short up and down
15 movements from one
A circle with a shaft revolution.
running through its
centre will simply turn This cam produces
and produce no lift. three very distinct
5
movements from one revolution.

You can combine as many

movements as your cam will allow.
Remember that the cam follower
Offset the centre and 15 - 5 = 10 has to work smoothly. If you try
you have made a cam. to make it do too much or
This simple equation will enable you to work make the contours too
The cam follower has out how much lift a cam will give. Later on we steep such, as this
lifted by this amount. So will come back to this formula to accurately one on the right, it will
the more you off set the work out the lift of any given cam. jam. The cam followers
cam, the greater the can only move on gentle
amount of lift you curves. Make them too tight
produce. and you will have problems!
9
CAMS
LOBED AND DROP CAMS THE LOBED CAM THE DROP CAM
From the basic round cam you can increase If you raise part of the circumference, you If you dip below the circumference of the circle
the diameter across one axis, to produce an produce a lobe, hence the name lobed cam. then the cam follower drops, hence the term
egg-shaped, or “Lobed”, cam. Alternatively, This will lift the cam follower by the maximum drop cam.
you can create a recessed area that drops height from the tip of the lobe to the You can calculate the drop of the cam by
below the circumference of the circle, circumference of the circle. When the cam measuring from the lowest point of the drop to
producing a “Drop” cam. You can, of follower returns to the circle it will pause and the circumference.
course, combine these two elements in a this is referred to as the dwell angle. You can A very popular form of drop cam is called the
cam, which is why they are so versatile. produce a pause or dwell angle on top of the snail cam. This has a sudden drop that slowly
lobe if you design it properly. rises to the next drop point. This cam is used a
lot in automata and is a blend of both drop and
The lobed and drop cams are lobe cam.
A lobe refers to any part of the
based on a concentric circle
circumference raised above the
with the drive shaft running A “Drop” refers to any surface that goes
base diameter of the cam.
through the centre. Obviously, below the circumference of the cam.
without lobe or drop, this cam The distance from the
will not produce any effect on 12 mm circumference of the 12mm
the cam follower. cam to the highest
point of the lobe will The distance from the
determine how much circumference of the cam
lift it will produce. In to the lowest point of the
this example the cam drop will determine the
follower will smoothly amount of travel. In this
rise to12mm before example the cam follower
dropping. will smoothly drop to
12mm, before rising.

When the cam follower is not being This snail cam both drops
lifted, that part of the cam is and lifts. You could even
referred to as the dwell angle. This add some extra lobes and
The cam The cam The cam The cam follower is will produce a pause in the automata drops on the cam face.
follower is follower is at its follower is stationary as it follows the action.
rising highest point descending circumference or dwell angle

10
SPECIALITY CAMS FOR AUTOMATA
The cams covered so far are fairly simple. They are the sort that can be found in many everyday machines like car engines and
washing machines, but there are a range of more unusual cams that can be used for added versatility or sophistication when making
automata. They are, in themselves, very simple but may require more skill when making them.
The self-conjugate cam works at high speed An offset cam not only moves things up and The skew cam has a thin plate which is
and has an unusual motion, producing both up down but also in a circular motion. You must attached to the drive shaft at an angle. As it
and down as well as side to side movement. make sure that the cam contacts the cam turns, it contacts a forked lever which it turns
shaft drive plate either side of the cam shaft. from side to side. This twists a vertical rod and
If it contacts directly underneath then it will so transfers the movement.
only lift. Offsetting 2 cams either side
produces movement in
opposite directions. This
then gives you both up and
down as well as a side to
side movement.

The man in this

automata shakes
his head from side
to side. There is a
small amount of
lift but it is not
really noticeable.
In this example the cam has
been stretched out into a line.
Instead of turning the cam
moves back and forth, which
causes the cam follower to
gently rise up and down.

The skew cam is in effect a wobbly plate and

turns a circular motion into a side to side one.
11
CAMS FOR AUTOMATA
The examples below show how you can use the cam when it comes to making automata. The key point to make in mechanical terms is
that it produces a linear movement from a rotating input and you can create an enormous amount of things with this. The illustrations
below show a range of uses for simple one lobe cams.

AEROPLANE - USING TWIN LOBE CAMS. CATERPILLAR - USING MULTIPLE

FROG - USING A SINGLE LOBE CAM. The two cams are at opposite ends and are CONCENTRIC CAMS.
This will produce a single, smooth up and set at 180o to each other. This causes the Each cam is slightly offset from the preceding
down movement. plane to dip up and down from nose to tail.. one. This gives a smooth, wriggling motion.
12
CAMS FOR AUTOMATA
Cams can often have more than one lobe. Multiple lobe cams produce even more diverse and exciting movement.

This drop or snail cam allows the hammer This pointed triangle will produce three This cam has five lobes, one of which is
to rise smoothly and then suddenly drop. equal sharp movements in one revolution, higher than the rest. The cat will make four
snapping the jaws open and shut. small jumps and then one big one.
13
CAMS
DESIGN TIPS MATERIALS
When designing a cam, think about it When you have designed your cam, you will
creating a performance or event in one have to think about how you are going to
revolution. This can be simple or make it. The ideal material should be soft
complex. Remember to use gentle enough to cut easily but strong enough not to
curves to allow the cam follower to break or wear out too quickly. Cardboard, for
operate smoothly. If you design a cam example, can be a useful material. Several
that produces several events you may thinner sheets can be cut to size and then
need to make it bigger. stuck together (or “laminated”) using wood
glue or PVA. This produces a very strong and
The designer of this cam durable cam. Alternatively you can use thick CARD
wanted to create 4 up and corrugated cardboard.
down movements per
revolution.
This design would
probably jam and not MDF (medium density fibre board) can be
function properly. bought in various thicknesses. 4-6 mm works
best and it is fairly easy to cut and then
This bigger cam will do the same job, shaped with sand paper. The dust is harmful
to breath in, always use a mask if working
with MDF. We don’t advise you let children
work with it. MDF

Thin pine wood (again 4-6 mm) is another

effective material to work with. It takes a little
more time to cut and shape but is very
durable, works well and looks good.
but now the cam follower is able to follow the
contours as they are more gradual. It will still
produce 4 varying up and down movements The later chapter on materials and tools goes
per revolution. into more detail. PINE
14
CAMS
MAKING AND MEASURING TWIST AND TURNING
This final section shows you how to use a When making Automata, you need to work A rather annoying characteristic of the cam is
simple mathematical formula to work out the things out fairly accurately. This applies to that it produces a turning motion on the push
lift for concentric cams. cams when you need to produce lift to a rod. This may only be very slight but can
specific height. The following formula is very cause problems. The leaping frog for instance
The concentric cam, is a circle with an offset simple and shows you how to quickly and slowly turns round as it moves up and down,
centre. By offsetting the centre we are able to accurately work out the centre point for the which in some instances could be a problem.
produce the lift and the further you move drive shaft. To eliminate the turning affect you can either
away from the centre point the greater the For every millimetre that you move away from build stops to prevent turning, (this can affect
amount of lift you produce. Do not overdo the centre point, you must double this figure, the overall look of your automata) or another
things, it is better to make a larger cam that in order to calculate the amount of lift method is to use square tube and rod which
rises gently than a small one that rises rapidly. generated by the cam. are readily available in brass, copper and
They will both do the same job but the smaller plastic.These hold the push rod firmly in place
cam is more likely to jam. and eliminate any turning action.
6mm

new 6mm
centre A small pin can be
point placed behind the
24mm
frog which will stop it
18mm
turning. Usually only
one stop is needed as
the motion is in one
In this example you can see that the centre direction.
point has been moved up by 6 mm which will
produce a lift of 12mm
You can confirm this by using the formula we
looked at earlier by subtracting the two
distances from the new centre point
Both cams lift by the same amount but the 18mm - 6mm = 12mm
larger circumference of the bigger cam will It’s as simple as that. Remember you only
produce a much smoother lift. As a rough have to accurately locate the centre point.
guide, try to make the biggest cam that will The actual diameter of the drive shaft is A square tube and rod eliminates any twisting
comfortably fit into your Automata. not important. action.

15
CRANKS
Cranks are similar to simple cams. They The crank has many uses. Firstly it is often Although the crank only works in a circular
convert circular movement into a reciprocal the driving mechanism for hand operated motion, its drive can be made to go from side to
one (up and down motion) or vice versa. automata. It is important to support the crank side as well as up and down (which can’t be
There are, however, some fundamental with some type of bearing. In this case it is easily achieved with a cam) and when applied
differences. Firstly, cranks only ever work in a the sides of the box that provide the support. to Automata you can create some very special
circular motion and they only have one drive (We will be looking at bearings and shafts in effects.
action per revolution. That said, when it a later chapter). Another big advantage with the crank is having
comes to automata you can make some power on both the upward and return strokes.
amazing machines based on the crank. This means you don’t have to rely on gravity,
which can be a problem with cams.

The con rod or slider is

linked to the crank pin
and transfers the
movement

This
Crank Pin diagram
shows how the
This crank will have a crank linkage or slider
throw of 4cm. can be made to give a side to
2+2=4 2cm side movement. By adjusting the
The crank shaft both supports the height from the opening you can increase
crank and rotates it. or decrease the amount of sideways
2cm movement. Adjusting the size or aperture of
the opening will also have an affect on the
The amount of up and down movement is called the throw of a crank, amount of lateral movement. As with many
and is measured by the size of the circle it scribes when turning, which aspects of Automata you will find that trial and
will be twice the diameter. error play a big part in making things work.

16
CRANKS
THE SCOTCH YOKE
A variation of the crank is the scotch yoke. The sliding con rod is held in position by
This is more complex to make, but has a supports placed either side. There should be
number of advantages. be just enough room to let the slider move.
The supports are attached to the main shaft
and rotate with it.

SIDE SUPPORTS

Here,
SLIDING CON ROD a scotch yoke
is used to both
push and pull the
pig. As it rises up and
down, fixed linkages make
CRANK PIN the wings move in the opposite
direction of the pig and it looks like it is flying.

As the crank rotates so the sliding con rod will

be powered vertically up and down. The
Scotch Yoke was used a lot in steam engines.
Because of the design there is no lateral
movement. If you want a simple reciprocating
movement which is constantly powered and
has no lateral play, then this is the perfect
solution.
The throw of the crank is used to determine As the drive shaft rotates so the crank, which is offset, pushes the sliding con rod up and then
the amount of movement and must be less pulls it down. Because the crank is able to slide back and forth, the con rod can be restrained
than the sliding mechanism on the con rod. and will only move in a vertical path.
17
CRANKS
THE ECCENTRIC CRANK The side supports are attached to the drive
This next crank is known as the Eccentric shaft constraining the crank pin. This stops any The eccentric crank is used
Crank. The crank pin is greatly enlarged and lateral movement. to push the cleaning lady
sits within the con rod (or eccentric strap). up and forwards, then
ENLARGED CRANK
This crank will produce up and down as well back again. She is
PIN
as side to side movement. It also uses a pivoted at the knees
straight drive shaft and is therefore stronger and her arms are
and easier to make. It is necessary to support pinned and free moving. As
the con rod either side to stop it falling off the the crank is turned she
crank pin. There only needs to be two circles appears to scrub back and
attached to the main shaft. forwards furiously on the
The distance from the centre of the shaft to DRIVE SHAFT floor.
the highest point of the crank pin will This crank is excellent for
determine the throw. When constructed this is providing a slightly irregular
quite an elegant looking mechanism its real movement when not
advantages over the traditional crank is the constrained.
straight drive shaft, vertical travel and ability
to fit into tight spaces.

SUPPORT BLOCK

CON ROD

DRIVE SHAFT

ENLARGED CRANK
PIN
The concentric crank again raises and lowers the push rod as it rotates. As the push rod is free
to rotate it can, like the scotch yoke, constrain the push rod to a vertical path or with a wider
opening in the support block be used to also produce a side to side motion.
18
CRANKS
The fast return actuator crank.
This next crank is similar to the scotch yoke, 1
in that it, too, is a positive drive mechanism.
The main difference being that this crank has
a pivoting con rod. The further you place the
crank pin from the pivot the less lift it
generates. You can also construct this crank
with the crank pin under the con rod so that
gravity pulls it down.
2

This
automata uses
two positive drive return
cranks that are offset and connected to
The crank pin constantly linkages which in turn move the arms up
powers the con rod. and down. Turn the handle and the baker
A POSITIVE DRIVE FAST furiously chops the bread.
ACTUATION RETURN CRANK. 3

DRIVE SHAFT
Fixed pivot pin. This constrains the
pivoting con rod, allowing it to only
move up and down.

The con rod pivots at one end and produces drive 4

at the other.

The crank pin lifts the con rod and either

gravity or some other form of force (ie. a spring)
then pulls it back down. A positive drive fast actuation
This rod is also free to pivot and connects and transmits the power. return crank in action.
19
CRANKS
THE BELL CRANK STRINGS ATTACHED
This very useful little device, so-named Most con rods are made of resistant material
because its action resembles a tolling bell. It such as metal or wood. A great alternative in
operates in quite an unusual way, although certain circumstances is nylon cord. This
termed a crank it works in a reciprocating method works best if you need to pull rather
movement, not a circular one. than push. The automata below and opposite
It is very effective for changing the direction rely on gravity as a secondary moving force.
of movement. In the example below, as the
input moves up and down, the output moves
from side to side.
Pivot point This now has a side to side
output.

Up & Down input

In this example the action is reversed, so

as the input pushes, the output pulls.

Input The two pieces of the heart fall apart helped The policeman’s truncheon is pulled up by a
by gravity and a weighted arrow. As the crank nylon thread as the crank reaches its lowest
Output
turns, it pulls the nylon cord which, in turn, point. When the thread slackens, gravity then
pulls the two halves back together. pulls it down.
20
GEARS
THE WAY GEARS WORK CALCULATING RATIOS Output
Gears are very versatile and can help The following example shows how the ratios Input
produce a range of movements that can be are calculated.
used to control the speed of action. 10 teeth 30 teeth
In basic terms, gears are comparable to
continuously applied levers; as one tooth is
engaging, another is disengaging. The
amount of teeth on each gear wheel affects A B
the action on the gear wheel it engages or
meshes with. The gear wheel being turned is Output gear Stepping down has the advantage of
called the input gear and the one it drives is producing more power although at a slower
called the output gear. rate. This is often a big advantage with
Gears with unequal numbers of teeth alter the Input gear
automata as some of the mechanisms can
speed between the input and output. This is If the input gear (A) has 10 teeth and the get stiff or are under tension so it makes
referred to as the Gear Ratio. output gear (B) 30 teeth, then the ratio is turning the handle easier.
termed 3 to 1 and is written down as 3:1
Ratio = No. of teeth on the output gear B (30) Input
No. of teeth on the input gear A (10)
= 3 and is written down as 3:1 Output
1
Simply divide the amount of teeth from the
output by the intput gear to work out the ratio.
A B In the above example, for every complete
revolution of the input gear the output turns 1/3
The drive gear is of the way round. In other words it takes 3
known as the The gear that is being turns of A to rotate B once. This means you Stepping up produces a much faster output
input gear. turned is referred to as are slowing down the action and is referred to speed, but mechanically delivers less power.
the output gear. in engineering terms as “Stepping Down”. If B Be aware of this as you may find that your
were the input gear and A the output gear, Automata does not work properly or the
Gears also alter the direction of rotation. In then the opposite happens and we “Step Up”.
the above example gear wheel A is rotating handle is very hard to turn. However, it is
Then it would take 1 turn of the input gear to useful if you want something to move more
clockwise but as it turns, gear wheel B is turn the output gear 3 revolutions, giving a
moved anti-clockwise. quickly in relation to other components.
ratio of 1:3.
21
GEARS
GEAR TRAINS COMPOUND GEAR CHAIN Although this is starting to get complex, let’s
As we have seen, gears not only affect each Automata tend to be fairly small, so look at it in automata terms and work
other in the amount of movement they make mechanisms are sometimes packed in a bit backwards. You will have to turn the handle
but also in the direction they move. This is not tight. To save space when working with gears, and make gear A turn a little over 12 times in
normally a problem but there may be times more than 1 may be placed on the same axle. order to make gear D turn once. The trick is to
when you need to keep things moving in the This is called a compound gear train. work out what you want from each set of gears
same direction. This problem can be You can have different size gears on the and then combine them.
overcome by introducing a third gear wheel same axle, but this will affect the output and Do not worry if you find that the maths is
which is the same size as either the input or needs to be taken into consideration when getting complex. You are very unlikely to need
output gear. (Gears are a bit fiddly to make so calculating the Ratios. to use a compound gear chain in the early
I would always go for the smallest one). Output stages of automata. They do not really come
When you have three or more gears in a line Output into their own until you move onto the more
Input
they are referred to as a Gear Train. B complex automata, by which time you will have
D a much better understanding of the mechanics
A
Output Gear Input C involved and will be able to refer back to this
Input Gear Idler Gear section.
20 30
10 Below is the equation needed to find out the
These two gears final drive ratio of Gear D in relation to A.
share the same 80
axle. Gear Ratio = No. of teeth on Output gear
The above example shows a compound gear No. of teeth on Input gear
train. Output Gear B and input Gear C share For gears A and B,
the same axle. = 80 = 4 4:1
The gear ratios are as follows: 20 1
The idler gear will reverse the direction so that A= (20) - B =(80) This gives a ratio of 4:1 For gears C and D
the input gear now turns in the same direction So for every one revolution of A, B turns 1/4 = 30 = 3 3:1
as the output gear. of its full cycle. 10 1
Providing you have the same amount of teeth C =(10) - D = (30) This gives a ratio of 3:1
as the input or output gear then your ratios will So for every one revolution of C, D turns 1/3 Gear ratio of compound gear = 4 x 3 =12
not be affected. of its full cycle. You must take into 1x1 1
consideration that B is moving slowly at 1/4 Gear ratio of the compound gear train = 12:1
of the input speed of A. This needs to be taken This means it takes 12 revolutions of A to turn
into account in order to find the final ratio. D once.
22
GEARS
GEAR TOOTH SHAPE
When it comes to designing automata, gears
are very useful. I like to think of them as time
machines that slow things down or speed
them up. Until now, the automata we have
looked at using cams or cranks complete their
performance on one revolution. This is fine in
many circumstances, but there are times in
designing automata when it would be nice to
slow things down. This extends the
performance, allows more things to happen
and builds up audience expectation.
Gears can be made from a range of materials
as we will see later. The most important thing SQUARE TEETH
is to make sure that the teeth are of equal These are fairly simple to produce but you must
size on all the gear wheels. If they are not be very accurate or they will jam. You will need to
then they will jam. The shape of the teeth can make the spaces wider than teeth in order for
vary, so lets look at some examples. them to mesh. This gearbox from a car uses just about
every type of gear you can think of. Most of
the machines in our homes and work places
make use of gears and they are probably the
most widely used of all the mechanisms.
Gears are used to control both speed and
power. In the world of engineering you do not
get something for nothing, and this certainly
applies to gears. You can have more speed
or more power, but you cannot have both at
the same time.
ANGLED TEETH
SPIKED TEETH These are slightly more complicated to make, but
These are simple to make and work well. I use work well and allow for greater inaccuracy before
them a lot when making automata. they jam.
23
GEARS
DIRECTIONAL GEARS DESIGNING GEARS
So far we have looked at gears that run I usually make these types of gears using When designing and making gear wheels you
parallel to each other but as well as slowing or panel pins (small nails) which are hammered need to apply a little common sense. The
speeding action, gears can also be used to into wood after which I cut the heads off. You load or pressure put on the gears in automata
change the direction of the drive shaft which can also use wooden dowel which works very is usually very small compared to that of a car
can be very useful when making automata. well and is surprisingly strong. If you find gear box, for example. This allows you to get
making gears too difficult at the beginning, away with things that you couldn’t in other
Input you can use plastic ones which can be machines. However, you still have to follow
obtained from model shops. some simple engineering guidelines.
You will need to identify what you want to get
from the gears so try running through this
Bevel Gears simple check list.
Output 1) Do you want the gears to step up or
Bevel Gears step down (speed up or slow down
the performance)?
These gears are running at 90o to each other
allowing you to change direction. By varying 2) Do you want the gears to run
the sizes of gears you can also change the ratio. parallel, or at an angle of 90o to
change the direction of the drive?

3) What size do you need to make

them? (small space means making
smaller gears and this can get tricky)

4) What is the best or easiest material

to make them out of? (this may well
depend on how heavy a load you
want them to drive)
Parallel Gears
Each automata you make will have different
You can use panel pins or design criteria to meet, but there are some
wooden dowel to make both common design and construction solutions
parallel gears and bevel gears. which work well.
24
 GEARS
DESIGNING WITH GEARS
When drawing gears they are represented as either
a circle with just a few teeth at the point that they
mesh, or as twin circles denoting the teeth.

Although this may seem very technical it is good

practice to visualise gear wheels like this, especially
when it comes to drawing up your plans for making
automata.
Opposite is a sample of drawings from my sketch
book showing how I indicate the gears and other
mechanisms. I work totally free hand and never use
drawing tools. This is purely a personal way of
working, and you may be happier working in a
more technical way. Which ever method you use,
clear indication of your intended mechanisms and
the ability to interpret your drawings are the key
factors. I often write notes to accompany my
drawings precisely for this reason, as I often can
not remember the details solely from the sketch. A
few notes can explain a complicated mechanism.
At the time of designing it all makes sense, but
when you return to your plans 3 weeks later you will
be surprised at how difficult it is re-interpreting your
work - so make notes!

25
GEARS
GETTING MORE OUT OF GEARS By offsetting the two drive shafts, as on
A useful trick, when using gears, is to offset the automata below, you can get two
the two supporting shafts so that additional speeds of movement.
mechanisms can be used. This automata called the “Mad Scientist”
By offsetting the drive shafts, you will be able slowly raises a large knife above his head and
to run cams or cranks at different speeds tries to split the atoms that are leaping about
without jamming or hitting other components. wildly on the table. The scientist is pulled
This can help to give your automata several back by a cam running at a third of the speed
speeds of movement and make things really of the handle on which the atoms are
exciting. attached. The atoms move up,down, back
A B
and forth very rapidly in relation to the
scientist . The whole thing works by
simply offsetting the two drive
shafts, A & B.
Note, you can not run them vertically
parallel as the top shaft will block the
drive shafts, cranks, etc.

Drive Shaft A

Drive Shaft B
You obviously need to offset the two drive
shafts, but the secret is to do it by just the
right amount. This will enable you to drive
other objects with cams, pulleys even cranks.
The amount you offset is limited by the The output gear (shaft B) turns once for every three turns of the crank handle (shaft A). The
physical space available in your automata input gear is fixed to shaft A and turns a larger gear wheel on shaft B, therefore creating a ratio
housing (Trial and error is the usual way of of 3:1. You can now use shaft B to run extra cams or cranks which will be running a third of the
measuring.) The distance between A and B speed of shaft A, which you can also run cams and cranks from. To make things really exciting
is determined by the amount you offset. you could create a gear train and have another drive shaft!
26
GEARS
MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
Gears are both challenging and fun to make. The gear set below is quick and relatively The output gear has only
You can use a number of different materials easy to make. It is used a lot, as it tends to do four teeth made from either
and, as the mechanical load is very light, card most jobs well and can easily be expanded panel pins or wooden
and even paper can be used. these are upon. For ease of construction, work in pine dowel. The four pins should
cheap to buy and easy to work with. Other which is a relatively soft wood that is easy to form a perfect square; the
materials such as wood and metal are also cut and at the same time reasonably strong. centre of which gives you
very versatile. input gear the point to put the shaft in.
After designing your automata, you can make (4 teeth) You need to space them in such a way that
the gears in thin card first to sort out any they engage the teeth on the output gear
problems. Amazing strength of construction without jamming. Ideally they should just
can be achieved by using paper and card, touch at the bottom of
and many automata are built solely using the spiked gear wheel.
these materials.
The automata you make will all have different
criteria to meet, but there are some common This set up produces a
solutions which work. Before you start, bear Output gear 3:1 gear ratio
the following golden rule in mind: (12 teeth)
You need to work out the size of the output
KEEP THINGS SIMPLE gear ( The biggest that will fit in your
automata) and then divide it into twelve parts.
You will want to experiment with your own The next stage is to work out the depth of the You can make the gears mesh a little higher
gears, construction, and materials. But if you teeth. 10 to 15mm is a good rule of thumb up without any problems, to as much as
feel unsure about making gears then you can but, again, you can experiment. It also 5-6mm depending on the size of your gears.
buy ready made ones from model supply depends on the size of the gear wheel.
shops. These are usually made from plastic
and come in a range of sizes and ratios.

27
GEARS
MASTERING GEARS WORKING OUT SIZE AND RATIO
Aim to get the pins meshing about two thirds When designing and making your gears you By working backwards you can decide on the
down the slope on the gear tooth. The ideal is have to be very precise with your largest most practical gear wheel first and then
to get the pin to just touch at the bottom. By mathematical equations. You will need to calculate what the drive gear will be. You can
getting the pins to touch further up allows for take into account the number of teeth, the of course do this the other way round.
any inaccuracies that can occur and still ratio and the size of your gears. Here is a The next thing to calculate is the number of
allows the wheels to keep moving without practical example to help explain how to do teeth. Having twelve teeth on the larger output
jamming. this. gear meant that they needed to be spaced at
A little trial and error is needed when you The “Mad Scientist” Automata had a gear intervals of 30 degrees. (360 / 12 = 30).The
start making gear wheels. Do not be ratio of 3:1. Assuming that the larger output input gear would have to have1/3 as many
disappointed if things do not work perfectly gear would have to be 60mm in order to fit, teeth. In this case four (360 / 4 = 90) and would
first time, as it may take several attempts. this meant that the input gear would have to need to be spaced at 900 from each other.
When you have got the technique mastered be 20mm. The measurement was calculated The formula below is used to work out the
you will be able to construct working gear by dividing 60 by 20 to give a 3:1 ratio. So velocity ratio of gears:
sets to any size and ratio, and that is some 20 goes into 60 three times.
achievement. Velocity ratio= number of teeth on output gear (12)
number of teeth on input gear(4)
VR= 12
4
Therefore the velocity ratio or Gear Ratio is 3
1
It is unusual to write this as a fraction so the
gear ratio is 3:1

The first figure relates to how many revolutions

the input gear moves in relationship to the
output. In this example, 3 revolutions of the
input gear moves the output gear 1 revolution.

The best way to construct the spiked gear wheel is to divide a circle into 24 segments. Then draw a The maths for working out the number of teeth
second circle to give you the height of the gear teeth; 10 -15mm is a good average. Then simply for each gear is not difficult, but it has to be
connect the lines to draw out the twelve teeth and you are ready to cut them out. This method can done so that the teeth mesh properly.
also be used to construct a pin wheel.
28
GEARS
TIMING
You are aware now of how gears can be used This automata has several actions going on at
to either slow things down or speed them up. once which all culminate in a final outcome. It
Most automata take advantage of gears is then ready to start again. Let’s take a closer
slowing down and extending the look at the mechanisms and some of the
performance. Another advantage is that problems encountered. The automata
“stepped down” gears produce more force relies heavily on gears to slow down or
(first gear on a car or low gear on a bike) and speed up various movements. Called
so can power the automata more easily. the “Silly Explorer”, the main figure
The last thing to look at is timing. When using gently tips back and forwards before
gears you may want several movements to suddenly dropping into the crocodile’s
culminate in a final activity and then start mouth. The crocodile’s mouth then
again from the beginning. This snaps down onto the explorer , whose
obviously needs to be worked out legs rapidly thrash up and down while
so that gear ratios and speeds all his body jerks several times inside
coincide from one starting point, the crocodile’s mouth. Finally the
and end at a common finishing crocodile’s mouth springs open
point. and the explorer rises up so the
The examples opposite shows how performance can happen again.
to tackle this problem. It is fair to
say that you are getting into
advanced Automata-making
territory at this stage. If you do not
feel up to it come back to this part
when you are ready.

29
GEARS
The mechanisms below include the snail cam
which controls the leg linkages. There are
also two square cams that provide the rapid
leg movement. A larger snail cam controls the
dropping and pulling up of the explorer, and a
triangular cam provides a rapid movement
that jerks the explorer’s body up an down
when inside the crocodile’s mouth. This is
constantly moving as are the two square
cams.

The gear ratio for this automata is 3:1. The

output shaft is used to slow different parts
down. A large snail cam controls the opening The mechanisms here show the linkages that
and closing of the crocodile mouth, while move the feet up and down. A bar is raised by
opposite is another snail cam that controls the a snail cam and lifts both feet clear of the con
explorer’s body. All the parts are rods that rotate directly on the main drive
synchronised, so that by the fourth turn of the shaft and are moving all the time.
handle everything lines up and starts again The snail cam drops the bar, so the feet are
from the beginning. able to move up and down rapidly.
30
RATCHETS
ALTERNATIVE GEARS Below is a 3D drawing of a simple ratchet. There are only a few moving parts to make
The ratchet is really another form of gearing. but as with all mechanical things you do have to work out fairly accurately the size and
Unlike gears, which can be used to speed up distance of all the various components.
or slow down movement, the ratchet can only
be used to slow things down and it happens The pawl is rotated on a crank and pushes the The crank turns clockwise which helps to push
in a very jerky manner. Below and opposite is ratchet wheel one notch for every revolution. It the pawl, or catch, down onto the ratchet
an explanation of how they work. will take 8 turns of the crank to produce one
complete turn of the ratchet wheel.
CRANK

PAWL

RATCHET

PAWL

For every 8 turns of the crank, the ratchet This 2nd pawl is lightly sprung, and locks into If you add more teeth to the ratchet wheel it
wheel turns one complete revolution. This the ratchet wheel stopping it moving will take longer to rotate. With fewer teeth it
gives a ratio of 8:1. backwards. will take less time.
31
RATCHETS 1
SLOWING THINGS DOWN TAKING ADVANTAGE
As we have seen, most automata benefit from The ratchet’s inherently jerky movement can
slowing down movement. The ratchet does be used to advantage. The automata below
this in a fairly simple way. uses this movement to build up suspense 2
before culminating in a big finish.

This ratchet
wheel has 8 teeth
so the equivalent
ratio (like the
gear set below) is
8:1

4
This gear set has
10 teeth on the
input gear and 80
teeth on the
output gear, giving
a ratio of 8:1
The gears above would turn constantly and
give a very smooth action but cutting 80 teeth
is a lengthy task. The gear wheel would need
to be pretty big which would take up a lot of
space. The ratchet on the other hand only
has 8 teeth, is simpler to make and uses less
space. In the Automata above, the man’s arm lifts up, hovers and then swats down on the fly. The ratchet has a
If you want to slow down movement a lot then snail cam attached to the same shaft so is turning at the same speed. The cam progressively lifts the arm
the ratchet is a good alternative to gears. It and provides the sudden drop with a little help from gravity. The movement is jerky but doesn’t detract
does however give a jerky movement. from the performance, if anything it adds drama.
32
RATCHETS

1 2 3

4 5 6

In the sequence shown above, the ratchet is being driven by a The rotating crank pushes the ratchet wheel for half of the time and
clockwise rotating crank. The ratchet has 8 teeth so it take 8 turns of then pulls the pawl for the other half. In other words, for every complete
the crank to complete one turn of the ratchet wheel. The black dot cycle of the crank, it is only supplying an input motion to the ratchet for
shows you that the ratchet turns 1/8 of a cycle per push of the crank. half of the time. This is why the ratchet has a jerky motion.
33
RATCHETS
DESIGN
Like gears, the first thing you need to When designing your ratchet you will have to give careful consideration to the size and location of
establish is the ratio you would like. This is the pawl. This must be positioned in such a way that it pushes the ratchet wheel one notch and
very simple to work out as the ratio will then comes back and drops down in position ready to push the ratchet wheel on the next
always be something to 1. The pawl only revolution. The second pawl, or catch, will have to be positioned in such a way as to lock the
turns or pushes once per revolution, unlike ratchet wheel.
the input on a gear wheel which could have
many teeth. The output or ratchet wheel
determines the ratio. For practical reasons
the smallest amount of teeth would be four
but the upper limit is only determined by the
amount you can fit on to the ratchet wheel
and what size you want it to be.
Between 8 and 12 teeth will accommodate
most automata needs while not being too
difficult to make. The pawl must be free to push the ratchet wheel and then drop back. To work out the position of the pawl
There are two kinds of ratchet teeth you can you need to calculate the amount of travel the pawl must move, so that it is able to drop down onto the
make, referred to as square cut or rounded. It next tooth. The pawl in this model is rotated in a clockwise direction which then helps push the pawl down
is far easier and quicker to make square cut onto the ratchet wheel. The reverse would be true if the model were reversed. You need to take this into
teeth. consideration.
The diagram below shows that the crank has a throw of 26mm while the ratchet face is only 24mm. This
Square cut teeth. allows the pawl to clear the ratchet and drop down. The position of the crank and the length of the pawl
will probably need a little fine tuning in order to work. Ratchets are very useful in automata and well
worth experimenting with.
Note that the crank sits higher CONSTRUCTION TIP
26m than the ratchet which allows Like gears, you can laminate several pieces
m
the pawl to drop down of card to make a strong ratchet wheel. The
24m same can be done with the catch and pawl.
m
Crank You can use elastic bands instead of springs
Pawl and art straws or pencils can be substituted
Rounded cut teeth. for wooden dowels. Alternatively you can
work with wood or metal. Pine is easy to work
Ratchet Face with and fairly strong.
34
PULLEYS
THE POWER OF THE PULLEY
Pulleys work in a similar way to gears, except Pulleys have several advantages over gears,
they are not directly joined but linked by a belt but also some disadvantages.
made from elastic bands, tubular springs or The main advantage is the fact that they are
some other flexible but strong material. A simple to make and can be used at a distance
common example is the fan belt in a car that from each other, unlike gears that need to
links a number of pulleys. touch in order to work. The disadvantage is
To stop the pulley belt slipping off, pulleys that they work by friction and so can slip,
have grooved rims. This also keeps the belt which could seriously upset the timing of a
running in a straight line. complex automata.
Pulleys that use some form of belt drive are You can get a toothed pulley and belt which
referred to as “Friction Drive” mechanisms. eliminates any slipping or timing problems. Toothed pulley and belt
Many cars have a cam belt that works on this
principle. Some model suppliers sell special
toothed pulleys but they tend to be very
expensive and are rarely used in automata
which generally have a “Friction Belt” system.
This is simple and very effective in most
cases.
The belt can also be substituted by a chain, a
bicycle being a good example of this system.
Model suppliers often stock small plastic Sprocket and chain
toothed pulleys or chain sets which are
reasonably priced.

A bicycle chain
35
 PULLEYS
Like gears, you can use the pulley to either Pulleys are useful for getting the drive action
step up or step down the drive. But instead of to happen in awkward places. You can use
counting teeth as with gears, you simply make the drive pulley to transmit its motion to the
the diameter of the pulley wheels larger or output pulley which may be some distance
smaller. away.
We can also use pulleys to reverse the action
by putting a twist into the belt. This makes the
output pulley move in the opposite direction.
Again this can be very useful.

Input

Output

Pulleys rotate in the same direction

By dividing the input diameter by that of the A twist in the belt reverses the direction of the
output, you can work out a final ratio. In the output pulley
above example, the ratio is 2:1. This means The Automata opposite uses a pulley to
for every 2 revolutions of the input pulley the transmit the motion over a long distance. It
output turns one full revolution. You could also slows the action down and transmits it to
reverse the input and output pulleys. the output pulley which is in a confined space
You can see that pulleys rotate in the same (Nelson’s body). Pretty good going for a
direction (unlike gears which do the opposite). simple pulley system!
36
PULLEYS
APPLYING PULLEYS TO AUTOMATA
When you want to transmit the drive over
some distance, pulleys are an ideal choice.
As we have seen, they are simple to
construct and take up comparatively little
space. In fact, they share many of the virtues
of the ratchet, with the big advantage of
producing a constant and smooth drive force.
But it doesn’t stop there; the pulley can
perform one other vital function, which is to
change the direction of drive. This can be to
any angle but the most common use would
be to turn the drive through 90 degrees. This
same task could be performed by gears but
would be significantly more difficult to make.
When It comes to making automata, this
simple trick of changing the drive direction
can be invaluable for its simplicity and
effectiveness.

Pulley belt

The “Cat eating Fish” automata above uses the pulley twisted at 900. This avoided having the crank
handle at the front and middle of the mechanism housing. The pulley drives a larger one in the cat’s
mouth which slows the action down slightly and, as with gears, provides more force. The fish is
The drive is now painted onto clear plastic which is shaped like a snail cam, so as it goes round it opens the cat’s
turned through 900 mouth. If the pulley slips it doesn’t matter.
37
PULLEYS
CONSTRUCTION TIPS PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Laminating is one of the easiest ways to Fitting the elastic band is often the final part
make a pulley wheel: cut several circles of of the assembly process before gluing
wood or card making two of them slightly everything. Should you find that your elastic
bigger (around 5mm). Glue them together, band breaks, you could substitute it for a
sandwiching the smaller ones in the middle. flexible steel spring driving belt. It comes
Make sure that the pulley is a little wider than open ended and can be cut shorter or
your belt, and try to keep the centres lined up. extended by joining another spring to it.
When the glue has set you can drill the centre These can be purchased in most model
out to the size of the drive shaft. shops and offer superior performance over
If you are working in wood then you can sand elastic bands, which are prone to stretching,
the inner edge down to create a bevel. This and can disintegrate if left in direct sunlight
will help guide the belt onto the pulley. for long periods.
Use wood glue even on card, as it is very Finally, make sure everything is strong
strong when dry. enough to take the tension of the pulley.
Remember you are dealing with a friction
drive, so the tighter the belt the less chance
you have of it slipping. Make sure that any
axles are strong enough to take the load.

Sandpaper Pulley

The running dinosaur above is driven by a pulley.

The top pulley is also an offset crank which turns
the legs. Because the pulley has a lot of work to
do, it was geared down. Sandpaper is wrapped Elastic bands make good cheap drive belts but
around the drive shaft, giving the elastic band have certain limitations. Flexible steel spring
much more grip. driving belts are much tougher.
38
LINKAGES
WHAT IS A LINKAGE ?
“Linkage” is the term applied to the parts of a In this automata the linkages are used to both This automata shows how useful a pulley can
machine or mechanism that connect moving control and transmit movement. be. What makes this one so interesting is its
parts together. The cranks have linkages attached to them, use of linkages to move the arms and head.
Many of the different drives that we have which are in turn attached to the man’s
looked at use some form of linkage or arms.They pull the arms up and push them
connecting rod to transfer the power or down. As the cranks are offset by 180O they
motion. Linkages can be used to control move up and down alternately.
movement as well.
The flying pig below uses a good example of This linkage moves
linkages. The body is pushed up and down the arms as the legs
(by what is effectively a linkage) and, as the move around.
wings are held in position, it gives the illusion
of the pig flying.

39
LINKAGES
Linkages can be made from a range of With the man and his chopping knives, the
materials, but wood and metal are perhaps linkages play a vital part in allowing the
the strongest and most commonly used. movement to happen. The ends of the
It is important to note that where there is linkages are made into rings and joined
movement between materials there must be together which allows them to move freely.
some form of free movement otherwise the You may find that, very occasionally, the
mechanism will jam. linkages jam because the ends allow for too
Linkages are used to transfer motion, so they much freedom of movement.
must be properly designed in order to function
as intended. Although the mechanical
stresses in automata are very low, you still
have to apply good solid engineering This mechanism is more complicated to make
principles. Let’s take a closer look at the but is a much better design, as it only allows
automata on the previous page and see what movement in its intended direction (up and
does and doesn’t work. down) not side to side.

The rings allow for movement in the required

direction but also in unwanted directions.

The Pig’s wings are linked to the body and are pivoted, which allows them to move freely up
and down, but not backwards and forwards.
As the pig is moved up and down, the wings are forced to either rise or drop. This can only
happen if the linkages are not attached, otherwise the wings would not move.
40
LINKAGES
TRANSMITTING AND CHANGING MOTION
The Golden
Linkages can be used to transmit and change
the direction of movement. One of the most
Mechanical Disciplines.
common methods to use is the bell crank.

Design your mechanical parts

so that they are free to move,
Input
but constrained to only move in
the intended direction. It is
Output often better to make things a
little on the loose side. But be
aware that for every slack part
in the mechanism there will be
a loss of input motion. It is
This automata uses possible to make a machine
another variant of the bell
crank. The cam pushes a
with so many slack parts that
In the example above you can see how the
rod up and down, with a all of the input motion is lost
horizontal linkage that
input linkage pushes, so the output linkage connects with the two
and the output is nil.
pulls in the opposite direction. bell cranks, and makes
It is important that the linkages are free to the hands clap as the
move when attached to the bell crank. diner tries to catch the fly
Linkages are a vital part of making Automata in his soup.
function. With careful thought and design you
should be able to produce the exact
movement you require.
41
BEARINGS, SHAFTS, FRICTION AND LUBRICANTS
LOW SPEED, LOW STRESS BEARINGS LUBRICANTS
So far we have looked at very simple Lets start by looking at bearings. Bearings An ideal lubricant to use when working with
mechanical mechanisms which, when applied usually support a moving shaft and help it wood is graphite, which is used in lead
together, are capable of producing very rotate freely under as little stress as possible. pencils. When applied to wooden surfaces, it
complex automata. For the most part, wood Many commercial machines have bearings makes an ideal lubricant.
and metal have been the most convenient made up of a metal case called a “chase” that
and best materials to use, although there are houses hardened steel ball bearings. An inner
alternatives such as card, paper and straws case holds them in place and is attached to a
etc. All the automata we have looked at so far rotating shaft. The ball bearings help spread
have several things in common in engineering the load and force of the shaft, they are
terms. They can be described as working at usually lubricated to cut down friction. It is
slow speeds, under low stress and with low usual to construct an open box to house the
output. In practical terms this means you do mechanical parts of an automata, which are
not have to worry about special lubricants and powered be a central shaft. This shaft sits
bearings to keep things moving. However within the outer wooden walls and is free to
here are some simple ways to keep things rotate, so the box acts as the bearing Apply the graphite from a pencil in to the hole
running smoothly. supporting the shaft. (bearing) or drive shaft to enable the shaft to
turn more freely. Do not get it on any areas
you need to glue.

You need to make sure that the drive shaft is

free to rotate and is not “sticking” as it turns.
The hole it goes into should be slightly larger Graphite works well on cams and cam
than the shaft itself but not so big as to to give followers. It also works well on copper or
you too much play. This could cause more brass tube. Never use oil, as it is not
sensitive mechanisms, like gears, to jam. necessary and can cause the shaft to stick.
42
DRIVES
HAND POWER ELECTRIC MOTORS
There are two main ways of powering your One advantage of electric motors is that they If you decide to use a motor there are a few
automata. One is to turn it by a handle (human give a constant output, so the automata is things to consider. Firstly, what voltage does it
power), and the second is to use a motor, the less likely to be damaged. This is an run at? Most cheap motors run at between
most practical being a small electric one. important consideration if your work is going 1.5 to 9 volts. As a rough guide, the higher
I design all my automata to be hand driven, to be on display and used by the public. the voltage the more powerful the motor.
which helps bring the mechanism to life and Most electric motors turn at very high speeds. Even a small 1.5 volt motor can give out a lot
makes the user feel part of the performance The typical revolutions per minute (or rpm) of of power when stepped down.
they are watching. a small 12 volt motor is between 200 and The second consideration is how easy the
Power is transmitted through a crank, which is 12,000 rpm, so you will usually have to step motor will be to attach to a board, or anchor
more than sufficient to work an automata, and down. Most hand crank speeds work out to down. Better motors have two lugs with holes
is quite comfortable for the operator to use. be between 30-50 rpm, which is a good to allow them to be screwed or bolted down.
speed to aim for.
The best options for stepping down speeds
are either gears, pulleys or a combination of
the two. Many electric motors come with a
small gear wheel, which is a good starting
point.

43
DRIVES
Drives can be broken down into two types: A friction drive relies on two surfaces gripping
when the force is applied to them to transfer
Positive Drive and Friction Drive the movement. “Slipping” is the term given
Positive drive means that the input and output when the drive input and output do not turn
force are connected directly. They are locked properly because there is not enough friction
or synchronised and can’t slip out of place. to keep the drive in contact. Pulleys are very
susceptible to this. A screeching car fan belt
is a good example a slipping friction drive.
Sprocket and chains are linked so the drive can’t
slip. They can be considered to work like gears.

The pulley is a friction, or indirect, drive. It relies

The crank handle is a positive drive. The crank on the friction of a pulley belt to keep the two
is connected to the drive shaft and is turned by wheels connected. It can easily slip and is not
hand. recommended where synchronisation is needed.
The ratchet is a positive drive mechanism. One
pawl stops the ratchet slipping, while the other
provides the transfer of motion.

The crank is a positive drive, as the connecting The cam can be both a direct and frictional drive. An
Gears are positive drive. They can’t slip as they rod that transfers the motion is directly offset cam will directly drive the cam follower but
are always in contact with each other. connected to the crank and so can’t slip. also act as a friction drive to give a circular motion.
44
LEVERS
A lever is a device that applies or transfers First order lever. Second order lever.
force. It is a simple mechanism that usually A first order lever has its fulcrum point A second order lever has its fulcrum and
consists of a rigid length of wood or metal, between the load and effort. effort at opposite ends, and the load
which pivots round a fixed point called a somewhere between the two.
fulcrum.
Effort
Effort Effort Load Load
Load

Fulcrum
Fulcrum
Fulcrum L
E E
F L
Most machines employ some form of lever, F
and you will find that they are used a lot in
automata. It is useful therefore to understand
how they work and how to use them in your
own designs.
Levers work on the principle of “mechanical
advantage”, which can be calculated by a
simple equation, and is used to compare the
effort applied to the load moved. We will look A good everyday example of a first order A good, everyday example of a second order
at this formula a little later on. lever is a pair of scissors. lever is a wheelbarrow.
Archimedes established the Law of the
Levers in his book “On the Equilibrium of
Planes”. He described the three separate
types (or orders) of levers, which have their
fulcrum, effort and load arranged in different
ways.

45
LEVERS
Third order lever A little bit of theory The formula for working out the ratio of a
The third order lever has the fulcrum and load A lever can produce a small output motion lever can also be used to work out the
at opposite ends with the effort somewhere from a large input force, as when using a “Amplification”, or amount of movement a
between the two. crowbar. A lever can also be used the other lever will travel. Just like a cam, this is
way round, where a small input movement referred to as the “Throw” and can be used to
Effort can be increased by a lever to create a larger great advantage when designing and making
output movement such as a pair of scissors. your own automata.
Load
Moving the fulcrum point, the effort or load
points can change the effectiveness of a Mechanical advantage = Load
lever. For example if you move the fulcrum effort
Fulcrum point on a first order lever towards the effort,
the load travels further but takes more force If we apply this formula to the example below
to move it. The opposite happens when you you will see how to calculate both the ratio
F move it towards the load. and the throw of the lever.
Large movement of effort Load
E
Effort
L

A B
Small movement of load Fulcrum

The important thing about levers is the way

that they can be used to transmit, amplify or We can see that the ratio of A to B is 6cm to
A good, everyday example of a third order decrease movement. In engineering terms 2cm, so applying our formula we get a ratio of
lever is a shovel you are experimenting with the “Mechanical 3:1. This means for every 3cm of travel at
Advantage” of the lever. When a small effort effort (A) the load (B) will move 1cm. Reverse
moves a larger load the smaller effort has to this by moving the fulcrum towards the effort
move a much greater distance than the larger and we magnify the movement for every 1cm
load. There is a price to pay for gaining of travel on the effort (B), so the load (A) will
mechanical advantage. However, at the scale travel 3cm. It is also important to remember
we normally work with in automata, much of that levers travel in (describe) an arc and do
this will not really affect you. not move in a straight line.
46
LEVERS FIRST ORDER LEVER
Using levers in automata Levers play an important role in transmitting
You will find that you use all 3 types of levers movement within automata mechanisms. They
in designing and making your automata. They L are often used as linkages, but the rules of the
can be used to produce a variety of lever still apply. You can increase or decrease
movements, but their main function will be the amount of travel they have. It is important to
transferring motion from cams or cranks. be aware of this when you design and make
They are, in effect, used as linkages, and you F
automata, as you may well find parts of your
will probably not be too concerned about mechanism moving too much or too little.
things like mechanical advantage. However, The model on the left is a good example of this.
understanding how they work is important as The distance from the Effort to the Fulcrum is
E
you will need to explore their full potential at quite short and the distance from the Fulcrum to
sometime. the Load is about fifteen times longer which
means that only a small amount of movement
SECOND ORDER LEVER was needed in order to lift the arm quite high.
The original cam needed to be made smaller as
it caused the arm to lift too much.
THIRD ORDER LEVER

L E
F
F

This automata is called the “Angry Diner”.

He rapidly bangs his knife and fork on the
table, impatient for his dinner. His arms act
as levers, amplifying the lift from the cam.
47
SPRINGS
Most automata, when designed properly, The Automata below uses a torsion spring in
should use mechanical force or gravity to side the crocodile’s mouth to help it close with a
achieve the desired motion. There are times fast snap.
when things need a helping hand. Springs
are very useful for providing that little bit of
assistance when necessary. Keeping the
cam follower on a cam is a good example of
where a spring can come in handy.
As you design your automata, you will
probably find the need to use springs. They
are very useful in helping to overcome some
design inadequacies. It is not cheating, just
creative problem solving!
Springs come in three main varieties. In the example above, the compression spring
keeps a wire (which is acting as the cam
A B follower) pushed against the cam
C

Most model shops sell bags of mixed springs

ranging in shape and size. They are useful to
have, but do not become over-reliant on them.
It is very easy to put a spring in when a
mechanism is not working properly. Try to
resolve the problem or redesign the parts if you
can.You should only use a spring as a last
resort or when it is vital to have one.
A is called a Compression spring. When squashed Springs provide varying tensions, not a
it tries to push back to its original shape. constant load. Trying to find the spring with the
B is called an Extension spring. When stretched it perfect tension can be difficult, as they are
tries to pull back to its original shape. In this example, the con rod (which is attached often too strong or too weak. You can make
C is called a Torsion spring, and can be used to to a crank) is pulled back by the extension your own out of sprung steel, such as piano
both pull or push. spring. wire if you are unable to buy a suitable one.
48
FREE MOVEMENT
GETTING SOMETHING FOR NOTHING Try to explore and exploit “free movement” in The key to achieving free movement is
So far we have looked at a wide range of your automata wherever possible. It is a great enabling parts to be free to move. This may
mechanisms and engineering principles. In this way of getting in extra action without extra sound obvious, but you have to make sure
section I would like to show you how to get work. that joints and linkages are designed to move
something for nothing! freely. You also have to give thought to the
The automata and mechanical principles that we designing of your automata and work out
have covered in previous chapters have all precisely what is going to happen.
been carefully designed to move in a certain Given the random nature of free movement it
way. But we can also tap into the power by can often bring an automata to life.
applying the principles of free movement. I will Movements are sometimes jerky and may not
explain this phenomenon with the example follow a precise path. But this can all add to
below: the charm. If you want precise and smooth
motion you have to control things
mechanically.

The Robot’s body is fixed to a con rod attached

to a crank. As it moves back and forth, the arms, The fish turns back and forth but, because the
legs and head flop about as they are free to move. tail and head are free to move, they swing from
This gives much more life and action to the side to side. This use of free movement makes The Dragon’s body is made to move in a
automata. The beauty is in the simplicity. There the automata far more exciting and life-like and certain way using a crank but the mouth is
is no need to make complex linkages to do this. does away with extra complex mechanisms. hinged and flaps about freely.
49
FREE MOVEMENT
This automata explores free movement to the
full. The twin cams rock the boat up and down,
while everything else is free to move. Gravity
pulls the oars back and forth which in turn make
the sailor rock to and fro. The cat rolls in and
out of the boat whilst the sea gull wobbles about
on a spring. Finally, the fish on the end of the
line leaps about as if it is very much alive.
This fish is a good example of the
uncertainty of free movement. It was
expected mainly to wave to and fro, but
somehow it picks up the variation of the
mechanism and wildly leaps about. This was
totally unplanned, but is a real added bonus.

50
THE DESIGN PROCESS
INSPIRATION RESEARCH
Mechanical toys and automata often appear This is just a general check list, and is by no Once you have come up with an idea, the
to have a life of their own, the simple means a fool-proof system for producing the next stage is to research it. The purpose of
mechanical parts seeming to produce an perfect automata, but it will help to weed out research is to get as much information as you
almost magical response in the figures that good ideas from the bad. At the start, base can about your subject. This helps you to
they move. Automata come in a vast range of your ideas on something that you are work out how something moves, the colours,
sizes and varying degrees of complexity. interested in such as a sport or a hobby. the scale etc. Research can be broken down
Some may keep your interest for several Animals can provide a wonderful subject on into two areas.
minutes whilst others you may just pass over. which to base a theme for an automata.
What makes an automata “good” is very As with any creative process, coming up with 1) Primary Research: This is where
subjective. We all like different things and we the idea is often the hardest part of the whole you make drawings of your
do not all find the same thing funny. As the process. You may, on the other hand, be subject from life.
old saying goes: “You can’t please all of the lucky and be brimming with ideas. But it is
people all of the time.” So where do you start. probably fair to say that most people have to As an example, you may draw a camel at the
The check list below gives some simple work hard at the inspirational, or ideas, stage. zoo. You do not have to be a great artist, but
suggestions against which to test your ideas. just looking and observing will help you
understand your subject. You may not always
1) Is it visually exciting? be able to draw from life, and the temptation
is always to work from the easiest sources
2) Is it funny? however, the best and most creative works
evolve from good observation. This is true for
3) Will it intrigue the viewer? all arts and crafts, and is the reason why
many artists spend so much time drawing.
4) Will it hold the viewers attention?
2) Secondary Research: Refers to
5) Is it too complex? things such as photos, pictures,
photocopies etc.
6) Is the humour too obscure?
This is usually the most accessible material to
7) Will I enjoy making it? get hold of. The library is a good place to
start, and you can often photocopy relevant
pages from books.

51
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Designing:
Designers often put together a “Mood Board” When you have got your research material, You will find you often have to complete your
or “Ideas Sheet” which is made up from a you need to begin developing it, into a work within in a certain time. So you will need
range of materials that reflect the theme. It working solution. A good idea is to start by to plan carefully.
can include colours, textures and writing a “Statement of Intent”. This is simply Once you have established a basic working
surroundings. They are often used in the a few sentences about the automata you brief you are ready to start designing your
fashion industry yet are of great benefit to any want to make. It is a great way of focusing automata. Begin by thinking about the
designer. In its simplest form you could paste your thoughts and forms the basis for a movements needed to make it behave
up all of your research material onto A3 or A2 design brief. The following headings will help realistically, and then try to match these to the
paper. Remember your ideas sheet is there to as a guide to the sort of things you need to mechanisms covered in the first part of the
inspire you, so make it interesting. think about. book.
Start sketching out your ideas. For complex
1) Who is my automata intended automata, you may find it easier to break
for? A small child, 12-14 year down all the movements and design the
old or adult etc? mechanisms individually. When this is done
you can then work out how to join the whole
2) What size will it be? Automata thing up.
can range from miniature pieces The actual design process is both exciting
for dolls houses, through to hand and frustrating. Once you have solved the
held ones or large scale works. initial mechanical problems, it is often helpful
to evaluate your work and see if you can
3) Simple or complex? One golden simplify anything. It is vitally important to keep
rule is to keep things simple, but sketching down your ideas. It is helpful to
even simple automata can get make accompanying notes as well. The
complicated. reason for this is that what appears to be very
simple and straight forward can often turn out
4) What materials do I want to work to be confusing and complex when looked at
in? Automata can be made in a week later. You may think you understand
paper, wood, or metal. Often you drawings at the time, and all the mechanisms
will work in a range of materials. make sense, but things do not always stay
clear. A few accompanying notes can help to
5) Deadlines: How long have I got explain and make sense of your drawing.
to make it? They can also jog your memory.
52
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Design Notes Development Working Model
It is a good idea to work in black felt tip pen You will need to take your ideas through to a Making the working model helps to highlight
which makes a committed and permanent final design and eventually draw them up in any design and construction problems. It can
mark, and will help you to draw and sketch in full detail, showing how all the mechanisms also save you a lot of time and effort later on.
a clearer, more simplified way. Try it for and moving parts will work. At this stage the design can be modified and
yourself and see. You should also work in a You may find that none of your initial ideas construction details finalised. It is also a vital
sketch book which can be purchased from art were suitable, so a modification or part of the design development process, as
shops and stationery stores. This keeps all combination of ideas can be put together to the working model helps you to evaluate your
your drawings in one place so there are no provide a workable solution. ideas and, if necessary, make changes. In
individual bits of paper to lose and you can Developing your work is a vital part of the some extreme cases it can highlight the fact
also refer back to past work for inspiration or design process. You will need to be very that the automata just will not work as
to find solutions to mechanical problems. objective about your own work, whilst not intended and a major redesign is called for.
being too dismissive of your ideas. Taking an This is where the phrase, “back to the
idea and developing it into a final solution is drawing board” originated from, and it
the very essence of the design process. So happens to all of us at some time or another.
enjoy it and have fun “pushing” your talents to The working model or prototype is best made
the limits. with card, wood and string as they are flexible
and quick to modify. Card is surprisingly
strong and can be used for the final automata
if you wish.
Your working model or prototype plays a big
part in the evaluation. At this stage the
practicality and feasibility of your design can
be assessed. You will find that there is almost
always something that needs changing in
order to make things work, and you often
discover an even better way of construction
comes to light.
It is also at this point you should evaluate
your work, and make sure that it still fits your
original criteria, ie: intended use, etc.

53
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Finished Automata Evaluation Below is a flow diagram of the design process:
With the working model complete, functioning The final evaluation is used as a guide with
properly and evaluated, you are ready to start which to test the success of your design INSPIRATION
on your finished piece. against your original intentions.
The choice of materials to work with is up to Every stage of the design process will include
you, as the designer. An appropriate choice some form of evaluation. Indeed designing is
should logically come out of the design really a continuous process of evaluation.
process and working model. Wood, metal and The evaluation may just be a process of RESEARCH
hard plastic, termed “ resistant” materials, are making mental notes about what did and did
hard and strong and should be used if the not work. Alternatively you can write up notes
automata needs strength, otherwise use card in your sketch pad. This is the best method to
or paper. adopt as it forms a valuable source of
DESIGN
The working model can form a template from research material to refer to in the future,
which to make many of the mechanical parts especially when you encounter problems.
such as cams, gears and pulleys. Be prepared
for some things to need modification.
Resistant materials are less tolerant then DEVELOPMENT
softer ones, and whereas a card gearwheel
may work, a wooden one may jam or stick, if
not properly designed.

WORKING MODEL
& PRELIMINARY EVALUATION

FINAL OUTCOME

A finished automata is a wonderful thing and you can rightly be proud of your achievements. Few
things are as rewarding as seeing people enjoying your work and asking , “How does it work”? EVALUATION
54
THE DESIGN PROCESS - SUMMARY
Two golden rules to keep in mind when The following headings should help as a guide After making the initial working model, it is useful to
starting are: line as to the sort of things you should be evaluate its effectiveness and highlight any design
thinking about when you start designing. problems that may still need to be resolved.
1) KEEP IT SIMPLE 1) Does it work the way it was intended?
1) Who is my automata intended 2) Can anything be improved or
2) MAKE IT INTERESTING for? A small child, 12-14 year simplified?
old or adult etc?
When you have come up with an idea for an 3) Is it going to be reliable?
automata run it through this check list: 2) What size will it be? Automata In the final evaluation you need to test against
can range from miniature pieces your original intentions. Below is the
1) Is it visually exciting?
for dolls houses, through to hand
2) Is it funny? held ones or large scale works. procedure you run through.
3) Will it intrigue the viewer? 1) Does it appeal to its intended user?
3) Simple or complex? One golden
4) Will it hold the viewers attention? 2) Does it work as intended?
rule is to keep things simple, but
5) Is it too complex? even simple automata can get 3) Is it safe for use by the intended user?
6) Is the humour too obscure? complicated.
4) Can it be improved in any way?
7) Will I enjoy making it? 4) What materials do I want to work 5) Is it going to be reliable?
in? Automata can be made in 6) Will any of the parts wear out too
You will then need to do some research about paper, wood, or metal. Often you
your subjects, trying to get as much visual will work in a range of materials. soon?
information as you can. There are two main
7) How easy will it be to repair if
types of research: 5) Deadlines: How long have I got
to make it? something goes wrong or breaks?
1) Primary Research: This is where
8) Were suitable materials used for
you make drawings of your
subject from life. the final construction?
9) Could alternative materials be
2) Secondary Research: Refers to
things such as photos, pictures, used (recycling)?
photocopies etc. 10) Can it be adapted in any way?

55
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Where to start The Frog
Knowing how the mechanisms work and what Stage 1) Inspiration Stage 2) Research
movements they are capable of making is of The inspiration for this automata came from a This is one of the most important processes. If
great importance when it comes to designing rubber that goes on to the end of a pencil. you want to get the best out of your automata
your automata. Frogs have interesting features as well as an then this is the stage you need to get right.
But just how do you come up with ideas and exciting way of getting around which is very Begin by producing an “Ideas Sheet”. This is
make them work? This section looks at the distinctive and relatively simple to emulate. simply a large piece of card onto which are
design process and gives suggestions and pasted as many images of your subject as you
ideas on which to base your own work. can find. They can range from simple cartoons
It is a considerable challenge to design and to drawings, paintings and photos. Magazines
make automata, so keep in mind two golden are a good source of material. You can take
rules: photocopies from books and if possible try and
take some photos first-hand.
1) KEEP IT SIMPLE From the ideas sheet start making simple line
drawings to determine the best shape and
2) MAKE IT INTERESTING angle to work at. Simplify the shapes as you
are going to work in wood or card eventually.
These two design criteria are useful to base Try and find the thing that makes a frog look
all your work against. If the designs pass this like a frog etc. (The key features of shape and
simple test then go on and make them. form that make the frog or your subject
Look for inspiration from the people and recognisable).
things happening around you. The animal The next thing to do is try and simplify the
kingdom is a very rich source of ideas, and movement of the frog by looking for
can be a good point from which to start your characteristic movements. (In this case a
own work. hopping or jumping movement).
The following section runs through the Finally choose the main colours to work with.
complete process of designing and making In this case it was easy - Green.
two automata. This should help give you an
insight to the principles to follow and the
problems you may encounter, as well as ways
to find solutions.

56
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Stage 3) Design Stage 4) A Working Model
This is the stage where you make decisions The next task is to finalise the design as a From the design sheets, a working model is
about size and colour, and begin to devise the working drawing. At this point decisions about made out of a mixture of card and wood. This
simplest mechanism which will make your the mechanisms, the box they are housed in is the exciting part of the process where your
automata work. and the materials to work in will all be made. drawings come to life. It is also a time for
The first thing to establish is a “User Profile”. Next the design of the frog is developed. discovering what does and does not work.
Simply put, decide who the automata is A “working drawing” will contain all the You can save a lot of time and energy by
intended for, i.e. children or adults. The frog information needed in order to construct a producing a working model even though the
automata or mechanical toy is intended for “working model”. At this stage everything is temptation is to go ahead and start on the
young children aged 3 upwards. This now theoretical and it should work, but problems final one.
means designing something which is strong, can still arise.
durable and with no sharp edges or small
pieces that could break off. It also needs to be
colourful and slightly cartoon like (whimsical).
With this information you can begin designing.
The frog needs to move up and down, which
provides a choice of two mechanisms - a cam
or crank. The cam in this instance seems the
best choice. The crank could be adapted but
would make the mechanism more
complicated.
The next decision is what sort of cam to use.
A single lobe would give one big jump, a
triangle or square would give a faster action.
Earlier research showed that frogs jump in big
leaps, so it makes sense to go for a single
lobe cam. Small children should be able to A number of things came out from this
follow the action better if it is slower. working model that were not apparent in the
drawing. One is that the crank handle needs
The basic design is starting to look like this. to be bigger so that children with small hands
There are still a lot of problems to resolve, but can turn it easily. Secondly the frog needs to
drawing ideas helps to clarify the design be double sided. This will enable left and right
process. handed children to use it.
57
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Stage 5) Evaluation and Development Stage 6) Final automata
After making the initial working model it is All the design problems have, in theory, been
useful to evaluate its effectiveness and to ironed out, so the final stage is to make the
highlight any design problems that may still automata out of what is termed “resistant
need to be resolved. Try working to a simple materials”. Wood was chosen (in particular
check list: pine which is soft and easy to cut).
The final automata is assembled and painted.
1) Does it work the way it was Most of the parts are made directly from
intended? patterns that were produced for the working
model and have been tested so should work
2) Can anything be improved or without any problems. The scotch yoke has
simplified? been substituted to provide more lift. It
worked well in card and so should be fine
3) Is it going to be reliable? when constructed in wood. Because of the
new design, the frog is attached permanently
4) Does it look and move in a to the rest of the automata which makes it
frog-like manner? safer for younger children. In this case
switching mechanisms has proved useful,
Inevitably, you will need to adapt some aspect and shown how things can easily be
of your design. Apart from a larger handle overlooked.
and the need to paint the frog on both sides, Now finished, and working as intended, there
in this instance a much bigger problem has was a teething problem with one of the legs
been highlighted. The frogs legs are too long sticking. This was due to the paint taking out
and do not leave the base when the frog is at the free play in the joint. A bit of vigorous
the top of its travel. The cam is just about as push-pulling soon bedded it in.
big as it can go so a major re-think is called Several problems were highlighted when
for. One possible solution would be to slightly designing and constructing this simple
shorten the legs and make the cam larger. automata, so take heart when you encounter
The most practical solution is to replace the problems with your own work. There is
cam with a crank, and the scotch yoke crank usually a way to overcome the setbacks you
is a good choice if side to side movement is meet. The final automata works as intended and has
to be avoided. This makes it a more evolved into a more practical toy for the
complicated automata than originally planned. children it was intended for.
58
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Stage 7) Evaluation The procedures that are followed are
This final stage is very important and you now common to most designers. It is important to
need to test against your original intentions. work in a clear and methodical manner. This
Below is the procedure that was run through. does not have to be at the cost of creativity
but, if anything, should help you channel your
1) Does it appeal to its intended ideas and energies towards a successful
user? solution. It is worth mentioning that you face
two problems. The first is what to make, the
2) Does it work as intended? second is how to make it.
I try to design and make automata that have a
3) Is it safe for use by the intended fun aspect to them. Often they turn out as
user? simple jokes or whimsical aspects of
everyday life. Do not be offended in the least
4) Can it be improved in any way? if people think of your work as toys because
that is exactly what they are; objects to play
5) Is it going to be reliable? with and stimulate the imagination.
The design process is essential in order to
6) Will any of the parts wear out too produce a working solution. Making automata
soon? is not easy, but it is a rewarding and satisfying
thing to do, especially when they work!
7) How easy will it be to repair if As you can see from this example, things do
something goes wrong or breaks? not always go to plan. However, a thorough
approach to the design process will help you
8) Were suitable materials used for make successful and exciting automata.
the final construction?

9) Could alternative materials be

used (recycling)?

10) Can it be adapted in any way?

Be prepared to have to make and modify

several versions of the final automata.
59
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Mechanisms and Design process The spider The submarine
This section looks at the process of designing This needed to appear to crawl up and down The submarine needed to rise up and down.
a complicated automata, and takes a more out of the tap. The best way to achieve this A simple double cam achieved this.
detailed look at the mechanisms. was to have some fishing line on a crank,
which lifted the spider up while gravity pulled
1) Inspiration The idea for this automata was it down. This meant that it had to made out of
based on reversing objects in their something heavy, which was important
environment. I felt that it would be fun to see because the line passed at least 3 places
a fish taking a bath. which restricted movement.

2) Research An ideas board was made up

with fish and baths cut out of magazines as
well as drawings from life at a local aquarium.

3) Design The initial designs came from

making different sketches based on the
research material. The automata needed to
be simple, so the big problem was to keep it
flat yet 3D. This could be achieved by working
in layers rather like a theatre set which would
give the automata a feeling of depth.
Having sketched out a simple diagram,
objects were added in the bath to liven things
up. At this point there was no thought of how
they would move or what mechanisms to use,
so that was the next thing to resolve.
In this example the mechanisms were
designed individually and then combined at
the end of the design process.

60
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
The duck The fish
The duck needed to give the The fish needed to give an impression of
impression of bobbing up scrubbing his back, requiring a back and forth
and down as if on choppy movement. The best way to do this was by
water. Two cams on the pivoting the fin and moving it up and down.
input shaft (for speed) were The brush was then pivoted on the end of the
placed next to each other fin. This made the brush’s movement fairly
and offset, giving a nice flexible. It also needed to follow the contours
bobbing motion. of the fish’s back, so the brush was indented
ensuring it stayed in position. A Scotch yoke
was used to power the fin.
The next step was to put all the mechanisms
together

61
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
All the mechanical problems have been
resolved. A working model made in wood was
adapted for the final automata. The working
model showed that the brushing movement
was sufficient, but not really convincing. A
crank with a longer throw was therefore
substituted. The other objects, duck, spider,
fish and submarine were all fine, however the
second output shaft had to be cut and
supported half way along. This was because
it jammed the submarine and spider
mechanisms something totally overlooked at
the design stage. A gear ratio of 3:1 was
used to both slow down the movement of the
fish and also to add contrast to the fast
bobbing duck. Overall this has been a
success.

The illustration below shows the main crank

shaft. It was made with the shaft running
through the cranks which kept everything
straight whilst the glue set. Then the unwanted
parts were cut away.
Waste parts

62
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
The last automata we looked at was fairly The other thing to mention is the amount of Do not overlook the properties of card, there
complicated, involving several mechanical time it takes to make an automata. It will is not much it can not be made to do, and it is
components. If you break things down and do surprise you just how long the whole process ideal for younger people to work with.
not try and be too ambitious, most things are is, so do not rush, and allow plenty of time for
achievable. planning and making.
I hope you have found this section on There are many skills to learn and you may
designing helpful, especially those people find you have to use a range of unfamiliar
using this book as part of the education tools. Also you may be working for the first
curriculum and who need to help their time with wood and metal.
students to document the design process.
While it really does pay off to do things
thoroughly, as you get more experienced you
may well find yourself going straight into the
final work without making a working model.
There is a wealth of inspiration for ideas, but
like most creative activities you may find
starting a bit of a stumbling block.
Be prepared for things to go wrong with your
first few automata and do not be
disheartened. Even experienced makers still
have disasters every now and then, but learn
so much from these attempts so that
successive automata are much better.
Personal experience has shown how
frustrating those early attempts can be. Even
the simplest automata will need a bit of fine This automata is made from thin card
tuning. and is very strong. It was also easy to cut
If younger people are making automata, it is out and glue.
vitally important that they do not try anything
too complicated, as failure will quickly lead to
frustration and lack of interest. The automata on the left used both wood and
metal in its construction. The tall buildings and
cars were all made out of thick card.
63
AUTOMATA FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE
Possibilities, Problems and Solutions Younger Children 5-7 Inspiration and Research
This section looks at the possibilities, The design process was covered in some Animals are a great starting point for younger
problems and solutions for younger people detail in the previous chapter, and this needs children. They can start by cutting out animals
making automata. It is important to start by to be simplified for young children but can be from magazines and sticking them down on
stating that you should never underestimate used as the basis from which to start. an “Ideas Sheet”. You may want to theme this
the capabilities of young children. However, Many factors come into play with younger i.e. farm animals, dogs, cats, or be able to
do not encourage them to tackle too complex children in this age group (manual dexterity coincide this with a trip to the zoo. The best
or ambitious work at the start. This is because and conceptual awareness of the design approach is to focus on some aspect of the
children, especially younger ones, can have process are, for many, likely to be fairly animal kingdom and then look for key
an over-abundance of natural enthusiasm, limited). Help and encouragement from movements such as a snapping crocodile,
which needs careful guidance. Properly adults, teachers and even older brothers or kitten chasing its tail or frog jumping.
channelled they will be inspired and sisters will help them to achieve a higher level When it comes to designing, stick to the very
enthralled with the automata they make. of success. simple mechanical movements such as cams
Repeated failures, or work that doesn’t meet and cranks. These will still produce a range of
expectations, will soon leave them exciting actions. Making the animal forms
uninterested in the whole process. should also be simplified and either kept flat
Personal capabilities differ for every child, and or constructed from simple shapes.
many factors, such as manual dexterity,
concentration or artistic ability will have a
bearing on their level of skill. So as a guide
this section is divided into 2 age categories:
5-7 and 7-11. There will obviously be some
crossover between the two, but splitting them
helps to identify key skill areas within each
group.

64
AUTOMATA FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE
Getting results fast
Young children want results fast, in order to
keep them interested. You may decide to skip
a working model and go straight into the final
work. This can result in some fine tuning
being needed to get things working properly.
You should test each component as it is made
so all the parts should work when combined
together.
Working with card and paper is recommended
as these materials are easily cut and worked.
Household packaging is very useful;
toothpaste boxes, plastic bottles and drinks This simple mechanism is very versatile. As
cartons, for example, can all be used to mentioned, the pecking chickens are an old
construct bases or animals. Simple origami favourite, but you can adapt the movement to
animals can also be very effective when most things. In fact, you can replicate the
incorporated into automata. action of a simple crank, without having to
You may find that for very young children make any mechanical parts. It is this The hungry diner
even simple cranks and cams may be too simplicity and adaptability which makes this a is thumping his knife
complex, so push-pull mechanisms can be great starting point for young automata and fork as he waits
used instead. Pecking chickens are an a old makers. impatiently for his dinner
favourite and rely on weight and gravity to
produce movement. Pulling the string on a Pin attaching the neck The trick when using this technique is to
simple figure makes the arms and legs move and tail to the body make sure that the parts you want to move
and is a very simple way of producing and are pinned in such a way as to allow gravity
learning about movement. This is an area to pull them down. It is also important that
well worth exploring, and can be easily they can move freely. In the example to the
adapted for many things. left you can see that that the pin is placed
The following automata make use close to the string, the neck of the chicken is
of linkages and levers to create quite long and so dips down, the swinging
movement. weight then pulling it up. The weight should
be fairly heavy; a large nut or wooden ball
works well.
65
AUTOMATA FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE
Using lolly sticks or something similar you can
create a scissor like action that extends when
the ends are squeezed together and
contracts when opened. This simple device
is easy to make and is very effective. The This toy uses elastic
more sticks that you use, the greater the threaded through two
reach and more dramatic the action. The sticks and then crossed
example below is made from lolly sticks that through the character’s
The cat and monkey work by
have been drilled to allow split pins to join the arms (see above ).
placing two sticks of wood of
sticks together. Two separate jaws are When the lower ends of
slightly different lengths on top
centrally hinged and taped on each end, the sticks are squeezed
of each other. The characters
which will create the snapping action. This together the elastic
are hinged at the ends and
could be adapted for different animals. You stretches and twists
when the sticks are slid back
can substitute thick card or art straws for the which makes the
and forth the animals leap up
lolly sticks. acrobat leap up and
and down. A simple eye- screw
down depending on the
is used to guide and hold the
pressure applied.
sticks together.
Jumping Jacks can be
made from wood or card.
When the string is pulled it
makes a single jerky
movement, pulling the limbs
up, and then when you let
go gravity pulls them back
down. The simplest way to
construct one is to use card
and split pins, making sure
that everything can move
freely. The diagram on the
left shows how to thread the
cord.

66
AUTOMATA FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE
Older Children 7-11 Mastering Mechanisms
As children get older their comprehension You will probably have to “down size” initial Cams and cranks offer the best mechanical
and dexterity improve. A consequence of this ideas, but this can be negotiated and used as principles for this age group. They can
is that individuals are able to undertake more part of the design and evaluation process. produce a wide range of movements, yet are
complex tasks. They still need a little Children enjoy drawing and find it comes still relatively easy to make. Simple gearing or
supervision, but should be able to play a naturally. Making and painting things is a little pulleys could also be introduced for more
much more active role when making more difficult as they are not everyday ambitious and able students. This allows for
automata. As with younger children, it is activities. It takes time to make even the more complex actions to take place, and can
suggested that they take ideas from the simplest of automata, so try and break things help slow or speed things up. Again, simple
animal kingdom and use them as the basis down into stages rather than trying to materials can be used such as wooden
for the first couple of automata they make. complete them in one session. dowels, art straws and lolly sticks.
Then look at the child’s interests for As with younger children, you may find Papier-mache and “mod rock“ make good
inspiration; football, cars, dinosaurs, horses working in card easier to begin with. modelling materials and offer a lot of scope.
etc. Remember to keep things simple. Older Recycling old household objects and
children tend to be far more ambitious with packaging also offers many possibilities.
their ideas, and may need help in scaling Balsa wood is another malleable material,
things down to achievable levels. It is which can be easily and safely cut and
important to negotiate and explain why an sanded into shape. Although fairly soft it can
idea needs modifying. Children must feel that be used successfully to make the casing to
they are playing an active role and not just house simple mechanisms.
being told what to do.
You may also want to start working, in part,
with resistant materials, especially with 10-11
year olds. You will also find that older children
are able to work through the design process,
but keep it within their scope and make it as
enjoyable and interesting as you can.
Encourage them to research and design their
own automata. The drawings may be crude
but they will feel they are part of the process
and in control.

67
AUTOMATA FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE
A simple crank is a good mechanism to start You can make good use of household
with. It can be adapted in many ways to packaging. The recycling is a very positive
produce exciting and lively movement. You can aspect. The automata below use a small
make all these automata out of card and wire. drinks carton to hold the mechanism. Florist’s
wire is used to make the crank and handle,
while a drinking straw has been cut for use as
spacers to keep the crank pins in place and
make a handle. You can adapt this to use
bigger boxes for larger automata

In this example the eel

wriggles up and down as
well as side to
side.
The “Bed Bug” leaps
about on top of the sheets.

The fish are made from coloured

paper and folded origami style.
They bob up and down as well as
side to side. Below you can see the
mechanism inside the drinks carton.
It is very simple and effective.
As with the “pecking chickens” and
“sliding sticks”, you can adapt these This snappy lobster makes use of 2 cranks
mechanisms to make more sophisticated that alternately pull the claws open. This
automata. They are still easy to make, but offer could be adapted to the pendulum mechanism
more creative scope.
68
AUTOMATA FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE
The automata on the right uses a simple
cam to make the owl’s beak and head
snap up and down. The con rod also links
the wings, which act as bell cranks
and give the appearance of
flapping. This entire automata is
made from paper and card.
The lobed cam is constructed
from thick corrugated card. As
with cranks you can use pencils, art straws
or wooden dowels to make the supporting
shafts, cranks and con rods. Wood glue or
PVA can be used to stick all the parts
together. This automata can be adapted very
easily to make other birds such as Penguins The lobed cam above is made from
or Parrots, and even animals or people. corrugated cardboard. The base is
made out of a cereal box.
Gears
This illustration shows you Older children can be introduced to the
Con Rod
The robot, above, again makes use of how the mechanisms are principals of gearing. They can make very
a cardboard box (the robot is also made of constructed. The head is effective gears out of lolly sticks, pencils and
card), with a simple wire crank that lifts his hinged at the back and is wooden dowel stuck to
legs and arms up to give him the appearance pushed up by the con rod. cardboard. The example
of walking. This automata could be adapted The wings are slotted on the right uses a ratio
to other characters, and through the body (which acts of 2:1 The driver has 8
you could even have 2 or as a pivot) and are attached lolly sticks whilst the
more figures moving. to a rod that is in turn driven gear has 16. (This
You can make a stronger Pivot connected to the con rod. means that the driven
crank out of thick Point This provides the lift for the gear’s circumference will
corrugated card and use wings. Both the head and have to be twice that of
pencils for the shafts. cam follower are assisted the driver gear.) This sort
by gravity which provides of gearing is very simple
Cam Follower the downward force. and fun to make.
69
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
TOOLS
You don’t need a vast range of tools in order to make automata but there are a number of essential items you will need to
work with. Power tools are great labour saving devices, but all the hand powered equivalents work well and can be better to
use especially when working on small scale pieces. Below is a list of useful tools to have when working in resistant materials
such as wood, metal or plastic.

Tenon saw Wood Saw Fret Saw

A tenon saw is a good tool to cut wood. It has A small wood saw with a 12 inch blade and This saw has a very fine, thin blade which is
a fine blade which cuts both hard and soft rough teeth (which gives a rougher cut) is kept under tension so that it can not bend.
woods very cleanly. It should be used in capable of cutting to any depth and is much The saw frame is deep, enabling you to work
conjunction with a wooden mitre, which helps easier to use on larger pieces of wood. This on larger pieces of wood. The fret saw is
to hold the wood firmly and lets you cut again is an essential item. mainly used for cutting out intricate shapes
accurate straight or angled lines. The tenon and patterns. The blade is thin, so it is
saw has a metal seam running along the top capable of turning very sharply, giving it extra
of the blade this gives it strength but also versatility. It is useful for cutting out shapes
limits the depth of cut to about 10cm. The such as animals in ply wood. A fret saw can
tenon saw should handle most small scale be used on both wood and metal (using
jobs and is essential. special blades) and is also essential.

70
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
POWER SAWS:
Power tools are great labour saving devices and can considerably reduce the time it takes to make automata. However, they
do demand a great deal of care and common sense when being used. Power saws are the most dangerous tools to work
with as mistakes can be very harmful. When working with power tools always wear safety goggles, and keep jewellery
and any loose clothing or articles away from moving parts.

BAND SAWS Scroll Saw:

The band saw is a very versatile power tool. It The scroll saw has a very fine blade that is
enables you to cut wood in a very straight line powered up and down at about 1400 rpm. It is
(with the use of a mitre), and there are the power version of the fret saw and can cut
attachments to enable you to cut circles, or very intricate shapes, even to quite a small
even turn it into a scroll saw. When used with size.
a narrow blade you can cut curved shapes As with any power tool, avoid getting your
and, with care and practice, quite intricate fingers too close to the moving parts. The
shapes can be cut out of wood, plastic and scroll saw is quite forgiving (unlike a band
even thin metal. It is not really practical for saw) but should still be used with care. When
using on small work . operating a scroll saw your fingers are often
Band saws come in all shapes and sizes and very close to the blade and it is important not
are often referred to as two or three wheel to push them into the front of the part which
types. This refers to the actual wheels the has the cutting edge. However, an accident
blade rotates around. Many come with BAND SAW with a scroll saw is unlikely to cause a very
variable speeds, which is useful when cutting serious injury. It is this comparative safety that
materials such as perspex that need to be makes them popular in schools and suitable
worked at a slower blade speed to stop it for older children to use if closely supervised.
melting and rejoining. The scroll saw can be fitted with a range of
The band saw is a very useful tool to have and blades and can cut wood and metal up to two
small relatively inexpensive ones are available inches thick. They are extremely versatile and
from many tool suppliers. Although for the useful labour saving devices. A real must for
serious automata maker they are useful but the serous automata maker.
not essential. Children should never use one. Check the web site www.automata.co.uk for
If you do not like the idea of working with a details of our training video.
band saw then stick to hand saws. SCROLL SAW
71
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
DRILLS Power hand drills Pillar Drills
Hand drills Power drills are really a little too big and The pillar drill normally has five speeds which
A good bevel gear hand drill will give you lots fierce, especially when working on smaller are changed by repositioning the drive belt
of control, and is an essential item to have. pieces. However, smaller battery powered onto different size pulleys. They are operated
You do not often have to drill deep holes ones with variable speed control can be by a handle that pulls down the drill bit. This
when making automata, so hand power is not useful, and are much safer to work with. gives you control over the depth of hole as
too exhausting. The trick to using a hand drill well as a straight vertical cut. The work can
(in fact any drill) is to try and keep the drill bit be held in a vice which increases safety. The
(that's the the part that does the cutting) as pillar drill is a very versatile power tool, which
o
vertical (90 ) to the work as possible so that can be purchased for a very good price
the hole is straight. This can be a little tricky (similar to that of a powered hand tool - but a
with hand drills, as they tend to wobble a bit much safer alternative). A must have item for
when you turn the handle. the serious automata maker!

Mini Drills
Variable speed (12 volt) mini drills used by
Correct
model makers can be very useful. They take
a range of specifically made accessories for
Incorrect cutting metal, grinding, polishing, as well as
very fine drill bits. I find them particularly
useful on small delicate work. Their big
advantages are size and controllability.

Try to keep the brill bit as straight as possible

to the work.
72
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
When working with resistant materials you Wire cutters You can make working prototypes of your
will find it useful to have a range of small automata or even finished work using
hand tools. card. Below is a list of equipment you will
find useful to work with:
Long Nose Pliers
Large and small pair of scissors

A scalpel or craft knife

Junior Hack Saw
A steel rule, with a handle that keeps your
fingers away from the edge

General items that you will find useful are

Short nose pliers as follows:

A compass

Tin Snips 2B Pencil

Rubber

Masking tape

G clamps Rubber Bands

Small Pipe Cutter
Sellotape

Wood glue (this can also be used on paper

and card).

Mitre Square

Protractor
73
CONSTRUCTION
An open sided wooden box is an ideal
housing for automata mechanisms, and is
very simple to make. You will need to work
out the length and depth needed, then simply
glue together, placing the ends onto the base
and then the top. Wood glue sets fairly
quickly, so you only need to put pressure on
the pieces for a couple of minutes before
letting go, or you can g-clamp them in
position.
You can vary this design; if you are good at
wood working you may want to dovetail joint
the box to give it a professional look.
Alternatively you may want to use wooden To join the pieces together and to make a
dowels to pin the sides together. Whatever strong joint use wooden dowels, wood glue or
construction method you use, this simple both.
design is a good starting point.
6mm pine is a nice wood to work with. You
can, of course, use whatever is to hand, even
plywood and thick balsawood will work.
Fairly thin wood can still be alright especially
for smaller automata but, as a rough rule, the
larger the automata you make, the thicker the
base needs to be in order to support the A simple 4 sided box makes an ideal housing for
mechanisms. an automata mechanism. You can make it out
of a range of materials such as cardboard or
wood.

If you are good at woodwork you may want to

make simple dovetail joints to create the box.

74
CONSTRUCTION
Cams, gears and figures Plywood is made by gluing strips of wood If you want to produce more detailed work
Most components can easily be made out of together with their grains running in opposite (which may involve whittling or wood carving),
pine. It is a lovely soft wood, easily shaped directions. This gives it tremendous strength; then lime is excellent to work in as it is
and sanded which is very useful when the more layers it has, the stronger it reasonably soft but holds a good edge. This
modifying your cam’s shape. 6mm thick pine becomes. For making automata, the outer allows you to put in very small details. More
is fine for constructing most cams. Avoid wood face should be of a high quality such as complicated characters are often made up of
wood with knots on the surface, these cause beech. This will give you a much better finish. several types of wood.
problems when cutting. Do not use MDF as it The inner sections are often made of cheaper If you are carving wood then make sure that
produces a harmful dust when sanded or cut. wood. When cutting small intricate shapes a you always cut away from yourself and hold
Plywood can be useful for making cams but is poor quality plywood can break or split, and the work squarely in a vice. It is worth reading
most suitable for figures such as animals, small pieces of the inner layers can fall out. up on the subject and there are many good
people or dinosaurs. It comes in a range of Because of it’s construction plywood is very books on wood carving for the beginner.
thicknesses, also referred to as “plys” or strong, this also makes it tough to cut. Hand
layers. 3ply is the thinnest you can get. It is saws are fine on the smaller thicknesses but
worth working with a quality plywood as thicker wood may need to be cut with a
cheaper ones tend to splinter very easily. power saw, if you want to produce more
intricate shapes.

Bench Hook

A work bench offers a safe and convenient

You can use a combination of woods to make place to work when making automata out of
different parts of an automata. In the above wood or metal. You should also use a bench
example the boat, cat and waves were made with hook or vice to hold work securely when
plywood whilst the fisherman was made out of lime Workbench Vice cutting or carving.
75
CONSTRUCTION
Working with metals
Sometimes you may want to work with Brass wire comes in many thicknesses. 2mm Brass and copper tubes and rods come in all
metals. Linkages are an example where thin is excellent for making linkages, as it can sizes. Square rods and tubes are very useful,
brass rods are very useful. easily be bent with long nose pliers to make as they can stop the turning action of the cam
The most common metals used in automata hooked or circular ends. and follower which you get with round tubing.
are copper, brass, tin and mild steel. All can Whichever tubing you work with make sure
be easily worked and can be joined by that the inner rod moves freely. Use graphite
soldering or even gluing. as a lubricant, not oil, which causes the
Brass tubes and rods make excellent cam mechanism to drag. Metal to metal contact is
followers; they are easily cut with a junior fine. Most automata work at a slow speeds
hack saw or mini tube cutter. Thin brass and and under fairly light loads, so friction will not
copper sheet can be cut with scissors and be a problem.
formed into shape. The flying pig’s wings
were made from brass sheet. It is a very
quick and effective way of putting detail into
your automata. I use brass for much of my
own work. It is easy to bend, cut or solder and
has a lovely bright finish.

Be aware that when working with metal that it can have sharp edges that can cause cuts.
Cutting metal can also create sharp edges. These can be smoothed down with emery
paper or a metal file.
76
CONSTRUCTION
Gluing
There are a number of glues that work very Two part epoxy resin glues are incredibly A useful tip for using wood glue (to make a
well for various needs. strong, dry quickly and stick most things. base for example) is to put a few spots of
They work very well on metal and wood, and glue down with the glue gun and then use
Wood to wood, cardboard or paper: are an invaluable aid to the automata maker. traditional wood glue. The hot glue will dry in
Wood glue is a great all round adhesive. It about a minute and hold the work whilst the
dries clear and sets fairly quickly. Paper and wood glue sets in about 15 - 20 minutes. This
card are wood in origin, so it works well with will avoid you having to clamp the work.
them. There are many different brands on the
market; they all seem to do a good job and
are readily accessible from most hardware Hot glue from gun
stores. If you can find it professional wood
working glue (which is often yellow, and
sometimes referred to as aliphatic resin) The secret to epoxy glues, is to Wood glue
gives excellent results. mix both parts thoroughly and in
even amounts. (Always follow
Wood or metal the manufacturers guidelines.)
A two-part epoxy resin is very useful as it
dries in about 10 minutes and sets clear. You Glue guns:
thoroughly mix equal parts and, when first Glue guns are very useful. They use sticks of
mixed, the glue is fairly runny. As it begins to ordinary or wood working glue. Be warned
set, it gradually becomes stiffer until it the glue is very hot when it comes out and
eventually starts hardening, When stiff, you burns if touched. However, It does cool
can place it on the objects that need joining. quickly. It will join most materials together,
Be watchful, as the glue very quickly turns although it does not form such a strong bond
from stiff to set. Give yourself enough time to as wood glue or epoxy resign.
work, and only mix up as much glue as you You do not have much control over the
can use in that time. spread of glue, so a trigger type of gun is
Warning: Two part epoxy resin glues contain recommended. This at least lets you control
harmful chemicals. They should be used with the flow of glue and can be used with one
care, and if you get any on your skin, wash hand. A glue gun will work on metal, wood
immediately with soap and water. card and paper, depending on the glue stick
you select.
77
CONSTRUCTION
Paper and card glues Soldering Painting
Wood glue is excellent for bonding paper and Brass, steel and copper can all be soldered in It is often nice to finish automata by painting
card but is not suitable for children to use. order to join them. There are a number of them. Acrylic paints work well, they give a
PVA glue is a good alternative. It takes a little good quality lead free solders on the market good finish and are non toxic. You can also
longer to dry, but is relatively harmless and that work well and are safer to use. Many also get craft paints made specifically for wood.
safe for younger people to work with under have a flux core that helps the soldering They come in a gloss or matt finish (I prefer
supervision. All purpose adhesive is excellent process. The soldering iron needs to be the gloss) and again give very good results.
in its solvent base form. It dries very quickly handled with care as it gets very hot, as do Finally a word of caution, when you paint
and makes a strong bond. Again this is not the splashes of solder that can drop off the wood with waterbased paints it invariably
suitable for children. It also comes solvent end or from the soldered parts. You should swells a little. This means the parts can
free, a form that is safe for children and works wear goggles and take care not to breathe in sometimes jam, as the free play disappears.
well. any fumes. This can be overcome by moving (easing) the
Soldering takes a little practice, but produces parts until they move freely again.
a very strong bond between metals. You must
make sure that all surfaces to be soldered are
clean and grease free.

If you are working with card or paper then

there are several glues you can use that are safe
and solvent free. You can also use tape to stick
things down.
78
SUMMING UP
Making automata can be challenging,
frustrating, and fun. Sometimes mechanisms
work well initially, but the next day they don’t
work properly. Bits drop off or they fall apart.
On other days everything works well and
keeps on working, so you know you are
having a good day! Whatever you do, do it for
fun. It really does get easier and, like
anything, the more practice you have the
better you get. It is easy to be dismissive of
automata as just whimsical toys, but they are
much more than that. Even the simplest
piece of work can encompass a whole host of
artistic and craft skills, not to mention
engineering theory and practices. But when
you turn the handle something magical
happens as your work comes to life. We
humans love movement and in this modern
age we are bombarded with it, yet it still
captivates us.
You will have triumphs and tragedies. Many
automata makers who have been working
over a period of time have a collection of odd
mechanisms and body parts which are a
testament to their failures. The parts still
maintain something special, which is enough
to keep them, and they can often be recycled
into other automata.
Be proud of what you make and enjoy the
whole process. The automata you make This automata called “Jungle Jimmy” was
today could be tomorrow’s antiques, so a little made out of an old plastic chair and covered in
bit of the magic can live on. paper pulp to form the shapes. When you turn
his tail the animals on his back jump about.
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INDEX
A Crank 17 Engaging 22 J N Self-conjugate 11
crank pin 17 Evaluation 55, 58 Scotch yoke 17
Archimedes 45 crank shaft 17 Joining 38 Nails 24 Shaft 8
Axle 42 crank slider 18 F Jumping 35 Notes 25 Soldering 78
crank throw 17 Junior hack saw 73 Springs 48
B concentric crank 19 Follower 8 O Sprocket 44
eccentric crank 19 Fret saw 70 K Snail 10, 30
Ball bearing 42 fast return crank 20 Friction 36 Observation 51 Synchronised 30
Bearings 42 scotch yoke 18 Fulcrum 45 Kinetic art 79 Offset 10
Bell Crank 20 Offsetting 11 T
Belt 35, 38 D G L Output 21, 43
Bicycle chain 35 Design Teeth 23
Block 8 cams 10 G-clamp 73 Levers 45, 47 P Timing 29
gears 25 Gears 22 Archimedes 45 Tin snips 73
C ratchets 34 bevel 24 first order 45 Panel pins 24 Transmitting 41
Design process 51 parallel 24 effort 45 Pawl 31
Cam 8 Designing 52 Gear chain 22 fulcrum 45 Permanent 53 W
calculate 9 Development 53 Gear trains 22 second order 45 Pillar drill 72
designing 10 Drills Gear tooth 23 theory 46 Pliers Web site 2
drop 11 bits 72 Gearbox 23 third order 46 long nose 73 Wood glue 74
concentric 15 hand 72 Gravity 20, 48, 50 Linkage 39 short nose 73 Wood saw 70
follower 8 mini 72 bell crank 41 Pivot 40 Working model 53
friction drive 44 pillar 72 H transfer 40 Protractor 73
lobed 10 power 72 transmitting 41 Pulleys 35
materials 14 Drives 43 Hand power 43
offset 11 friction 43 Hand tools 73 M R
reciprocating 8 hand 42
skew 11 indirect 43 I Mechanical Ratchets 31
support 8 positive 43 advantage 21 Reciprocating 8
snail 10 Idler 22 Metals 76, 77
throw 15 E Input 22 Mechanisms 60, S
Chain 35, 44 Eccentric 18 Inspiration 64 67, 79
Electric motors 43 Intermittent motion 31 Movement 49 Skew 11
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