We have been asked to promote a newcomer to the world of automata design so I have asked Sophie to introduce herself.
I also need to try and get better with updating the blog, I will put it on my 2010 resolutions list!!
I'm Sophie Catherine Naylor and I'm an Illustrator and Automatist based in Derbyshire in the UK. I graduated from Loughborough University, in 2009, with a BA Hons in Illustration and Animation. In my final year I was able to experiment and specialise In automaton. I take inspiration from British Culture, historical inventions, gadgetry, contraptions, and nostalgic eras. My automata's depict British ness, in a eccentric, quirky, humorous context. These automata's are created from a wide range of materials, of which roughly 90% are recycled from house hold waste. I enjoy taking disused materials, old clock parts, beer cans, scrap wood and transforming them into something beautiful, and contextually engaging.Over the past few years, I have had illustrations of classic cars published in various MG magazines.In 2008 I was commissioned by Martins World Group in collaboration with the Norwegian Tourist Board to produce a illustration of a Lynx on location, while being filmed. The footage was edited into a DVD, with Chris Tarant as the presenter.The DVD is part of a tourist information package. Christmas 2008 I was awarded a merit within the American 3x3 Illustration Competition, my winning entry "Go Organic, Plop 'N' Grow" automata will be published in the 3x3 Illustration Annual No.6.Spring 2009 I was one of six finalists to get through to the Northern Design Competition, where my entry of the Worthing Birdman automata, was exhibited in the city of Leeds at the Rose Bowl.
Autumn 2009, my automata's will be featured on ITV Central News as part of a cultural series. -
Sophie Naylor http://www.sophienaylor.co.uk/
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Sawdust and Shavings
Well that didn't take long did it, just over a month!! Not the most active blogger on the planet and hardly a candidate for Twitter.
Armed with my collection of carefully measured pieces, associated drawings and unbounded enthusiasm I headed for the workshop, donned my safety glasses and set to work. Very quickly I discovered that some processes are very easy, or so it seems (more on this later) so I happily set to work cutting wood to specific lengths after having "ripped it" on my shiny but terrifying new table saw and put it through the planer. Now if you want to make a mess in a workshop the table saw and the planer will pretty much take care of that for you in short order
Fairly quickly I had a pile of pieces that represented the center beam, the side and center supports and the upper and lower cross pieces. Holes were drilled, grooves were routed and all seemed well, now to move on to some of the smaller pieces. plywood selected for the sides of the windlass, pine for the trigger and the standard Timberkits assortment of drilled dowell washers and spacers.
Now, looking around at the piles of pieces and sawdust and shavings it did cross my mind whether I had created more waste than parts and I began to reflect on the challenges. Have you ever tried to drill into the end grain of a soft wood like pine? The drill has a tendency to wander off into the softer wood so drilling precisely is very difficult. If you are not really accurate with the inner and outer supports the Ballista looks a pretty strange shape. The axle was another challenge and this was solved using a square section of hardwood and brad point drill bits. So what is left, oh yes, the ratchetts!
Sinking feeling.................how am I going to make the ratchetts?
Next time.............dowell, routers and decagons!
Armed with my collection of carefully measured pieces, associated drawings and unbounded enthusiasm I headed for the workshop, donned my safety glasses and set to work. Very quickly I discovered that some processes are very easy, or so it seems (more on this later) so I happily set to work cutting wood to specific lengths after having "ripped it" on my shiny but terrifying new table saw and put it through the planer. Now if you want to make a mess in a workshop the table saw and the planer will pretty much take care of that for you in short order
Fairly quickly I had a pile of pieces that represented the center beam, the side and center supports and the upper and lower cross pieces. Holes were drilled, grooves were routed and all seemed well, now to move on to some of the smaller pieces. plywood selected for the sides of the windlass, pine for the trigger and the standard Timberkits assortment of drilled dowell washers and spacers.
Now, looking around at the piles of pieces and sawdust and shavings it did cross my mind whether I had created more waste than parts and I began to reflect on the challenges. Have you ever tried to drill into the end grain of a soft wood like pine? The drill has a tendency to wander off into the softer wood so drilling precisely is very difficult. If you are not really accurate with the inner and outer supports the Ballista looks a pretty strange shape. The axle was another challenge and this was solved using a square section of hardwood and brad point drill bits. So what is left, oh yes, the ratchetts!
Sinking feeling.................how am I going to make the ratchetts?
Next time.............dowell, routers and decagons!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
There is building a model and Building a Model
Since the first Timberkit I built some 15 years ago I have always had great admiration for the design skill that Eric Williamson has. In my many meeting with Eric in the last few years I have come to know some of what he has had to accomplish to bring these seemingly simple models to us.
In the early days not only did Eric and Alison design the models, they also had to design and make some of the machines to make the parts, most notably the small wooden washers of various sizes that all the kits have. So when the word came from the UK that due to falling demand the Ballista kit may not go to the factory for production I decided to fill the gap!! My son who is a very wise 30 years merely nodded in support but I know had concerns for my mental wellbeing.
How difficult can it be I thought, how simply naïve I turned out to be. But with keen interest I set about the business of making a limited number of kits. Initially I had no production drawings for the Ballista so my solution was to take my last kit and set about carefully measuring and documenting all the parts in terms of material, size, thickness, quantity....
I began to collect reams of paper with drawings, measurements, notes, coffee stains and decided that the approach needed to be digital, oh dear, now I have as many spreadsheets as I had pieces of paper. Undeterred I soldiered on collecting a fine array of woodworking tools (which my family will tell you as they believe it, was the whole purpose behind this exercise!). I eventually reached the point where I was convinced that it was time to make sawdust and shavings!
The next installment...Sawdust and Shavings
In the early days not only did Eric and Alison design the models, they also had to design and make some of the machines to make the parts, most notably the small wooden washers of various sizes that all the kits have. So when the word came from the UK that due to falling demand the Ballista kit may not go to the factory for production I decided to fill the gap!! My son who is a very wise 30 years merely nodded in support but I know had concerns for my mental wellbeing.
How difficult can it be I thought, how simply naïve I turned out to be. But with keen interest I set about the business of making a limited number of kits. Initially I had no production drawings for the Ballista so my solution was to take my last kit and set about carefully measuring and documenting all the parts in terms of material, size, thickness, quantity....
I began to collect reams of paper with drawings, measurements, notes, coffee stains and decided that the approach needed to be digital, oh dear, now I have as many spreadsheets as I had pieces of paper. Undeterred I soldiered on collecting a fine array of woodworking tools (which my family will tell you as they believe it, was the whole purpose behind this exercise!). I eventually reached the point where I was convinced that it was time to make sawdust and shavings!
The next installment...Sawdust and Shavings
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Timberkits makes the national news!!!
On the evening news on May 12th, during a report on the tragic shooting incident in the stress clinic in Camp Liberty, Iraq, we noticed something that caught our eye. Quick thinking produced a picture of the TV screen showing an Ocean Motion sitting atop its box somewhere in the treatment facility. Now the search begins for how and why it is there, are the instructions causing major stress in our customers? well we think not, we prefer to think it is used as a therapy tool. If anyone can provide any information, let us know at sales@timberkitsus.com please
To see the full report go to
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7571356
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Newly volunteered as the Blogmaster!
I thought that I had successfully avoided the likes of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter when we decided recently to start a Timberkits Blog. What a great idea I said, who will maintain it..........all eyes in the room turned in one direction and I looked behind me!! They were looking at me!!
Well why not I thought so here I am with my first post. I thought text would be a good place to start with video and images to follow. But what do you put in a blog? well I guess anything you want to so watch this space and as things of interest occur to me I will post them..............
Well why not I thought so here I am with my first post. I thought text would be a good place to start with video and images to follow. But what do you put in a blog? well I guess anything you want to so watch this space and as things of interest occur to me I will post them..............
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Oilfield Pump Jack Review
When we were approached by a home schooling publication for a kit to be submitted for a review we were a little skeptical; what happens if they don’t like it? What happens if they have trouble with the instructions? After the initial concern we realized that we had great confidence in our product so we sent them an Oilfield Pump Jack kit and waited ... eventually we received a pre-publication copy of the review and, well, you decide ...
Resource: Oilfield Pump Jack (from the Timberkits Engineer Series)
Manufacturer: Timberkits
Grade Level: age 9 and up
Web Site: http://www.timberkitsus.com/
Review by: Timothy Palla
I come from a long line of self-educated jacks-of-all-disasters. If this student engineering kit could effectively instruct my younger boys to build a wooden toy apparatus with moving parts, then I was willing to admit that the Timberkits Series may be the next wonder of the world. Could Timberkits uncover an aptitude for engineering in my family? Time would tell. I looked at the box and read the “Contents” description:
Wooden components shaped and drilled (Hmmm...)
Sandpaper for finishing (I have to sand?)
PVA glue (What???)
Parts list (Please God, don’t let there be any more than three parts!)
Comprehensive instructions (We’ll see.)
Next, my eyes glanced down at the corner of the box sleeve. It read, “For ages 9 and over.” I laughed to myself, but continued reading. “The assistance of an adult may be advisable.” By now I was laughing out loud . . . really loud. I tried to imagine the Palla children building a wooden engineer-kit oilfield pump jack—with me assisting them. The thought still makes me smile.
Two weeks later I finally found the courage to try it. All the women of the house had left for a few hours. I locked the doors, closed the curtains, and called my two youngest boys to the dining room table. For some reason, I believed we could make a mess and destroy the evidence before my wife and daughter got home.
Drawing from my vast life experience, as well as my significantly underdeveloped engineering skills, I decided an assembly line would work best. I would read the instructions, Ethan (age 10) would locate the parts (he’s good at finding needles in haystacks), and Aidan (age 12) would handle the gluing, assembling, and sanding. This method would automatically place all the blame on the boys when the whole thing collapsed into a heap of sticky splinters and confusion . . . I’m so smart.
To my amazement, the Timberkits Design Company had already calculated and anticipated my engineering disabilities. Their design team would actually prove that skill can be learned and achieved by anyone. I called out the parts with authority in my voice: “Short bearing block . . . well head cylinder . . . lever arm pivot . . . counterweight . . . 05 x 62 dowel . . .” Ethan answered with enthusiasm, “Check, check, check, check, check. Could you read them off a little faster, Daddy? It’s not like I have to search for them in the garage or anything.” What a wise guy.
Within a two-hour period, we had built a major portion of the project. Everything was working correctly. The glue dried quickly, and the moving parts actually moved in the direction they were intended. The finished product looked just like the photograph on the cover of the box! (Why doesn’t paint by numbers turn out this great?) I was awed and inspired by my children—especially since I checked out early and they finished it the next morning on their own. They must have gotten their talent from my side of the gene pool.
Let’s hear it for the Timberkits Engineering Series! Quality, hands-on education that proves “You CAN do it.” A miracle in every box. Here’s my suggestion: Buy it for your children, get out of their way, display the finished product in a prominent place, and brag honestly, “Yes, they did it all by themselves.”
Resource: Oilfield Pump Jack (from the Timberkits Engineer Series)
Manufacturer: Timberkits
Grade Level: age 9 and up
Web Site: http://www.timberkitsus.com/
Review by: Timothy Palla
I come from a long line of self-educated jacks-of-all-disasters. If this student engineering kit could effectively instruct my younger boys to build a wooden toy apparatus with moving parts, then I was willing to admit that the Timberkits Series may be the next wonder of the world. Could Timberkits uncover an aptitude for engineering in my family? Time would tell. I looked at the box and read the “Contents” description:
Wooden components shaped and drilled (Hmmm...)
Sandpaper for finishing (I have to sand?)
PVA glue (What???)
Parts list (Please God, don’t let there be any more than three parts!)
Comprehensive instructions (We’ll see.)
Next, my eyes glanced down at the corner of the box sleeve. It read, “For ages 9 and over.” I laughed to myself, but continued reading. “The assistance of an adult may be advisable.” By now I was laughing out loud . . . really loud. I tried to imagine the Palla children building a wooden engineer-kit oilfield pump jack—with me assisting them. The thought still makes me smile.
Two weeks later I finally found the courage to try it. All the women of the house had left for a few hours. I locked the doors, closed the curtains, and called my two youngest boys to the dining room table. For some reason, I believed we could make a mess and destroy the evidence before my wife and daughter got home.
Drawing from my vast life experience, as well as my significantly underdeveloped engineering skills, I decided an assembly line would work best. I would read the instructions, Ethan (age 10) would locate the parts (he’s good at finding needles in haystacks), and Aidan (age 12) would handle the gluing, assembling, and sanding. This method would automatically place all the blame on the boys when the whole thing collapsed into a heap of sticky splinters and confusion . . . I’m so smart.
To my amazement, the Timberkits Design Company had already calculated and anticipated my engineering disabilities. Their design team would actually prove that skill can be learned and achieved by anyone. I called out the parts with authority in my voice: “Short bearing block . . . well head cylinder . . . lever arm pivot . . . counterweight . . . 05 x 62 dowel . . .” Ethan answered with enthusiasm, “Check, check, check, check, check. Could you read them off a little faster, Daddy? It’s not like I have to search for them in the garage or anything.” What a wise guy.
Within a two-hour period, we had built a major portion of the project. Everything was working correctly. The glue dried quickly, and the moving parts actually moved in the direction they were intended. The finished product looked just like the photograph on the cover of the box! (Why doesn’t paint by numbers turn out this great?) I was awed and inspired by my children—especially since I checked out early and they finished it the next morning on their own. They must have gotten their talent from my side of the gene pool.
Let’s hear it for the Timberkits Engineering Series! Quality, hands-on education that proves “You CAN do it.” A miracle in every box. Here’s my suggestion: Buy it for your children, get out of their way, display the finished product in a prominent place, and brag honestly, “Yes, they did it all by themselves.”
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
What is automata?
Automata has a surprising long history dating from the ancient Egyptians and subsequently the Greeks and Romans.
The classic age of automata production was in the late 19th Century in France. The Industrial Revolution gave a fresh impetus to automata making with new knowledge of steam power, magnetism and optics.
Traditionally, automata mechanisms were hidden, but in this century the mechanism itself has become a feature.
Interest in mechanisms is particularly significantly in an age when most mechanical processes are well concealed in anodyne 'safe' containers which are then discarded rather than opened up and repaired.
The classic age of automata production was in the late 19th Century in France. The Industrial Revolution gave a fresh impetus to automata making with new knowledge of steam power, magnetism and optics.
Traditionally, automata mechanisms were hidden, but in this century the mechanism itself has become a feature.
Interest in mechanisms is particularly significantly in an age when most mechanical processes are well concealed in anodyne 'safe' containers which are then discarded rather than opened up and repaired.
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