Free booklet on mechanisms for automata and other projects

Computers & Mobile Craft & Design Fun & Games

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

View more articles by Sean Michael Ragan

@seanragan

August 30th, 2010 2

Automata guru and MAKE pal Dug North says:

For a limited time, Cabaret Mechanical Theatre is offering a free download of an eighteen page booklet by famed automata-maker Paul Spooner. This is a great resource for the mechanically-curious and must have for automata-makers.

The PDF is free to download until September 30.

[Thanks, Dug!]

2 thoughts on “Free booklet on mechanisms for automata and other projects”

von Corax says:

August 30th, 2010 at 8:50 pm

When you download this booklet, the file arrives with a .jpg extension, and your computer will probably whine at you. The UNIX file command shows that it is actually a PDF, so just change the name if you must.

The booklet itself is a nifty little intro to automata. It begins with the basics (this is a crank, this is a cam, this is a gear) and ends with instructions for a simple papercraft automaton, as well as an exploded isometric sketch of one of the author’s more complicated works.

Comments are closed.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!

Free booklet on mechanisms for automata and other projects

By Sean Michael Ragan