Something for the gearheads

[mklotz]

If you're looking for a really challenging metalworking project involving gears, try making a metal copy of this exquisite piece of wooden animated sculpture...

[youtube1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1scj5sotD-E&feature=youtu.be[/youtube1]

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Simply stunning,  I'm awestruck,  however,  I think you are starting to like the "Commiefornia Cool Aid" way too much, perhaps if you spend a couple of months with Bill and myself,  we can help get you back on the ground , just saying

Cletus

[mklotz]

I think you are starting to like the "Commiefornia Cool Aid" way too much

You're just jealous because California's law forbidding the importation of invasive species prevents you from visiting the land of fruits and nuts.

[Tennessee Whiskey]

That may be true, however, I may be an illegal immigrant just looking for a safe haven to hide my illegal past. Redneck maybe, uneducated not

Cletus

[b.lindsey]

Stunning seems an understatement!! I must say though, this one looks better in wood I think, though there is no reason it couldn't be done in contrasting metals. Really amazing design and craftsmanship!!

Bill

[sshire]

Plans available for $99.00

[maury]

How Beautiful!!! This design comprises an excellent mix of art, mechanical design and excellent craftsmanship. Though the design its self is complex, it seems so simple. I think it's all about the presentation. It's much more than an animated humming bird, the artist has given us a  portal into the beauty of nature. Also, I don't think it's about gears, though they somehow seem to bridge the gap between mechanics and art.

Whose work is this? Who ever you are, I commend you on your excellent achievement.

Also, Stan, where are the plans available, I'm all in!

maury

[fumopuc]

How Beautiful!!! This design comprises an excellent mix of art, mechanical design and excellent craftsmanship. Though the design its self is complex, it seems so simple. I think it's all about the presentation. It's much more than an animated humming bird, the artist has given us a  portal into the beauty of nature. Also, I don't think it's about gears, though they somehow seem to bridge the gap between mechanics and art.

Whose work is this? Who ever you are, I commend you on your excellent achievement.

Also, Stan, where are the plans available, I'm all in!

maury

http://www.derekhugger.com/colibri.html

There is also a sample PDF available.
Very interesting.
His other mechanical toys are worth a view too.

[Pete49]

yes a nice project in the offing. To avoid having to crank a handle maybe a small steam or ic engine would be fun. I could see copper, brass and aluminium being the materials
Pete

[mklotz]

To avoid having to crank a handle maybe a small steam or ic engine would be fun.

Good grief, no.  A whooshing steam engine or one of those infernal ICs clattering in the background would completely destroy the effect.  An ultra-quiet electric motor and even its hum drowned out by a quiet Debussy Nocturne is what you want.

[maury]

Folks, I was thinking that for providing the drive for this project an escapment, but without actually having one though it would be hard to tell if it would provide enough drive. An electric motor sounds like a good idea.

Also, I think  a music box movement would be a nice addition. Some are are commercially available at the clock kit places. Perhaps something a little more upscale would even be appropriate. Does anyone know if plans for music boxes are available.

maury

[kvom]

The wingspan on this piece is 2', so quite a large assembly.  It likely needs more torque than a music box movement would give.  I'm also thinking that variable speed would be desirable.

I'm tempted to order the plans and model it in Solidworks.

[maury]

KVOM, I was thinking of doing the same thing, but I think I would scale it down some. Also, I was not thinking the music box would run the model, but the other way around.

maury

[kvom]

I ordered the plans and had a quick look.  DXFs loaded fined into both Draftsight and CamBam, where I was able to convert all the spline curves to polylines.  Biggest challenge for CNC will be the work envelope on the base and the frames.  All other parts are less than 6" in the largest dimension.  Dimension are imperial, which is irrelevant for CNC but would likely involve substitution of the McMaster parts with metric equivalents.

Construction in wood for non-CNC work requires printing the patterns at actual size, gluing them to plywood of one of 4 different thicknesses, and then cutting them out with a scroll saw.  A list of non-wood parts is supplied including McMaster part numbers.  I suppose acrylic or similar could replace wood, but non-CNC in metal looks like a lot of filing would be the order of the day.

Putting is together is done by sub assemblies, and the instructions look really good.

I emailed Derek with some questions about making a metal version and got a fast reply.  Here's his comments:

I've not seen anyone try to build Colibri out of metal yet. I think it would work, but there are two things I would be cautious of. One is weight. Metal is going to be substantially heavier than wood, so the sculpture's counterweight will likely need to be much larger than shown. The added weight may also add extra stress on the cam mechanisms, which may or may not be a problem. The second concern I'd have is galling. It would be a good idea to make mating/sliding/rotating parts out of dissimilar materials. As you know, aluminum doesn't tend to slide very well on aluminum. If you decide to make one out of out metal, you may want to tighten up the tolerances between mating parts as well. Most of the parts were designed to be a little loose, to allow the wood to swell a bit with changes in humidity.

I imagine Colibri made with a combination of materials could look pretty cool. I've wondered what it would look like to make the frame, base, and mechanisms out of clear acrylic or PC, and making the hummingbird out of aluminum and nylon. Haha, if only I had more time to try these things! Anyway, I hope I was able to answer your questions.

[b.lindsey]

kvom, are the plans delivered digitally? I am assuming so from your comment, but didn't see that specifically on the website. Just curious as to how many files, size of files, etc.

Bill