Octopus Whirligig

Very cool John, you must really like the challenge of mechanical workings in wood…Excellent Octopus.

-- Dave.......If at first you don’t succeed redefine success....

You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, Dave. I’m savin’ the big guns. :)

-- John - Central Ohio - "too much is never enough"

Your creations are great and entertaining.

-- Julian

Love it! I have really started looking into animated pieces after seeing Owlcroft’s dragon – which turns out you were involved in too, and I saw yours of course. Nice work and great ideas!

I have now built one dragon to my own design, based on yours – hope you don’t mind – see below. I’ve just guessed as to the mechanics involved and it’s turned out pretty well, though not quite as ‘active’ as yours. I used ‘cogs’ on the axles to provide the motions. I may or may not post it – since ‘if you’ve seen one dragon, do you really need to see another?’ It was quite a fun challenge to figure everything out, and my ‘tires’ are 1/8” rubber gasket material glued to turned wooden wheels and they work quite well, though you can see the join.

My dragon is for a small 18-month-old grandson, but my wife really loves it. She wants me to build another for her, only that one to be about two or three feet tall or so. She says she wants to pull it down the sidewalk in our little town. Not sure if I’ll do it, but if I do, I will post that one.

Last year I built a four foot tall 3-D rooster out of paper mâché over wire, on a spindle like a weathervane – then coated it with F/G cloth and paint. It is not posted here since it was not wood. That was for a joke on a close friend where I left it set up in his yard when he was away. He and his wife are really into exotic chickens, and it took them about a month to figure it out!

Thanks for posting your keen ideas!

Erik

-- "Never let your dogma be run over by your karma!"

These are some very entertaining projects you come up with John. I like it with the eyes in the video. You have some expert building skills and ideas.

-- Dave, Downers Grove, Il. -------- When you run out of ideas, start building your dreams.

Beautiful dragon, Erik !!! The whole idea is to start with an inspiration and make it your own. “How To Make Animated Toys” by David Wakefield is where I got my start.

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Animated-Toys-David-Wakefield/dp/0943822688

-- John - Central Ohio - "too much is never enough"

Wow, this is awesome! VERY creative. Thanks for sharing

-- The Old Rednek Workshop https://www.facebook.com/theoldrednekworkshoptn

Very cool

-- Nature created it, I just assemble it.

Charming! Thanks for sharing both your octopus and reference for beginning animated toys.

-- John C. -- "Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth." George Washington

John, your projects certainly have KID appeal, and I am the biggest kid of all. I love your whirligig.

-- Lee - Northern idaho~"If the women don't find you handsome, at least they ought to find you handy"~ Red Green

Great work!

-- Dreaming patterns

Really cool. Could you show some pics on how it works? I googled Savonius rotor so I understand the concept but I’m not getting how the movement happens.

I love automata and I’m learning how they work using kits (fish and man in rowboat done, skateboarder in progress). Would you consider a blog on how you dream these up?

Thanks so much for posting your creations.

-- Mother Nature talks, I try to listen

Very cool!

-- Sometimes the creative process requires foul language. -- Charles Neil

Awesome work, it’s really cool and fun. Fantastic tentacles and movements. You have great creativity and imagination.