In an effort to understand kinetic motion drive mechanisms, I purchased a Clayton Boyer plan titled “Zinnia”. Dr. Boyer sells plans in two formats, DXF files for CNC machines or paper plans that can be cut on a scroll saw. I built Clayton’s Number 6 clock a few years ago and it works very well, keeping almost perfect time. I cut my Number 6 using a scroll saw but now that I have a CNC router, I cut Zinnia on that machine. The DXF files needed a little CAD work prior to generating tool paths because some of the vectors were open. This is nothing that any decent CAD program can’t handle so not to worry. Anyone interested in Clayton’s plans, check out his website lisaboyer.com/Claytonsite/Claytonsite1.htm.
Zinnia is a kinetic sculpture that is spring driven on a single shaft that has two counter-rotating sculptures that deliver a visual moire effect. The wheels are 24″ in diameter which tax the limit of my CNC machine table. The following photos should be of interest to people considering making a kinetic sculpture.
A neighbor and active member of Daniel Boone Conservation League commissioned a replacement back for a memorial bench on the club grounds. The original bench back appeared to have been laser engraved but suffered severe weathering to make it unreadable. A V-Carved back was selected for the replacement because even if it becomes weathered, it…
Our great nephew Rylind suffered a vicious dog attack recently so he is home recuperating. Like most 5 year olds, he is fascinated with dinosaurs so we wanted to provide something for him to do while recovering. The CNC router came to mind because I know of a website www.makecnc.com that has hundreds, maybe thousands…
Very Impressed! Those two words sum up my impression of the 2018 Vectric User Group Meeting held in Chicago. It was thoroughly enjoyable to meet the Vectric staff and others with whom I’ve met on the Vectric Forum the past few years. I went more for the “people” aspect than education but both were splendid….
I was fascinated with Michael Tyler’s Paradise Box project on Vectric’s website so I decided to use his design and customize it for my wife Marilyn. Michael’s plans were modified to account for thinner stock and the sides were custom carved and given a gentle arc. Additional V-carving was done on the inside lid to…
Since I now own a CNC router, I can easily cut complex parts if I have a DXF or DWG file as a starting point. I am fascinated by wooden clocks, escapements and kinetic sculptures. 2016 marks the year that I decided to delve deeper into how these devices are designed and put together. There…
After purchasing my Excalibur 21″ scroll saw, I decided to order plans for a wooden clock from Clayton Boyer. I selected the “Number Six” clock because Clayton’s website indicated it was for beginners with no clock experience. Most of the clock components were made from Baltic Birch plywood because of it’s stability. The plans were…