Part of the process of building these "toys" often involves prototyping. I wasn't really sure how I'd get the legs to move, so I made this "leg box" to see if a crankshaft approach would work.
As usual, I drew up lots and lots of sketches to see how elaborate this final version would be. To help me figure things out, I did a good bit of research on the web, and checked out books from the library about basic machines, woodworking, toymaking....there are so many talented folks out there doing incredible things!! I repeat...I am NOT an engineer...but part of the fun is in trying to figure it all out. Since then, I've started to collect my own books so I can refer to them often at home.
The mechanism I ended up with was about as simple as I could make it...sort of like piano keys. As you press each lever, a string pulls a pair of legs upward. You can make the crab "dance" by "typing" quickly. One lever makes the claws go up in a "defensive pose"...just like the real ones do, just before they pinch the crud out of my fingers when I try to pick them up!
Til next time...
-W
3 comments:
I love this piece. Well done for your first time and including the sketches is a real treat for us folks who aren't even sure how to get started. Thanks for sharing this!
Someone sent me a link to this because I have a movie about a giant crab coming out tomorrow. He thought I'd appreciate it and I certainly do. It's a wonderful piece of work.
Amazing!
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