Introduction:
In April of 2024, the International Miniature Challenge announced its latest contest: design and develop a miniature automaton with no restrictions on the theme. The criteria simply stated that it must be a true automaton, in miniature — capable of hand-powered operation and at least one animated character/object.
I was particularly inspired to enter this competition based on a desire to create an automaton ever since I was a young boy. At the age of five, I learned that my great grandfather, William Webster, had become regionally famous across the midwestern U.S. during the '30s and '40s after creating and touring with a fully automated miniature farm.
He began his creations after an undiagnosed neuromuscular condition forced him into early retirement. Teaching himself to whittle small figures from scraps of wood, he combined his knowledge of mechanics, using spare machine parts he collected, to assemble the large automaton farm.
Charging 5 cents per ticket, he toured local and state fairs for several years, gaining popularity and fans. Eventually, he was offered an enviable sum of money to sell the farm to an avid collector. This resulted in him building a new copy of the original model which he also subsequently sold. In the end, he constructed seven versions of the miniature farm, the last of which still sits in my uncle’s garage in Arizona.
Exploring the World of Miniature Automata:
The Oxford dictionary defines an automaton as:
a machine that performs a function according to a predetermined set of coded instructionsv, especially one capable of a range of programmed responses to different circumstances.
Automatons gained widespread popularity beginning in the 16th century and flourished throughout the Renaissance, becoming highly fashionable among the wealthy. By the 18th and 19th centuries, some of the most intricate of automatons begin to appear. However, the craft began to decline throughout the 19th and 20th centuries due to the diminishing number of skilled craftspeople.
While all the magic appears on the surface, looking behind the curtain reveals just how complex the mechanisms of most automata can be. Whether employing gears, pulleys, belts, or the like, a keen understanding of mechanics is essential and mechanical precision is paramount in order to achieve success. Careful planning is essential for a successful solution.
Unveiling My Creative Process:
I can’t say with any certainty why I chose the conceptual direction I did for my entry. I had been thinking recently of a number of potential design ideas set in the Victorian era. Perhaps, I subconsciously influenced my decision based on those musings.
Almost immediately, I conceived of a narrative within the confines of a first class train compartment. I envisioned two stuffy gentlemen sitting across from each other, each consumed in their own pursuits. I did, however, want to have a third character to add more variety to the narrative. I settled on the idea that one of the men had spirited away their small dog into a leather satchel of the floor. This surreptitious creature would make brief appearances, casting furtive glances in each direction.
For me, the intricacies of the mechanics are lost if the end result does not at least attempt to tell the viewer a story. Just ask Pixar how important narrative is to their success. Having said that, the greatest concept in the world will still fall flat if not properly executed. It was at this stage that I encountered my first real obstacle.
I grew up in a welding and machine shop and fabricating gears and other machine parts became a skill set I acquired at an early age. While the skill was set still intact, it was the materials which threw me off my game.
Resin is an inherently different material than hardened steel. While it appears solid, it is, infact, quite maleable. As a result, I discovered that tolerances must be as precise as possible. My first gear train started well but, as each gear was added, the tension began to increase until, with only one gear remaining to attach, the entire gear train had become so difficult to power by hand that I knew it was inevitable that I would have to go back to the drawing board.
After redesigning the gear train, I realized that I could accomplish my goal with four fewer gears than my original desin. Further, I tightened the tolerances on the measurements of the gears and reset the printing parameters to create a denser version of the printed gears. This resulted in considerably longer print times but, the end result was far more stable and provided a smoother experience when powering the automaton.
Embracing Family Legacy:
When I first undertook this challenge I was anxious to explore the uncharted territory that is the world of automatons. My primary motivation was the legacy bestowed upon me by my great-grandfather. Ever since first hearing his story I was eager to conceive of my own animated miniature world.
In retrospect, my great-grandfather’s work was likely more successful than mine for the very reason that it was a simple, almost primitive, mechanical device, employing machinery and parts with which had become intimately familiar in his decades as a farmer.
My attempt required me to step outside of my comfort zone, working with materials and processes that I had only recently even come close to mastering. Clearly, I still had much to learn. I am almost certain, as well, that my great-grandfather learned from the challenges he faced with each iteration of the automaton farm. The only version I ever saw was his last creation — the culmination of six previous attempts and all that he had gleaned from those cumulative experiences.
It is impressive to see how much technology has changed in the past three generations. I would be fascinated to know what my grandfather would have thought of the idea that you could actual print your own machine parts. It is likely he would have scoffed at the notion of creating such robust mechanical pieces from something that started as a liquid.
Having said that, today, new materials are continuously being created for application with a 3D printer. A new innovation even offers the possibility of printing various metals, with a hardness and precision that rivals traditional steel manufacture.
Joining the Miniature Enthusiast Community:
With the numerous setbacks I had encountered at this early stage, the support of my fellow enthusiasts was critical to keeping me focused on working toward a solution. It was a very frustrating experience — not being able to move forward, hobbled by my own limitations. The incredibly positive feedback that was shared with me from the group was a talisman against the creeping sense of dread that I was about to fail before I had barely started.
My mechanical and math skills were certainly up to the task but it was the advice I gleaned from fellow builders regarding the nuances of working with resin-based 3D printers. After much trial-and-error, I successfully discovered the specific settings which allowed for denser, more precise gear with tolerances that reflected those of traditional metal gears.
Showcasing My Work in Progress:
The original gear train design has already evolved more than I would have thought necessary. Still, evolution is part of a process of moving toward perfection so, I hope to learn from my mistakes.
In particular, I already wish I had started with a much simpler design. My concept is designed to drive numerous physical actions among three different characters, in a sequence which insures that each operates at different times and frequencies to ensure a more natural sense of animation — i.e. less mechanical.
I have no idea how many times my great-grandfather may have had to revise his own designs. There is no record of his process or methodology, only the end results. Regardless, I have no doubt he was blocked at times by frustrating obstacles. Removing or circumventing those obstacles is a key component of the creative problem-solving process.
Conclusion:
Despite my mounting frustration with what I thought would be a fairly straightforward project, I am determined to move ahead, even if it means starting over (which, it is certainly starting to appear likely). I have always risen to the challenge in the past. Despite the growing limitations of my neurological condition, or perhaps, because of them, I feel compelled to push harder than ever before. I think I have far more to prove to myself than anyone else.
In fact, I am grateful for the reality of my limitations. It keeps me humble and teaches me to be as adaptable as possible. I can no longer take for granted the skills I once employed with a casual ease — the culmination of years of training and experience. Now, I must approach each skill-set with a renewed sense of discovery. How can I rise to my previous accomplishments with my current limitations? just another part of the creative problem-solving process.
Now, I am anxious to see how this evolved design will behave. There is still a great deal to be accomplished and the deadline grows ever closer. Time to throw this into high gear (pun intended).
Achievement through Heritage and Creativity.
Comments