The Eden Project donations box.
Submitted by keith on Wed, 06/30/2010 - 17:46.
I have started making a donations box for the Eden Project in Cornwall. It is based on a card cut out kit that I designed for thier shop about ten years ago.
The kit never went on sale and I forgot all about it until just before last Christmas when I discovered the prototype that I hade made hidden on top of a cuboard.
I re-approched the Eden project with the suggestion of using the design as a collection box and also selling the card kit in their shop. Happily they thought that this was a good idea and gave me the go ahead to start work. The cut-out may form part of a book on Bees which I am hoping to illustrate.
I am very happy to be working with The Eden Project again.
This is my 10 year old card automata design for the Eden cut -out kit
Originally the large bee was snarling at the gardener but as bees are having a bad time at the moment I decided that it would be better if the bee kissed the gardener on the nose. This was a simple case of adding some lips to the bee.I also added a crown.
.JPG "This is the base of the automata. It will contain the cams and levers that operate the moving parts of the scene above.")
This is the base of the automata. It will contain the cams and levers that operate the moving parts of the scene above.
.JPG "I have attached a wooden pulley to the motor. A brass insert has been glued into the center of the pully and is secured to the motors drive shaft with a small grub screw")
I have attached a wooden pulley to the motor. A brass insert has been glued into the center of the pully and is secured to the motors drive shaft with a small grub screw
.JPG "The motor and drive pulley have been screwed into place.")
The motor and drive pulley have been screwed into place.
.JPG "This is the cam shaft. The large pully will be connected to the motor by a drive belt. The wooden discs behind it will be cut to shape and will move the levers which will rest on top of them .")
This is the cam shaft. The large pully will be connected to the motor by a drive belt. The wooden discs behind it will be cut to shape and will move the levers which will rest on top of them .
.JPG "I have used a normal plastic flower pot but it has been extended to get the right proportions. At the end of the automata's performance a small ladybird will emerge from the crack in the flowerpot.It will be holding a leaf with the words 'thank you'")
I have used a normal plastic flower pot but it has been extended to get the right proportions. At the end of the automata's performance a small ladybird will emerge from the crack in the flowerpot.It will be holding a leaf with the words 'thank you'
.JPG "This is the ladybird. It is made from half of a wooden bead and thin copper wire.")
This is the ladybird. It is made from half of a wooden bead and thin copper wire.
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I enjoy your work immensely and hope that you can eventually make all your kits downloadable - other than those in print still where it probably wouldn't be allowed.
How many other un published long lost kits do you have.
I hope the orders you have had for the kits you've made downloadable are sufficient for you to want to continue making them available
I would love to see a card version of the lion tamer from Ron Fuller's book simple wooden toys
regards
Hi Dave
I am planing to make the Guillotine cut out a download. Happy that you are enjoying my work
Would you be able to make the model downloadable from your site as well. I'm sure we wouldn't mind paying a premium so the Eden project can profit from the downloads as well.
Are you planning to make any more of your older models available as downloads. Appreciate you've probably been extremely busy so may not have had time to work on them recently. If you are planning to but not got round to it yet that would be good to know.
I've made 2 of the models for my children to take into class as they were linked to the topics they were studying - Vikings (as I had 2 copies) and Roman Gladiators (only one copy but the download meant I was happy to donate the original kit version to the school. both were well received
thanks
Dave