Product Review

Cabaret Mechanical Movement takes the would be maker from light mechanical theory through the basic mechanisms to tips on construction of simple moving toys, sculpture or automata. Examples come from the world famous collection of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre. Includes over 200 B&W Illustrations but no detailed plans - you need to use your own imagination! This is a slightly updated digital edition of the paper book which has sold over 12,000 copies since being published in 1998.

Chapter titles: Who, What, Why?, Some Principles, Levers, Shafts, Cranks, Cams, Springs, Linkages, Ratchets, Drives & Gearing, Control, The Checklist, Bibliography, The Back Cover, Index.

From the back cover: Making automata is hard. Making other sorts of three dimensional objects can also be hard, but the extra dimension of movement seems to add a disproportionate amount of difficulty.
For most people, especially those untrained in engineering skills, getting to the point where making mechanical devices is easy, can be a long and frustrating task. Then again, there are many people who have a sound understanding of engineering but can’t even draw a horse.
These things can be learnt. This book does not teach you how to draw a horse, but it does remove the mystery that surrounds the world of mechanisms and the business of making things move.
Cabaret Mechanical Movement contains a lot of theory but it’s also packed with practical tips and ideas for making your own automata, moving toys or mechanical sculpture.
This book is published by Cabaret Mechanical Theatre, a museum that pops-up all over the world to delight its visitors with witty examples of the automata makers art.