Spin!
Discover!
Motors and Mechanisms
with Michael Kontopoulos
Date & Time
July 29, 2012, 11am–2pm
August 1, 2012, 7pm–10pm
August 4, 2012, 11am–2pm
Location
Machine Project
Map
Pricing
$200 for members
$225 for non-members

An Introduction to Basic Mechanical Design for Art and DIY projects. You are reading this post because you’re wondering if a little bit of motion is what your newest sculpture needs to come alive. Or perhaps you want to bring some extra flare to that catspanking machine you’ve been working on. Maybe you are ready to take the first steps towards your life goal of a Wallace-and-Gromit style breakfast preparation device.

No matter your background, this workshop will serve as your ground-up introduction to creating motion through simple and compound mechanisms. This class does not cover electronics, but we will look at a variety of electronic motors and how the motion they generate can be useful to you. From there on, we’ll play with a variety of methods for making cyclical motion more intriguing, silly or practical. Topics covered will include simple machines, linkages, couplings, and how all of these combine into more complex mechanisms. We will cover many critical concepts including levers, block & tackle, gears, work, force, machine elements, and most important, translation of force. Focus will be on creative applications. Workshop hours will be divided between lectures and labs/workshops. At the conclusion of the works, everybody will leave with at least one hand-cranked or motor-powered automaton.

Michael Kontopoulos is a Los Angeles based artist and designer with a background in sculpture and new-media art. He has taught courses on electronics, programming and sculpture at CSU Long Beach, UCLA, USC and Art Center College of Design.

Requirements:
No electronics knowledge is necessary. Several motors will be provided for workshops.
Tools and materials will be provided.

 

Class 1
Sunday, July 29, 11am–2pm
Day 1
with Michael Kontopoulos

DC Electricity and Inductors
DC Motors, Solenoid Motors, Gears and Torque.
Motor Workshop.

Class 2
Wednesday, August 1, 7pm–10pm
Day 2
with Michael Kontopoulos

Classes of simple machines. Uses, Applications in Industry, Design and Art…
Levers, Pulleys, Wheels, Gears, Screws, Planes & Wedges, etc.
Mechanical Linkages.
Compound Mechanisms.
Automaton Workshop.

Class 3
Saturday, August 4, 11am–2pm
Day 3
with Michael Kontopoulos

Demystifying machine elements (i.e. Learning the proper words for “doodad” and “whirlimajig”
– and where to buy them).
More on Compound Mechanisms, Irregular Motion and Cams.
Musical Automaton Workshop.

Refund policy:
Please note, all class fees include a non-refundable enrollment deposit of $25 that will be deducted from your refund if you sign up for, then drop, a class. So, for example, if you sign up for Machine Sewing 101 and pay the $155 class fee, but then remember that you have trapeze school final exams that conflict with the Sewing class and shouldn’t have signed up after all, we will refund you $130 of your tuition payment.

Gift certificate purchase:
If you have a Machine Project gift certificate you’d like to redeem for a class, please email us at machine@machineproject.com and let us know.