These are the main figures for an automaton. They have been made by welding up steel rods into armatures and then welding a cover of flat bar or whatever other parts are required. The duck's face is made out of two old stainless steel spoons and screws onto the body with a BSP pipe thread built inside. The modelling and mobile joints are worked through in this stage and then the driving machinery which is in machined and welded metal and forms a large part of the composition.
This little crocodile in mild steel will stalk two ducks which are just taking flight. His jaws snap as he rises up through an indicated waterline. The eyes are scrapped ball bearings and the sockets are a fragment of the original steel races. The teeth are short lengths of stainless steel which will not take the black stain that touches the rest of the body.
And here is my wife with the mostly finished figures to date. The body of the duck is made of mild steel like the crocodile and is yet to be stained and lacquered. The art deco tail is made of old table knives.
