This has been a long term ongoing project that entails endless thought, lots of trial and error and a huge amount of patience.
I makes me realize that a bit like making a bow, it's not all about the end result. The pleasure is in the art and craft, the problem solving and actually doing something with ones hands. Enjoying the process makes the required patience a joy rather than a chore.
Almost every part of the automaton has been made multiple times, and there are unexpected interactions between the moving parts. The linkages, pivot points, and movements all interact, and the timing between the various motions need to be precise.
I've built it up slowly, getting one aspect to work and then progressing to the next. Of course once the next action works nicely, the first one may no longer function! But by then the understanding of the motion has been enhanced.
Originally the motor/gearbox mas mounted between the feet, but I've built a plinth such that the motor/gearbox will now be below 'ground level'.
The biggest challenge has been to get him to collect the arrow on the string. The next big challenge is the loosing mechanism.
Over the development I've had to try 3 different motor/gearboxes, unfortunately the best one stripped an internal tooth. I found some great ones on E-bay, with the requisite very low gearing and hopefully enough output torque to draw the bow. (I'm waiting for it to be delivered).
Originally the 2 main movements were on cranks, one of these has been changed to a cam as it can be adjusted to give an asymmetric motion. I'll probably retain the right arm motion as a simple crank otherwise I'll end up with too many variables to adjust.
