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Sisyphus

Video

Sisyphus is the first of my kinetic sculptures. In the myth, Sisyphus had offended the Gods and was condemned to spent the rest of his life rolling a huge boulder up hill, only to have it get away from him and roll all the way down to the bottom again.

This is a ball machine which raises 9/16" diameter steel balls to the top of the tower structure. It is in a glass case which has been removed for these photos. The machine is normally at rest, waiting. When a person comes along and presses the button on the side, a motor begins to turn, driving a crank which pulls an arm. The arm is attached to a pulley system which lifts an elevator carrying a single ball to the top of the tower where it is dumped into a house . the elevator continues back down tot he bottom where it picks up another ball.

In the house there are three levels of mechanical logic in the form of binary flapper gates, giving a repeat cycle every eight drops. The ball comes out one of four different pipes, each leading to a different path down to a collection pan.

Out of a cycle of eight, three times the path is a series of buckets supported by a Manzanita branch. The balls roll around in each bucket for a time before dropping into the next bucket. Two times the path is a series of ramps supported by a structure of turned pieces, like furniture. Another two times the path is a series of clackers which passes the ball to the next one is a swift cascade. Once out of eight drops, the ball drops straight down, ringing a bell, and tripping a microswitch which set the system to stop the next time the tower elevator goes to the bottom. It then waits for another person to press the button.

There are many different scales all combined in this piece. The smallest scale is HO (1:87). There are about 40 different people spaced all over the sculpture as workers or visitors. The walk ways, stairs and railings are to this scale. Some of the structural members , such as bridge truss beams and rope brace rigging, are in this scale. A second scale is created by the size of the tower timbers, which is about 1:48. Another third scale is suggested by the turned structure supporting the ramps. This is about quarter scale, or doll size. Finally there are object that are obviously full size, like Tinker Toy parts, copper plumbing fittings, and the Manzanito branch. The net result is a scene which pulls you in several dimension at once.

Many materials are used including Pine, Madrone, Rosewood, masonite, Birch plywood, styrene, copper, brass, wire, linen string. It is powered by an AC gear motor. The case is Madrone.

One of the best compliments on this piece is the nose grease from kids on the glass.

JULY 2010 UPGRADE

This is a view of the entire piece from the tower side. The glass case has been removed. The elevator tower on the left is about 28" tall. On the right is the Manzanita branch and the buckets.

Here is a view from the other side showing the ball ramp on the left and the clacker tower on the right.

Below the piping you can see the drive wheel with it's red crank. The connecting arm is the vertical green member. The bag of stones is a counterweight for the elevator.

Here is a detail of the tower structure. There is a system of staircases and walkways all the way to the top. You can see a couple of the many figures, in conversation of the walkway. The tower is made of Pine, and with bamboo pins at the joints.

This is the logic house at the top of the tower. The elevator pulleys are at the very top. The elevator dumps a ball onto the upper level of the house, below the roof cover. As the ball falls down through the three levels within the house, gates flip one way or the other, directing the ball out to one of four large pipes.

The is the series of buckets. At each level the ball is injected in at the edge and spins around for several revolutions before decaying in to the center, where it drops through to the next bucket.

Here you can see the last bucket and the drop into the green collection pan. The extra balls are stored in a long pipe leading off to the left in this shot. A gate allows only one ball at a time to enter the elevator carriage.

This is the series of ramps. The structure supports blocks which allow the ball to drop a level and change angles to run down the ramps, actually channels, between the blocks. The ramps and blocks are made of Pine. The structure is Rosewood, mortised together.

Another view of the ramp structure. The drive wheel is in the background, and the power house, with the AC motor inside, is the small building in the lower right. At the left is the staircase structure which gives access to the walkways higher up. You can see more of the figures on the stair case.

This is a detail of the turned pieces of the ramp structure.

Another view of the ramps, which are actually channels.

Each of the ramps has a walkway beside it, with railings. This is to allow spectators complete access to the action. A series of ladders connects these walkways.

This is a view of the clacker section. The ball enters from the pipe at the top. Each clacker bucket pivots down to deposit the ball into the next clacker below. The structure is a combination of Tinker Top parts and HO scale bridge girders.

	This is a view of the entire piece from the tower side. The glass case has been removed. The elevator tower on the left is about 28" tall. On the right is the Manzanita branch and the buckets.
	Here is a view from the other side showing the ball ramp on the left and the clacker tower on the right.
	Below the piping you can see the drive wheel with it's red crank. The connecting arm is the vertical green member. The bag of stones is a counterweight for the elevator.
	Here is a detail of the tower structure. There is a system of staircases and walkways all the way to the top. You can see a couple of the many figures, in conversation of the walkway. The tower is made of Pine, and with bamboo pins at the joints.
	This is the logic house at the top of the tower. The elevator pulleys are at the very top. The elevator dumps a ball onto the upper level of the house, below the roof cover. As the ball falls down through the three levels within the house, gates flip one way or the other, directing the ball out to one of four large pipes.
	The is the series of buckets. At each level the ball is injected in at the edge and spins around for several revolutions before decaying in to the center, where it drops through to the next bucket.
	Here you can see the last bucket and the drop into the green collection pan. The extra balls are stored in a long pipe leading off to the left in this shot. A gate allows only one ball at a time to enter the elevator carriage.
	This is the series of ramps. The structure supports blocks which allow the ball to drop a level and change angles to run down the ramps, actually channels, between the blocks. The ramps and blocks are made of Pine. The structure is Rosewood, mortised together.
	Another view of the ramp structure. The drive wheel is in the background, and the power house, with the AC motor inside, is the small building in the lower right. At the left is the staircase structure which gives access to the walkways higher up. You can see more of the figures on the stair case.
	This is a detail of the turned pieces of the ramp structure.
	Another view of the ramps, which are actually channels.
	Each of the ramps has a walkway beside it, with railings. This is to allow spectators complete access to the action. A series of ladders connects these walkways.
	This is a view of the clacker section. The ball enters from the pipe at the top. Each clacker bucket pivots down to deposit the ball into the next clacker below. The structure is a combination of Tinker Top parts and HO scale bridge girders.