La Llorona: A kinetic/sonic memorial

Documentation of the progress of our project. I'll keep it updated as we go.

BELLOWS AND FLUTE CONSTRUCTION

Cutting out cardboard from old record jackets for the bellows

Gluing stiffeners down to vinyl for bellows

Forming the folds for the first time

Taking shape

Wooden sides temporarily attached

Air box for bellows

Bellows ready to install

Installed on air box - collapsed

Installed on air box - extended

Beginnings of flute prototype

Cutting the flute body to the right size

The little diverter that directs the air to the beveled edge

The cap goes into place

Ready to make sound (see video)

The air input (these couplings are too small for the best sound)

Flute when fully assembled

Bellows connected to flute

DESIGN ITERATIONS

Annotated redesign

Plan view (overhead)

From the bellows side

With figure for scale

With figure for scale

Cam and lever arm detail

Waterwheel and pulleys 4:1 gear reduction

Waterwheel design refined

Hub design refined for strength

Sketches for hub redesign

Bellows and air box sketch

WATERWHEEL AND OTHER MECHANISMS

Flush mounting bearings for the 1/2" shaft

Prototype blocks to secure bearings

prototype base for waterwheel with bearings and shaft in place

lapped joints for strength in a prototype section - this type of plywood was only used in tests

Prototype waterwheel hub in place

first waterwheel hub iteration

large pulley prototype

pulley prototype mounted

testing spacial relationships

movement at last - connected pulleys with belt drive

bellows pulley arm

bellows pulley arm

space for pulley in bellows arm

snail cam design template in cardboard

finished 3/4" snail cam

snail cams in place

designing lantern gear to slow movement

testing tooth spacing of lantern gear

large lantern gear in progress

large lantern gear assembled

two lantern gears waiting for glue to dry

lantern gears in place with large pulley

testing movement and placement

stand for main pulley

lantern gear in action

progress!

lever arms built and in position

roller bearings on lever arms

new waterwheel stand with old one in back

groove (or dado) routed

new main pulley from baltic birch plywood

starting on the waterwheel!

routing jig in place

a jig to help route grooves at an angle

progress on the wheel

fin on wheel and corresponding dado

using hand tools to square off round dado ends

the jig reversed on the other side of the waterwheel

once side of the wheel in place just to see

routed with center shapes cut

mounted on the hub to check alignment

a closer look

the wheel mounts with 4 bolts

testing the fit

looking too solid/heavy

cutting spillways for the water which lighten the wheel

completed wheel sides

the floor after an afternoon of work

the wheel mounted before the black fasteners were removed

another view

with the black fasteners replaced by wooden dowels - a clean look

the waterwheel complete

building another hub for a 3/4" shaft to handle the weight of the wheel

VIDEO