In Progress – Instrument Eight

I have started working on a new series of instruments. This is the first chassis of (probably) four instruments, two of which are developments of Instrument Seven and two of which ask for more direct engagement. They incorporate some simple analogue computers to drive architectural models – architectural automata.

They are made from quarter inch (6.5mm) aluminium plate. I had the pieces waterjet cut. All the joints are slotted for structural integrity and are held together by bolts. The cutting is slightly off so all the joints need to be filed to get the pieces to fit – better than too loose I suppose. The chassis is much stronger than the acrylic ones I built for instruments four to seven, to the extent that I can comfortably stand on this one without it complaining. It is also much more resistant to breakage from knocks. I will tell the story as the thing develops. The design of the chassis is a development of that for Instrument Seven. It has a slightly different geometry and there are no interchangeable parts.