Hey everyone! This is my Falcon Automata project, created with my CNC router machine. It is a mechanical bird where the wings move when you rotate the crank arm in front. I spent about three months of sporadic time designing and building this project, and it was incredibly difficult. It works, but it could definitely be better, and I encourage you to download the CAD file and make it better! In the end, I have a cool kinetic sculpture. The primary design was done in Autodesk Fusion 360, with most all the toolpaths and CAM done there. The exception is the body, where I used Vectric VCarve, which I regret using. Most materials are solid cherry glued up to make the appropriate stock size, 1/4" baltic birch plywood, and some 1/2" plywood for the frame (which could have been solid wood). Basic 1" hinges connect the wings together, which I got from McMaster Carr. 1/2" solid steel rod for holding it up, and 1/4" aluminum rods from Home Depot. Some small 1/4" circlips from my local Ace Hardware, and misc washers I had around.

*Free Downloads*
* Fusion CAD File, STL / Model Files: https://www.corbinsworkshop.com/shop/...
^^ I shared the 3d printed model too, so you can just 3d print a copy of the model itself. It would be cool to make a 3d printed version of the entire project!

*Materials*
* Double sided tape (the best one): https://amzn.to/3zaQhB9
* Finish: https://amzn.to/3RHud7I

*Bits used*
* 1/16" Upcut: https://amzn.to/4cBOHqt
* 1/16" Downcut: https://amzn.to/3L15OXa
* 1/8" tapered ball: https://amzn.to/3L1o3vA (note: overpriced)
* 1/8" downcut: https://amzn.to/4bzMHyh
* 1/4" Compression bit (plywood): https://amzn.to/4cF9iu9
* 1/4" Downcut (Roughing): https://amzn.to/45HSd04
* 1/4" Upcut (drilling holes): https://amzn.to/3W0YkK4
* 1/4" ballnose (finishing): https://amzn.to/4cdCBEf I currently have a different one, but this is what I'm going to try next for my deep projects
* 3/8" upcut (roughing): https://amzn.to/3RHtHGO
* 3/8" downcut (roughing): https://amzn.to/3ziAVuC

NOTE: I used a lot of different bits; some were just for testing...you can easily get away with using a lot fewer of them, but these are just some of the ones I used and tested. You probably don't need the upcut bits, as I do light passes for everything. Open the file in Fusion to see all the bits.

*My Inspiration*
* Amao Chan's 3D Printed Automata:    / @ideasriver  
* Blake Mcfarland's Shark Automata:    • I Carved This Into a Great White Shark  
* Disney Research Computational Design of Mechanical Characters: https://la.disneyresearch.com/publica...

The clips from the above videos used under "Fair Use" for teaching and reference purposes.

*References*
* My CNC: Avid Pro 4x8 CNC with HITECO ATC Spindle
* Blender (Free 3D Mesh Editing Software): https://www.blender.org
* Audodesk Fusion (CAD / CAM / Toolpaths): https://www.autodesk.com/products/fus...

I'm hoping this inspires you, or you learn something new. I definitely pulled out some new CNC tricks that I haven't done before! (CNC'ing soft jaws)

Thanks everyone!
Corbin Dunn
https://www.corbinsworkshop.com // CNC Files & Products
https://www.corbinstreehouse.com // Blog

*Chapters*
0:00 Intro
0:34 Inspiration
1:09 Blender Model
2:17 Fusion CAD
4:00 Gear & Frame Cutting
5:11 Body CNC Carving (VCarve)
7:59 Wing Tip CNC Carving (Fusion)
9:31 Base
10:20 Hinge Slots / Soft Jaws
13:16 Wood Wing Hinges
14:30 Finish Applied
14:48 Assembly
16:40 Reveal