Earlier this year, I stumbled upon a video of a wooden automaton of an archer shooting a bow, by a bow maker who goes by Del Cat on YouTube. As soon as I saw it in action, I knew I had to try and build a version using LEGO.
You can see the results, along with a breakdown of the design, in the video below. Continue reading for some more info and images.
It’s been five years since I designed my LEGO Technic based galloping horse, and in that time I’ve always had it in the back of my mind to revisit the model to try and improve the overall look of the horse itself.
About a year ago I started experimenting with alternate mechanisms for the galloping motion, and it finally all came together in this model of the Greek god Apollo in his chariot.
Revisiting old models is something I don’t usually do, but as I was finishing up the Lawnmower Man model a few months ago, I got to thinking it might be time to take another look at my original Sisyphus model. Was there a better way to support the body other than the intrusive (and ugly) black rod sticking out of the base? Had the LEGO Group released any new parts that could be used to improve the design? It turns out the answer to both those questions was yes.
Another thing I discovered was that some of the parts I used in the original had become extremely expensive in the secondary market (the click hinges I used for the ankles, for example), making it challenging and pricey for people to source the parts to build their own copy of the model.
I ended up redesigning the model pretty much from the ground up, and even though the overall appearance and functionality hasn’t changed, I did make some significant improvements to some parts of the design. I discuss many of these changes in the video below, where you can also see the new model in action. Instructions for the model can also be found below.