Page 14 - Making things move_ DIY mechanisms for inventors, hobbyists, and artists

Introduction xiii

I guarantee that you will gain a general understanding of mechanisms and save time,
money, and frustration by avoiding mechanical design mistakes that lead to failure.
Anyone can become a mechanism maker—even if you’ve never set foot in a machine
shop.

What This Book Isn’t

This book is not an engineering textbook. It assumes no prerequisite knowledge of
electronics or robotics, and you do not need to know what a microcontroller is or how
to program one to get the most out of this book. I don’t assume you’ve grown up
with a metal shop in your garage, know what a lathe is, or can estimate motor torque
by looking at a rotating shaft.

Each chapter could be expanded to a book of its own, and there are many other
places to look for detailed technical explanations. This book is about getting things
made, and it includes the necessary information for you to do just that. The small
amount of theory and background presented will help you understand how
mechanisms work, so you can concoct and manipulate your own creations. If these
sections get too heavy for you, or you already know the background, skip right to the
hands-on stuff.

How to Use This Book

As the White Rabbit was told by the King in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, “Begin
at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” If you really have
no background in making things, this is probably the best way to approach the book.
You would only get frustrated when you read about estimating torque in Chapter 6
if you had not read Chapter 4’s discussion of torque and don’t know what it is. Do
the small projects to start getting your hands dirty and used to making things. The
chapters are organized in a way that builds up knowledge of all the parts that go into
building things that move, so when you get to the end of the book, you will have all
the tools in your tool belt and be ready to conquer the final projects in Chapter 10.

Each project in the book has two sections: shopping list and recipe. I’ve heard that
baking is more of a science, and cooking is more of an art. Making things move is a
bit like baking in the beginning. You want to make sure you measure every ingredient
just right, follow every step, and do everything by the book. But once you get used to