Automata Water Drop - DIY Project with simple methods 

Hi Scott, so far that happened exactly once! The reason was a change in weather: the wood warped a bit and so one of the poles got stuck from time to time. So I detached the ring ontop to reset the pole onderneath because it was obviously slightly crooked. And ever since: absolutely no problems. That did surprise me, but I guess there was some luck involved... So as long as the guiding holes are precisely vertical, the poles nice and straight there’s absolutely no need for further weight. The rings (or ripples) provide more that enough gravity. Also too much weight will cause higher friction on the Drive shaft (is that the right word?). In my case that could have been severe, because the circle-levers are quite sensitive. Also the low weight and easy feeling generates a rather soothing sensation when operating that thing. I keep it in my office... sometimes people come over and ask to play with it a while, because it is so soothing. 🤪 Anyway... have fun! You’ll be fine! Because that is one of the most important questions one could ask regarding this project! :-)

@@agermangineer thanks so much for this thorough answer. I'll let you know how mine turns out

@@agermangineer I see the circular cams are all the same diameter except for the larger one in the centre. Are the rods different heights? Do they get gradually taller from the outside in like a pyramid?

@@legend3061 No no... they are exaclty the Same height. Here’s how to build it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XYdF-B0r_V0.html

@@agermangineer oh wow. So it's the cam circles that get smaller as they move out from the centre. Thanks so much for answering my questions. This is a tricky project. I may not get to begin it for a couple weeks as Toronto is on a severe covid lockdown until the 23rd. Can't set foot in a home depot.