I got this thingie at a yard sale this past summer for a quarter. I can't seem to figure out what it's for. Seems all it does is the little sliders go back and forth when ya crank the crank.
It's a tool for describing an ellipse. Watch the track of the handle and all will become clear. It does exactly what it's designed to do.
Dave Hinz
I've also heard it called a do nothing, as it was used to occupy a child, or whoever, with nothing else to do.
Yep. Got some regulars on our craft circuit that sell hundreds per year.
Looks pretty simple to make. What do they go for?
Dave
I've seen it labeled as "Political tag: See how the two sides never meet in the middle"
5 bucks it seems. He cuts with a dovetail bit for grooves and sliders. Also sells Jacobs' ladders, little boats, climbing monkeys and other things which make the parents feel good about dropping some dollars.
Around here it's known as a smoke grinder. Used for clearing the air when I do much thinking:-)
Actually if you lengthen the arm and attach a router to the end it can be used to cut oval table tops. Yep I've done it. Or just stick aa pencil in the end for drawing an oval.
D.Mo
On Thu, 03 Feb 2005 19:36:19 GMT, the inscrutable "Lawrence L'Hote" spake:
Any details on that? How big a table? Any problems/special design of the jig? What materails did you use? TIA. -- Igor
Hasn't anybody seen a wham-a-dilly before? They're for grinding smoke. And they do it really well. They're often found accompanied by a left handed wind tester and sometimes a left handed screw driver.
charlie b
In a small town I used to live in, the local gunshop had one of these on the counter. Said it was a bullshit grinder.
Looks like a toy to me. Kinda what Joe G. said. Joe S.
Lawrence L'Hote wrote:
Looks like the jigs you build to draw ovals. max
max wrote: : Looks like the jigs you build to draw ovals. : max
Except this one has no provision for varying the length of the x or y axis.
I think it's a timeuserdoohickeythingamabob. Keps kids and wayward adults amused for an unbounded period of time.
-- Andy Barss
At our shows, nothin'. We'd just pack'em up at the end of the day and stuff them back into storage along with everything else. Nobody buys nothin' around here. Buncha damn cheapskates. We've lost our ass on the last three shows, but I still can't convince SWMBO to give it up and go get a second job at Burger King if she wants a little extra money.
That's what it's called in the executive toy plastic versions.
let's see think it was 24 x 40 inches. Used a piece of MDF about 14 inches square and routed the dovetail channels in it. Handle was your basic router trammel. To use Find bouth centerlines on your blank and attach base with the corners on the centerlines basically centering it in the balnk. I used carpet tape to hold it in place, but hot melt glue or some small nails would work. Place one key at junction of the dovetail slots and position router at the end of your major axis, 20" in my case as that's have of the forty. We are talking center poit of the router bit. Run screw loosely through trammel . move router to minor axis, 12 inches in my case and run screw loosely through trammel into key at the junction. You've now set the size of the oval to be cut. Now rout the oval out in shallow passes. Oh yeah watch where your router cord is or you might lose power. DAMHIKT :-D
"Success with roouters: Techniques & Tips" From the Handymans Library has two oval cutting machines in it on page 171. Yep I admit it Thaat's put out by the Handyman Club of America. There are a few of us on the wreck.
D. Mo
Also I believe that Wood smith # 84 featured an oval cutting jig for a router.
D. Mo
You're supposed to count the complete rotations as you crank.
-jbb
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