View Full Version : A flying machine!
This was a fun and rewarding little project that was relatively quick to do. I found a wooden spinning propeller toy in my parents house that had belonged to my sister and decided to have a crack at replicating it.
Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the process, but here's some of the finished article.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4444757055_bfca5f7de0.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4444757959_7d35a35cb7.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2625/4445530810_2017d7b0e9.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4444759853_4fb99e1d4f.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4444760541_238e1de335.jpg
My not too successful attempt at getting a shot of it in flight. Took me a while to get this one but it does look a bit like i just threw it up...
I spent a while trying to carve a shaft for it, but it proved very difficult so I ended up buying some 6mm pine dowel. The prop is well seasoned sycamore and the bead at the bottom is a pretty bit of apple. This extra weight would not have been necessary if i'd made the shaft longer, but I like it. Gives it more of a seed propeller look.
Cheers
Indoorsout
19-03-2010, 13:09
:) Nice one!
Survival Bill
19-03-2010, 17:55
had one of them out of plastic as a kid. would be a fun little project to do now...
Sean Hellman
19-03-2010, 18:29
I like it, I have made a few myself over the years and never thought of putting a small weight on a short shaft to make it fly properly.
You could also try making a handle for it so that cord can be wrapped around the shaft so as the cord is pulled it spins the propeller. You can get them to fly very high, careful, I have lost a few on roofs.
I like it, I have made a few myself over the years and never thought of putting a small weight on a short shaft to make it fly properly.
You could also try making a handle for it so that cord can be wrapped around the shaft so as the cord is pulled it spins the propeller. You can get them to fly very high, careful, I have lost a few on roofs.
Nice idea Sean.
I believe we met last summer at Croissant Neuf festival. I was working on the raku pottery stall next but one to yours.
Thanks for posting that Peat/Pete. :D
I haven't seen one of those in years, to be honest I'd forgotten all about them.
A neighbour of mine has a pair of "clackers" from the 1970's, now they are a health and safety nightmare!!
Cheers,
Liam
HeltorChasca
19-03-2010, 19:01
You are going to have to forgive me - I never saw one of these in my miss spent youth in Africa. I could show you loads of other home-made toys (and boys weapons), but this looks like a great project for me and the sprogletts. This I find intriguing!
Please fill in the gaps...Do you throw it up? Do you "pull start" it with chord? What do you do?
Tell me tell me tell me tell me
Yours immaturely,
Heltor Chasca
You are going to have to forgive me - I never saw one of these in my miss spent youth in Africa. I could show you loads of other home-made toys (and boys weapons), but this looks like a great project for me and the sprogletts. This I find intriguing!
Please fill in the gaps...Do you throw it up? Do you "pull start" it with chord? What do you do?
Tell me tell me tell me tell me
Yours immaturely,
Heltor Chasca
You hold between your palms and run them across each other. Easier to illustrate with a picture.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2760/4445483933_ee6c15f20b.jpg
But like sean said, you could wrap a string round it for more power. This might be easier for the kids too as they can struggle to spin it fast enough manually.
Something I forgot to mention before and may not be clear from the picture is that it is important that the blades are aerofoil shaped with the thin edge leading
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4446274700_87cbe2e07d_m.jpg
Peat, that's awesome.
If you can figure out how to take a candle or improvised light aloft and show a video of this at night, you will get my vote for "Bushcraft Signal Flare of the Year". There could be an award, or possibly a penalty...:dunno:
HeltorChasca, my screen shows your "Join Date" as 1970, that too is kind of awesome...
Ogri the trog
19-03-2010, 19:52
Peat, that's awesome.
If you can figure out how to take a candle or improvised light aloft and show a video of this at night, you will get my vote for "Bushcraft Signal Flare of the Year". There could be an award, or possibly a penalty...:dunno:
HeltorChasca, my screen shows your "Join Date" as 1970, that too is kind of awesome...
I think you've just cracked this years Bushmoot challenge!!!!
On the beach of course!
Ogri the trog
Oh nearly forgot - good work Peat, I like the simplicity of that.
They send up candles in paper balloons during the winter at night, quite a sight. (snow's on the ground. If you're playing with fire and don't know the rules, you best not be playing with fire .-)
I have toyed with kites but am nowhere close to making the fine cordage needed. Or paper for that matter.
I had a wooden one when I was a kid. Had it for about ten minutes. My first flight caught me square in the face, probably because I had my head in the way. When my eyes stopped watering about nine minutes later...well, those things can really fly.
Thanks again Peat, keep 'em coming.
ATB
B4
They send up candles in paper balloons during the winter at night, quite a sight.
And lo! A flurry of UFO sightings!!
I had a wooden one when I was a kid. Had it for about ten minutes. My first flight caught me square in the face, probably because I had my head in the way. When my eyes stopped watering about nine minutes later...well, those things can really fly.
if you spin your closest hand too close to you, instead of emphasis on the farthest hand pushing... I made that mistake too. :D
I flick sycamore seeds these days, my eyesight is bad enough thank you...
Regards,
"Patch"