# Whats this called?



## JTsteelblu (Oct 13, 2004)

Hi all,
I hope someone knows the name of this little gadget I had when I was a kid. It was a useless little time waster, but fasinated me, and now I want to build one for my Grand Kids...but alas, I don't know what it's called or where to get plans, if they even exist. Here's a discription. It had a wooden base of maybe 3 inches square and and 3/4 inch in depth, with two perpendicular routed dovetail tracks cut into it that held two "tailed" sliding pieces maybe an inch in length that ran back and forth in the tracks. They were connected to a wooden crank that propelled the to tailed pieces. When the crank was turned, the two tailed piece slide back and forth narrowly missing a collision as they passed by one another. It didn't realy do anything but amaze an 8 year old with the narrow miss, and kept him quiet for hours as the car ticked off the miles to our vacation spot. I really can't tell you much more about the gadget, other than it reminds me today of the woodworking gadget that some use to draw an oval on a project, as the "crank" discribes an oval as it moves through a cycle. Let me know if any of you have seen this, what it's name may be, and if you've seen plans or built one yourselves! Thanks for your help guys!
JT


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## scotirish10 (Nov 11, 2008)

We called it a "BS" grinder. Never saw plans for one.


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## dovetail_65 (Jan 22, 2008)

Here is a picture of one I will get you plans as soon as I can.

Its in the lower right corner(got the pic off the net).

If Nana still has one I will get it and make some plans. She keeps everything.


Nick


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI JTsteelblu

Is this what it looked like ? , see below
sorry no plans, but it works about the same way the oval jig works. 

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17282&filter=oval jig

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JTsteelblu said:


> Hi all,
> I hope someone knows the name of this little gadget I had when I was a kid. It was a useless little time waster, but fasinated me, and now I want to build one for my Grand Kids...but alas, I don't know what it's called or where to get plans, if they even exist. Here's a discription. It had a wooden base of maybe 3 inches square and and 3/4 inch in depth, with two perpendicular routed dovetail tracks cut into it that held two "tailed" sliding pieces maybe an inch in length that ran back and forth in the tracks. They were connected to a wooden crank that propelled the to tailed pieces. When the crank was turned, the two tailed piece slide back and forth narrowly missing a collision as they passed by one another. It didn't realy do anything but amaze an 8 year old with the narrow miss, and kept him quiet for hours as the car ticked off the miles to our vacation spot. I really can't tell you much more about the gadget, other than it reminds me today of the woodworking gadget that some use to draw an oval on a project, as the "crank" discribes an oval as it moves through a cycle. Let me know if any of you have seen this, what it's name may be, and if you've seen plans or built one yourselves! Thanks for your help guys!
> JT


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## JTsteelblu (Oct 13, 2004)

nickao65 said:


> Here is a picture of one I will get you plans as soon as I can.
> 
> Its in the lower right corner(got the pic off the net).
> 
> ...


Yup Nick! That's it! If you can do "a Norm" for me, and get some measurements, I would really be greatful! If you have any idea what it's called I can look on the Net too, but I wouldn't know where to start without a name for it! Thanks Friend...my Grand Kids will love us BOTH for a long time! So will their mothers on those long car trips! Thanks again! JT


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

HI Carpe Carp

You should not needs plans for this one, just a 3/4" dovetail bit and about 30 mins.to make this one 

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JTsteelblu said:


> Yup Nick! That's it! If you can do "a Norm" for me, and get some measurements, I would really be greatful! If you have any idea what it's called I can look on the Net too, but I wouldn't know where to start without a name for it! Thanks Friend...my Grand Kids will love us BOTH for a long time! So will their mothers on those long car trips! Thanks again! JT


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## Burdell (Jan 17, 2009)

*What's It Called?*



JTsteelblu said:


> Hi all,
> I hope someone knows the name of this little gadget I had when I was a kid. It was a useless little time waster, but fasinated me, and now I want to build one for my Grand Kids...but alas, I don't know what it's called or where to get plans, if they even exist. Here's a discription. It had a wooden base of maybe 3 inches square and and 3/4 inch in depth, with two perpendicular routed dovetail tracks cut into it that held two "tailed" sliding pieces maybe an inch in length that ran back and forth in the tracks. They were connected to a wooden crank that propelled the to tailed pieces. When the crank was turned, the two tailed piece slide back and forth narrowly missing a collision as they passed by one another. It didn't realy do anything but amaze an 8 year old with the narrow miss, and kept him quiet for hours as the car ticked off the miles to our vacation spot. I really can't tell you much more about the gadget, other than it reminds me today of the woodworking gadget that some use to draw an oval on a project, as the "crank" discribes an oval as it moves through a cycle. Let me know if any of you have seen this, what it's name may be, and if you've seen plans or built one yourselves! Thanks for your help guys!
> JT


Carp,

This fun device when used to draw ellipses is called an "elliptical trammel." They have existed for a long time, probably the 1700's.

Burdell


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## Burdell (Jan 17, 2009)

Burdell said:


> Carp,
> 
> This fun device when used to draw ellipses is called an "elliptical trammel." They have existed for a long time, probably the 1700's.
> 
> Burdell


I did a little more research. Elliptical trammels have existed at least since the renaissance. I suspect that the idea came from Aristotle or one of the other Greek mathematicians, because the idea is based on geometry.

Burdell


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