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Slide and fall
-- A mechanical curiosity
that slides a short distance, falls a short distance and repeats the process
until it gets to the end of its track.
Snow/Ice
arch -- Make a form out of saplings, wire, cardboard,
plastic rap, cord and tape. Pile snow dampened with water on top and let
it freeze.
Miniature fanciful can
house -- Made
from numerous odds and ends starting with
a tin can.
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Slide
and fall
Set this device on two
small nails that are driven maybe half way into a board or pushed half way
into cardboard. The nails are not lined up horizontally. They are aligned
at about 45 degrees. That steep angle causes the shape to side toward the
lower nail until the upper end of the shape is no longer supported by the
upper nail. At that time the upper end falls and is stopped by a third nail.
Now the slider is again at a 45 degree anlge, this time with the third nail
being the lower of the two supporting nails. The slider again begins to slide
on two nails. The process repeats as the slider makes it way downward for
however many nails have been placed in an alternating pattern shown in the
second diagram of this section.
The shape can be cut from thin cardboard
from a cereal box, plastic from a flat side of a gallon milk jug or some
similiar material. The sizes shown in the diagrams are in inches.
The nails can be pushed into
two strips of corrugated cardboard that have been glued together so the increased
thickness holds the nails more securely. Small number 17 nails about 3/4
inch long should do. That 1.4 mm by about 18 mm. Straight pins might be used
instead of nails. The nails or pins should be angled downward into the cardboard,
that is to say the head of the nail should be higher than the point. The
angle should keep the shape against the vertical cardboard. Perhaps around
30 from horizontal would serve to keep the shape from moving away from the
cardboard and off of the nails.
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Snow/ice
arch
This project is built using wooden poles bent into an arch shape. Two such
arches are placed side by side about 8 inches apart. 5 cross piece
are wired to the underside of the arches. The purpose of the cross pieces
is to align the arches relative to each other. A 10 inch wide length of
corrugated cardboard is placed on top of the arch covering the full length
of the arch. Heavy string is then used to stitch the cardboard to the poles.
The cardboard is covered with plastic food wrap whose edges are folded around
and under the edges of the cardboard. Tape is used to hold the edges of the
plastic in place. Snow sprinkled with water can then be placed on the arch
and left to freeze solid. Several applications of the snow/water are made
with time between applications for freezeing. That way the strength of the
arch gradually increases as the weight of the arch increases.
The arch can be made the size that suits you. The ends of two or more poles
can be lapped about a foot and wired or securely tied to make longer poles
for bigger arches. The ends of the arch are held in place by burying them
about 6 inches in the ground. Use a cord tied to an end of a cross piece
to pull that end down if it is too high. The lower end of the cord could
be attached to the arch near where it enters the ground.
Use a gardener's sprinkling can to sprinkle water onto snow lying on the
ground. The snow/water mixture can be shovelled into a wheelbarrow to be
taken to the arch. Stirring the mixture with a hoe or shovel might improve
its consistency. Use trowels made for working with mortar and concrete for
placing/shaping the mixture on the arch. Apply only a thin layer with each
application to prevent bending of the arch. Start at ground level and work
upward for a short distance. Then add snow to the other end of the arch.
Alternate applying snow at one end and then the other to also help prevent
bending of the arch.
When done adding snow, the wood/cardboard frame can be removed or left in
place. Perhaps the frame could be used as a trellis for morning glory flowers
or pole beans.
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Miniature can house
This is made from a metal
can, a round cardboard oatmeal container or some other appropriate item that
you think would make a good starting shape for a model house. Opennings for
windows and doors are made. Add any features desired such as stairways, patios,
observation decks, balconies, awnings, decorative archetectural features
and etc. Hang the model from the ceiling, set it on a desk or shelf or attach
it to a wall.
If cutting opennings for doors and windows is too difficult, use glued on
black paper or black paint to look like the openning. A strip of paper around
the simulated openning might make the openning more real looking. Use whatever
materials you have available. Possibilities include pieces of plastic berry
boxes for patios, string and tooth picks for rope ladders, tooth picks for
railings, popsicle sticks for stairs, orange or onion sacks for window screens,
paper cone for a roof and a toy figure for someone living in the home. Wire
from paper clips or clothes hangers can be bent to make many different shapes.
You could also add shapes and structures that aren't meant to look like any
particular thing. You could try to make them look like something unknown
but perhaps useful or needed by the house's occupant.
Give yourself plenty of time to come up with ideas for making the fanciful
house. Work on it until you run out of ideas and then let the model set somewhere
you will see it often. Sometime maybe days later you may get an idea for
an interesting addition or change to the model.
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