A thingy

**Black Bear** · 31st March 2010, 05:52 PM

I hope some of you peoples can understand technical jargon as I am about to describe a thingy that I had as a kid, and played it with as much as time would allow. I am sure that most blokes would have played with theirs if they had one like mine, as they did take the mind of the boredom of the day at times.

It was several bits of flat wood, about the size of playing cards, only a bit thicker. Now the trick was to run some tape on each side of the thingy so that when you held the second from the top "Card" the top card would tumble over and over until it reached the bottom, and then yu would hold the next second top one and the then top one would tumble over and over until it reached the bottom, and so on.

You can see the wonderful educational value of this thingy, the pure symetrical shapes of the design in bits of wood, and some cloth tape.

The problem: although I could manage cutting out the wood bits, about the size of playing cards only thicker, I do not know how the tape goes on....Do yous?

**mic-d** · 31st March 2010, 06:22 PM

that's a Jacob's ladder I think
http://www.woodcraftarts.com/jacob.htm

CHeers
Michael

**Phil Hansen** · 31st March 2010, 09:58 PM

It is a 'jacob's ladder' as already posted.

Couldn't help myself replying to your quote below.

Originally Posted by Black Bear

I am sure that most blokes would have played with theirs if they had one like mine

This is after all a family forum <VBG>

**tea lady** · 31st March 2010, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by Black Bear

It was several bits of flat wood, about the size of playing cards, only a bit thicker. Now the trick was to run some tape on each side of the thingy so that when you held the second from the top "Card" the top card would tumble over and over until it reached the bottom, and then yu would hold the next second top one and the then top one would tumble over and over until it reached the bottom, and so on.

Acshully, I don't think that's quite how it works. You just hold the top one and rock it back and forth and the second one down keeps falling down.

Falling blocks,

**keju** · 1st April 2010, 08:15 AM

Yep - that's how it works... hold on to the top one.... once the first one flips down, get hold of the next one or of the bottom one and start all over again. we used to make these with cub scouts!

the trick is in the way you attach the bands - see the attached doc

if you click on the thumbnail gif you can see the action

Have fun
Juvy

**NCArcher** · 1st April 2010, 12:26 PM

Thanks everyone, i'm going to make one of these over Easter for my daughter to play with. It is for my daughter, i swear.

**keju** · 1st April 2010, 09:20 PM

I believe you...... just don't forget .... you HAVE to show her how it works ........ a few times.....

Juvy

**munruben** · 2nd April 2010, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by NCArcher

Thanks everyone, i'm going to make one of these over Easter for my daughter to play with. It is for my daughter, i swear.

Sure it is.

Have fun.

**forunna** · 19th April 2010, 01:26 PM

I have a glasses case that works on the same principle.
When you open it you keep "opening" it and it closes again.
Has three straps around it.
Keeps me amused for hours.

**RufflyRustic** · 20th April 2010, 10:50 AM

I've still got mine, it would have to be over 25 years old now. Some of the ribbon has come unstuck, but I remember playing with it for hours, trying to get two or three bits moving down it at once, but it was never long enough. Ah, such a sweet memory

**tea lady** · 21st April 2010, 12:16 AM

Originally Posted by forunna

I have a glasses case that works on the same principle.
When you open it you keep "opening" it and it closes again.
Has three straps around it.
Keeps me amused for hours.

That sounds like fun. I think we need pictures.

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