Introduction: Incline Walking Elephant

I hold always been drawn to old fashioned toys, ones that do non need batteries operating room upgrading and that use clockwork, operating theater as in this case, gravity.

In that location is a timelessness to them - we have a small collection of them and my married woman and I oft take clock time to play with them in the kitchen!

If you are intending to make this little elephant, please look at step 10 before you start. There is an alternative template with a slimly more 'bulbous' body that may involve to a lesser extent footling than the one posted in step 1.

This Instructable involves the use of cutting tools.

Please make a point that you are properly acquainted with how to use them safely - if in doubt, seek advice and/surgery guidance, earlier starting.

Supplies

  • Pencils, graphite and charcoal.
  • Wee Tri-Square.
  • Principle.
  • Glue stick (for wallpaper) - give the axe use watered down white glue.
  • Scissors.
  • White glue.
  • Vernier slide caliper.
  • Work bench vise.
  • Small clamps.
  • Tenon saw.
  • Lowly hacksaw.
  • Woodwind instrument chisel - 3/4 inch. (Optional)
  • Files, carpentry – 6 inch -coarse, one-half beat and round.
  • Needle file set.
  • Helping hand recitation with 2 mm drilling bit (1/16th inch).
  • Shooting card (described in school tex).
  • Jack planing machine.
  • Pliers and metalworking vise (Optional).
  • Soft metal conducting wire, 2 millimetre thick (1/16th inch) - short distance, astir 50 mm (2 inches).
  • Centre punch or a nail.
  • Small hammer.
  • Thin washers 2 mm (2), stainless steel rather.
  • Cocktail sticks.
  • Wood - reasonably hard. Small piece - the elephant is 35 millimeter high (1 3/8 inch) and 15 millimetre dense, (fair unforesightful of 5/8th inch). You testament also need woodwind instrument for the legs (2 X 4 mm wide,3 mm thick and 35 mm long) and front and back off pick (50 mm long and 15 millimeter fanlike). This foot length allows one to grip it in the vice)

Step 1:

I John Drew unconscious the template (picture show 1 higher up) and cut out the persona with scissor grip. Use charcoal pencil to scribble happening the back (pic 2).

Trace onto the piece of wood selected - pic 3 - result - pic 4.

Mark out the cutting lines - pic 5.

Undercut off the excess wood - pic 6.

Saint Mark the pivot man hole and the hole for the leg break with a centre punch and practise a 2 millimeter (1/16th inch) hole done the points - film 7-9.

Pace 2:

A brief parenthesis happening the subject of shooting boards.

Cypher at all to do with firearms - a usable tool for 'shooting' the ends of cut pieces of wood. Useful also for planing the edges of gnomish pieces of Grant Wood - indeed, I have through with all the surfaces in just a few minutes. An reward is that one can look down in the mouth at the bring on and watch the progress.

A brief Google search tells me that these are not purchasable commercially - construction is very easy. See the photos above.

It consists of a flat plank, (mine is 12 mm, (1/2 edge) multi-ply), 40 cm (15 3/4 inches) long and 20 Cm (7 7/8 inches) wide - pic 1.

There is a spell of wood running the length of the shooting board, attached to it with screws. This tin can be gripped in the frailty to secure it patc working. If you are edifice one of these, attach the flat board to the runner first - pic 2. (Mine is 6 cm (2 23/64 in) by 4.5 curium (1 3/4 inches).

There is a thin 'mezzanine' of 3 mm ply on elevation, aligned with one long edge of the multiply, leaving enough space from the other butt on to the bound of the base to accommodate the side of a jack plane. (Mine is 14.7 cm (approx 6 inches) by 30.5 cm(1 foot approx). The 'mezzanine' is skinned with Genus Formica (or any related composite), as is the 'runway' for the jack even. (pic 3 ).

The blade of the jack plane does non extend right crossways the sole - the 'mezzanine' is to lift the working surface to allow totally the work to be 'shot' full access to the blade - pic 4. To boot, I utilization a scrap of Grant Wood to further raise the wood to the middle of the leaf blade, when inevitable.

There is a stay intended at a quadrant to the manifold base with screws from underneath. With use, this stop gets eaten away by the plane blade so moldiness be unscrewed, trued up once more and reattached, (or replaced eventually) - pic 5.

Mistreat 3:

Use the laborer carpenter's plane and shot board to transparent off the cuts. Hold the work with the left, (assuming a right-handed mortal) and push the plane back and forth, skimming the workplace from each one clip. Sometimes, a little Q-20 or WD-40 on the 'runway' will alleviate things along nicely.

(This is optional - it is conscionable the way I like to wreak. I give birth found that progressing a piece along which is not conventional can lead to misalignment further along, which can be very difficult to fix.) See first three pics.

Thickness the lacuna in the same elbow room - I wanted 15 mm (sportsmanlike discourteous of 5/8 Th inch) - see pics 4 & 5 above.

Use a fine saw to cut away the waste around the profile - pics 6 & 7. I employment a Junior hacksaw.

Step 4:

I usage a cheat to pare inaccurate the excess woodwind, almost down to the line - pics 1-3.

Take in a small bring down off the back of the work premiere, (motion picture 1) - this bequeath prevent spelching, (chip), of the wood as the chisel completes the cut.

The cheat is optional- a file in will serve equally well.

Use a file in to take the elephant right field descending to the note and lightly bevel the edges erst right-down - film 4.

(This beveling is named 'breaking the arris' - I have always pet the wonderful price that so richly ornament the terminology of woodworking !!)

Step 5:

Grip the elephant upside - down in the frailty and drill a 2 mm (1/16th in) kettle of fish for the tail - pic 1.

Make the butt using soft wire, a gold-working frailty and a pair of pliers - pic 2 &adenylic acid; 3.

If you do non have a metal working vice, you can use two pairs of pliers. The wire I put-upon, I found near our home - a short length, but quite unmerciful - soft telegram is much improve!!

Use of goods and services the templet - pic 4 - to mark off the ears. I used a contrasting forest to make it to a greater extent pleasing. One can make one thick ear and then break up it into two, or prepare two identical thin blanks, mark out and clip to size, pinched together with fingers while adjusting in the vice. I used this last method - pics 5-8.

Check that the ears will not repellant the back legs, (once you have successful them), by inserting a cocktail stick into the pin cakehole and dropping a washer over - pic 9.

Glue on the ears - pic 10.

Result - photo 11.

Step 6:

Scratch out the template for the trunk and library paste it onto a appropriately small assemble of Wood - pic 1.

Using files, configuration the truck - pic 2.

Use a goad file to bevel the edges - pic 3 &4.

Finished trunk, ready to attach - pic 5.

Glue on the trunk. I used quick set epoxy glue here - and propped up the elephant with the trunk vertical while information technology sets. Plumb up the squeeze-tabu glue when set, exploitation a needle file.

Optional step: Once the glue had laid, I drilled a 2 mm (1/16th inch) hole through the trunk into the consistence fitting a short way. Then I glued in a cocktail stick to re-enforce the common, trim it later once the glue had plant - pic 6.

Step 7:

The back and foremost feet are best ready-made in one piece, so that the curve of each foot is the same - cut a suitable piece of wood to make the feet - I used 50 mm, (approx 2 inches).

Plane the incommunicative to sizing (50 mm ) with the shooting board - motion picture 1. The feet are 15 mm (merely short 5/8th inch) deep.

Place the white for the understructur in the vise and conformation with a lodge to a incurvate contour - pic 2 & 3.

Cut a firearm slightly wider than the front foot ( pic 4) .

Glue to the bottom of the elephant, leaving IT slenderly arrogant on some sides, and clamp until set - pic 6.

Register downwardly flush on both sides later on the glue has put .

Step out 8:

Cut a small-arm of suitable wood to make the back legs. Mine are 4 mm (1/8 inch) wide and 3 millimetre (3/32 inch) thick, final measurements and so cut with an allowance to skim them down - pic 1.

Adapt the thickness and width of the legs using a shot board - pics 2 - 4.

Influence slowly and carefully - you posterior utilize a flake piece of wood to weightlift the leg against the sole of the jack plane while skimming. Probably non a good idea to have your fingertips so boon to the blade.

Mark a pivot man fix at the last of each leg and confirm with a center on perforate and small hammer.

Place the legs one by unmatchable in the vice and drill a 2 millimetre (1/16th inch) kettle of fish right through - pic 5.

Use a needle file to widen the jam to take up a cocktail stick - motion picture 6.

The final fit must cost such that the legs pivot man freely about the cocktail pose with nary disinclination or sticking - pic 7 & 8. Any sticking here and the elephant bequeath not walk.

Whole step 9:

Put in a cocktail stick into the pivot man hole and trim allow 8 mm to project on either side of the body of the elephant.

Place two 2 mm washers terminated the projecting stubs of cocktail perplex.

Place the holes of the two legs over the projected stubs. Place an increase two washers, uncomparable on either side between the leg and the personify, in order to celebrate the legs parallel - pic 1.

Measuring rod and fool out the back foot. The measurement is the inside distance betwixt the legs, held synchronous, with the legs ironed against the washers - pic 2. This gives clearance betwixt the legs and the body of the elephant, sanctionative the legs to move freely without rubbing against the organic structure.

Cut the back foot to duration with a Junior hacksaw and trim with a file, material possession down the foot onto the stop of the shot board with unmatchable hand and filing the cut edge smooth with the other - motion picture 3.

Paste the template, ( film 4) onto a piece of card and ignore out the visibility.

Tie the noncurrent foot to the movement leg it with a short length of masking tape across the soles - pic 5.

Conform the relationship between the feet, while still pressing the legs against the rear foot. Ane can make up a small woody spacer to assist with this - pic 6.

Cite the back legs and press them against both sides of the back foot - pic 7.

Bell ringer the position of the metrical unit on both legs with a pencil (vertical position) and likewise then position of the legs on the foot - (fore and aft set out). Also check with the elephant upper side down and look the soles of the feet, that the edges of both feet are parallel - that they line rising. Whatever deviation here may mean that the elephant may not walk at all OR walk straight.

Relax the squeeze, apply glue between the foot and the legs, ray-set to the pencil marks and clamp - pic 8. (The masking magnetic tape is removed in this pic for clarity). Re-mark off the alliance preceding and also by looking from behind, that the back understructur lines risen with the front foot horizontally - whatever tilting at this point May beggarly that the elephant may not walk around at all or not walk straight. Look at exposure 8 again - the crack between the feet is continual.

Once the glue has determine, take from the clamp and trim the legs to be flush with the back foot - pic 9. Bevel them slightly by from the sole.

Dance step 10:

Fit the tail and also a small distance of cocktail stick into the leg catch hole - pic 1.

The elephant moldiness rest on its rearmost feet when placed happening a level surface - pic 2.

Make ahead a aslope Allium tricoccum, using temporary backpacking at ane goal to lift it - it may need to be familiarised later - consider below - If it doesn't walk.

Mine is 35 cm (13 3/4 inches) long and 5.5 cm (2 1/8 inches) wide and 7.7 cm (3 inches), off the ground.- pics 3 & 4. Mine has sides added to it and folds prepared - both nonobligatory.

Now it is time to try him come out of the closet!! Place the elephant on the storm, advertize inoperative softly happening the rump and release. The elephant should lead off to walk down the wild leek in a 'nodding' manner.

If it doesn't base on balls:

  • The gradient besides has an essence - try the slope suggested above - if no portio, so lengthen the fastigiate part of the ramp away 12.5 millimeter (1/2 inch), propping something sandy underneath.

  • Try sliding the tail in or out - happening mine this did helper, just it likewise needed some light ballast on the fountainhead. I used a left over small piece from fashioning the foot and attached it with a undersized piece of Press putty or similar.

  • Try placing the ballast on the elephant's brow about a 1/4 inch in the lead from the base of the trunk. If no luck, prompt the buttocks bet on a bit.
  • Move the ballast dorsum a trifle - try it and then propel the tail again if no luck.
  • Alternate moving the ballast and the can - making just one adjustment at a time.
  • I must admit that IT took quite a bit of fiddling to have IT to walk fortunate, all the way down the rage - sooner or later I had to drill a pickle in the base of the elephant to take a small screw and two metal washers - pics 5 & 6.
  • Thinking more about it, the elephant might need less fiddling, if the shape of the organic structure was much bulbous at the rear - see pic 7 - look at the virgin contour drawn in. I have made much an elephant, which worked well on the original slope to a higher place.
  • Once it is walking well, one can glue the ballast in place. IT stool also be fashioned into a head grace - in real world, such ornaments are worn by roughly elephants, notably in India.

Live the First to Share

Recommendations

  • Anything Goes Contest 2022

    Anything Goes Contest 2022