Guess what is this....

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Just remembered how much interest Rennie's potty stand raised so I thought why not post another "guess what".

I designed and made this about 25 years ago ( it seems it was yesterday:() it is meant to be a conversation piece but it has a very common use, and it works fantastic!

The wine bottle next to it has nothing to do with its use, I just put it there to give you an idea of its size.

Bids are open!

Comments and guesses welcome!!
 

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Just remembered how much interest Rennie's potty stand raised so I thought why not post another "guess what".

I designed and made this about 25 years ago ( it seems it was yesterday:() it is meant to be a conversation piece but it has a very common use, and it works fantastic!

The wine bottle next to it has nothing to do with its use, I just put it there to give you an idea of its size.

Bids are open!

Comments and guesses welcome!!
A nutcracker.:D
 
The black cord we can see in the front plugs in and powers a small air pump. The hole just below the ball allows the air to push the ball up. When the ball reaches a certain height, the weight overcomes the air pressure, and the ball falls down again...then up...then down again. (or does it just "float") Great conversation piece!:thumb:

Ooops, too late.....and not correct. :doh: Oh well....

:rofl:
 
The black cord we can see in the front plugs in and powers a small air pump. The hole just below the ball allows the air to push the ball up. When the ball reaches a certain height, the weight overcomes the air pressure, and the ball falls down again...then up...then down again. (or does it just "float") Great conversation piece!:thumb:

Ooops, too late.....and not correct. :doh: Oh well....

:rofl:

Actually it started as you describe it....:rofl::rofl:
 
You got it! Then it is not as original as I thought!:( Well, that was 25 years ago) Sigh! it only lasted a couple of minutes!
I'm sorry.:(

As I looked at it I could not think of anything else that would have a heavy weight restricted to a controlled path except some midevil torture device.:eek: Really, it was just a guess!;)
 
Toni, do you have any other photos of this very cool piece? I like it a lot. :thumb:

I would think the nut would explode all over the place, but maybe that's why I like it. :huh: I used to love to smash things. :D
 
Toni,

I thought that might be a Ping Pong ball, painted to look like metal.... What happened to the original design? :dunno:

I too thought about a nut cracker, but the "black cord" steered me to the floating ball theory...

BTW, what is the "black cord" looking thing?? :huh:

Does look like a nice project...
 
...BTW, what is the "black cord" looking thing?? :huh:

Does look like a nice project...
I believe it's a grout joint between the tiles the nutcracker is sitting on. I suspect it was photographed on a fireplace mantle.

Very cool design, Toni. Clean, simple, and modern.
 
I'm sorry.:(

As I looked at it I could not think of anything else that would have a heavy weight restricted to a controlled path except some midevil torture device.:eek: Really, it was just a guess!;)

I love the technical way you describe it Rennie,:thumb::thumb: and you're right twice!
It can be used to torture, just imagine puting one of your finger joints in it and drop the ball:doh:
 
I believe it's a grout joint between the tiles the nutcracker is sitting on. I suspect it was photographed on a fireplace mantle.

Very cool design, Toni. Clean, simple, and modern.

Thanks for your comment Vaughn, but you're only half right, it is a grout joint, but it is not a fireplace mantle,
the white steps are from the spiral starcaise ( that I hate) that take you to the upper room, continuing downstairs behind the nutcracker is the access to my shop.

Oh! I could have continued the guessing contest with it...:(
 

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Toni,

I thought that might be a Ping Pong ball, painted to look like metal.... What happened to the original design? :dunno:

I too thought about a nut cracker, but the "black cord" steered me to the floating ball theory...

BTW, what is the "black cord" looking thing?? :huh:

Does look like a nice project...

Hi Greg, what do you mean by asking what happened to the original design?

This is the original design and prototype. The ball is a ball bearing ball and the body is made out by hand on a lathe driven by B&D drill out of a salvaged chunk of pine wood .
Then sanded, primed, and lacquered with paint, about 6 layers with wet sanding in between each.
 
Toni, do you have any other photos of this very cool piece? I like it a lot. :thumb:

I would think the nut would explode all over the place, but maybe that's why I like it. :huh: I used to love to smash things. :D

The nut doesn't fly away, because you hold it with your fingers; and no, you never get them caught:).

The nut shell is broken perfectly without smashing the contents because all kinetic energy is absorbed by the shell. It took me a while to figure out everything so that it would work.

On a pliers type nutcracker you have always to be controlling the effort that you're making, and if it gives all of a sudden you smash the content; with this one never. Besides it is a lot funnier to use it.
 
The nut doesn't fly away, because you hold it with your fingers; and no, you never get them caught:).

The nut shell is broken perfectly without smashing the contents because all kinetic energy is absorbed by the shell. It took me a while to figure out everything so that it would work.

On a pliers type nutcracker you have always to be controlling the effort that you're making, and if it gives all of a sudden you smash the content; with this one never. Besides it is a lot funnier to use it.

I bet it is fun to use...thanks for the explanation Toni!
 
Hey Toni

Great post, I also had a different answer to Rennie. I thought it was a Tuning fork of some sort. Pictured the round object, which I now understand to be a ball bearing, to be something that you slide up and down to give you different frequencies.

But I dont mind being wrong because i think that is a great idea for a Xmas gift. I love nuts and always buy them at this time of the year. trouble is exactly what you said, we brek them in the pliers type of nit cracker.

What about putting up a short thread on the basics of how to make your design.

Thanks
 
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