My daughter gave me a couple of these silly hand toys called "fidgets".
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They have four ball bearings, one in the center behind the plastic plugs, and three one the arms. I just have a feeling that these could be very useful for something in model railroading, but for the life of me I cannot figure out what to use them for.
Any ideas?
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I've seen the toys recently. I was told that they were originally developed for children with autism and ADHD or ADD. The toy can be mesmerizing.
I understand the "really good ones" are so well ballanced that they can spin for several minutes. How about scratch building a "wind farm"? You can attach the wind blades to them!
Well no...you would have to make the outer bearings stationary. Hmmm....
Oh,...I just realised that your era is 1954. Wind farm idea is out.
A gondola load? When all else fails...
JOHN C TARANTOOh,...I just realised that your era is 1954. Wind farm idea is out.
Well, some wind farms go back a few years...
http://www.dutchnews.nl/features/2015/05/10-things-you-should-know-about-dutch-windmills/
Just sayin'
Regards, Ed
SeeYou190 I just have a feeling that these could be very useful for something in model railroading, but for the life of me I cannot figure out what to use them for.
by anchoring on corner or drilling a 4th hole in the middle, they could be used a bell cranks.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
Well you could glue a plastic rod to the center of each. Then using another dowel as a crank in one of the outer holes, wind up wire on the rod. Since they come in colors, you could color coordinate with the wire color.
Or you could just enjoy them for what they are.
Paul
JOHN C TARANTOI understand the "really good ones" are so well ballanced that they can spin for several minutes.
These are very high quality, and surprisingly heavy. The center bearing is supposed to be ceramic, and it will spin for a very long time.
This may sound odd but I could imagine a role for something like this in randomized car routing (just like spinning arrow dials are used by some) -- or having the length of a successful "spin" be used to slow down certain operations such as pumping up air or a brake test, or setting out a car to more like prototype length. As yardmaster in op sessions I always get overworked because some of my moves take the same time as prototypes do while the guys running the trains speed through their work and stuff my arriving track with trains.
Dave Nelson
Hello You could glue one to the bottem of a round trey so you can spin the model you are spray painting. That's the only thing I could think of. Have a nice day Frank
I got it - "Wheel of Switching"! You create a dial like the one on Wheel of Fortune except you put switching moves on it and mount it on top of the fidget spinner. Then you and your friends take turns spinning the dial and wherever (whenever) it stops you must make that switching move. Whoever does five tasks in the least number of moves wins!
This car stops at ALL railroad crossings!
What are the outer bearings for?
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
steemtraynWhat are the outer bearings for?
I have no idea. They add weight and make it spin better, but that can't be the primary purpose for them.
Maybe a pair of them could be used to make one of these?
Interesting...
Ed
These so called "Fidget Spinners" remind me of Roller Bearing Trucks.
Like this,
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Always were fascinated with those "spinning triangles' at an early age, seemed like the perfect hub cap for a train!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761;
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