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| Blacksmith clothespin game plans. Click to enlarge. |
A common clothespin will not impress most people as a material from which to make toys, but very attractive jump plugs, tops, dolls, etc. can be easily made from household supplies of clothespins. The game presented here should be a lot of fun for anyone, and it’s not that hard to make.
Support list:
- Clothespins
- joint pins
- Iron wire
- pieces of cloth
- Acrylic paints
- Thin wood
Step by step instructions:
- Select four good, i.e. good-looking, clothespins. Using a hacksaw or knife, cut two 1-inch staples from the end of the head. These will be used for the hammers, while the remainder of one of the nails will be used for the anvil.
- Next, make a thin strip of wood for the handles to run the game on.
- Use two pieces of black iron wire for the handles of the hammer.
- Next, punch holes in the various pieces for the hammer handles and to hold the parts together as shown in the drawing. The best tool for this work is the paradox.
- Assemble the pieces using common pins. Insert the pins into the appropriate places, and cut them off with a pair of pliers so that there is only enough protrusion left to allow a bend at the end to hold the pin securely in place, but leave enough for free play of the parts when the toy is in use. Clothing may be made for the game, if desired, or the pins may be painted. One of them should be done to make the game more attractive.
- You can now hold one of the thin handles in each hand. By alternately pushing and pulling, the blacksmiths are forced to strike with hammers on the anvil.