A Spirograph fan in India, Dhaval Shah, sent me some pictures of rangoli patterns. These are designs made on the floor to welcome guests during festivals such as Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, which starts in a week on … Continue reading →
James May is a British presenter – i.e. “TV show host” as we’d more likely say in North America. Back in 2007 he did a documentary that appeared on the BBC called “James May: My Sisters Top Toys”. In this snippet … Continue reading →
This video shows an old favorite triangle design from early Spirograph, done at full page size, using Wild Gears. In this case, the gear has 140 teeth and the ring has 210 teeth. Both are part of the Full Page … Continue reading →
Here’s another Wild Gears video I made last week in the direct sunlight. This one is speeded up 4 times and matched with a reggae beat. The holes in Wild Gears are usually lined up in rows. This gear has two … Continue reading →
Last week I was lucky to be staying at a beautiful spot on the Noel Shore of Nova Scotia, overlooking the Minas Basin. I took my Wild Gears along. One morning I set up my tripod on the table in the … Continue reading →
OK hard core Spirograph fans. Maybe you’ve looked at Wild Gears and relegated them to your wish list for Christmas because of price or bewilderment at the choices. Then check out the Compact Gear Set. It’s under $50 and is a great … Continue reading →
I followed a link from the Wikipedia article on Spirograph to this user manual for Super Spirograph. It’s in French, Dutch and German. Thanks to Stephanie Molina who posted it on Scribd. It’s 39 pages of vintage goodness, including many … Continue reading →
The bar is the oddest “wheel” that comes with Spirograph sets. This video is just an introduction to it, demonstrating hole 1 in both rings. With ring 144/96, the bar produces a 12-pointed pattern. With ring 150/105 it makes 21 points. So using … Continue reading →
I made a video to demonstrate a design from the Spirograph instruction booklet that uses the oval wheel in ring 150/105. Hole 13 is off-center and makes an asymmetrical pattern, but when you flip the oval wheel over, it makes … Continue reading →
