I’m told that you’re supposed to nap, sunbathe, and just generally relax on the beach. I am not good at this. Instead, I got out one of my childhood toys — K’nex — and built a Spirograph.
Here it is in action:
It took a four-stage differential to make it move.
Even the drawing tip was an official K’nex piece, from a spinning top set.
I had to bury the drive shaft to give the main drawing mechanism a full canvas. Sand is not kind to toys, though, so the shaft connections were boxed in tight.
In the end, it made a pretty darn decent spiral.
And it did get me to finally sit. (If only to crank…)
I built all sorts of stuff with K’nex as a kid: Rollercoasters, ball towers, and even a Space Needle! (The Space Needle was oddly prescient, as I lived in Texas at the time, had never been to Washington, and had no idea I’d end up living in Seattle.)
I love building software, but there’s also something deeply satisfying about working in the physical realm. Technically K’nex may be a toy, but calling it that is almost a disservice; it’s a remarkable medium for construction and expression at any age.