Same here. My mom was a seamstress and my father a cabinet maker in his spare time. He made me lots of them when I was in kindergarden, but when I was about four or five he tought me how to make them myself. I ended up with a large fleet of them. I tought my son how to make them as well. Between us we have about fifty of them.
What a lucky childhood without computer games and mobile phones. But with joy to get a toy from your father or grandfather made by himself and having a good time with it. It's not all better in the modern times. Thank you for sharing your memories with us and greetings from Germany.
I remember making these as a kid, only we used a button with the center out instead of the wax. it is almost a lost art making little things like this We also made whistles from willow and also from metal strapping. we found ways to keep occupied. Thanks for the memory.
These were the toys for so many of us in our childhood. This was a thread spool from out of Mothers sewing gear. How many here remember the whirligig that we made from large buttons and a stout piece of cotton string? Or the spin tops you could make with a nail and a slice of a tree branch or a wooden button? Who remembers the baking soda powered submarines that came in some breakfast cereals? Or the rockets that were powered with baking soda and vinegar made from a pop bottle, a cork and so tissue? Remember making a compass from a needle, a piece of cloth, and a leaf? Or stealing fence pickets and making battleships out of them with some nails and a few other stakes cut to shape? (You could make airplanes much the same way) How about kites from some newspaper and dried out twigs or if you had some money tissue wrapping paper? For those of us who lived in the north how many remember making igloos in the winter? Didn't we all make our underground forts from junk to conceal our hole in the ground? Lets not even talk about tree houses. What about building a raft for the local pond so we could go sailing. Remember making a motor for your bicycle from a piece of cardboard and a clothes pin. And there were dozens of more items to make. We were only limited by the extent of our imagination. Although crude, making these things taught us how to use tools to build things and employ various principles to make them work. They also taught you to be inventive and helped to make you self sufficient. We "oldsters" managed to do a hell of a lot with our hard earned skills and managed to make our way in life without the internet and facebook.
That has bought back memories of my dad making one, it would have been in the late 1940's or early 1950's. Mum or Nan would have an empty cotton reel in her sewing box, dad would use a piece of wax candle along with the rubber band and stick. I'm going to make a couple for my great grand kids, sad my kids and grand kids missed out as I had forgotten. What a great project.
if you rub more wax on the wood face side, the movement will be smoother, and slower, and steadier. age: 6 year: 1965 I made my own toy, we called it the "Tank"
We made these in the 60s we called them tanks .we also made catapults from tree branches, bows and arrows,throwing arrows. My elder brother made a crystal set to listen to the radio. Also we had a long wire through the gardens to our friends house with a headphone on each end to communicate. Dad was an electrician.
Yes indeed, remember making those as a kid. When I came across a few wooden cotton reels in my late mother’s things, I instantly thought of these tanks. Thanks for this.
We called them “spools” in America and rubbed soap on one end for limited friction. Also made rubber band pistols, wooden spinning tops and shot marbles out of a ring drawn in the sand. Couldn’t play for “keeps” though, which was considered gambling.
One of my greatest memories of my grandmother involves these little spool racers. My brother and I were very young and we were at a wedding reception where the bride and groom were running very late. We were extremely bored and my grandmother like a superhero digs 2 wooden thread spools and 2 rubber bands out of her pocketbook. She used them along with toothpicks and cocktail stirrers to make use each our own little racer. We spent the entire time having races in the corner of the room. I don't even think we bothered to stop to eat our dinner. ❤️
We made them in South Africa too . Never thought I'd see one of those again. Those wooden cotton spools made lots of toys. My father made some exellent wooden toys for me. Even a tower crane from dowels and off cut pieces of board, with a hand crank using those same wooden spools as pulleys. The crane also rotated on its base and had its own wheels. Another of his favorite building materials was used tomato boxes. The thin quarter inch wood was used to make aeroplane wings. The bodies were from 2x3 off cut construction pine. Come to think of it there were planes, trains, wagons, ships and even a helicopter. Simple durable toys that lasted my whole childhood. Never had much store bought stuff never needed any. Thanks Dad for teaching me to appreciate things and to take care of them. May you rest in peace.
I made those as whenever my mother used up a spool of thread! My father showed me how to make them, and his mother showed him. I'm an old man now, so that history spans a hundred years. Thanks for the memories!
From the thumbnail I thought "that looks like a wooden spool. No!?, is he making...?" I sure remember not knowing that we were broke. Old enough now to know that we were never poor. Great memories, thanks for reminding me! We used soap as bearing. Anyone else?
I made these back in the late 50's, when my family lived out west on the Great Plains of Kansas. My dad showed me how to make one first, then I made my several of my own after that. My mom saved up empty wooden thread spools for me, and I used a pocket knife to make the treads on the spool. Used pencils for the trailing stick, or a wooden skewer, what ever I could find. Took one up to school, and sent it rolling up the aisle toward the teacher's desk while she was busy writing on the blackboard. When she became aware of some excess noise coming from classmates, she turned around and spotted the little tank rolling up the aisle. She told me to put it away, or she would confiscate it for the rest of the day. She didn't even ask who did it, she didn't need to. I need to teach my two grandsons to make these in a couple of years when they can be trusted with a pocketknife. Thanks, Dad!
Max I am 70 and I used to use the empty wooden spools from Mama's sewing thread to make those. I had forgotten about them until I saw you making this one. Great times. Thanks for sharing with us.
Nice. My dad showed me how to make one of those back in the 70s. I used to bevel the wax rub collar to make the stick point towards the center. Many varieties and sizes for sure. Climbing over obstacles. So much fun!
Ah yes. I made lots of these “MOON ROVERS” thanks to Kelloggs. They were made from cut-out cardboard panels on the back of “Corn flakes” boxes, and were surprisingly robust considering what they were made from. Happy memories indeed there. Thanks for this video, it’s made my day.
Used to make this in the early 60s, we called it the tank , made out of old cotton reels like you say. Spent hours playing with them in the long winter of 62.
Thanks for the nostalgia trip. I remember when my father showed me how to make one of these with a cotton reel and a stick - would have been early 1960's. I made one on my own afterwards with a cotton reel and a pencil. When I ran it across the (white) table cloth the pencil faithfully recorded its progress...
this brought back memories and a smile from the "shadows if my mind"..... my dad built me these from thread bobbins he got from my mother when I was little back in the early 60's. Thank you!
When you started the build I hoped this was the same toy my dad made for me when I was young. Yep, same one. I haven’t seen it since I made one for my daughters, when they were toddlers, 36 years ago. They loved it, as did I making it for them. I had to smile, watching you. Brought back pleasant memories. We used a used up thread spool, just like the one you made on the lath. Texas
Exactly like the one my dad showed me how to make. He used a thread spool and a piece of hard soap for the bearing. What a wonderful memory, thank you..
Thanks Max, that brought back a lot of memory's. I made many of those when I was a kid by robbing my Moms sewing supplies. :-) As soon as I saw the videos thumbnail picture I knew exactly what it was.
Turning Point. Same here. It was something we could make, and enjoyed it muchly. Used soap as the slip bearing. Sometimes let the retaining stick protrude enough to provide extra traction.
Does anyone remember how we made a pea shooter out of two clothes pins the wood ones with spring ? The spool tank we call them was great toy we made . Thanks
Count me in on the sweet memories of childhood!!! My dad gave me a pocket knife in 1952 when I was four years old. Making a "Tank" was one of the first things he showed me to make with my new knife. We used wooden spools, match sticks and soap for lubrication. My dad was a WWII US tank commander in North Africa and Italy so I made many "Tanks" and had my own battles. Thanks for the video!!!!
My dad made these "tractors" from my earliest memories in 1951. He was born in 1913 and said they were well known during his childhood. Improvising entertainment was a flourishing art before the electronic age; lucky kids had crystal sets, Hornby trains and walkie-talkie dolls, but everyone could cobble together from scraps, something to play with!
I made many of those from Mom's sewing thread spools back in the 1940s and 50s in North Dakota. I always looked for the largest spools. I'll have to make some for my grandkids.
I made my first truck toy cut from a 2x4 stacked and glued together. Along with some shaping and some paint, wheels made a little different then yours but from logs and branches. Thanks for sharing!
These "cotton reel tractors" as we called them would have been my first attempt at making something move under it's own power when I was a kid. I've nearly finished what will be my last attempt & I'm looking to go 550mph.
Thanks Max, It brings back the memory of my first day at school, at morning recess seeing one being used to climb an embankment, think it was 1956. instantly, recognised the thumbnail even though I havn't thought about it since all that time.
Max that was enjoyable. If only man was sharing and helping each other and enjoying the journey instead of all the crap that's going on in the world it would be a better place. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
Memories, memories... Sitting around the cooker in the kitchen making "tractors", cotton reel looms for french knitting, supping on mugs of pea soup with hot buttered toast, listening to radio plays on the ABC Simple pleasures because Tv was only available for the rich. Eric
That took me back several decades! I remember when “Kellogg’s Cornflakes” contained a cardboard clip out of parts to build this “Moon Rover” ...and it actually worked.. if memory serves me correctly, it was Blue, White and orange in colour. Trouble is; ir didn’t last as long as the Cornflakes” so you had to build another one out of your mums cotton reel and a stick out of the garden. Happy days indeed. Thanks for this video Max, it brought back some great memories.
Thank you for this video, which reminds me when children were happy with simple things, I don't know how many I did. I have been impressed by the amount of responses from others who did.
Played with them about 60 years ago but as someone else mentioned we used a spool from sewing thread, cut the treads with a pocket knife and used a birthday candle for the drive rather than the wax washer. I was thinking about this about a week ago, for my grandson that will be 3 next month.
Cotton reel tanks the only toys I had after war. Dad used to make them for me. In the late '60's when I had children I used to make them for them, then they stopped making cotton reels out of wood , no more tanks lol.
That took my back 60 odd yrs .remember my dear old dad making them and then I got into making my own we used to use moms left over cotton reels .the fun we had from making them and racing them was brilliant .and not a button or a mouse in sight .Thanks for reminding me .
Yeah my grandma used to make those for us kids back in the 50’s out of empty sewing thread wooden spools. She would use a rubber band, thumbtack and pencil for the rest of it.. note: a couple of thin metal washers worked well where he put his candle washer. Brings back old memories. Thank you you Sir for the video.
Wow that brings back memory when i was a kid over 65 years made those but from a empty cotton thread spool though we were not aloud to use a full candle just a but of a candle a piece of rubber bicycle tube cut thin those days bicycle tube was made of rubber use to make them for my friends if they had a empty cotton thread spool. am now 76 years young lol we did not have rubber bands back then and now they make the cotton thread spool out of plastic
Boy, your entry brought back 60+ years of memories and great times with my papa. He was a cabnet maker, and still have his old Delta lathe and more tools. Every Christmas we looked forward to unwraping a toy he had made for us. One was similar to this, but was a tractor and the rear larger wheels were powered in the same why. You not only got me to Subscribe, but made my Christmas have meaning,,ThxMax. Oh and thx to My Lil Mule that I now watch, where your comment was a nice shout out on his BP mill tare down. Wishing the best to you & yours over the Holidays,,Bear in TX.
Made these all the time as a kid with wooden cotton reels that you can't get anymore. We used to race them. And figure how to tune them up. Mum always wondered why her candles kept disappearing. Thanks for the memories.
Great video mate, yes, I definately remember making these, also made a telephone with cotton reel bobbin and a matchbox , couple of matchsticks, a laggy band and a length of cotton....happy days
We used to make the same wooden tanks as kids but we used wooden cotton bobbins from my mothers sawing machine, took me back to being a kid 40 years ago. Put a smile on my face, thanks for the happy memory's when life was simple & more fun.
The moment you started making it I knew what it was, back in the 60 we made them, but we use soap, another thing we used to make or Rock shooters from wooden clothespins , lot of childhood memories thanks for sharing that with us 😊
Good, I used to make these from sewing thread bobbins when I was a boy, some 70 years ago. I will, if my arm mends, make some for the youngest grandchildren. Some old toys will survive,
Brings memories back for me too Max as kids getting into trouble for cutting timber with a hacksaw, jamming up Dads vice with saw dust, putting saw cuts in the vice jaws, breaking hacksaw blades by the dozen, but we were learning how to use our hands. At least I was. I love that old lathe, the song flat belts make depending how they have been joined. Lots of flat belts used to be in shearing sheds, saw benches, sheep dips and pumps on farms just to name a few. Jeff.
That's awesome, I'm glad someone is showing what old school looks like, I never could get my nephew's interested in outside fun or making your own toys, if it didn't contain buttons and a controller they weren't interested
Yes sir , and sad....... I grew up in the Appalachian mountains, if I was not in school dad would tell me and my twin brother he didn't want to see us till the dinner bell rang and we stayed in the woods all day , or I would be in his basement swiping whatever scraps of material to make wooden , guns, swords, and whatever other type of thing that luckily didn't kill me
G'day Max, I was making multiple guesses as the project progressed, but wasn't even close. We made lots of homemade toys as kids, but didn't know of this one... Good One! Thanks Max !!
I made one from a two foot diameter cable reel a jacking bar and every big O ring there was in the bus garage I worked in. It was released in the pit and people were running for their lives! It was great fun if a little dangerous the early eighties that was. Thanks for the memories.
gday max mom use to get stroppy every time i pinched a empty cotton reel from her sewing box she used them for refills as you could buy different coloured cotton on card fingers cheers wayne
In the UK we used wooden cotton reels, a lolly stick, elastic, piece of candle and a drawing pin. We called them tanks. The other toy we used to make was with a match box, half a wooden clothes peg and elastic bands, it was a gun that fired match sticks. People did not have much but they were inventive just like using the old pop bottle caps as badges.
when i bought my wood lathe i made a few spinning tops. these on their mother's tray gave hours of enjoyment to the kids who made up their own game of fighting tops knocking each other over. bring back the whip and top game in the concrete street !
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I used to play with those things when I was a kid. I had forgotten all about them. Sadly all of the ones I played with managed to get thrown away over the years.
My dad and uncle used to make them too. They also used to make a match gun that fired those old wooden matches that would light as they were fired, but they can't remember how they made them.
Great trip down memory lane mate, as many have mentioned us kids were the scourge of mothers sewing kits everywhere when these were the go. Reminds me of the old curiosity show episodes they are now replaying on RU-vid. Good one
Never seen one of them toys before.. that tack, tack, tack sound of the old flat belt lathe brought back memories of my old demco lathe i had years ago
I'm 70 and Grandpa Jude taught me that toy as a barefoot grandson in the hills of Kentucky in a special time as a kid with small limits and very few toys. Ours were leftover wooden thread spools. Thanks, Might have been better before kids had I Pods. Thanks
Never seen one of those before, but I'm glad I have now. Sad that Era is gone. My Dad bolted one of those down low on the screen door for me when I was 3 or 4 so I could open it from the outside, over 50 years ago.
How many of you remember, or perhaps made, little “button zingers”? You thread a length of string through the two opposing holes in a large button. This double string is extended out about 12 inches, grasped in both hands and pulled to start the button spinning. It will spin very fast in both directions with a zinging sounds as the string is pulled in and out. A big danger is the button may eventually fly off and hit you in the eye when the string wears and breaks.
I remember when my grangfather said "Come with me we're gunna make a tank" and we made one of these, and then another and another, until grandmother realised we were pinching her almost used cotton reels and wasting the cotton lol, great memories.
