Getting the Idea
So yesterday, I saw this neat little thing someone made online – a tiny mascot that slides smoothly across your desk. Looked cool, and I thought, “Bet I can whip one up myself!”. Had some spare wood pieces lying around from the birdhouse disaster last month, figured it was time for some more trial and error.
Digging Through the Junk Drawer
First step? Raided my “might be useful someday” box. Found:
- A slightly warped piece of pine plank
- Some thin metal rods left over from that broken Ikea lamp
- Random small ball bearings – no clue where those came from
- A chunk of modelling clay (slightly dried out)
Good enough for government work. Tools were just my battered hand drill, a saw older than me, sandpaper, and super glue that’s probably stronger than my marriage vows.
The “Measure Once, Cut Thrice” Phase
Okay, marked where I wanted the mascot to slide. Drew a straight-ish line on the plank for the track. Grabbed the saw. First cut? Wonky as heck. Angle was all wrong. Shaved off a bit more. Still looked like a drunk caterpillar crawled there. Third time? Eh, close enough. Sanded it down like crazy to smooth the disaster out.
Drilled holes at each end for the rods. Misjudged the depth totally. Poked right through on one side. Turned it over, pretended that was the “bottom” side now. Trial and error, baby.
Wrestling the Bearings
This part sucked. Needed something for the mascot base to slide on. Those little ball bearings were the plan. Tried sticking them into blobs of the dried-out modelling clay glued to the bottom of the mascot base. They just fell off. Got soooo annoyed.
Eureka moment! Scraped the clay off, grabbed the super glue. Dabbed a tiny blob right on the base, shoved a bearing onto it before it dried. Held it like my life depended on it. Counted to 60, slow. Repeat for three more bearings. Looked like a lopspeed shopping cart. Functional? Maybe.
Slapdash Assembly
Shoved the metal rods through the holes in the wood base. Added a drop of glue where they met the wood to stop wiggling. Slid the mascot base onto the rods. The bearings sort of rolled. Super gritty, sticky movement. What the heck?
Remembered the WD-40 can sitting under the sink (only use is fixing squeaky doors). Sprayed a tiny bit on the rods. Wiped off the excess. Tried again. Holy smokes, it slid! Not butter-smooth, but definite sliding action. Did a little victory dance. Knocked over a coffee cup. Typical.
The “Mascot” (Using the Term Loosely)
My mascot? A slightly lumpy clay figure I shaped while watching TV last night. Vaguely resembles an owl. Maybe a potato with eyes. Painted it with some cheap acrylics. Looks… enthusiastic. Glued its lumpy butt firmly onto the base.
Does It Work? Kinda!
Final test. Gave my owl-potato a gentle nudge. It slid! Not gracefully, more like a determined shuffle. Doesn’t go super far before stopping. The bearings aren’t perfectly level, and one might be slightly squished from when I accidentally dropped a wrench earlier. But hey, it slides on its own! Got it sitting next to my monitor now. It wobbles if I bump the desk, but slides satisfyingly when I push it.
Conclusion? Janky? Absolutely. But I made a thing with stuff I already had, fought through the mess, and it actually functions. Win! Still figuring out why it slows down unevenly… gremlins in the bearings? Now what…
