Prototype wooden rushlight nips

[tombear]

Inspired by Roberts Ashleys seminal book "The Rushlight and related holders, a regional view" and with a couple of hours to kill (or do house work...) I decided to knock up a copy of the woioden nips on page 232, as practice before sourcing some oak to make a proper copy. All I had to hand was a scrap of pine board and was mainly concerned with getting the dimensions right so excuse the naff construction.

Not being happy with the jaws being of a flamable material I inset some scraps of sheet lead. Also the pine being signiicantly lighter than oak I have added a piece if lead to the end of the counter weight to give a firmer but not crushing grip.

It is reckoned that these home made nips, of various designs, would have been extremely common. The original of this was obviously carved with no more than a knife and a boring tool to fit the peg and pivot. On my bodged version the pivot is fixed to the upright and was sanded some so the arm would rotate freely.

The original is 10.5 inches high and conveniantly the photo is exactly half sized so it was easy to work out the dimensions.

If any ones interested I can put up the drawing I made.

Although the iron versions are much more my thing they require certain equipment and skills to make. Anybody could make a wooden one, should it appeal.

ATB

Tom

 

[QDanT]

Another great thread start from Tom and with rain forcast for the next couple of days that's the "shed" time sorted
cheers Tom from Danny

 

[tombear]

Hi Danny
Theres a even simpler wooden one illustrated, like wooden shears with one side fixed in a base. Not a good design at all.

On the one I made the wood is 3/4" by just over 1/2 a inch, the upright is 7 1/2" long above the peg I carved to fit in the base and the pivot is 3" from the top. The arm is a little over 6 inches long and is off set at 73 ish degrees from the pegged on jaw.

The next on I make will have a longer pivot so I can have a simple peg through it to stop the arm falling off. I dare say a wide head nail would do just a good a job.

Thanks again for the giant rushes. I've cleared the coal from the bath and they are soaking in that ;-{D) The eldests cheepo dumbells are ideal for keeping them submerged.

ATB

Tom