Traffic Cop Whirligig
This whimsical whirligig was inspired by an early 20th Century design and one that is not seen much these days. The traffic-directing arms pivot at the shoulders while the entire body pivots around a spindle mounted on a platform. When the wind blows, the blades (arms) spin, the action seems to be causing more traffic chaos than orderly traffic directing and can bring a smile to the viewer (see video of the action here). It is hand-carved from yellow cedar and painted. Overall height to top of head: 11″. Overall width (outstretched arms): 14″. Weight: 2 lbs, 2 oz.
Fly Aweigh Letter Scale
This unique design idea was first hatched when John combining the principles of a simple letter scale AND a bird mobile. Both rely on suspended mechanisms. One weighs letters while the other hangs bird wings (and their bodies) to create an illusion of flight. Why not bring those two features together into one device?
It took much testing to arrive at the optimum pivot points of the wings and the body. The material chosen in this case was stainless steel sheeting in the right thickness to provide strength and rigidity. Then John needed to add fold lines in the sheet, labeling, and through-holes for the wires. This was accomplished with a chemical etching process which took a large sheet and created parts for two birds. This process includes a drawing for each side of the sheet. If the design element, such as a dot occurred at the same place on each side of the sheet, a hole would result. If letters were formed on one side of the sheet but not the other side, the lettering would only be visible on that side only. The etching time was set so that the etch would only “burn” halfway through the sheet. The wings, body, and label were first created in CAD then transferred to CorelDraw where the final two-sided image was made and which was sent to the chemical etching company. One advantage of using CAD is that I was able to design a pelican body, a bald eagle body, and a great blue heron body with exactly the same area, thus making them the same weight and allowing the same wings to work with each species of bird. The wires are music (spring steel) wire which is also stainless steel.
This product did not sell very well. Perhaps it was because it is almost invisible, especially when viewed from certain view points. Another reason might be that the concept was not grasped by most shoppers. That said, it is very useful for weighing a letter to determine how many stamps are required on the letter.
As of December 2025, John has over 70 white pelicans assembled and boxed, ready for shipment. If you would like to purchase one, let John know. Price is $49 plus shipping per unit.