To understand how it works, look at the small drawing. Here the square wooden shaft is shown at S with the wheel W fastened at the far end. By making this wheel W grooved, you can run the hammers with a water motor, steam engine, or toy electric motor. The crank k can be put on the side of the wheel too, if you wish, and thus run it in this way.

On the square sides of the stick shaft S are four small wooden paddles or cams P, all the same length, which stick out beyond the edge of the square shaft as shown. They are spaced at equal distances along the shaft, as in the big sketch, and each is on a different side.

In front of the shaft, and about opposite the center of the wooden shaft S is a wire pivot or shaft a, on which the lever arm A for the hammers will pivot. This wire is supported from beneath by a wooden bracing piece F which has notches cut where the levers come, as in the upper sketch, where the levers A are shown in section. The square notches in F are seen just beneath.

The levers A are fixed so that the short end comes almost up to the shaft S opposite the paddles, and the pivot a should be a couple of inches away at least, depending on the length of the paddle pieces P.

The other ends of the levers are at least twice as long as the short end and even longer will be better, ordinarily. At the outer end are the hammers. These are square blocks of hard wood, or, if the hammer toy is small, round sections of broomstick can be used. Under the hammers the stick I is fastened to the baseboard on which the hammers hit.

Now turn the crank in the direction of the arrow and see what happens. One of the paddles P as it turns will come in contact with a lever arm A and push down on this end. This raises the hammer on the other end from its anvil and stretches the rubber band R if this is fitted.

As the shaft continues to turn, the paddle P runs off the lower end of the arm A, leaving it free, so that the rubber or its own weight brings it down with a bang. No sooner is this down than the next hammer goes up and bangs down, then the next and the next; and by this time, the first paddle having come around again, the first hammer starts the process all over again.

In making this toy use a piece of inch-square wood for the shaft, say eleven inches long. Space the paddles two inches apart, with the one on the left an inch from the stick end, and you will have a nice size to work on.

Make the paddles of cigar-box wood, or thinner, and let each one stick out three quarters of an inch beyond the stick edge. Fasten them on securely.

The levers A can be made, say nine inches long, with the short end two inches long from the end to the shaft a.

The base can best be made of a cigar box, but can be of wood of a size to fit the parts already made. Cut the shaft bearings as shown.

The big end bearing is shown in a small drawing and with the cap removed in the big drawing and is cut of half-inch wood, the top being flat, and with half of the circle in it. Over it fits a cap C with the other half of the circle cut in it as shown.

Make the piece E large enough so the hole for the wire a can be made in it as shown. Make the other bearing piece from the same pattern, but without the cap, and get the hole for a in the right place. Instead of the cap scheme for G, a nail n is fitted loosely through a hole in G and driven into the end of the square shaft S.

Measure the right distance and fasten these bearing supports to the baseboard, then hold the shaft S in place with the end against G and mark where the bearing C comes at the other end. Cut the stick down round with your knife, being sure to get the rounded part in the center, until it fits in the bearing cut for it, when the cap C is nailed on and does not bind.

Make the piece F of half-inch wood, as high as the wire, and cut notches in it for the levers A opposite each paddle P. Cut out the levers and fit the hammers as shown, then make holes for a and slip the levers loosely on the wire as you put it in place, fitting the levers into notches.

The piece F is fastened in place by small nails in through the end pieces G and E. It should be just high enough to support the wire a. Small wire staples e will hold the wire in place.

Cut the hammers from a square stick, boring a quarter-inch hole through them for the lever arms A to stick in, the stick pieces being rounded to fit tightly into these holes. Glue can be used also to hold them.

If you do not want noise, put a leather piece under each hammer on top of the stick L, but make I high enough so the hammers will strike it squarely when they come down. If rubbers are fitted for springs, stretch them from the stick A to a nail m in the back of the anvil stick I as shown.

The way of making the crank and the pulley wheel W is shown separately also, and anything not plain from the description is easily seen from the drawing.

But, after you get it all done, don't blame me if mother won't let you run it in the house.