Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for September 29, 2012

Because Dad will never figure out who did it.

Too casual… Dad suspects.

Very interesting machine, only a little bit deceitful!

Impressive use of Tinkertoys…

Alesikakos: Old, but wonderful. Don’t miss it folks. Thanks A.

I tried something like that once.the Tinkertoys were too flimsy to hold the bucket, didn’t have enough Lincoln Logs to get enough height, and I couldn’t find the wrench for the Erector Set.

An appalling lack of rigidity and triangulation.

I suspect you’re right because I can’t see how this machine would work. But what a land of magic it is in Calvin’s head.

It just dawned on me that Calvin was thinking this, not saying it to Dad. Makes more sense now. I also think many of you, including myself, are dating yourselves because you know what Tinkertoys, Lincoln Logs, and Erector sets are. There was also a time not so long ago that Legos were just blocks, and not a bunch of the gobbledegook that they are now.

I LOVED Mousetrap. One of my favorite games.

When he says something like that, do anything but…and be very afraid.

It’s a Saturday, and Calvin’s been tinkering around the house.

Remember this one, from a year-and-a-half ago?Click here: Calvin and Hobbes (March 6, 1986)

Click here: Ziggy (September 4, 1991)

Click here: Peanuts (August 17, 1974)

Hi, Honey, I’m home!

It’s amazing how many Tinkertoys can fit in a small can.Click here: Peanuts (February 12, 1955)

Click here: Thatababy (March 7, 2012)

I’m no engineer, but it looks to me like the load will fall awayfrom Dad, at the feet of whoever comes thru the door. That’sif the door opens out. If it opens in I don’t think anything willhappen.

@watmiwori: The bucket is to the left of the center of mass of the Tinkertoys, so it will fall to the left when the door opens inward. The problem is that the bucket is not high enough, so it won’t fully tip over into the trough. But Bill Watterson had to draw it that way in order to fit everything into the vertical height of the strip. If he had put the bucket higher, he would have had to have drawn Calvin and his dad lower and smaller.Of course, the other problem is that all of this assumes that the Tinkertoys are a solid support. In reality, when the door is opened, the entire Tinkertoy structure will collapse to the left, since this is only being prevented by the string at the moment. Hopefully, cartoon physics will hold the bucket up there long enough for it to dump the water, before everything collapses.

Door must open into the room, outside this one gets wet, who is comeing in.

This kid is part of the reason I don’t have children! LOL!!

kid great

Picture the door opening inward. The platform the bucket sits on is like a teeter-totter. Without the string holding it down, it will pivot from the weight of the bucket and dump the bucket into the trough. Of course in the real world the structure wouldn’t be strong enough to hold up, and in any case Calvin’s Dad already knows he’s up to something. Calvin behaving is suspicious behavior.

Ooooooh, Calvin.

Do you want to be grounded?

xxx

Calvin must want a sore butt.

So why haven’t Tinkertoys been recalled yet? ;P

Reminds me of the wonderful game’Mousetrap’ that my kids (and I) loved!

Comic Strip Physics! Just fun! The anticipation/expectation is the best part. Genesis.

Calvin’s antics are ‘beyond the pale’!

Calvin can’t tinker with his imagination to that extent. He is toying with Dad and won’t ‘get away’ with it.

@Hobbes,“The parting of the Red Sea” undid the parting of Lucy’s hair!

It only works if the door opens into the room

Hi cookies333. Very busy, but I’m really enjoying life. I hope school is going well for you.

Assuming cartoon physics are the reality (as we all should!) I predict that Mom will open the door, the bucket will tip into the trough, spill all its contents, douse the back of Dad’s hair; he will glance in shock at Mom, then they both will scream “Calvin!” and Dad will chase him around the house and catch him with the garden hose on full blast and they will collapse together in laughter…afterwards, they will pick up the toys together before Mom sends them both to their rooms!

MOST doors open INTO rooms, not out.

The force diagram is in error.

Opening the door will add slack to the line, not take it up. Maybe the door will hit the bucket and tip it the right way.

One of the many signs that points to not enough homework!

another masterpiece by calvin!!

How is it that Dad didn’t hear anything behind him?

All Dad is going to do is yell; he won’t realize that this marks Calvin as an engineer. Calvin’s father is notoriously unappreciative of his son’s abilities.

That must have taken a while. Maybe the parents went out.

I think the door opens inward :D

Why does Calvin even want to do such a thing?

3:)

Tinkertoys not strong enough to hold up a bucket of water, slack in each connection would cause collapse.However, I did make a phonograph out of a set of tinkertoys – plus a sheet of paper to make a horn, a sewing needle, and a toothpick. Good at playing 78s.Plans upon request.

My only question is how on EARTH did he not notice that something was going on behind his chair??

The door opens inward table A drops.??Cant even guess what happens next.

PS – Tinkertoys do NOT work with this! I tried something like it on my dad for when he opened the shed door – Tinkertoys could hold a small(about 1/2 quart) of water in a small pail, but the tension of the string release would usually cause it to collapse.>My dad used to play jokes on his two brothers and parents. He told me ALL about them(so did my uncles and grandparents – with suggestions heh-heh).>>>Parents DO get revenge for all the thing the kids do as they grow up – it’s called photographs, home movies, and loads of sugar cookies – just before their kids come to pick up the grandkids…….

Susie did it!

Ahh, Calvin … you stinker, you.

This one made me smile.

The perspective is not correct, but when the door opens, the weight of the bucket moves the platform and then dumps its payload into the chute, which is aimed to go on dad’s head and inside of his shirt.

@Dogsniff: I checked out Brevity, but I didn’t go there looking for trouble.

Today was my first time online since I last posted here on Thursday. Just wanted to say thanks for the nice compliment!!! I really appreciate it!!! I like reading your comments too!!! ;-)

Hi GretchensMomNo, I’m just an occasional visitor these days, because of other major commitments. But it’s great to hear from you. I miss the daily routine here.

It would work if he used meccano :P

It wont work. Its based on the idea that the door will open inwards, and the tension on whatever that is beneath the bucket will cause it to tip towards dad. The PROBLEM is, if you observe the door, there are no hinges on this side. The door will open outward, not inward, the bucket will tip towards the door, not dad.

Even if not, the the weight of the bucket holding that much water, when it hits the second contraption, will collapse it before the water can travel down the chute.

…or i could add, the chute will tip up when hit by the bucket, aiming away from dad.

I’m surprised if a kid isn’t doing that right now!

i dont see it working either i really want someone to explain it too me.

Good

Tinker Toy Terrorism

Depends which way the door opens…

Was Calvin building the trap behind his dad’s chair the whole time?