Clap Hands - When this world is trying its hardest. To leave me unimpressed

(The first part is a Tom Waits quote, the second part a Depeche mode quote). For when the world has left you too dispirited to even put up an ironic slow clap. For when even your hands are just too exhausted. But a statement must be made. I made Clap Hands;

Your thumb and index finger alone can clap. The rest of your body can remain stylishly unimpressed.

The black foam hands are safety concession, people would try to clap too close to eyes and other delicate organs. “Don’t look into the laser with your remaining eye” isn’t just good laser practice, it’s just as true when you have mechanical Clap Hands.

He’res a movie of the hands clapping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AurSeBVVj2c

These scissor grips will, even though you’re trying to be ironic, wrestle and pinch your fingers robbing you of all your cool.

(Btw, Clap Hands, though grammatically questionable is a classic Tom Waits song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWJvohfCCdk)

42 Likes

Wow, for unimpressed clapping of hands, that is some pretty aggressive clapping going on in the video. I like it. They say, “I am aggressively unimpressed and bored by you. No go away and leave me alone.”

4 Likes

Hahaha, thanks!

1 Like

I considered making one with a huge mouth instead, but that seemed like an accident waiting to happen. this seems like an accident waiting to happen, but a biting mouth; even more so.

As for attaching toe nail clippers, trust me, it’s a terrible idea. Marvelous, but messy.

2 Likes

Oh, that’s awesome! :grinning:

2 Likes

Let me know if you think I should make the SVG available. There are some major barriers;

  • the design is based on 3.7mm dowels for the pins (not even my dowels fit that, which was annoying - who measured that so poorly - and several times at that!?),

  • the glue up is quite complicated (I got it wrong at least four times making the hands clap with the backsides of the hands while there were still finger patterns on the hands, funny but annoying - also once I glued the entire mechanism stuck and once it came apart into itty bitty pieces),

  • the design uses both plywood and craft foam

  • the mechanism is quite violent. I mean I try to bite things with it. Like all the time. Really chomp down on stuff. Not so annoying to me, but perhaps to the general public?

So it’s not an easy build even with the files. Let me know if you’re feeling brave!

4 Likes

Too funny, thanks!

Ooh I see this more as a extendable fly swatter /clapper

1 Like

YES! I so wanna splat things with clapping hands, barriers be damned.

3 Likes

Who is Tom Waits???

Sorry. Those who have to ask are not allowed to know.
That’s like asking “What’s Guns N’ Roses?”
:slight_smile:

5 Likes

It’s a musical group, right? (See, I get around.) :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

1 Like

But I know who Guns N’ Roses is lol

1 Like

Hysterical and well executed!

FWIW, I clicked on this post because the title immediately made me start singing “Clap Hands” … missed the DM reference though.

1 Like

I need this to get my husband’s attention when he’s watching TV.

4 Likes

Bravo! This is great, as was the video. I was a camp counselor, and this would have been awesome to have when the kids did something silly, or around the campfire.

1 Like