That’s fun! And funny!
1 Like
Oh, now I’ve seen it in operation: brilliant!
2 Likes
You’ve never seen one? (You led a deprived childhood! I’m sitting here playing with the blasted thing between tasks.) Chuckle! 
5 Likes
Yes, you did - I saw it before. (Reminded me of these!) 
3 Likes
When I was a kid I had a bigger one that had lights in it. As you spun it, I guess it had maybe mercury switches in it that would turn on the lights. It also had cutouts in it so it would catch the air and whistle as it spun.
Edit: Like this but not exactly that. I recall mine being read and blue.
4 Likes
This will beget lots of good things. Great share @Jules
7 Likes
No mercury required. Just a spring with a weight to close a circuit when the centrifugal force pushes the weight towards the outside.
4 Likes
Man, some of you folks are smart. The mercury switch sounded so techy … whereas the simpler and less expensive spring dealy is probably correct. 
3 Likes
Very nice ! I remember I had one (many) years ago that had two plastic “wheels” they would clab together on the top of the rewind cycle, I still remember the sound it made… 
3 Likes
Not necessarily smart. Just a propensity to take things apart to see how they work from a young age.
4 Likes
Niiice…I want to make one out of metal, and with sharp teeth…MWAHAHAHAHAHHA
2 Likes
Oooooh! Texas Buzzsaw!
1 Like
That’s a smart inquisitive mind. Eventually you are able to put them back together with no left-over parts, and they work! After a life of that behavior, I have a pretty good handle on most mechanisms.
“If you take something apart and put it together again enough times, eventually you will have two of them.”
3 Likes
Pffft. They put in extra pieces to confuse people who try and reverse engineer. Don’t fall for it 
3 Likes