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Sketch-O-Graph

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wendy
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Wendy

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This was spotted by Mayfield in the Pen Room when we visited. Who had one of these or perhaps who didn't!
 
I had one of those - I seem to remember it being a bit fiddly to use but I still had a lot of fun with it.
Polly
 
i spent many happy hours with one of these. the pictures came out quite well too. you had to make sure it was well and truly anchored down because if it moved slightly your picture was ruined.
 
no that was etch a sketch. i had one of those as well.

sketch a graph was where you attached one side of it to a board, paper in the middle and a picture on the right side, then you traced along the lines of the picture you wanted to draw and it came out exactly on the paper in the middle. if you get what i mean !!
 
shera.thanks for reply.what was the thing with all the bits like gears and cogs.you put a pencil or pen in and ran it around?
pete
 
Thank you so much Wendy for posting the photograph of the Sketch-o-graph.

I was given a Sketch-o-graph as a Christmas present at the Lucas Great King Street Christmas party in 1963(ish). In fact, it was the Sketch-o-graph that really started me doing portraits. I fondly remember drawing cartoon characters of the early 60's such as Top Cat, Pixie & Dixie, Yogi Bear and Boo Boo and many more. Mabz
 
yes..me and my brother both had one....mabz in that case we have to say thanks to the old sketch o graph for playing a part in the wonderful portraits that you draw....

lyn
 
Shera said:
sketch a graph was where you attached one side of it to a board, paper in the middle and a picture on the right side, then you traced along the lines of the picture you wanted to draw and it came out exactly on the paper in the middle. if you get what i mean !!
Click to expand...

It was a pantograph, and (if you were steady-handed enough) copied the outline you were tracing to double the original size. I wasn't steady-handed at all, so a few days after getting one it was consigned to the back of my toy cupboard!

They are still available, in plastic but a bit more complicated these days, at around £8.
 
I think the 'Sketch a Graph' was a simple and fiddly version of the pantograph used by architects and such, to scale drawings up or down.

I really should have read the last post.

The one I recall was thin anodised aluminium and tricky to use.
 
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Deckel a German machine tool company made pantograph milling m/c, you followed a pattern an it produced a large copy, production engraving machines used pantographs by following numbers & letters and engraving name plates etc. Len.
 
A pantograph will scale drawings UP as well as DOWN, I occassionally use one but it needs a steady hand a plenty of room, great fun though. Eric
 
I have cropped the picture on the box so you can see how it worked.Sorry it's not very clear. I remember as others have mentioned it was a bit fiddley. I loved mine and spent hours copying pictures.
 
what was the thing with all the bits like gears and cogs
Click to expand...

I think that was called a spirograph. Quite a few years later I think. The sketch o graph is a pentograph (I think)
 
Bernie D'Boult said:
I think the 'Sketch a Graph' was a simple and fiddly version of the pantograph used by architects and such, to scale drawings up or down.
The one I recall was thin anodised aluminium and tricky to use.
Click to expand...

Yes mine was anodised aluminium too. It bent easily when you got cross with it for not doing prefect pictures. (Another reason it got 'lost' at the back of my toy cupboard!)
 
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