Wishing Well, Crank, Rope and Bucket - Making it Work

I spent four hours one night trying to make the handle crank. I could make it look cute but I couldn't get the screw to stop stripping inside the dowel etc. 

I took an old rake handle and cut it to be the bar where the rope winds. I took a tinker toy jumbo part to make the handle shaft piece from the dowel to the knob that turns it. I had a spare wooden handle knob for a desk or closet door that I used for the crank. 

I drilled a hole in the side wood and then screwed a long screw into the rake handle but they kept stripping as I would turn the crank with the weight of the rope on it.


The other issue I had was if I drilled the holes large enough in the side wood, the dowel could fall out. 

I gave up after the four hours and went to my neighbor who has a wood working shop and I should have gone to him first. He drilled out the center of the wooden rake handle on both edges and stuck a 1/2 inch dowel inside and glued it in. 

He made it long enough on both sides to fit through the side wood. This only works if you can remove the side wood which I could because it was held in by the wires so I just untwisted the wires and pulled the wood out enough so I could slide the dowels through the side wood. I did use 1/2 in drill bit or just one size up so that the dowel could fit easily and turn easily but not be really loose. 


He then used a small screw to fasten the dowel inside the edge of the tinker toy piece that I used as the crank shaft. 

Be sure to make the one side of the 1/2 inch dowel long enough that when you crank the crank, you aren't hitting the garbage can lid. We measured how long I wanted the handle out from the side wood pieces and cut it there. 

He also drilled a hole in the center of the wood for the rope to fit through so that I could tie a knot and the rope would crank up and down as the handle did. 


The pictures at the top are from what I tried before he got a hold of it so hopefully, you can understand what I am saying. I meant to take a video of it before I packed it so I could show more in detail but it is already pulled apart and ready for camp so perhaps I can add that later.

Anyway, after I pulled the rope through, I didn't want a big knot so I just looped it over itself. The bucket rest just on the bottom of the can when the rope is down and fully extended. I tied the bucket on with a knot. I shared that you can use an ice bucket as well painted like a wooden bucket but I liked this little pail I found at a second hand store better. 

The bottom pictures are what he did and you can clearly see the smaller dowel used. If we used the same sized dowel for the entire thing, there wouldn't be anything to keep it in the sides. This way works GREAT and everyone one that has seen it starts cranking it. It is just a part of nature that we need to manipulate things in our environment.

Once you have the handle on and the crank is working, there is the issue of keeping the bucket up. 


We are using this as a mail box so I wanted to have it stay up while they are putting the mail in and taking it out. I also like the look of the little pail hanging so I pulled a plastic door handle from some project I had and pulled a plastic clamp out of the salvage trays of scrap screws etc and screwed the handle onto the outside of the side wood. To keep the handle from sliding off, I put a washer on the bottom edge and used a screw to hold it on so that it wouldn't slip out of the plastic clamp. 

Now, if the pail is down, the handle lays flat along the side of the wood supports on the outside and when the pail is up, I pull the handle out and it holds the crank and knob in place so that the little pail stays up. I think you can see it clearly enough in the pictures. 

I also want to put one of the "build-a-bear" voice recording push buttons on the top with a "push here" sign and record someone singing, "I'm wishing for the one I love, to write me today." in the tune of "I'm wishing" from the movie "Snow White." It should be fun for the girls to be able to push that. Another way for them to manipulate the environment. That would bring in several of the senses which kids enjoy. 


I will hopefully get some good pictures of everything at camp so I can share them with you. It sure has been fun to be able to be creative and come up with some great ideas for camp. I hope the girls enjoy what was created as many of the projects were lots of work.