DIY: Pantograph | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Pantograph

Stem Activities

Ages: 6-8

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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The pantograph, invented over 400 years ago, was a device used to copy and enlarge drawings simultaneously. When you move the central pencil, the end of the right arm copies your hand movements but covers a greater distance. The effect is magical, as if an invisible hand is holding another pen and copying your movements. Try this fascinating drawing machine yourself!

Materials Needed

Marker pen
Blu-tack
Tape
Pencil
Paintbrush
Scissors
Two bottle caps
Paint
Four split pins
60cm x 20cm cardboard
Ruler
Paper

An assortment of craft supplies lies neatly arranged on a light wood grain surface. The items include a piece of corrugated cardboard, a blank white sheet of paper, a roll of orange masking tape, two paintbrushes, a pencil, small tubes of glue or paint, a flower-shaped paint palette, a utility knife, scissors, two white plastic lids, thumbtacks, a small ball of blue modeling clay, and a clear plastic ruler. These materials appear ready for a crafting project.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Draw three rectangles (50cm x 5cm) on the cardboard and cut them out.

A rectangular piece of cardboard rests on a light wood grain table. Three horizontal lines, spaced 5cm apart, have been drawn across the cardboard, dividing it into four equal sections. The top edge of the cardboard is labeled 50cm, indicating its length. A blue pencil lies next to the cardboard, suggesting it was used for marking. This image likely depicts the initial steps in a crafting project.

Step 2

Cut one of the rectangles at the 20cm mark to create two pieces - one 20cm long and one 30cm long.

Two pieces of cardboard lie on a light-colored wooden surface. The smaller piece, labeled 20cm, is positioned to the left. The larger piece, labeled 30cm, is to the right. These pieces appear to have been cut for a crafting project.

Step 3

Decorate these cardboard strips with paint.

Three strips of cardboard, painted pale yellow, are arranged on a light wood grain table. Two of the strips are fully painted and lie flat, while a third strip is being painted by a hand holding a small blue paintbrush. The hand holds the strip at an angle as yellow paint is applied.

Step 4

Once dry, mark 2.5cm in from the width. Then make holes 2cm inward from these marks using a sharp pencil. Make holes at both ends of all four cardboard strips.

Three pale yellow painted cardboard strips lie on a light wood grain surface. They each have a small hole punched near one end. A pair of hands is measuring and marking a fourth, smaller yellow strip with a pencil and a clear ruler. The dimensions 2cm and 2.5cm are marked on the smaller strip, indicating the measurements being taken. This image likely illustrates steps in a crafting process.

Step 5

Begin assembling your pantograph by numbering your strips. Insert split pins through the three holes shown, leaving the intersection of the two short strips unfastened for now.

Four pale yellow cardboard strips are arranged on a light wood grain surface, connected by small fasteners at their overlapping points. The strips are numbered 1 through 4. Strips 3 and 4 form a rectangular frame, with strip 1 extending downwards to the left and strip 2 extending diagonally upwards to the right. Arrows point towards the fasteners holding the strips together. This image appears to show a partially assembled cardboard construction.

Step 6

Place Blu-tack under the bottle caps and make a hole in the centre of each cap using a pencil tip.

Two hands hold a white plastic bottle cap on a light wood grain surface. A small piece of teal-colored modeling clay or putty is being pressed into the inside of the bottle cap.

Step 7

Use a split pin to attach one bottle cap with Blu-tack to the end of strip 1, allowing it to be secured to the table.

A white plastic bottle cap, with teal-colored modeling clay or putty around its base, sits on a light wood grain surface. A hand holds a pencil, which is piercing the center of the bottle cap. This setup appears to be a homemade toy or a simple craft project.

Step 8

Attach the other bottle cap at the intersection of strips 1 and 2, removing the Blu-tack.

Two hands manipulate a piece of pale yellow cardboard and a white plastic bottle cap with teal putty on a light wood grain surface. The bottle cap, with the putty acting as an adhesive, is being attached to the underside of the cardboard. A small, metallic brad or fastener is visible, securing the bottle cap to the cardboard. One hand holds the cardboard strip while the other hand positions the bottle cap and presses it against the cardboard.

Step 9

Wrap tape around the free ends of both short strips and the right arm's end. This prevents the cardboard from splitting when the pens are inserted.

Two hands hold a small rectangular piece of plain brown cardboard on a light wooden surface. A white plastic bottle cap is attached to the cardboard with a metal brad or fastener. The prongs of the fastener are visible on the top of the bottle cap. This image seems to depict a stage in a crafting process.

Step 10

Make holes through the taped areas using a pencil.

Four pale yellow cardboard strips, numbered 1 through 4, are arranged on a light wood grain surface to form an incomplete square. Strips 1 and 2 form an L shape, while strips 3 and 4 form a smaller L connected to the first. The ends of strips 2 and 4 are covered with bright orange material. Small metal brads or fasteners are visible at the points where the strips overlap. This appears to be another stage in the construction of a cardboard object.

Step 11

Insert a pencil where the short strips intersect and a marker pen through the long strip. Your pantograph is complete - draw with the pencil and watch the marker pen create an enlarged copy!

On a light wood grain surface, two hands are shown working with pieces of pale yellow cardboard, one of which has a bright orange section. One hand holds a smaller piece of cardboard with the orange section, while the other hand uses a blue pencil to make a mark on the orange area. In the background, more connected cardboard pieces, also partially orange, form an almost-square shape. This image appears to depict a step in a crafting project using cardboard.

The Science Behind It:

The pantograph's core is a parallelogram - a shape with parallel opposite sides (aligned in the same direction). The pencil and marker are fixed on parallel sections, so they trace identical shapes when moved. Since the marker is on the longer arm, it draws an enlarged version of the shape. The magnification factor equals the length of the marker's strip divided by the length of the pencil's strip (i.e., the length of strip 2 ÷ the length of strip 3).

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