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How to Use a Spirograph to Draw Spur Gear

Spur gears, also known as rowels, are as varied as their creators. Whether you are designing your own spurs or including them in a piece of drawn or painted artwork, a Spirograph game can help you achieve both the style of rowel, and the continuity needed to accurately reproduce the gear. The Spirograph was introduced in 1965, and remains a familiar and creative toy.

Instructions

- 1
  Select two round gears from your Spirograph game. Choose ones that reflect the size you need the finished rowel to be. One gear is used for the center, and you will move the second gear around the outside of the center to create your rowel. For spur gears, select a small gear for the center.
- 2
  Place your pen in the proper hole of the outside gear. For a dramatic rowel with large points, select a hole near the outer edge of the gear. For a more circular effect, choose one nearer the center.
- 3
  Draw by rotating the outer gear around the inner one. Determine your number of points, and make as many rotations as you want points. One rotation yields the least number of points.

Educational Toys