Amazing Rubber Band Cars: Easy-to-Build Wind-Up Racers, Models, and Toys
doesn't mean you can't use these materials You should think of this book as a guide a starting point When you see how your car works try using differ ent materials and modify the designs to make them your own When gluing corrugated cardboard most pieces will stay together after about 30 seconds of holding them with your fingers White glue needs about 30 minutes to dry completely if you don't wait long enough your pieces may pop apart when you stretch the rubber bands If you don't want to wait 30 min utes give it a try earlier If anything fails you can always glue parts back together or make another piece Save your templates from all the projects in a large envelope so that they will not be damaged or lost when you want to build again Each template has been given a code to help you keep them straight The plans in this book attach the rubber band to the axle This keeps the rubber band with the car but it causes the wheels to stop turning as soon as the rubber band unwinds To maximize the distance that a car will travel the rubber band needs to release from the axle when its work is done thus allowing the car to coast ahead If you'd like to modify the design instead of attaching the rubber band to the axle you can wind the rubber band around the axle each time you wind the car An easy way to accom plish this is to hold the rubber band to the axle while
the first turn is made Friction will hold the rubber band while you continue to wind the car The rubber band will release when the axle unwinds Rubber bands come in different sizes and colors I used 32 inch by 1 8 inch bands on my cars Use whatever you can find If the rubber band stretches it can be used to move the car
The Basic Rubber Band Car In this chapter you will learn will learn how to build a basic cardboard car powered by rubber bands Materials and Tools 1 8 inch thick corrugated cardboard Scissors Pushpin 2 round pencils White glue 2 rubber bands D cell battery Time to get started Copy the templates from pages 11 and 12 onto cardboard You will need one
Floor 1A two Frames 1B two Side Rails 1C and four wheels 1D Cut all the pieces from a sec tion of corrugated cardboard Take care to make the wheels as round as possible Use the pushpin to mark the center point of the holes for the pencils on the two frame pieces The wheels and the frame need axle holes While you could use a hole punch to create these in the frame no ordinary hole punch will reach to the cen ter of the wheels Instead take a pushpin and insert it into the center point of the wheel Then remove the pushpin and insert a pencil Each pencil on your cardboard car works like the axle on a real car A car's axle allows the wheel to turn without spinning the body of the
