Kinetic Contraptions: Build a Hovercraft, Airboat, and More with a Hobby Motor
Introduction 3 TIPS FOR USING THIS BOOK AND BUILDING GOOD STUFF (cid:128) The chapters Getting Started Basic Circuitry Mounting the Motor and Peripherals fill you in on the low-tech elements used to build the kinetic contraptions throughout the book You probably should at least skim those chapters first (cid:128) After that you don’t necessarily need to start at the beginning Jump right to the project that strikes your fancy (cid:128) The projects are divided into easy If you haven’t built much before start with the projects marked easy and work your way up and hard medium (cid:128) Look at all the photographs first and then if you need more information read the words (cid:128) You can learn valuable information by reading The Science Behind It section at the end of each project Many other raw science and engineering concepts are in the introductory chapters and the final chapter Exploring Motors
5 Getting Started Tools and Materials Many project books will begin with a clean picture of the parts you’ll need to build the project all lined up neatly on the table with nothing else around This is clearly bogus real projects are spawned in the crucible of a good workshop packed to the gills with interesting junk of all sorts and a wealth of common supplies and materials You simply can’t do good science or engineering from a tidy set of custom selected parts laid out in a row In other words you should immediately begin accumulating interesting junk to work with if you haven’t already I’ll list a bunch of things I use all the time but any random object that you come across may turn out to be the key element for your next project It has happened to me many times It pays to be organized however even if you’re not neat and clean Keep all your parts and pieces together in little boxes so that each time you to go work on something you’ve got the whole range of components available to you Make a space for yourself to tinker and explore It could be a little table or a corner of a room or a section of your garage Call it your Prototype Design Lab and make a permanent project in process sign so that your parents don’t expect you to clean it up all the time
6 Getting Started TOOLS Tools from the following list may be required to build the kinetic contraptions in this book Then again you can always improvise As my dear old dad said You have to have the right tools for the job But if you don’t you still have to do the job (cid:128) Drill with bits (cid:128) File (cid:128) Hacksaw (cid:128) Hammer (cid:128) Hot glue guns with plenty of glue sticks low temperature works fine and is safer but high temperature bonds a bit better (cid:128) Knives box cutter hobby knife and razor blade (cid:128) Needle-nose pliers (cid:128) Pliers (cid:128) Ruler (cid:128) Scissors (cid:128) Screwdrivers flat and Phillips large and small (cid:128) Side Cutter (cid:128) Vice or C-clamps (cid:128) Wood saw MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES It is good to have the following stuff on hand to do these projects and as inspiration for thousands of other projects You can check my Web site www curtgabrielson com for more information on where to find materials (cid:128) Motors Buy one or two at an electronics shop or order a dozen on the Web Or you can rip them out of old toys (cid:128) Batteries Cheap batteries at 99-cent stores don’t last long but they’re what we use most of the time If you screw up and leave a project connected it will drain a high-quality high-cost battery just as completely as a cheap one The best option however is to invest in rechargeable nickel-metal hydride NiMH batteries and a charger They’ll last for years if you take care of them so they
Getting Started 7 are cheaper than any other type in the long run Even solar-powered chargers are available (cid:128) Electrical Wire Thin copper wire from phone or Internet connections is used on most of these projects You could also use bare copper wire but if it contacts another wire you’ll have a short circuit For the projects in the Exploring Motors section page 149 you’ll want magnet wire of 24 to 30 gauge If you buy just one size get 26 gauge You can buy it on the Web or at a motor repair shop or you can rip apart an old transformer or large motor For the speed control you can find an old toaster at a resale shop and rip the heating element wire out of it (cid:128) Structural Wire Baling wire is useful as are clothes hangers picture-hanging wire wire twisty ties pipe cleaners and even old bicycle spokes (cid:128) Kitchen and Household Stuff Disposable utensils cups and plates all different types bamboo skewers toothpicks clothespins straws paper and aluminum foil (cid:128) Office Supplies Binder clips pencils paper clips large and small stapler rubber bands of all sizes tacks push pins and brass fasteners (cid:128) Corks Film Canisters a dying breed thanks to digital cameras and Thread Spools In really old project books you’ll see a lot of references to thread spools In many cases you used to be able to substitute a film canister but these days it is almost as easy to find a thread spool as a film canister A few other things can fill in for these two endangered species salsa cups medicine bottles and corks (cid:128) Wheels Bottle lids film canister lids checkers poker chips large beads and wood circles cut with a hole saw (cid:128) Tape Black electrical is the most commonly used tape in these projects but transparent masking and duct are also useful to have around (cid:128) Fasteners Nails of various sizes can be used or for an even stronger hold you can use drywall screws and a hand drill (cid:128) Wood Three standard sizes for light construction paint paddles for stirring a gallon of paint usually free at the paint shop so grab a handful tongue depressors and craft Popsicle sticks For beefier projects 1-by-2-inch furring strips are quite useful and a small pile of scrap wood from ¼ inch to ¾ inch thick is needed for baseboards and other parts Wood dowels ¼ inch to 5 16 inch are quite useful (cid:128) Decorations Paint markers glitter ribbons colored paper stickers puff balls pipe cleaners etc
