Mechanical projects.

[Justin Topp]

I was wondering if anyone had ideas for something mechanical but fairly simple to try making. That involves forging several parts. Some simple machine hooked to a motor would be interesting . Or just something involving several pivots. Examples of things I was thinking of was perhaps a gear puller, or dolphin jaw tongs. Maybe a lock. Really looking for things that can be powered with a motor for something useful. Even if it’s a basic use. Any ideas? 

[Frosty]

Door, cabinet and gate latches come to mind. Hinges too of course.

Let us know how hooking one up to a motor works for you please.

Frosty the Lucky

[Daswulf]

Does it have to be motorized? 

As far as mechanical, Animal leg spring traps come to mind as a good mechanical project and there are many examples to study. 

Studying and rebuilding simple machines or mechanical works. Start simple, work big. 

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning,

For a start, Something useful; JunkYard Hammer; Treadle Hammer; Small Leghold Trap with a button for a door bell in the middle; Hydraulic Press;

Neil

[Glenn]

Mobiles and pentatonic wind chimes come to mind. 

Careful about the wind chimes as they look simple. Materials are cheap, the proper build for the tone scale you want requires some research.  Some study will get you into a specific range of tone, and you will learn where to attach the hanging string for each pipe and more about nodes and null points that you can imagine.  Different material for the clapper make a large difference in the tones of the chimes.  The finished product sounded much better than anything you can buy in the store or garden center, and was much less expensive.

[Shabumi]

Weather vanes, pendulums, and kinetic sculptures are what I can think of.

Glenn is right about the wind chimes, its amazing how nice the tuned windchimes sound. If you have a few with different tones, its very soothing.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

My wife made a pendulum for her garden. It looks great and will rock for a long time. I made a smaller table top version for a trade item but can't find a picture of it.

[ThomasPowers]

Why not a clock jack spit turner---plans are in the 1703 edition of Mechanicks Exercises by Moxon

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

That would be a great one.

[Justin Topp]

All sorts of wonderful ideas. Thanks everyone! 
 

A spring trap sounds like fun! The spit turner looks too! 
 

A good wind chime would be nice to replace the cheap one we have in the garden. Hmmm 

thanks!

[Frosty]

Knock knock Das, HELLO? I was joking about connecting door latches and hinges to a motor.  

Before the accident we had a particularly nasty neighbor right below us. She thought we were being un-neighborly by not letting her claim as much of our property for her back yard as she wanted. Did a few truly obnoxious things as well. I considered making wind chimes for the property line made with RR rail with a windmill powered clapper. 

It would've been crazy, dangerous loud but was fun to think about. 

A pond, waterfall yard sculpture would look nice and you could build a dredge line type water lift. Thus satisfying mechanical AND motorized in as complex a device as you'd like. A screw lift with a clear tube would be cool to watch too.

Frosty the Lucky

[Daswulf]

Lol, no worries Frosty, the "does it have to be motorized?" question was to Justin's inquiry. 

Tho, why couldn't they be? Haha.

[Frosty]

It WAS?!  

Why not indeed, I put motors on hinged boards when I want a simple clutch drive, my hardly used tumbler for example. Motor on a hinged board below, the pully goes over the 55 gal drum. 1 1/2" pully on the motor then over the drum makes for lots of reduction, almost enough for my liking, about 35rpm. I like under 30 rpm for a drum this size. You only want the material stirred, not flung around.

I suppose a person could use a door latch to tension the motor or lock it in on/off. 

Frosty the Lucky

[Glenn]

You may want to look into a vibratory tumbler.  Lots of different media available.