Ajcoholic
09-29-2016, 08:26 PM
So my 5 1/2 year old just started beaver scouts (the entry level for 5 to 7 year olds here).
This week's meeting, they were supposed to bring some kind of toy that they could (A) take apart fairly easily with a screw driver, and (B) see some sort of drive mechanism that had gears or something similar.
Well, we have a lot of toys. But, everything made today is either sealed shut, or too complex for a 5 year old to get apart and back together in a half hour, and also be large enough to easily see operate.
So, after a bit of sketching in Aspire, and a bit of cutting I came up with a plywood and pine "pickup truck" (ok loose resemblance) that had a series of gears to reduce the drive to axel by 8:1. I used an old 12 volt drill for the motor and battery.
At the meeting, we had by far the best "toy" to strip down and see the parts and get back together. I worked with another boy and my son, and they took turns taking out the #8 screws. The wheels come off, and the axels are just some K&S brass tubing I had in the shop, with the wooden gears glued to them with CA.
WOrks well, easy to see the gears run and served the purpose well. Another SHopbot victory!
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/ajcoholic041/image139_zpssozllbul.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/ajcoholic041/image139_zpssozllbul.jpg.html)
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/ajcoholic041/image222_zps9v59pud2.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/ajcoholic041/image222_zps9v59pud2.jpg.html)
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/ajcoholic041/image315_zpsflbwhcc5.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/ajcoholic041/image315_zpsflbwhcc5.jpg.html)
This week's meeting, they were supposed to bring some kind of toy that they could (A) take apart fairly easily with a screw driver, and (B) see some sort of drive mechanism that had gears or something similar.
Well, we have a lot of toys. But, everything made today is either sealed shut, or too complex for a 5 year old to get apart and back together in a half hour, and also be large enough to easily see operate.
So, after a bit of sketching in Aspire, and a bit of cutting I came up with a plywood and pine "pickup truck" (ok loose resemblance) that had a series of gears to reduce the drive to axel by 8:1. I used an old 12 volt drill for the motor and battery.
At the meeting, we had by far the best "toy" to strip down and see the parts and get back together. I worked with another boy and my son, and they took turns taking out the #8 screws. The wheels come off, and the axels are just some K&S brass tubing I had in the shop, with the wooden gears glued to them with CA.
WOrks well, easy to see the gears run and served the purpose well. Another SHopbot victory!
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/ajcoholic041/image139_zpssozllbul.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/ajcoholic041/image139_zpssozllbul.jpg.html)
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/ajcoholic041/image222_zps9v59pud2.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/ajcoholic041/image222_zps9v59pud2.jpg.html)
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j307/ajcoholic/ajcoholic041/image315_zpsflbwhcc5.jpg (http://s83.photobucket.com/user/ajcoholic/media/ajcoholic041/image315_zpsflbwhcc5.jpg.html)