Parent/kid projects... For me mousetrap car.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

BEHOLD!!!! Mouse trap car.

and for anybody else here, what your parents helped you with. I've got stories from my dad.

but tonight... I'm the dad. mousetrap car.
Coolest thing ever.

We enrolled our kid in a new school. It has- Engineering!

Test- make a mousetrap car roll. (fine detail - parents cannot help)

Helplessly, I watched her struggle with so much, her team was provided with sealed bearings, glue guns, and mariah carey CDs. Yet... I was so distant.

In the end, her "teams" car went "nowhere". In an attempt to let the team glue the project together, they glued the axles, bearings, and frame together. The moustrap couldn't spin the gunk.

Parents were not allowed. I played nice. After the project ended, one night one we discussed changing the gear ratio. I pulled the gear ratio down to make more power to overcome the drag of the heat glue.

The design they copied had an arm off the moustrap to leverage a high gear with little torque. We had to break this puppie free. With little more than tying the string closer to the armature of the mousetrap, the monster racer MOVED!

...about 12 inches.

She was enthralled.
she sent the video to her team, who were also enthralled.
She sent the video to her teacher, who is also excited!

Youtube cut me a check for a million dollars.

But then, my daughter asked to make it better. Since the original project is "over" and I can "help" we have introduced concepts of "hubcentric" "friction" "gear reduction" "drag" and "steering"

We took her car which could not make it an inch or two, and now it can cross the entire house.

now i am on board!!!
I ordered about $50 of amazon chinese crap.

This b#$% is gonna do 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. And we are gonna need a bigger house!!!!

Folks, this is a super fun project that can be had at a couple of clicks of amazon. Bored? I highly recommend!

Behold version 1.1
Version 2.1 coming soon.
My daughter is totally stoked. We gonna light it up!!!!

[HobieMarty]

That is super cool!!!!

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[Alan A]

Kids science project. How much weight can you hold up with a single sheet of paper and 2” of tape. Ran out of dumbbells.




After watching pumpkin chunkin.
Daddy what’s a trebuchet?

Launched a regular melon about 75’.
We ran out of weight - that was with around 150#.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Holy crap!!!^^^^

[Alan A]

One more from a few years ago. Make a musical instrument for school. He wanted a guitar but since he was supposed to do it we went with something simple.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

You are awesome!
I remember when I wanted a guitar.
My dad walked into a store- stated" I know nothing of guitars"

"I assume there is cheap garbage, a middle range, a nice middle range, and some high end range where there are some bells and whistles a normal mortal woudln't appreciate."


The guitar store owner laughed. "You are right"
My dad said.., I want guitar in the nice middle range, best bang for the buck plus some.
My dad bought me an Alverez--- Yairi.

Still have it! He would have made me one if he knew how the hell to make one!!!

[A930Rocket]

Kids get all the cool projects nowadays! I remember making dioramas out of shoeboxes, paint, paste, and army men.

[Alan A]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

Kids get all the cool projects nowadays! I remember making dioramas out of shoeboxes, paint, paste, and army men.

Have dozens of those around the house.

[thingmon]

BIA… be involved always. Great stuff.

[Alan A]

Couple from the library. Since we are between fights…

[porsche930dude]

Cool stuff! I tried making a catapult a few weeks ago it didnt go well. I made it out of bed frame and garage door springs. It didnt have a whip i just wanted to use a bucket and have a stop at the top. The sudden stop at the top was too much for it and it self destructed with much violence. I gave up its at the scrap yard now. Thats not how I want to die.

[Alan A]

Originally Posted by porsche930dude

Cool stuff! I tried making a catapult a few weeks ago it didnt go well. I made it out of bed frame and garage door springs. It didnt have a whip i just wanted to use a bucket and have a stop at the top. The sudden stop at the top was too much for it and it self destructed with much violence. I gave up its at the scrap yard now. Thats not how I want to die.

Start with a scorpion. You can use the garage door springs as torsion springs.

[LWJ]

Oh boy! You are talking my language. Pine wood derby! Trebuchet. Potato cannon. This is the stuff I did with my kids when they were little. Loved it.

[KFC911]

If you replaced those Mariah Carey tires with Led Zep cds then that car would ROCK !

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by porsche930dude

....and it self destructed with much violence. I gave up its at the scrap yard now. Thats not how I want to die.

LOL ... wize words to live by!

AA your pics and projects are awesome

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Originally Posted by KC911

If you replaced those Mariah Carey tires with Led Zep cds then that car would ROCK !

Man you are hitting too close to home! My kid started singing Mariah's "All I want for christmas is you" the other night. I'm wondering if Zeppelin will be enough. Might have to go Alice Cooper!

In car update, I am epoxying new wheels on new hubs. Used old expoxy that didn't self mix right and it's not hardening. I might get "opportunity" to redo with some 70's rock

[KFC911]

Deep Purples' on the rear ... Zeps on the front.... if ya want really BIG TARS ...

Albums

[LEAKYSEALS951]

A 45 single would be a perfect diameter.