mouse trap car ideas?

[MJ300]

We're starting a this project in physics class, and I was wondering if you guys have any ideas on how to make a mouse trap car that you could get the maximum distance out of it. Guidelines are that you can't buy kits and you have to make your own wheels. Any ideas on how to make a really good car to kill the competition??? :chillin:

[jaekl]

Details, what are the details. Standard, original spring loaded mouse trap? Trap is set and then tripped to start the race? Is car free standing or against a fixed starting block?

Weight is your enemy. My kids had to make wind cars and we maded strofoam wheels cut out with a holesaw. An extensive approach would have a cord attached to the hook and then wrapped around a shaft or wheel that would eventually rotate wheels. Could have escape mechanism to gear it up. Otherwords, minimum spring release to maximum wheel rotation. Another approach would get a flywheel going to drive the wheels. I think the first would have the least lost energy. Gear it up to the point of wheel slip at start when most torque is available. If this is a higher tech course, it sounds like a design/fab exercise.

[Car RamRod]

We're starting a this project in physics class, and I was wondering if you guys have any ideas on how to make a mouse trap car that you could get the maximum distance out of it. Guidelines are that you can't buy kits and you have to make your own wheels. Any ideas on how to make a really good car to kill the competition??? :chillin:

 

I made one of these in boy scouts a few years back. I made a trike, with an r/c car rear end/trans, and did pretty well. It was the fastest @#$%er there, but it didn't track straight and my distance wasn't terrific.

 

However I do remember that someone used CD's and did very well on distance.

[MJ300]

The details are that we need to use ONLY the energy from the trap going off and make the car go as far as possible. It needs to be fastened or mounted somehow to the body of you car.

[wolfpackjeeper]

I made one drive wheel, as big as the spring could still begin to turn. It does not need to be fast. You can also make the lever arm longer letting you have more string distance to drive it. If the trap springs too quickly it will spin out the wheel and you lose distance.

[mfpdm]

I googled it for kicks, holy crap this seems to be a popular thing for physics. Liked this concept.

 

 

:cheers:

[JOMJ87]

 

Fishin pole one works great Get the top half of a light action rod and it then bend it in half so that it will pull string longer like this video.

 

Cole

[ComancheKid45]

I made mine outta Legos and everytime it would get to the hightest tensile strength on the string my car would explode!....lol it never went very far but i got alot of effort points :yes:

[Akula69]

My son just made one for his class. Literally, you need:

 

2 - 3 " wide x 18 " long 3/4 " thick foam board (body)

4 - 3" wide x 2" long foam board (axle braces)

2 - 3" wide x 4 1/4" long foam board (axle bottoms)

1 - plastic soda straw (axle shaft)

2 - 10" wooden skewer (used in cooking) (axle)

4 - wine corks (must be cork) (wheel hubs)

1 - 18* long x 1/8" dia. welding rod (torsion rod)

24" string (not kite string) (propulsion)

4 CD's (wheels)

1 - regular mouse trap (motor)

Duct tape

 

Tools:

Hot glue gun

knife

Sharpie marker

Tape measure

 

The body: Glue the two 3x18 foam sections together, then glue a 2x3 block at each end on the bottom side. Leaving 1/4 space between the blocks, glue the other 2x3 block beside the first. When dry, carefully cut the straw into a 3" long piece and insert into the 1/4 slot between the two 2x3 blocks, them glue the 3x41/4 block over the 2-2x3 blocks. Set aside to dry.

Wheels: Lay a CD onto the end of a cork and mark the hole onto the cork. Using the knife, carefully cut the excess cork around the mark down the cork's body approximately 1/4". Press the CD onto the cork and secure with hot glue. Set aside to dry.

Axle: Measure and cut 2 - 6" pieces of the skewer. Test insert into axle sharts (straws) under body for free motion. Carefully sharpen each end and, taking one of the wheel/hub assemblies insert the point into the exact center for the hub opposite the trimed end. It is important that you get the exact center, as the wheel will not turn smoothly if off center. Secure the wooden axle with hot glue and let dry. When dry, insert the axle thru the straw and insert/glue the other side's hub.

Motor/Torsion bar: IF ALLOWED: remove the bait tray and trip lever from mouse trap, leaving the base, spring and snap bar. Carefully insert the sharpie under the snap bar (to hold it up) and hot glue the 1/8" rod the the right side of the snap bar. You will need to hold it until it sets, then wrap a small piece of duct tape around the joint. Remove the sharpie and glue the trap to the body as follows: holding the car end on in front of you, point the rod away from you, and glue the trap with the rod on the top at the right front. The rod should stick straight out from the front of the car about 17" along the right front.

 

Now: Tie the string to the end of the rod and hot glue the knot. Tie the other end to the rear axle on the right side and glue the knot.

 

To Run the car: Hold the trap open and slowly revolve the right rear wheel opposite the direction you want the car to go in. When the string is carefully would around the wooden axle (keep away from the body to prevent binding). Set on floor and release.

 

My son's car went 38 feet. :D

[MJ300]

Thanks for the ideas guys and the cool vids!! But I have decided that I'm going to make my own design afterall. And I have decided that I'm going to make a mousetrap 4X4!!!! It might not go the furthest distance, but it will sure be awesome to say that I have a 4WD car/ truck powered by a mouse trap alone. :yes:

[UNL1MTD]

I had fun with this back in Highschool. I actually spent a semester tinkering around with different models and ended up with a high speed, low distance version that I converted into a glider project. That was a lot of fun. Its a lot of trial and error. One of the biggest improvements I made was getting traction for the wheels I was making, of which I used rubber bands around the thick foam board wheels.