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View Full Version : Help with mousetrap wheel ideas!

Ashley Weed
13-10-2003, 09:57
Working on a design project in an engineering class. Tossing around ideas, and contemplating over wheels. If anyone has any outrageous idea they would like to share... or any ideas for creating friction with the wheels.
Thanks from PSU!
~Ashley and Bob
camtunkpa
13-10-2003, 10:45
hehe 222's solution....use gum rubber! :D
RogerR
13-10-2003, 11:16
how 'bout rubber bands wrapped around CDs
WakeZero
13-10-2003, 12:23
Use video CDs... you know, the HUGE CDs that held only about an hour worth of video. What you do is cut out the center so it has spokes and a rim. This saves on weight ;)
Madison
13-10-2003, 12:46
Originally posted by WakeZero
Use video CDs... you know, the HUGE CDs that held only about an hour worth of video. What you do is cut out the center so it has spokes and a rim. This saves on weight ;)

Laserdiscs? VCDs are 5.25" OD :p
Andrew Rudolph
13-10-2003, 13:01
Ive seen people Use 45's (yes records) Or even full size records. Apparently they were the standard before CDs were regularaly available. You can get them cheap at salvation army or any thrift stores.
JVN
13-10-2003, 13:59
Peanut Butter Jar Lids, wrapped with a rubberband.

They work really well for "popsicle stick engineering" type projects.


See attached picture of my ME212 project.
It was designed to carry unpopped popcorn kernels across a 36" chasm. We had to start within a 16x16x6" box, and could only use certain materials. The whole thing could only be powered by 2 rubber bands. We could use up to, 2 triggers (1 to deploy the bridge, one to release the car).

We designed a bridge/car, and more than doubled the closest competitor. (we got 4632g of popcorn across).

Note: the bridge is inspired by a FIRST robot. Heh.
WakeZero
13-10-2003, 18:09
Originally posted by M. Krass
Laserdiscs? VCDs are 5.25" OD :p

That would be the word I was looking for! Thanks ;)
Tristan Lall
13-10-2003, 18:18
Originally posted by M. Krass
Laserdiscs? VCDs are 5.25" OD :p Well, actually, they're 120 mm, or around 4.75" OD.... The drive that reads them is considered 5.25". :p
Ashley Weed
13-10-2003, 19:58
Originally posted by camtunkpa
hehe 222's solution....use gum rubber! :D
That was actually one of the ealy ideas tossed around.. however, it was put down due to friction.

I have thought about testing the pb jar lid.. might me an interesting alternative.

[edit]Sorry, this might of helped. I didn't realize this was part of it, till Bob brought it to my attention:
Score is calculated by dividing 25 by the mass of the car. Then multiplying the result by the (length the car traveled divided by the maximum length of the car)^2.
Aignam
13-10-2003, 20:06
Originally posted by RogerR
how 'bout rubber bands wrapped around CDs

Alas, another good use for AOL CD's.
Jnadke
13-10-2003, 20:07
Errr... by mousetrap wheel ideas do you mean making a better wheel, or finding wheels for a mousetrap?
RogerR
13-10-2003, 21:05
Originally posted by Jnadke
Errr... by mousetrap wheel ideas do you mean making a better wheel, or finding wheels for a mousetrap?

i believe she means wheels for a 'mouse-trap race car'. it uses the spring of a mouse trap (or sometimes the whole mouse-trap) to move forward