How To Build an Ultimate Mouse Trap Car

The Ultimate Mouse Trap Car
Purpose: To construct a self-contained vehicle powered by a single mouse trap
Materials: 1-Victor brand mouse trap, Duct tape, High density foam board, 4-CD's, 1-steel axle, Clothes hanger, String, SuperGlue, 13-Wood screws, 1-Rubber wheel, 1-Foam pad, 4-Washers, 2-9cm steel axles, Assorted erector set parts, Lead tape, Guitar pick, 2-1.5cm diameter wooden spools, Fishing line spool, Hot glue, 4-Speed nuts, 2-Faucet washers, Thread, 4-Plastic axle clips, Black electrical tape, 4- Push-In threaded lockwashers, a quality lubricant
Procedure: 1) Cut 2 rectangular pieces of foam board, hot glue them together, and cover them with duct tape.
2) Construct the gear assembly holder: build a rectangular base of dimensions 10cm x 6.5 cm from erector set parts. Attach two vertical 11 cm erector set parts to the base using a triangular brace.
3) Construct the front wheel assembly holder: Use a frame of two 4 cm erector set parts, and connect them with a curved erector set parts on each side.
4) Construct the rear wheel assembly holder: Use a frame of two 6.2 cm erector set parts, and connect them with two 6 cm parts, one on each side. Enlarge the holes at the end of each 6 cm part so that the rear axle will fit through them and turn smoothly.
5) Assemble the extended mousetrap arm using the clothes hanger and a pair of needle-nose pliers, so that the bar is approximately 16.5 cm long, as wide as the mousetrap, and has a small bend in its end to which the car's string will be tied to. Connect the arm to the trap by wrapping it with the plastic string and applying superglue.
6) Connect the mouse trap to the front of the previously assembled foam board chassis using four wood screws. Mount the front wheel assembly holder directly below the trap, using three wood screws, which should penetrate the trap, locking it in place.
7) Mount the gear assembly holder on the back of the foam board chassis, allowing the two vertical erector set parts to penetrate the chassis. Fasten the gear assembly holder to the chassis using four wood screws. Connect the rear wheel assembly holder to the protruding erector set parts using screws and nuts supplied with the erector set. Use two wood screws to fasten the wheel assembly holder in place.
8) Prepare two wooden spools by drilling four holes in each side of each of them, so that one unnamed metallic part may fit into each end of each spool. Insert the unnamed metallic parts into each end of each spool, and fasten them there with hot glue.
9) Assemble the rear wheel assembly by cutting a 22 cm long portion of the steel axle, and sliding one of the prepared spools into the center of it. Fasten the spool in place with hot glue and two speed nuts, one on each side. Remove one side of the rear wheel assembly holder and pass the axle through the connected side. Re-attach the previously removed side of the wheel assembly holder.
10) Prepare the rear wheels by using superglue to connect a pair of CD's, being certain to align them perfectly. Repeat this process. Superglue a faucet washer in the center of each wheel. Slide the wheels onto the rear axle, and use hot glue to fasten them in place.
11) Using a 9 cm axle supplied with the erector set, build the gear assembly. Slide the remaining prepared spool and the fishing spool onto the axle, and fasten them there with hot glue. Use speed nuts to ensure that the gears will remain stationary. Bend the gear assembly holder's vertical posts slightly, and ease the axle into place between the two vertical holders.
12) Assemble the front wheel by sliding an erector set-suppled rubber wheel onto an erector set-supplied 9 cm axle. Slide two washers onto each side of the wheel, and mount the axle on the front wheel assembly holder. Be sure to align the front wheel well, so that the car will move in a straight line.
13) Attach a 3-meter length of thread to the large gear, and wind until about 6 cm remains unspooled. Attach a 40 cm string to the extended mouse trap arm, run this string under the yellow string guide, and attach the end of it to the small spool on the gear assembly with black electrical tape.
14) Using the lubricant, oil all moving parts: the mousetrap spring, all axle joints, the and the yellow string guide.
Observations: Click Here to view our results.
Conclusion: We were successful on building a functional mousetrap car using our knowledge of physics and plane geometry. We learned quite a bit about torque, gear ratios, friction, force, motion, mechanics, trial and error, and the hardware aisle of Home Depot. The end result of our many hours of work is a pretty cool mousetrap car.

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