Monday, December 31, 2007

• A mouse/rat trap
  
• Two metal rod of about 4mm length and 1.5cm longer then the width of the mouse/rat trap
• Four Small eye-hole screws
  
• Pieces of plywood for wheels
  
• Two Rubber Bands
  
• Strings
  
• Some small washers with about 4mm inside diameter
  
  
  Tools that you need:
  
• A drill with a 3.7 mm bit
  
• A jigsaw or coping saw
  
• A compass,
  
• A hammer
  
• A vice
  
• A hacksaw
  
• A flat file
  
• Some super glue
  
• Two-part epoxy glue
  
• A pair of pliers
  
• A flat jeweller's file

How to Build the Mouse-Trap Car:

1. Using the pliers to pull the wire catch so that the trap stays open and the bait holder out of the wooden mouse trap. Remove the wire staplers that hold these parts in place. Also keep the wire catch.
2. Now, Drill a hole about 8mm from each edges at the side then put in one of the eye hooks and make sure that they are facing the sides of the mouse trap. You must also make sure the mouse trap do not split so do it lightly.
3. Next, use a compass to mark out 7.5cm on the pieces of plywood.
   
4. Then, use the 3.7mm drill bit to drill a hole in the middle of the circles and make sure that the metal rods require some force to insert it into the holes.
5. Cut out the circles on the pieces of plywood with a coping saw or a jigsaw.
   
6. File the sides of the circle with a flat file and make sure that they are smooth.
   
7. Now cut out the metal rods into equal length which is about the width of the mouse trap and twice the thickness of the plywood and plus 5 mm .
8. File the end of the rods smooth and put a small chamfer on them.
   
9. Hold one of the rods firmly and use a hack saw to make a cut about halfway through the metal rod at one-third of the total length of the rod from the end.
10. Use the jeweller's file to widen the slot so the the wire catch from the first step can fit snugly in it.
11. Use a plier to cut 7mm from the wire catch.
    
12. File the end of the piece of wire and make sure there are no burrs.
    
13. Use the two part epoxy glue to glue the wire catch into the slot in the axle and the wire piece should overhang the rod on one side only. Let the glue dry overnight.
14. Take the rod with the wire catch on it and put it through eye hooks at the rear of the moust trap, the rear is the end where the trap jaws lie when its set.
15. Put some washers at the end of the rod, there should be enough of the rod left at either side to accomodate the wheels but not too much or the wheels will rud against the mouse trap.
16. Use a vice to push the wheels into the ends of each axle .
    
17. Put the front axle in the same way as the rear axle.
    
18. Use a string and tie it to the mouse-trap jaws.
    
19. Tie a small loop on the string so that the string ends at the rear axle and cut the loose end off the string.
20. Take the rubber bands and put them around each of the rear wheels. The rubber will give the traction on smooth surfaces. use some super gule to hold the rubber bands in place.
    

Now the Mouse-Trap Car is complete. You need to start it by raising the jaws of the slightly. Take the loop at the end of the string and slip it over the wire piece on the rear axle. Turn the rear wheels reverse so that the string wll wind onto the axle. It will pull the trap jaws open. When the jaws are fully opened put the mouse trap car on ther ground and release it.

Posted at; {8:06 PM}