K'nex Mixer

It's your friends birthday, and you want to surprise them by making a cake! So far the operation has run smoothly, with your friend being out of the house and the mixture being spun round continuously in the old mixer, nothing can go wrong now. Well that's what you think until the mixers motor dies! What now?!? You wave your arms frantically in the air, and immediately look on the 'Ibles app for a solution and you end up here!

Well, congratulations! With the help of this 'Ible, you can transform your old childhood toy stashed up in your attic, collecting dust, into a fully functional K'nex Mixer!

So what are you waiting for? You got a Mixer to build :-)

Never fear, Jinds is here :D

Anywho, aside from my short story. Hello All and welcome to my first entry of the Toy Rods and Connectors Competition!

As always, the challenge of thinking what to build is always hard. Pondering around my kitchen, desperate for inspiration I came across my mothers electronic mixer. For days following of having the idea of making one out of K'nex, I managed to figure out mechanically how it would work. The K'nex Mixer incorporates some of the design and structure for my K'nex Whisk, which I built last year.

You can see the functioning of the Mixer in the short video above (link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWPOqVCDSbg )

Also, I'm really sorry for this entry being late - I broke my thumb :-P

I hope you enjoy building it, as much as I enjoyed making this Instructable.

I would also appreciate it if you would mind voting this in for the contest!

Step 1: Piece Count

So you've chosen to build it, right? Great choice! First, we begin by gathering the required pieces. This will help to speed up the process of building! :D

Note - The pieces are labelled in their classic colours

CONNECTORS

Purple - 452

Blue - 367

Green - 15

White - 262

Yellow - 36

Orange - 32

Grey - 7

RODS

Green - 633

White - 523

Red - 17

Blue - 20

Grey - 1

Yellow - 1

Flexi-rods green (shown as black) - 4

OTHER

12V Motor - 1

12V Small White Gear - 1

2 Speed Way Motor - 1

Red Gear - 11

Small Blue Gear - 4

Yellow Gear (with teeth) - 1

OPTIONAL

Bowl - 1

Right! Onto building we go with the base on the next step! :-)

Step 2: The Base

Onto making we go! In this step, we shall be building the base of the mixer! This is the most boring step in the whole 'Ible, so crack on with it :-)

Pictures

1) What you will be making in this step

2) Begin with this

3) Another view

4) Another view (from the top)

5) Another view

6) And...another view

7) Yet another view! :-)

8) Now begin with the middle section of the mixer!

9) Another view

10) Another view

11) Another view

12) Guess what? Another view

13) Another view of the side

14) Another view

15) And....a final view

16) Now make this final section :D Nearly there!

17) Another view

18) Another view

19) Another view

20) Another view

21) Now begin attaching the 2nd two parts you made, as seen in picture

22) Another view

23) Another view

24) Another view

25) Finally, attach the other section to it!

Phew! That wasn't so hard, was it? At least that boring part is over with! :-)

Step 3: The Whisk's Transmission - Placing and Making the Axles

In this next step, you shall be building the whisk are and transmission. This will allow you to see how the mixer actually functions!

Pictures

1) The chunk of K'nex you will be building together in this step and the next! :D

2) Another view of it

3) And....another :-)

4) The transmission opened up! Begin building it, with what you can see and make the axles shown

5) The bottom of the transmission, where the whisk part will be connected

6) Another view - be sure to take note of where the motor is placed on the bottom (through the blue rods).

7) Another view of the transmission from the top

8) A centre view of it

9) Another view - make sure you have the correct amount of spacers as shown

10) A view of the end of the gear box, keep note of the rods! :-)

11) Another view

12) A view of the silver gear (yellow in original colours) with teeth

13) A final view

Yay! Now you've completed the first transmission! Onwards and Upwards! :D

Step 4: Adding the Whisk Part to the Transmission and Adding the Top

Whoopee! Now we get to make the whisk part and attach it! Have fun :-)

Pictures

1) Build this whisk part as shown

2) Another view - from an angle

3) Another view - be sure you have the correct amount of spacers and that the tan clip is correctly positioned

4) And a final view

5) Attach it as shown, be sure that you push the rod through the right white connector

6) Another view

7) Push the rod completely through and put a blue spacer on it

8) Then add the red gear as shown

9) Another view

10) Another view of how the gears should connect together - make sure the teeth of the silver/yellow gear are in the red gear (without it, it won't work)

11) A view of how the axle at the end should connect

12) Make this

13) Attach it to the frame to complete it!

Getting closer to the end, onto the next step we go :D

Step 5: Building the Neck of the Mixer

Onto the Neck of the Mixer, the hardest step amongst them all. I know you can do it though!!! :D

Build the Neck of the Mixer with the pictures provided! To give you a better view, I have taken off one of the sides as shown in picture 13. The mixer extends out at the bottom, so be sure to check for the sizes as shown in the first picture

You've done it?! Awesome, you're nearly there

Step 6: Making the 2nd Transmission and the Top

In this step, you shall be making the second transmission, which brings life to the mixer. :D

Pictures

1) Begin by building the outer shell of the box

2) Another view of the side above where the gears should be

3) A view of the box overall (note that the top side is missing, it should be like this and not filled in as the gears and axles are yet to go in)

4) Another view of one of the sides

5) A view close up of it

6) Be sure to add the yellow connectors. This connects it to the neck of the mixer that you built in the previous step

7) An overall view of it

8) Another view

9) A view of the placement of the motor

10) Another view (add a blue rod where there is a gap exposing the motor - between the 2 purple 3D connectors)

11) Another view

12) A view of the motor housing

13) Make this

14) Add it to the motor area

15) Add the motor as shown from the inside the box you made

16) Another view

17) Be sure to have the correct amount of spacers and make sure that the placement of the red gear on the axle is correct

18) Another view - make sure that the tan clip is in place

19) And a final view!

20) Place the second axle into position as shown

21) Another view of the axle

22) A final view

23) Add in the third axle as shown in pic

24) Another view of all the axles you have made so far

25) A view of the fourth axle

26) A view of all the axles (fifth as well)

27) Another view of the fifth axle

28) And a final view - make sure that the pieces are placed exactly as shown

I knew you could do it! Onto the next step where we will be adding the final side to the transmission.

Step 7: Adding the Top Panal

In this step, you will simply just add the top panel to the transmission you made previously. Nothing too difficult :D

Pictures

1) Make this

2) Attach it as shown

Done, simple as that :-)

Step 8: Assembly!

Congratulations on making it this far, here you will be assembling all the parts that you have made together :-)

Pictures

1) Attach the neck of the mixer to the 2nd transmission, and the 1st transmission to the 2nd transmission as shown

2) Another view

3) Another view - make sure that all the connections are properly in - this will add and give more strength!

4) A close up view of the mixer's neck attaching to the 2nd transmission box

5) A view of the bottom of the mixer's neck

And there should now be one last bit to do! Adding the base :D

Step 9: Adding the Base

In this step, you will be adding the final bit (the base) to complete the mixer.

And after that, congratulations, you are finished!

Step 10: You're Done

Hurray for you for completing the mixer! Great job, pat yourself on the back :-)

Now turn it on and let it do the rest for you!

Now get back to making your cake, your friend won't be long :D

Thanks so much for making it, and if you do happen to make it, I would love to see a picture!

I'd also love to hear your thoughts and comments.

If you did like this instructable, be sure to vote. Much appreciated! :D

Hunter999