Animated Jack-O-Lantern

This Instructable will show you how to animate a Jack-O-Lantern using Shape Memory Alloy

I decided to create this pumpkin because I find that jack-o-lanterns are too static, they just sit there staring. I wanted to create a pumpkin that not only looks great, but actually moves.

Step 1 Gather the Materials

To animate your pumpkin you will need:

Materials
- A Pumpkin of your choosing
- Aluminum channel bar
- Threaded Rod (8 NC 32)
- 1 8NC32 Thread Nut (Meccano Size)
- Bamboo Skewer
- Fishing line
- Small piece of Plexiglas
- Solid Core Wire
- Stranded Core Wire
- 3 Large Paper clips
- Candles (for the pumpkin)
- Appropriate pumpkin pattern to animate

And now for the more exotic material:
- Flexinol (a Shape memory alloy)

I got my Flexinol by ordering directly from Dynalloy (have a wide variety of choices), but it is also possible to get it from places like Jameco (more limited selection).
If you can't get Flexinol, it is possible to still animate the pumpkin using the same frame and setup, just attach a motor that will wind up the fishing line, where the Flexinol would pull it.

Tools
- Pencil
- Pliers
- Hack Saw
- Tin Snips
- Drill
- Drill Bits
- Tap and Die set (optional)
- Glue Gun
- Knife
- Pin

Comments

[rockyt]

from where do you get the shape memory alloy?

[J_Hodgie]

I got my SMA (Flexinol specifically) by ordering directly from Dynalloy (ordered over the phone). But I have also seen it sold at Jameco robotics and various other online robotics stores.

Hope it helps :)

[rockyt]

cancel that last request. I apologize, I skimmed the article the first time thru and have now read it and saw the link. Thanks

[J_Hodgie]

Ah, well now it is easier for everyone to find :)