Bent Wood Homopolar Motor

** Update 10/29/10: I added another video on the last step. **

This is for the Kinetic Sculpture contest.

I have always loved magnets. Specially rare earth magnets. I experimented with the simplest motor possible, the homopolar motor, using the neodymium magnets i have.  My arm got tire of holding the battery up though. So I decided to build a wooden battery holder out of strips of balsa bent into an arc. 

Please see video below.

Step 1 Materials

Materials:

Neodymium magnet  1/4 x 1/4 inch square or cylindrical
1 sheet 3/16th inch balsa or thinner (actually any thin sheet of wood will work)
Wooden base around 3 x 6 inches
Wood glue
Water
Copper wire
1small  screw
1 (or 2) AA battery - rechargeable ones if you want to be responsible.
bit of plastic or small piece of hardwood
Wood stain
1 nail

Tools:

Several vises
some clamps
sandpaper
drill and drill bits
file
paintbrush
Rope

Comments

[stumitch]

VERY interesting. really like that!

[kcbford1]

NEAT IDEA! off to biuld another one, i would of never thought of making one wobble like this.

[Matrix-technician]

Finaly a decent entry into the sculpture contest. 5 stars for simplicity and awsomeness.

[coolpersob]

Ditto that