Lego Tape Dispenser

This is a tape dispenser made solely out of Lego Pieces excluding the tape itself. It even cuts using a piece of Lego. There is a video explaining the full assembly and how it works! Also a nifty little story on why I built it.

Step 1 The Trick is to let the Lego Assemble itself

When I started my job as a TA in college I was given a shiny new stapler, thumb tacks the works! The one thing I didn't get was a tape dispenser. Later I realized no one got a tape dispenser. Surprisingly though there were rolls of tape by the dozens lying around. So I decided to just make one out of Lego Bricks. Yay! I have tape and dispenser Rejoice!! Then someone stole it. Arg!

Well then I started my internship and once again I found that there was yet another shiny new stapler and somehow thumbtacks but again no tape dispenser. I decided to crank out the old Lego pieces again and make another. Score! Tape! And a reminder to all around that the funny little intern who plays with Lego sits at this cube.

Ahhh the sweet intern months go by and I eventually left that internship for school and gifted the dispenser away. I decided to make my third one and record it this time and hopefully this will be the one that doesn't leave my hands.

Comments

[mischka]

cool, something useful! I wish I had some LEGO bricks. I miss my dispenser while wrapping my chrismas gifts...

[mrmoonatic1]

i tried to make it but i didn't have the blue parts_{,you should have had step by step instructions instead of a video},the video went to fast

[killerx]

Stop the video at the point when the parts ar put together.

[jamwaffles]

Nice work. I made a tape dispenser a long time ago that used the rack from a rack and pinion system to allow the tape to be torn more easily. Image here: http://www.prestoimages.net/store/rd1378/1378_pd1988422_1.jpg

[beanman911]

cool i wundr how long it took 2 make that vidyo

[ninjaaa]

Nice!

[marley57]

hey man that's purdy cool

[atomiclegocreations]

when I made this I didn't have the small gears to hold the tape in place. i just used four of the pieces that go on the outside of the gears (I call them film reels) to hold it in place. It's loose.

[geodez]

make lego tape. (chain links.)

[mysticperson23]

They have lego weights. You could put those on the bottom so it's weighted.

[redmaker]

SWEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!!

[shabagana]

very creative : )

[erosser]

It's not sticking with the "all-legos" theme, but if/when really pressed for a cutting implement (I know I would be uber-irritated during a project if that most precious dispenser of Scotch resources wasn't optimally performing), one could affix a wee bit of blade from a cellophane shrink wrap box, maybe held between two lego pieces. Just a thought. Very well-constructed!

[merijnvw]

i think my tape is too strong:( It doesn't get chopped off. Not even when i use a rack.

[crimson sausage]

I made one, it worked okay, but I was limmited on the variety of legos at my disposal. It gets the job done.

[quesoman]

nice instructable. i substituted and left out quite a few steps but i used you general design and it worked great

[amakerguy]

Sweet now I do not have to travel across my house and keep bugging my parents to get me one. You know (I'm a Maker)

[Radioactv Biohazard]

Hey that's pretty awesome. I'm gunna make one!

[pls]

very cool.

[Badrang The Bad!!!]

Cool! i like the lego cutting part.

[chuCraft]

This looks very cool, but it would be nice to have either a list of the pieces you used or a Lego Digital Designer file so it would be easier to replicate.

[Oompa-Loompa]

LDD doesn't include some of these pieces.

[cooblades]

You can get them from enthusiast sites like www.bricklink.com. They sell every part you could think of and then some. I'm willing to sell or trade mine if anyone is interested, but the parts are really common so I would recommend you just build your own from the video.

[Oompa-Loompa]

I know, but therealbenni was talking about LDD.

[I_am_Canadian]

Creative :-)

[inquisitive]

I just have to ask because I am curious...are you an Industrial Engineer? A good friend of mine is and she loves legos. Nice product, any plans to make a mouse?

[jeffconnelly]

I'm going to make one out of NXT :)

[maxxxem]

I made one it works great =) +1

[zeero360]

cooooooooooooooooooooooooooool i want 1 but dnt have all the parts can some tell me where i can buy all of the parts

[splatman]

You can buy almost any imaginable LEGO piece on Bricklink.com. Even pieces (and piece/color combos) that never came in LEGO sets.

[adamthiede]

im diggin the muzak. whered you get it?

[adamthiede]

this is the best thing since sliced bread AND normal tape dispensers!

[adamthiede]

i rated it plus one.

[cooblades]

Hehe Thanks!

[royalestel]

Man, I totally dig this crazy stizzle! I just love cool stuff made from legos.

[badrang4]

ok

[badrang4]

whats the point of that? its usles

[cooblades]

Its pretty much as useful as a regular tape dispenser, except this one your coworkers can't steal from you without you noticing.

[tiuk]

Very nice. Why not add a weight?

[cooblades]

I wanted to keep it 100% Lego, perhaps I will add some Lego weights in the future but they are pricey and I don't happen to have any yet.