My nephew's 5th birthday was fast approaching and I had to think of a gift for him.
A TOY for sure... but what? He likes Swords, Guns, Cars, Cranes, Robots ... and this ... and that ... the list is endless!!
I wish there was something that had ALL-IN-ONE!!
I spent several days looking/searching for some sort of 'ALL-IN-ONE'.
Not having found anything suitable, I decided to design and build one!
That's how the project began.
Being an Architect, I have worked with PVC pipes for temporary structures, furniture, prototypes etc. They are very easy to work with, to fix and to remove. This seemed to have a lot of potential and looked like the most suited material for this project.
Material Decided! - Now to work out a modular system.
For this, I made a list of 15 to 20 items ... sword, car, crane, tank, guns, etc, ...
Tried to draw them in single lines - 'capturing the character' of each so to say.
Then tried to make them using pipes and fittings.
What turned out was like a Puzzle /or/ Assembly /or/ Lego /or/ Mechano kind of toy .....
Several pieces can be assembled or re-assembled into various shapes and forms.
And finally it came out as a 'MULTI-TOY-KIT'.
This Multi-Toy was an instant hit! Kids just got hooked onto it!
All other kids (known, unknown, and descendents of distant cousins) are now waiting for their B'day!!
This is extremely simple to make,
all you need is the desire, hand tools and a few hours to spare.
So let's get going ….
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Signing UpStep 1: Tools:
Simple hand tools are all that you'll need!
1. Pencil for marking
2. Measuring Tape
3. Mini Hack Saw
4. Fine Grade sandpaper or a File
5. Knife or cutter
6. Hand Drill (Manual drill is OK) and some drill bits
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PVC parts themselves and pipe are as benign as it comes. Please don't use scare tactics on subjects you don't know anything about. The carbon-chlorine bond in PVC is almost impossible to break, and it's the chlorine gas that is the toxic part.
As for PVC pipe being used for water, it's been used for decades, it just depends on where you live in the country. It has a potable water rating from NSF (NSF 61). There is no higher rating for water safety.
There is not a single health risk with PVC pipe and fittings when used as directed. I'd let my kid play with PVC all day long compared to toys we get from overseas which have lead paint and other fillers in the plastic.
Having worked at a hardware store and having made a bunch of things using PVC, I can definitely say that it's really easy to work with, but kids tend to put toys like this in their mouths... It's definitely not the ideal material for a children's toy.
PVC is considered as being toxic to humans and extremely toxic when disposed of in the environment... In fact it's been banned as a packaging material in California because of its hazardous nature and many other governments are considering implementing similar legislature. I would suggest caution to anyone intending to make this for young children.
I can't really talk about the regulations in other places, but in Canada PVC is mainly used for chalets in rural areas where homes are only occupied for short amounts of time. The fact that PVC is very inexpensive compared to copper might make contractors use it instead though so I guess it depends on the regulations.
You might be thinking about ABS which is used for waste disposal and has been around for a fairly long time. Since they're used for waste disposal I haven't seen any studies concerning their toxicity...
Hope that answers your question! I suggest you do a quick google search if you're interested in the topic. There's quite a bit of research out there, but there's also a powerful movement by industries which use PVC to manufacture all kinds of things.
-Contradictory sources stating whether or not PVC can be legally used in highrises, but this is mainly due to fire hazards.
-Sources that state that PVC can be used legally for both cold and hot water, while others say it cannot be used at all for potable water and can only be used for industrial applications. There is quasi unanimity that cPVC is legal for most applications although I'm uncertain as to why since more chlorine atoms in a compound is usually worse for health and the environment.
-Sources that suggest that PVC makes up the majority of all piping in the USA and Canada, which is contradicted by the fact that it's said to be against building codes.
-A plastic industry site that suggest that PVC and cPVC are completely non-toxic.
-A plumbing association website that doesn't even talk about PVC and says that cPVC pipes used for potable water release dangerous toxins into the water.
Not to draw this out any further since it's not really related to the quality of the instructable, I'm just saying that there is concern with the safety of PVC. I won't start flaunting my credentials, but I'll just say that chlorinated compounds in general aren't particularly safe. You can find PVC toys on the market as well, but that doesn't make them benign... just as with lead paint being used on childrens' toys years ago or more recently, bpa in baby bottles.
I used English measurements, for those interested, they were.
Extra Large piece - 18 1/4 inches
Pretty large pieces - 12 inches (These pieces were not adapted from the initial instructable, I just added them later.
Large pieces - 9 1/2 inches
Medium pieces - 4 1/4 inches
Small pieces 1 3/4 inches
The notch cuts that I made into the ends of each piece were about the same size as the height of my hacksaw blade.
I'm looking forward to putting some of the advanced pieces together.
Thank you for going through the instructable.
I hope you enjoy working on it.
The lengths of pieces are calculated based on proportions.
I worked on a number of assemblies and then concluded on the sizes and numbers. Take 'Laptop' (shown in step-7) as an example.
2T + 2S + 1M = 1L. Smaller pieces with Ts or Ls would equal the length of a larger piece.
Fitting it all on one 10ft pipe is for 'no-wastage' /or/ 'economy' /or/ 'full utilization' purpose. At the end of the project, you'll only be concerned with disposing off the sawn-dust (PVC-Dust). The 'notch' cuts at the ends of pipes could also be made <12mm or >12mm for a tight or lose fit.
Once the idea, concept and essence are captured, more number of pipes and pieces could certainly be added to build on and on and on ......
Aeroplanes, Helis, UFOs, Forklifts, tents, and ... may be something entirely different.
Well done!
Ian
I did a google search for "1/2" white PVC pipe in UK" and came up with the following result. I'm sure you've done this already, but if not ....Hope this helps
http://www.google.co.in/#hl=en&biw=1440&bih=813&q=1%2F2%22+white+PVC+pipe+in+UK&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&fp=871c8644ce5086bf
I know next time I go to the local hardware, I'm going to be looking twice at all the building supplies.
Indeed you are absolutely wrong!
1) pictures taken by camera can be RESIZED TO LOWER RESOLUTION for faster upload/download!
2) These days IMAGE PROCESSING software comes free when you purchase a camera! :-)
Presently a lot of toys, inflatable toys, and inflatable pool accessories, pens, tap washers, gloves, and what not .... are made of PVC! Search and you’ll be amazed!
My five year old nephew is already smart enough to understand toys are for playing and food is for putting in the mouth! Hence I wasn't worried.
:-) You may not vaporize just by looking at or by touching PVC!
BUT you may … avoid making stuff (for example: blow guns or similar) which would necessitate putting PVC in the mouth. Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing with us.......
I think this is an example of how Ibles should be done. Your instructions are clear, your images are great, your examples are useful!
As I read through this, I had only a couple suggestions, most of which you included further along in the Ible (adding lights (or other features) to the robot head, cutting couplers to make snap-on clips, etc.). The only other suggestions I had were:
* Glue one more bead flush at the end of the handle on the winch. This will make the aluminum hanger end a little more safe. Also glue one onto the toggle switch if you add lights to the head, or else use a push-on, push-off (lick clicking a retractable pen) style switch.
* Make a few different shape wood seats with the cut-coupler-clips, or else with sections of pipe permanently attached. These could easily spark in idea for the child to build.
* Add an Eye Bolt to one of the pipe caps to be used for attaching pull-ropes
I did have a couple questions. You show a few examples like the trolley (otherwise known as a dolly or hand-truck), and the Micro Scooter. Know, please, that these questions are asked out of curiosity and interest and not as criticisms or put-downs.
* I had to wonder if these would support much weight at all? Will the middle of the scooter's horizontal pipe drag on the floor?
* How much weight will it hold before it does?
* Would it be worth it to find a way to slide the T fitting along the length of a single continuous pipe for the horizontal span of the scooter of for the 'forks' of the trolley?
Please keep up the good work. I will be reading your other Ibles! This has been voted on and favorited!
Mike, from DieCastoms.
Great Job!
Well done!
for your wonderful comments and suggestions.
Thanks for sharing it!
Great Job
Biggsy
Note that there are many many uses for such a set, including bedsheet house/tent frames, blowgun toys, costume tanks, and tons more. My wife and I have even borrowed the set from time to time to mock up furniture before purchasing!
I *strongly* recommend doing this -- it's cheap, fast, and fun.