3 Simple Ways to
Share What You Make

With Instructables you can share what you make with the world — and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.

PhotosPhotos

Share one or more photos of a project, recipe, or whatever you've made, quickly and easily.

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

Step by StepStep-By-Step

Share your step-by-step photos with text instructions of what you made so others can do it too!

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

VideoVideo

Share your how-to video. You'll need your embed code from a video site such as YouTube.

Get Started

Learn more & Get Tips

Print PDF

Favorite

Quick and easy "electric linear actuator" prototype ...

$Quick and easy \"electric linear actuator\" prototype ...$

last photo ←

Do you know hydraulic cylinders (aka hydraulic motors) ?
Well, this slideshow is about an electric "counterpart" prototype, which use a DC motor, a bolt & nut, and an aluminium cylinder.

There is no casing, and no mean to prevent the cylinder from rotating yet ... but that's just a prototype ...

PS : thanks to Gmoon and Proteus who told me how it was actually called in English. =o)

24 comments

Mar 1, 2012. 3:31 PMDr.Jaegermister says:

Excellent, simple idea. I have a bit of a different application that is similar that you might enjoy. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmC4WoLkvBs&feature=youtu.be

Jan 7, 2012. 11:05 AMangler says:

this is ingenious.

Nov 6, 2011. 2:34 PMbredend says:

Very cool!

If you connect the tube to the motor, you can use the bolt head as a mounting point.

Jun 18, 2011. 5:37 AMjaweee says:

thank you! this was so helpful, now my next problem, how to make it retract without reversing its turn?

Apr 11, 2011. 1:30 PMcopper tube says:

i need 1

Mar 31, 2011. 5:44 AM

n1cod3mus says:

this is brilliant and had given me the idea to build my own one, slightly larger, i will be welding to my motor shaft so that should hold it nicely.

142

Mar 14, 2008. 1:59 PM

Kiteman says:

It's sort of a linear worm drive. I can see this getting used in Hallowe'en animatronics. The glueing is a weak-point, though - it might shear under a load. The motor's pulley and the head of the bolt might need keyed together somehow.

Oct 27, 2008. 4:43 PMgn0stik says:

JB Weld.

Dec 13, 2010. 2:41 AMlane29 says:

tried but i had a problem with it getting in the threads of the bolt

Mar 21, 2008. 1:44 PM

andy says:

One might try to drill a hole in the head of the bolt, dead centre or as near reckoning as required, making sure the hole is marginally smaller than the diameter of the axle. Heat the head of the bolt, slide/hammer in to position and allow cooling. Most toy/hobby motor axles that I have come across tend to poke out of the back of the motor, so it could be conceivably hammered on a flat surface without messing up the motors innards. Alternatively if one wished to make a secure fit without the aid of drills, rotary tools or such one could get a hex size adapter (like the ones with a square shape one end and a hex on the other) and epoxy the whole assembly together. Big and messy I know but it could work. Drew

Jun 4, 2010. 11:36 PMeL3VEn says:

How have your results been with this? I can't find small enough actuators for my projects so I'm willing to try this.

Jan 14, 2010. 3:44 PMnahian01 says:

great idea make a lot of my projects easier

Oct 14, 2009. 11:52 AMsharlston says:

but wont the nut just spin with the motor shaft?

Mar 14, 2008. 10:22 AMProteus says:

Linear Actuators are hard to come by where I live, I tried this before with stepper motors it works surprisingly well!

Mar 5, 2009. 9:46 AMdarthelmer says:

ok my idea is what if we use a belt and a big wheel to attach the small one which is direct and fast when rotates. it will make the motion realistic as in the backhoe slow moving up and down.

Dec 30, 2008. 8:39 PMPyroMonger says:

this is a godsend. I've been thinking of ways to make my own actuator since funds are low and this is almost identical to the ideas I had. glad someone made it so I can see how I could do it and or improve it. great 'ible