Record Setting MouseTrap Vehicle

For my engineering design class our first project was to design and build a mousetrap vehicle.
Constrants:
-Must travel 35 feet
-Must carry a load of atlest 300 grams
-Can not use rat traps
Race Day Results:
Run 1- 300 grams, 5.6 seconds
Run 2- 300 grams, 5.25 seconds

Run 3- 700 grams, 5.3 seconds  (RECORD)

Run 4- 300 grams, 4.01 seconds  (RECORD)

The 2 records were for two different things. The one from run 3 is for vehicle value, which is the load / time.  The vehicle value we got was 132. It was 40 points over the old record.

The record from run 4, was for speed, our professor said in her 20 years of teaching, she never saw a time below 5 seconds. So on our final run i went for broke, and won.

Step 1 Materials

You can find these materials anywhere or purchase them for a very cheap price.

-light weight wood strips
-5/16" X 5.75"  threaded rod
-1/8" X 5.75"  threaded rod
-2 standard mousetraps
-2 records
-2 CD type lids
-4 1/8" nuts and washers
-6 5/16" nuts and washers
-Metal and plastic zip-ties
-Tiny nails
-Wood Glue
-Fishing Pole
-Fishing Line
-2 5/16" Wing nuts
-1 5/16" square nut
-Duct Tape
-String
-2 1/2" pipe connecter thing
-2 3/8" pipe connecter thing
-SAFETY GOGGLES
-WD-40
-Hack Saw
-Electrical Tape
-Adjustable Wrenches

Comments

[rileysprague]

I'm following your design, (great by the way) but we aren't allowed to use fishing poles, so what would i use instead if speed and less distance was my objective.

[boston09]

I would say, if its allowed, to use a plastic rod, or a bendable wooden rod. You may have to test a few out and see which works best for your situation.

Dont forget to post how you did? Good luck!

[jmiller75]

How did you get this frame? Or how did u build it? I have a physics project due thursday and I bought all the materials listed here but it didnt say anything about the frame in the materials list. Im stressing out about this so could u pleease email me where i could get a frame like this? [e-mail]

[Hitm_n]

its funny how similar our cars look. i made mine for an engineering project too.

[shademoran]

you say to place the small nail into the slots of the washers, but what slots are you talking about ? i am trying to picture it

[boston09]

if you look at the second picture in the materials step, you can see the 2 washers with the notches for the nail

[Krissy Jo]

My teacher is having us build mousetrap cars that have to travel at least 10 meters or about 30 feet. My partner and i have decided to make ours based off of yours, since it is so wonderfully designed. But i am in charge of getting the materials and building the frame. So my question is what size should the records be? Because i know that there are different sizes and that would most likely effect the speed and distance.

[boston09]

I used the standard 12 inch records. But if you were able to get the smaller records, and use them for the front wheels, that would make it look awesome.

Good Luck

[Tony-palmer]

you say you used electric tape, correct me if im wrong cos i might be but doesnt electric tap only stick to its self?

[boston09]

Yes I did use electrical tape, and it does work. I've actually never heard that electrical tape only sticks to itself. Thanks for posting

[Tony-palmer]

ahk i must be thinking of something else :P
i am doing a mouse trap powered car and i am only allowed to yours would go with out any weights on and only one mouse trap?
cheers

[boston09]

ofcourse, one mousetrap would work just fine.

[thbigbro]

Without the fishing rod how do you think your car would work? I have to make one for a physics class but we're only allowed a single mouse trap and nothing else that could add to its potential work.

[boston09]

i think it will, i had to make on in physics too, and it work just fine. let me know how it works out

[james10]

 The reason you were able to get such high scores was probably the fishing pole. When the fishing pole bent you were storing energy in both the fishing pole and the mousetrap. You would have to be careful if the vehicle was only allowed to use a mousetrap for power this could easily be considered cheating.

[boston09]

thanks, but we asked our professor if we could and she said it was okay to use. And we all knew that it would be an advantage bc we are engineering majors, it was a way to use what we have and bend the rules(no pun intended)

[SirSkobes]

Awesome project! Do you have a video of it in action?