This Arduino powered Food Cutter is designed to aid you with cutting and chopping in the kitchen. Initially, I believed it it would be able to cut through all foods, but I learned that due to the smaller servo motor, it was unable to cut through very dense foods. With a more powerful motor though, this machine will be able to cut through any desired food with the turn of a dial!

Supplies

Servo Motor - https://www.adafruit.com/product/154?gclid=CjwKCAjw583nBRBwEiwA7MKvoHLQYY4Il59si2TaAAqKByIPI8SbtDhSESeJE40092S5vSyGwfVMwBoCeGgQAvD_BwE
Sparkfun Inventor Kit - https://www.amazon.com/Karlsson-Robotics-SparkFun-Inventors-Kit/dp/B077BS2CTJ/ref=sr_1_3?gclid=CjwKCAjw583nBRBwEiwA7MKvoOx2bxcpGRd69uM-0pZl4g3bno5bvoUDcMU3gxeH02dxfEBOCLXcwBoCuksQAvD_BwE&hvadid=241926040928&hvdev=t&hvlocphy=9003432&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=10688125726993790470&hvtargid=kwd-26545166727&hydadcr=24631_10399646&keywords=sparkfun+inventor%27s+kit&qid=1559524987&s=gateway&sr=8-3
Kitchen Knife - https://www.amazon.com/Cooks-Standard-02600-Stainless-Kitchen/dp/B07FK87BZM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?gclid=CjwKCAjw583nBRBwEiwA7MKvoNXVu02EFOsdebnUuIzvmyNIoHbLiNql9YZjd52crnlGKNGdoccgKxoCBBcQAvD_BwE&hvadid=241604804865&hvdev=t&hvlocphy=9003432&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1763417741126677344&hvtargid=kwd-21653002990&hydadcr=13933_10209261&keywords=knife+for+kitchen&qid=1559525073&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
Two 10”x10” pieces of any type of wood

Step 1: Step 1

Use the Sparkfun Inventor Kit Servo Motor Project (https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/sparkfun-inventors-kit-experiment-guide---v40/circuit-3a-servo-motors) to wire the Arduino for the servo motor. I recommend following the guide they provide for the wiring and using the same color wires as the guide for the connection between the board and the motor to eliminate confusion.

Step 2: Step 2

Connect the two pieces of wood at a 90 degree angle to provide a base for the motor

Step 3: Step 3

Attach the Arduino to the back of the wood base and drill a hole for the wires connected to the motor to go through. Having the Arduino on the back keeps the mechanism looking clean and concise.

Step 4: Step 4

When designing this project, I didnt take into account the difficulty of attaching a knife to the servo motor. Here’s what you have to do: 1) cut off the blade of the knife using a metal cutter. 2) drill two holes in the knife using a 3/16” drill bit. 3) connect the knife to the plastic attatchment provided with the motor using two screws. 4) mount the servo motor to the side of the base so that the knife is parallel with the back piece of wood.

Step 5: Step 5

This step is optional, but if you want to make your machine safer, then cut out a 10”x8” piece of cardboard and a 10”x3” piece of cardboard. To the larger piece, cut a rectangle in the bottom corner where the blade is. Glue both of the pieces together and connect them at a 90 degree angle. This will act as a safety cover for the machine. (See top image for front view of the safety cover).

Step 6: Step 6

Once all other steps are complete, plug the Arduino into a computer and begin turning the blue potentiometer on the breadboard portion of the Arduino. The machine should work once it is plugged in, but if it is not, go to this link (https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/sparkfun-inventors-kit-experiment-guide---v40/circuit-3a-servo-motors) and look at troubleshooting options. Finally, enjoy your cutting!!