Introduction: Hickory Dickory Dock Action Gift
I made this "action" gift for my granddaughter Alexandra when she was just 3 years old. Today (the 21st of November) she is 18 years old! A small and inexpensive electronic keyboard is the heart of the project. As the video shows I cut the piano into two pieces to get the mechanism to function as shown. The battery compartment and speaker are separated from the keyboard and other electronics. The keyboard is mounded with a kitchen cabinet hinge that has built-in spring action. This gives just the right amount of force to let the "fingers" activate the keys.
The keys of the piano are manipulated by short pieces of rubber hose (fingers) that I made from automobile vacuum line. The fingers are friction mounted in holes on a laminated plywood wheel that I rotate with a hand crank. I made the ratcheting mechanism from a toggle bolt - this keeps you from turning the crank in the wrong direction.
The wooden mouse is attached to the flat rubber belt with an old fashion thumb tack. I got the belt from an old computer or printer.
It was only when I was preparing this instructable that I realized I didn't put a tail on the mouse!
Happy Birthday Alexandra!
4 Comments
9 years ago on Introduction
So cute awesome!!! :)
9 years ago on Introduction
Hi John, maybe you already have the solution. Get an inexpensive radio controlled car that has forward and reverse. Tie the motor/wheels to a belt of some sort and mount the mice on the belt. Hide the mechanism behind the board except for the flat belt that carries the mouse (belts from old printers and scanners are good for this)... actually the first thing I would get is a belt and base everything, size wise, on this. Might be fun to play around with. Please let me know if it all works out.
9 years ago on Introduction
Hello Niinventor
This is brilliant! Thank you. You have already answered a couple of my queries.
I'm trying to make a toy Hickory Dickory Dock for the local playgroup.
Imagine a piece of plywood about 15 inches high and say, 4 inches wide, to
represent the grandfather clock.
For a bit of fun I want to incorporate a mouse that runs up and down each side. Possibly Radio-Controlled.
I know that I can do this with a couple of 6v dc motors; a couple of furry mice
(not real ones) attached to some cord looped round some pulley arrangement.
However, how can I control the ‘start’ and predetermined ‘stop’ positions of
the mouse (ie before it runs over a pulley and jams)?
I thought of tagging the cord so that it runs over a micro switch but this
would just shut down the power for the whole lot.I want to be able to restart the motor but
reversed – so that the mouse runs back down again, etc.
Any ideas please?
Oh, and before you say – I really do NOT want to spend the
next 12months training a couple of mice :)
John
9 years ago on Introduction
Hello Niinventor
This is brilliant! Thank you. You have already answered a couple of my queries.
I'm trying to make a toy Hickory Dickory Dock for the local playgroup.
Imagine a piece of plywood about 15 inches high and say, 4 inches wide, to
represent the grandfather clock.
For a bit of fun I want to incorporate a mouse that runs up and down each side.
I know that I can do this with a couple of 6v dc motors; a couple of furry mice
(not real ones) attached to some cord looped round some pulley arrangement.
However, how can I control the ‘start’ and predetermined ‘stop’ positions of
the mouse (ie before it runs over a pulley and jams)?
I thought of tagging the cord so that it runs over a micro switch but this
would just shut down the power for the whole lot.I want to be able to restart the motor but
reversed – so that the mouse runs back down again, etc.
Any ideas please?
Oh, and before you say – I really do NOT want to spend the
next 12months training a couple of mice :)
John