K'nex Snow Gear

Winter weather got you down? Are Polar Vortexes and record-breaking temperatures forcing you to spend countless hours of boredom at home? Have no fear! Using objects as simple as a few K'nex, you can create a tools that will have you out of the house and on your way to work in no time!

The innovative K'nex Snow shovel combines compact size with a sturdy build structure, resulting in great performance in soft snow and ice. Although not suitable for packed snow or ice, it is ideal for shoveling after a snow shower.

The handy K'nex Ice scraper allows the user to break thin ice and snow chips with ease due to its built-in hand warmer holder. The warmer helps to melt snow and ice, and makes clearing a car much easier. It also features a comfort-oriented handle that conforms to your fingers.

Following is a video showing both articles of K'nex Snow Gear in action.

 

You must be very excited to see all of your friends at work, (yeah, right) and show them what you've made, so get building!

Step 1: Ice Scraper: Pieces

For the K'nex ice scraper, you will need:

10 white connectors
2 yellow connectors
4 red connectors
2 orange connectors
38 purple loop connectors
2 diagonal "Y" connectors
10 black caps
4 grey separators
4 blue separators
10 red rods
2 orange bendy rods
2 white rods
8 green rods
1 charcoal hand warmer (HotHands brand)

Step 2: Handle; Part One

Take four red rods and attach them to a white connector as shown. Next, slide 6 purple loop connectors onto each of the top two red rods.

Step 3: Handle; Part Two

Attach eight white connectors to the four red rods after the purple loop connectors go on. Slide the last white connector down to the end of the rods as shown, leaving a space between it and the other connectors. Add four black caps to the end of the piece with the purple loop connectors.

Step 4: Handle; Part Three

Attach four red rods to the end of the first handle piece. Next, slide two blue connectors onto each top red rod as shown, and cover the ends with two black caps. Afterwards, slide a grey separator onto each of the top two red rods.

Step 5: Handle; Part Four

Slide 12 purple loop connectors onto each of the top two red rods. Afterwards, add a grey separator to each rod. Then, attach a white connector to the end of the piece. Cover the ends of the red rods with black caps.

Step 6: Scraper Arms

Attach two red connectors to the handle piece. Make sure they are located in the same place as in these pictures!

Step 7: Scraper Base

Connect two orange connectors using a green rod. Next, slide them onto the red rods at the end of the handle piece.

Step 8: Scraper Head

Connect two yellow connectors using a green rod, and attach them to the ends of the red rods at the end of the handle piece.

Step 9: Scraper Supports

Attach a red connector to each side of the scraper head using green rods. Continue the rectangle with two more red connectors, and connect to the scraper base using green rods. Fill in spaces using white rods.

Step 10: Attaching the Hand Warmer

Attach two purple loop connectors and two diagonal "Y" connectors to the scraper head as shown. Next, attach two orange bendy rods to the diagonal "Y" connectors. Afterwards, initiate the hand warmer by exposing it to air and gently shaking it, then slide it under the orange bendy rods. Finally, insert the orange bendy rods through the purple loop connectors. Slide the purple loop connectors up to secure the hand warmer.

Congratulations! Your K'nex Ice Scraper is now complete and ready to use!

Step 11: Snow Shovel: Pieces

To build the K'nex snow shovel, you will need:

31 white connectors
6 blue connectors
19 yellow connectors
24 grey connectors
6 red connectors
3 diagonal "Y" connectors
4 blue caps
10 black caps
11 grey rods
6 blue rods
62 white rods
3 orange bendy rods
108 green rods
103 grey separators
60 blue separators

Step 12: Handle

Attach seven grey rods to a blue connector. Next, add a white connector, and slide two grey separators and one blue separator onto each grey rod. Add another white connector, and finally another blue connector.

Add two white rods to the bottoms of the white connectors, and slide two blue separators onto each rod. Next, add a white connector. Finally, add a blue separator and a blue cap to each white rod.

Step 13: Neckpiece

Attach four grey rods to the white connector at the bottom of the handle piece. Next, slide 17 grey separators and two blue separators onto each grey rod. Attach another white connector to the bottoms of the grey rods.

Attach two blue rods to the bottom of the neck piece as shown. Add two grey separators, two blue separators, and a blue cap to the top of each rod. Also add two blue separators to the bottom of each blue rod.

Step 14: Shovel Attachment Point

Attach a white connector to the bottom of each blue rod. Next, attach four blue rods, each with two grey separators and one blue separator, to each white connector as shown.

Step 15: Shovel Support

Take two grey connectors, and slide them together as shown. Repeat to get ten pieces. Connect the pieces into two separate rows of five using green rods, and connect to the shovel attachment point on the handle piece.

Take a grey connector and a blue connector and slide them together as shown. Repeat to get four pieces, and connect them using green rods. Attach to the center of the shovel attachment point. Fill in all spaces using white rods.

Step 16: Handle Braces

Attach two white rods to the top of the shovel support. Next, slide two blue separators, one red connector, one more blue separator, and one black cap. Connect the red connectors to the bottom of the handle using green rods.

Step 17: Shovel Panel Attachment

Attach 12 white rods to the shovel support. Next, add separators to the white rods in the order shown per row in the pictures. Every row from should have one less equivalent of a blue separator than the row below it.

Step 18: Shovel Panel

Take five white connectors and connect them using green rods. Repeat to get five rows, and connect the rows using green rods. Next, connect five yellow connectors using green rods. Repeat to get three pieces. Also make two pairs of connected yellow connectors.

Attach all pieces together as shown in the pictures, and add four red connectors to the corners. Fill in all spaces using white rods.

Step 19: Connecting the Panel to the Handle

Attach the shovel panel to the handle by inserting the white rods from step 17 through the holes in the white connectors on the panel. Connect the top of the panel to the middle of the handle using green rods. Cover select white rods with black caps.

Step 20: Bowing the Shovel Panel

Attach a diagonal "Y" connector to each of your orange bendy rods. Next, attach each piece to the bottom of the back of the shovel as shown. Make sure the diagonal "Y" connectors are inserted in the yellow connectors at the end of the shovel panel. The shovel panel should now be bent forward as shown.

Step 21: Done!

Now you have what you will need in order to brave the treacherous wildernesses of the frozen outdoors! Be safe and warm in the cold, and say hi to all of your friends at work for me!

Safe traveling!