Motorized Lazy Susan

Intro: Motorized Lazy Susan

Material list:
3/4 inch MDF
1/2 inch MDF
12v Motor
Bataries (6 AA whired in series)
Batterie holders
Wier (Black and Red)
Switch
Paint (pick a color you like but wight is the beast for photography)
Small pack of 1 inch screws

Tool list:
Drill
Drill bits
Jigsaw
Compas
Pen or pencil

STEP 1: Cutting

First you need to daw a crucial,
Then Cut out the crucial using a jigsaw,
After you have done this you then need to sand down the edges so they are nice and smooth.

STEP 2:

Drill small hole in the center of the top plate for the motor.
Use the shaft on your motor to find the correct size drill bit.

STEP 3:

Cut a slot out of the 3/4 inch MDF and attach it to your bace to hold the motor.

STEP 4: Paint

Next you are going to want to pant all the parts that are MDF.

STEP 5: Wiring

Un fournatly the motor I had was broken and I was not able to finish the wiring. I was planning on using AA battery's wiered in series to make 12v for the motor, it was going to be switch so that I could easily turn it on and off.

Comments

[mach1950]

I think you would need a bearing surface better than the wood or the friction would be too much for that little motor.

[Alex in NZ]

You can buy some pretty thin lazy-susan bearings which aren't too expensive. This one for example. I've got no connection with the company other than as a customer, and I'm sure that there will be a similar firm handier for you. Unless you live in NZ, in which case the UK is easiest.

I have one of the 12" size (300mm) and it is strong enough to take my weight and turn freely (85kg, 190lbs, 14st according to taste).

[Dylan Dunn]

Yes I was thinking of using something like that but I was no sure how I could mount the motor to it.

[Alex in NZ]

If you check out the Wikipedia on belt-drive turntables there is an image of a record player (gramophone :-) where the turntable is on a bearing, and the motor is offset from the centre of rotation. A rubber band goes around the motor shaft and then around either the outside of the turntable or around the outside of a smaller circle mounted underneath the turntable.

This give two benefits: the motor is offset, clearing room for the bearing, and the difference in diameter between your motor shaft (say 1/8", 3mm) and the turntable/drive-ring (say 8", 10cm) gives a "free" reduction gearbox which gives the motor the torque to drive the platter and gives the platter a slow speed so that its contents don't go flying.

You have to find a rubber band of the right size, and maintain it (see model aircraft circles for preservation tips). Some folk cut them from bicycle or car/truck inner tubes, so begging at the local garage might be fruitful?

Good luck with whatever you do :-)

[Dylan Dunn]

Ok thanks I'll have to look at that!

[mach1950]

That looks perfect, just what I was thinking about. If the friction is low enough that gear motor will turn it all day with any amount of weight on it.

[Dylan Dunn]

Another way that I was thinking making it was with a gear system to make it easer on the motor but I was notable to make a gear that was uniform enough to spin smoothly

[Swansong]

I'd love to have one of those on the table, that's a neat way to make one :)