Thread: How Do I Make a Moving Teeter-Totter?

Tweet

I want to make a motorized teeter-totter for two of the small posable skeletons. I couldn't find a how-to for this and don't know what kind of motor I would need (maybe a wiper motor?) and how it should be linked into the prop. Any ideas?

Thanks!

A wiper motor would be perfect for a prop like this (great idea by the way! ) A simple linkage would convert the turning motor spindle into an up and down bar.

thisain'tmayberry: Thank you so much for the illustration. I will go ahead and order the wiper motor.

Do you not have a junkyard or something you can salvage/scavenge one of off for nothing or very cheap?

I made this one using one of those little black motors. (WARNING: This image is a Christmas prop. Sorry.)

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t=SUNP0006.flv

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ascontest1.jpg

Little black motor?

Here's a tutorial for building a teeter-totter with a wiper motor.

DaveintheGrave, thanks for posting the teeter-totter. Its very cute (even if it is for the "other" holiday!) I was mesmerized by the chirping birds in the background of your video. Seemed so serene! I have several of those "little black motors" that I have yet to actually use. Got real close to making the tombstone peeper last year, but didn't finish it! I wonder how much weight I could put on it if I used one of those motors? I want to use two of those small poseable (ratchet) skellies. They are about 3 ft, but they are hard plastic and do have some weight.

The Pod: thanks for posting the tutorial for the wiper motor teeter-totter! I still haven't ordered the wiper motor, as I may try to use one of the other motors I have. I might just order one anyway just to have it before its too late.

Crunch: Thanks for the idea on scavenging a motor from a junk yard. That would be a good place to get one, but I'm not quite up for that task.

Ah. I just stole a wiper motor from a vehicle in the yard (that's only being kept for the frame) and it wasn't to difficult, with the right size combo wrench. The worst of it was getting to the little nuts behind the firewall to loosen them off so I could get the motor "arm". Once I got those loosened off a bit I just "bent" the arm down, popping the ball out of the cam.