MAKE MONEY Mouse Trap
By Tom Parker
Sometimes it costs more to buy it than to make it from the money itself.
$29.99
Live Mouse Trap
$0.82
Penny Mouse Trap
THE MONEY TRAP: The trap is a box with a swinging door.
A lever ( 3) holds the door open. The door lever is held by a bait
wire ( 1), which has a little arm ( 2) extending to the outside.
When the mouse touches the bait it rotates the arm, which
releases the door lever. The weight of the door causes it to swing
down and shut. The penny and wire on top of the door ( 4) are a
locking mechanism so the mouse can’t get back out. When the
door swings down, the penny on the wire rolls downward to about
a 45º angle, thereby wedging the door shut with the mouse
inside. Eeeek! It’s a trap!
Photograph and illustration by Tom Parker
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182 Make: Volume 15
