F
G
E
H
Fig. E: Attach the top as you did the base.
Fig. F: We added glue-on rubber feet to the base to
prevent scratching up surfaces.
Fig. G: Pull back the eye screw, put your car in the slot,
and let go! Fig. H: The finished track-connector version,
with a homemade plastic track connector..
screw, the middle block should slide smoothly in
and out.
NOTE: During testing, we decided to add more
screws to make it easier for a child to operate.
We also trimmed the corners off the back.
These steps are optional.
4. Cut and attach the
clear plastic top.
Measure and mark your clear plastic to match the
top of the block (Figure D). Score deeply along your
lines, then snap off the excess plastic. Use a sander
or sandpaper to sand any rough edges down to the
lines marked.
Attach the top as you did the base in Step 2
(Figure E), making sure to drill the holes larger
than the screws. (The washers we used here
were for looks only. They’re called finishing
washers. If you have them, use them, but they’re
not necessary.)
5. Add the final touches.
» So that it doesn’t scratch any surfaces, we added
some glue-on rubber “feet” to the base (Figure F).
» A candle rubbed along the sides of the middle
block will make things run smoothly.
» Optional: Decorate with stickers, paint, whatever
you like!
» Optional: To attach your launcher to a track, use
a track connector as a template to cut your own
connector out of plastic. Then super-glue your
connector to the bottom of the base (Figure H).
6. Launch some cars.
Attach your rubber band as in Step 3 and pull back
the eye screw (we tied some twine to the screw to
make this easier for kid-sized hands).
Put your car in the slot (Figure G), and let go!
The car shoots across the floor ... Yay!
WARNING: Be sure to instruct small
children in the care and handling of the
launcher before letting them go to the races.
Leave it on the ground! No pointing at people!
Artist and craft blogger Nancy Dorsner can be found at
Dabbled: Experiments in Art, Craft, and Food ( dabbled.org)
when she’s not coming up with projects for her maker
husband, Dameion.
137 Make:
