PROJECTS: MOST USELESS MACHINE
makezine.com/23/uselessmachine
MAKE IT.
BUILD YOUR
USELESS MACHINE
START>>
1. PREPARE THE BOX
Time: An Afternoon Complexity: Easy
One half of the lid hinges up, while the other half carries all of the machine’s workings. The workings all
mount onto the same piece so that they’ll stay aligned.
1a. Remove any latches and hinges on the box’s lid.
1b. Cut the lid approximately in half through the middle crosswise, undercutting at a slight angle so that the hinged half won’t
bind when opening. (You can see this undercut in Step 2c or the
overview illustration on page 96.) Before you cut, make sure the
machine half has at least enough space to fit both the motor and
the micro switch lined up lengthwise.
2. DETERMINE THE LAYOUT
2a. Use the pencil to draw scale paper templates of the motor,
toggle switch, micro switch, and the machine half of the lid, all in
side-view, and cut them out. Also cut a template for the motor’s
mounting wheel or horn, and mark the axle on both the motor
and mount templates.
Photography by Ed Troxell
98 Make: Volume
23
