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How to Make a Battery Operated Spin Art Machine

Children love bright colors and getting messy. Combine art and fun by applying paint or markers to a spinning piece of cardboard or stiff paper. Build a spin art machine to make your very own psychedelic art. Spin art is a way to expose children to abstract art and let them explore creating different effects by using paint, ink brushes or markers to make interesting designs on the spinning paper.

Things You'll Need

  • DC motor, round, 2.0 to 6.0 volts
  • AA battery holder, with on-off switch (holds 2 batteries)
  • 2 AA batteries
  • 2 wire connectors, screw on
  • Styrofoam cooler with lid, 14.25x11.25x8 inches
  • 6 mm hobby pinion gear
  • CD
  • Craft knife
  • Felt marker
  • Plywood board, 10 inches x 10 inches x 1/2 inch
  • Hammer
  • 4 nails, 1 inch long
  • Hot glue gun
  • 2 mini plastic alligator clips
  • Duct tape
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Instructions

  1. Install the Motor

    • 1

      Place the round motor in the center of the plywood and draw a circle around it with the felt marker.

    • 2

      Cut a 1/2 inch square of Styrofoam out of the cooler lid and attach it to the board inside the circle with the hot glue gun. The Styrofoam will provide a cushion between the motor and the board and prevent the motor contacts from pressing into the wood.

    • 3

      Drive 4 nails into the circle drawn on the wood with the hammer. Space them at top, bottom and each side of the circle. The nails will provide the mount that holds the motor securely in place.

    • 4

      Position the motor on top of the foam square with the leads sticking out to the side between the nails with the motor shaft extending up past the nails.The motor will rest on top of the Styrofoam with the body of the motor inside the circle of nails and the motor shaft extending up beyond the nails.

    • 5

      Lock the motor in place by wrapping a strip of duct tape tightly around the three nails. This will prevent the spinner from shaking as it turns.

    • 6

      Attach the pinion gear to the motor shaft by applying hot glue inside the bottom of the gear and sliding it onto the shaft and allow the glue to set.

    • 7

      Place the board holding the motor inside the cooler. The deep cooler will help keep the mess inside and off your children.

    • 8

      Poke a hole in the side of the cooler near the bottom; insert the wires of the battery holder into the hole and attach the battery holder to the outside wall of the cooler with hot glue.

    • 9

      Connect the black wire from the motor to the black wire from the battery holder with a screw on wire connector. Connect the red wires in the same way.

    Make the Spinner

    • 10

      Place the cooler lid on a flat surface and place the CD on the lid. Cut around the CD with the craft knife to make a foam circle.

    • 11

      Use the hot glue to join the CD with the foam circle. Allow the glue to set.

    • 12

      Apply hot glue to the pinion gear and push it through the center hole of the CD and into the foam circle. Allow the glue to dry.

    • 13

      Hot glue one small plastic alligator clip on one side of the foam disc and then hot glue the other one directly opposite it. These small clips will hold the spin art paper in place while the machine is turning.

    • 14

      Open the battery holder and insert two AA batteries and turn it on to test it. If it does not work, check the wiring connections to make sure the circuit is closed.

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