Fan Step

[Zsharma]

On my box I have all of the tasks working except the fan.... What I am having it do is blow a sheet of tinfoil off of the strips of metal to disconnect the electromagnet. First problem is, it's not reliable enough this way, like the tinfoil won't always make the connection. Second problem is the tinfoil doesn't give me enough current to power the electromagnet. And then the third problem is, when my mousetrap goes it might move it off the metal strips!! So, yeah what are all you guys using for this step?

BTW I'm using a fairly powerful computer fan.

[Balsa Man]

Here's one way-
Use a piece of brass rod - we're using 3/32nd - 1/8th would be ok, too. Mount the fan up near the top of the box. The rod (initially) stands up vertically. Make a pivot at the bottom end. Put a ....paddle at the top end. That paddle goes in front of the fan. We're using a piece of 1/16th sheet balsa, about the size of the fan. Align the bottom so that the rod is just past vertical when the paddle is resting against the fan- that is, its leaning against the fan, just slightly. When the fan comes on, blows against the paddle. All it has to do is move it past vertical, then it falls on its own. For the electrical connection that the falling rod breaks, get some fairly thin brass sheet (Hobbytown), cut a couple strips, oh, 1/8th wide, couple inches long. Solder a wire to each. Set them up (we use a little block of balsa) so that the rod (when vertical) is between them - the strips aligned so that they are parallel to each other, with the distance between just a bit less than the diameter of the rod- so you get good contact without putting too much.....drag on the rod. Rod falls, breaks contact.....

[thepotato]

I used a computer fan as well. I had the fan on top of 2 1x1's. There was a piece of plywood resting on the ledge in front of the fan. The plywood was the size of the fan. It was duct taped down so it made a hinge with the ledge. When the fan blew, the wood swung down, hitting a wall switch.

[cypressfalls Robert]

we just made a sail and put that on a car and ....

[gh]

Computer fans (99% of them) are generally not OK! They usually have brushless motors, which need a lot of illegal support circuitry.

[cypressfalls Robert]

Computer fans (99% of them) are generally not OK! They usually have brushless motors, which need a lot of illegal support circuitry.

we've bought two and none of them are powerfull enough for our wind needs...they suck

[maggymay]

This one's giving us trouble too...ugh.

[cypressfalls Robert]

to solve the whole power problem we put a wright stuff prop(propellor) on a motor and it works beastly

[Sir_L_Jenkins]

we've bought two and none of them are powerfull enough for our wind needs...they suck

Perhaps you should reverse the battery polarity so it blows the other way
*rimshot*