Thinkfun Energy expansion set

thingiverse

This Maker Studio expansion set is engineered to electrify existing sets, including those at http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:872140, http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:871201, and http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:871205. Add LED lights to your build and unleash your creativity! Utilize the motor coupling and mounting system to add a small motor to your creation. You can also attempt to generate electricity by reversing the motor's rotation to power the lights without batteries. Explore gear ratios with existing sets and electrical principles with this expansion. The 5mm LED lights, alligator clips, (2xAA or AAA) batteries, and DC motor required for this project need to be sourced. The three printable components of this expansion are: An LED bezel clip - A connector for mounting an LED into a hole or part of a build. A motor coupling - An attachment for securing the motor shaft to a gear or connector. Here's an example of the coupling in action: https://youtu.be/KWbt5GXzB0o A motor mount - A base for attaching the rear of the motor to a hub cap or connector. The wiring of LED lights can be challenging. Using a resistor is highly recommended. For general purposes, a 1kΩ resistor should suffice. See here http://ledcalc.com/ for information on choosing the right resistor and a wiring diagram for your project. I used blue LED lights with 2xAAA batteries (totaling 3V) and 1000 Ω (1kΩ) resistors. Hide the wiring inside your build. You might need to create gearing to greatly increase the motor's speed to power the generator if you want to light up your LEDs. In my attempts, I was unable to generate enough voltage. A geared or low-speed motor may help. Print Settings Printer Brand: RepRap Printer: Prusa i3 Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: 0.25 Infill: 15% Notes: The LED bezel file is positioned the right way up, but it's best to flip and print upside down. Print the LED bezel with 100% infill. Post-Printing The LED bezel has a small barb to hold it in place on a connector. Some force was required to press it into the hole (and remove it). I used a heat gun to press a 2mm shaft motor into the coupling, which had to be adjusted for my specific motor size. Adjust the motor shaft diameter to fit your motor's shaft. Here's the Tinkercad file for the coupling so you can make changes: https://www.tinkercad.com/things/jTdhLKAdt1O-maker-studio-motor-coupling Regarding the motor mount, I'm sure this design won't fit all motors. A heat gun might be needed to soften the print and allow it to fit. Be careful to glue everything together and ensure the shaft is free spinning. I wanted to create a set that could work with all existing Maker Studio sets, so I added lights. The lights can be used as headlights on vehicles or any other creative build you envision. While using batteries was an easy option, I also wanted to offer a battery-free solution in line with growing renewable energy. Adding a small generator to power the lights instead of batteries could open up new builds like windmills and turbines. So far, my attempts have not been successful due to the high speed of most small motors, which require significant gear ratios. I suggest looking for 3V motors that run at low speeds or come with built-in reduction gears.