I've built the Most Useless Machine Ever

[daw123]

I fancy a small project, so I've decided I'm going to build the most useless machine ever. My project is inspired by this thread:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2039398

I've found a website, which shows you how to build it:
http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Most-Useless-Machine/

UPDATE ON 3/2/2010

I've finished the machine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9NFohPau3s

Here are some pictures of the box and internals:

The box:

Inside the box:

Underside of the lid:

Sprung hinge:

Since I didn't have any power tools and limited hand tools, I bought the following:
Drill and drill bits
Detail sander
Jigsaw
Dremel with accessories
Hammer
Hacksaw
Steel rule and set square

I destroyed the first lid to the box and had to make another one and also fried a servo.

 

[herm0016]

that is awesome... i think i need to build one too.

 

[Rubycon]

I would love to wire a CD rom tray to do this.

 

[StageLeft]

haha

 

[jme5343]

Hahaha, awesome.

 

[FoBoT]

Spoiler

so when you flip the switch , it activates an arm to turn off the switch

? :hmm:

 

[fatpat268]

Hehe, looks like a fun project.

 

[bctbct]

I'm to lazy to build but would buy one.

 

[newb111]

I will design a machine whose sole purpose is to build these machines

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Do a fucking search, uber repost.

 

[SKORPI0]

9 days too late.... The Most Useless Machine Ever

 

[brblx]

i think he knew it was a repost, you fucking knobs. this post is about building one.

 

[daw123]

Spoiler

so when you flip the switch , it activates an arm to turn off the switch

? :hmm:

Yes.

I was thinking about having the toggle switch light an LED on the top of the box, but then the machine wouldn't be completely useless, so I'm not going to bother.

 

[SSSnail]

i think he knew it was a repost, you fucking knobs. this post is about building one.

Then he should have added "inspired".

 

[daw123]

9 days too late.... The Most Useless Machine Ever

I read that thread and thats how I found about it.

 

[daw123]

I'll post some pics of the build process. It'll probably take a few weeks, since some of the parts I want are out of stock at the moment.

 

[daw123]

Then he should have added "inspired".

I've edited the OP.

 

[Kalmah]

I want to buy one

 

[Mike Gayner]

Make a thread when you're actually built one. I give you a 95% chance of never following through on this project.

 

[destrekor]

I would love to wire a CD rom tray to do this.

That would be excellent.

 

[Meghan54]

Loved the quickness of this model. Much neater and funnier than the older ones.

An older version of this was much slower:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMGJB410Ccs&feature=player_embedded


Of course, this type of "machine" has existed for a long time. I seem to remember them waaay back a few decades or so, esp. around Halloween.

Here's a pic of an old ad for this toy:

 

[shocksyde]

What if you built on that had the arm on both sides, so it would repeatedly turn itself on and off?

 

[Corporate Thug]

can i just buy one? I don't have the expertise to build one.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Haha that is funny. Add pressure gauges and lights too. Actually would be cool if it even had a mini air compressor in it so you see the pressure build up and you think it's about to do something, then just turns off LOL.

 

[SKORPI0]