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How to Launch a Toy Car

You can launch a toy car all the way across the room with a launcher made from a few common household items. A basic rubber band toy car launcher can be assembled in just a few minutes without any drilling, cutting or gluing. With a little practice you will be able to get the maximum power from the launcher and send cars straight ahead. Invite friends to make their own launchers and have distance and speed races with various toy cars to determine a winner.

Things You'll Need

Wood block (approximately 3 inches wide, 5 inches long and 1 inch thick)
Pencil
2 wood screws (1 inch)
Screwdriver
Wide heavy duty rubber band

Instructions

- 1
  Lay the wood block flat on the ground and mark a small dot with a pencil half an inch in from the side and end edges on a corner. Mark a second dot in the same position on the adjacent corner at the same end of the block.
- 2
  Drive a wood screw straight down into each pencil dot until only about a third of the screw remains above the surface.
- 3
  Wrap a heavy duty rubber band between the two protruding screw posts. Pinch the attached rubber band in the middle and stretch it back toward the opposite end of the wood plank. If the rubber band easily stretches beyond the back of the board, take it off and double it over before putting it back on the posts.
- 4
  Hold the launcher firmly on the floor as you press the rear bumper of the toy car to the center of the rubber band and pull back to the other end of the board.
- 5
  Release the toy car from the launcher when the rubber band is fully stretched and all four car wheels are pressed to the wood.

Childrens Toys