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How to Make a Fan Using LEGO Parts

Whether you're just hot or want to know a little bit more about how a wind-generating fan works, Lego is a perfect material for making your own model fan. Wind machines are simple but can teach you a few interesting things about mechanics and propellers. Making a simple one is as easy as putting a propeller on a motor, but making one that's faster or slower requires a slightly more complicated approach, with a series of gears.

Things You'll Need

Lego propeller (optional)
Lego pieces
Technic rods, pulleys and gears
Elastics
Lego motor

Instructions

- 1
  
  A propeller works by having a twisted design, instead of being flat.
  
  Attach the Lego propeller to a Technic rod. If you don't have one, you can build a propeller out of a large gear, some flat plates and some angled bricks. The angled bricks are needed to make a twisted design, which impels the air forward. If you're not concerned about the propeller, you can make something that is flat.
- 2
  Slide the propeller axle through a 12-stud long Technic brick. Attack a small gear to the other side.
- 3
  Slide a rod onto a large gear, then slide that rod onto the brick so that it meshes with the gear on the propeller blade. Make sure this axle doesn't interfere with the fan blades, but slide a small gear onto the other side to keep it in place.
- 4
  Attach a large gear to the motor, and then attach the motor so that it meshes with the second smaller gear. Test that the gears mesh and turn.
- 5
  Build a casing around the gears and onto the motor to keep it propped up. Make sure the fan blades have enough room to turn.
- 6
  Attach the power supply to the motor, and then turn the motor on to make the fan blow.

Construction Toys