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Easy Way to Make a Mouse Trap Car

A mousetrap car is a simple toy that uses the power stored in a mousetrap spring as a source of propulsion. You wind a string or cord around one axle, then tie the other end to the arm bar used to set the trap. When you spring the trap, the arm bar flies up, pulling the cord and spinning the axle. Some mousetrap car designs are quite sophisticated, with adaptations so they can travel further or faster. You can make easier designs using just the basic elements, with construction-toy parts for axles and wheels.

Things You'll Need

Mousetrap or rat trap
Long ruler
Construction toys with axle, axle block and wheel elements (such as Lego, Mechano, K'nex or Tinker Toys)
Rubber cement
String

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the width and depth of your mousetrap. From your construction-toy pieces, select two axles long enough to extend out on each side of your mousetrap, four axle blocks and four wheels large enough to lift the trap off the floor. The larger the wheels you choose, the farther your car can go.
- 2
  Check the fit of all the parts. Your axle blocks must be snug, but not too tight. They should be large enough to accommodate the axles without sticking, but not too large, or the axles will wobble and vibrate. The wheels must not jam up against the sides of the trap when you put them on the axles and lay the axles across the short side of the trap. If the wheels rub against the sides of the mousetrap, the friction will slow down your car.
- 3
  Apply a thin layer of rubber cement to the surfaces of the axle blocks and to the base of the trap at the four corners where each block will be joined. Allow to dry. Thread the axle blocks onto the axles. Apply another thin layer of glue to the blocks and stick them to the base of the mousetrap so that the axles are perfectly straight and stick out on each side of the trap. Allow the glue to dry completely. Fix the wheels onto the axles. Make sure the axles spin freely, but that the wheels turn with the axles rather than spinning on them.
- 4
  Measure off 10 inches of string or cord. Tie one end of the cord around the rear axle. Tie the other end to the end of the arm bar used to set the trap, ensuring that there is no slack. Set the trap. Handle the mousetrap very carefully from now on. Wind the cord around the rear axle by spinning the wheel backward.
- 5
  Set your mousetrap car on the floor. The car will work best on a hard floor free of obstacles. Use the ruler to spring the trap.

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