Milk Pouring Machine : )

In my design class, we are making simple machines for people who have arthritis. We had different simple task scenarios that we could pick from to build our machine for, I chose to help someone with arthritis pour a milk jug into their bowl of cereal without needing assistance.

Materials needed:

- 1cm thick plywood

- a circle of 2 cm thick plywood (radius of 2.5 cm)

- nuts and bolts

- 2 long wooden dowel

- 45cm long string

- wood glue

- drill

- 6 small circles of wood with a 1 cm radius

- empty milk jug (for measurements)

First, get your 1cm thick plywood and you will need to cut out your parts following the measurements in the photos above (cut along all full and dotted lines and drill holes on all dots). You will also need to cut your circle of 2 cm thick plywood if you haven't already with a drilled hole all the way through the center of it.

Start by assembling the 4, 18 cm by 2 cm pieces of wood, you would attach all on the long sides together and place the two pieces with the holes in them, opposite from each other so the holes align. So you would end up with a hollow rectangle (this is called your body). Then get your 2 cm thick plywood circle and your two circles of 1cm thick plywood with a radius of 3.5cm and stick them together so that the 2 cm thick plywood circle is in the center of both of the 1cm thick plywood circles and so that the drilled holes in the center align. Then, wait for the glue to dry.

Once the glue has dried, get 1 long wooden dowel. Start by sliding the wooden dowel horizontally through the holes in the center of the circles. Make sure to leave 3 cm of dowel sticking out of the circles on each side and place some glue where the dowel and the wood meet on each side. Wait for that glue to dry. Then, get 2, 9.5 cm by 2.5 cm rectangles, and slide 1 onto each side of the leftover dowel. Then, get 2 small circles of wood with a 1 cm radius and stick 1 on each end of the wooden dowel. Wait for the glue to dry.

Once that is all dry, get your leftover dowel and stick it vertically on the end of the small circle to create a handle (as shown in the picture above). After, stick half of both of the dangling pieces of wood onto the top part of the two sides of the body with the holes on them. However, do not cover the holes, make sure the holes are at the opposite end that you are sticking these parts (as seen in the photo above). And that is the handle completed.

Finally, get your string and measure a loop around the head of the milk jug and tie a knot so you can still remove and apply that loop onto the jug. Then stick then non-looped end of the string onto the center of the middle circle and turn the handle so that the string coils all the way around it.

To make the handle move grab a piece of dowel and stick it through the two opposite holes in the very bottom of the handle. Then, grab your remaining 2, 9.5 cm by 2.5 cm rectangles, and put one on each side of the excess dowel, and cut the dowel down so that there is only 2 cm of excess dowel on each side. Secure it by attaching 2 of your 1 cm radius circles on each end of the dowel. Then get both of your 2.5 cm by 3.5 cm circles, and place one in between the two rectangles, that you secured on each side of the base of the handle, at a 105° angle and place your other one at the end of both of the rectangles to stick them together, this should look like the 2nd photo above (this part is called the mover).

Now we are going to move onto the wedge, you should start by getting your 12 cm by 8.5 cm rectangle, your 10.5 cm by 8.5 cm rectangle, your two triangle pieces, and your 8.5 cm by 7.5 cm square. Start by sticking your 8.5 cm by 7.5 cm square to your 10.5 cm by 8.5 cm rectangle. Find a 90° edge to balance your pieces on (preferably a wall and the floor). Grab your square and place it flat against the vertical wall with the 8.5 cm edge closest to the floor, then grab your rectangle and place it on the floor with the 8.5 cm edge in line with the 8.5 cm edge of the square. Then, connect the corners of the two pieces and place glue on all along the two connected edges of the pieces so that they can stick in place.

Then, get your two triangles and align them on either side of your two connected pieces and stick them together. Once that has dried, your pieces should look like a 3D rectangle cut vertically in half with no top, so now we will add the top. Get your 12 cm by 8.5 cm rectangle and align that on top of the piece you have created and stick that in place. Once that has dried that is your wedge completed. You should've now built the pieces shown in the photo above.

Now we are going to build the main part of the machine and then assemble the parts we have already made. Get your 2, 15 cm by 15 cm square and your 2, 15 cm by 4 cm rectangles. First, use one of your 15 cm squares and on one side place your mover in the middle and glue 4cm of it onto the square. Then stick your two, 15 cm by 4 cm rectangles on the empty opposing sides at 90° angles. Then, get your wedge and stick 4.5 cm of it onto the center of the opposite side of your mover. Lastly, place your second 15cm square on top of all of those pieces, in line with your bottom 15cm square.

Get all of the pieces above marked with x's, these will be needed to make your seat, you will also need a dowel. Get your 12cm by 12cm square and your two 2.5cm by 12.3cm rectangles, with drilled holes. Stick your two rectangles on both 12cm sides, make sure that the holes are parallel to each other. Then, stick your 2.5cm by 12.3cm rectangle on the end farthest away from the holes. then get your 12cm by 14cm rectangle and stick the 12cm end, on the free end, at a 90° angle. This is your seat made now to attach it. First, get your two circles with a 2.5cm radius and your dowel, stick your dowel through the holes in your seat and attach your two 2.5cm circles on each end with 0.5cm excess of dowel on each end. Then stick 0.5cm of the bottom of your circles on each side to attach the completed seat to the final product (final product should look like the 2nd photo above).

You are now finished building your simple machine. I hope this helped a lot and now it's your turn to help others in need. and to try building this machine.

Thank you for following this Instructable!