Multiple Use Low Energy Fan

Recently I built a fan from foam and a small DC motor. Not to powerful but it only uses .8 watts. And as a bonus the fan is removable allowing other attachments to be installed like a disc so you can make rotary art work? There are a lot of other possibility's!

In this Instructable I will show you how to build the base with a fan and a attachment to make rotary art work.

Now on to the build!

Materials Needed For This Project:

(1) Small electric motor

(1) 3 - 5 volt wall wart

• Small scrapes of 1/4 inch ply wood

• 1/4 inch foam

• Tape (preferably electrical tape)

• Finishing nails

Tools Needed For This Project:

• Hand saw

• Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
• Hammer
• Utility knife
• Sharpie marker

Basic Prep:

Cut two 1 inch by 8 pieces of foam.

Then cut three 2 inch by 8 pieces.

The 1 inch by 8 pieces of foam are used to hold together the vertical structure.
The 2 inch by 8 pieces are used for the vertical structure they also hold the motor.

Cut one 8 inch by 8 inch piece of foam. this will be used for the base.

Now lets get gluing!

If you are ready to start building the frame and installing the motor then plugin the hot glue gun and lets start.

1: Prep The First Layer.

Take a two inch by eight inch piece of foam and cut two slots the same distance apart as the leads on the motor and one and a half inches from the end of the foam.

Then cut a hole in between the two slots to accommodate the shaft of the motor.

2: Prep The Secant Layer.

Take a two inch by eight inch piece of foam and cut a hole one and a half inches from the end of the foam and a diameter slightly larger then that of the motor.

3: Prep The Third Layer.

The third layer is exactly like the secant layer.

4: Installing The Motor.

Slip the leads of the motor threw the slots made in 1 and glue the motor in place..

5: Installing The Secant And Third Layers

Apply glue to one side of the secant layer and place it on the first layer remembering to place the hole in the foam over the motor

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The next layer is the same.

After this apply glue around the motor

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6: Gluing The Side Struts In Place.

Glue the struts on to the sides of the three layers

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This raps up the motor assembly.

7: Glue The Motor Assembly To The base.

Glue the motor assembly to the center of the base

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And now on to the fan!

The fan consist of a ply wood mounting and foam blades. now let's built it!

1: The Plywood Backing

Cut a piece of plywood one inch wide by two inches high

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Then use the finishing nail and hammer to punch a hole in the center of the plywood .

Push the hole in the plywood over the motor shaft.

2: Cutting The Blades And Blade Supports

Cut two, two inch by five inch pieces of foam these will be the blades.

Then cut two small 1/4 inch squares of foam.

Last cut a piece of foam as described in the photo below these are used to support the fan blades at a angle .

3: Assembling The Fan

Glue the support pieces you made in the last secession to the plywood backing refer to the photo below.

Glue the blades on to the support pieces and the plywood backing as in the photos below.

Repeat with the other blade.

Next apply glue to the small pieces of foam you cut erlere and wedge them in between the plywood and the fan blade like in the photo above.

that's it for the fan!

Connecting the wall wart.

1: Cutting The Connecter Off The Wall Wart.

Cut the connecter off the wall wart and strip the wires

2: Connecting The Wall Wart To The Motor.

Rap the wall warts wires around the wires on the motor. then test the motor with the fan on. If the fan turns in the wrong direction then swop the wires on the motor.

3: Raping The Wires In Tape.

Rap the wires in tape as in the photo below.

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Now we are going to make a attachment.

1: Cutting The Plywood Backing

Cut a piece of plywood 2 inches by 1/2 inch. Then use a finishing nail to make a hole in the center of the plywood by pounding the nail in then pulling it back out.

2: Adding Nail's To The Plywood Backing.

Using the hamer drive two finishing nial's into the plywood backing as in the photograph below.

And that is how to make the rotary art attachment.

3: Using The Rotary Art Attachment

Press the art attachment on to the motor shaft.

Cut a round piece of foam and stab it on to the nails. then plug the wall wart in and using a sharpie marker draw on the foam then try using cardboard and other materials! Experiment!

Try to experiment with different attachments maybe a foam carver or a set of gears?

But what ever you do have