How to Build a Mousetrap Car

Building a mousetrap car is fun and easy. Mousetrap car competitions are common in schools, clubs and colleges. Properly designed mousetrap car plans go a long way to making your car a winner. But if you don't want to design your own, you can find mousetrap car kits on the Internet. Designs can vary widely, so use this basic plan to build a mousetrap car and improve upon it anyway you see fit.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Mousetrap
• Lightweight wood
• Screws
• Eye hooks
• Foam board or CDs
• Rubber material
• Wood or metal rods
• String

1. Assemble the chassis. This platform will serve as the base for the mousetrap, the wheels and any gearing mechanisms that you may use in your mousetrap car design. Use lightweight pieces of wood and install eye hooks as axle carriers.

2. Mount the mousetrap onto the chassis. Pre-drill holes in both the platform and the mousetrap base, and screw the mousetrap to the chassis. The spring mechanism on the mousetrap serves as the power for the car.

3. Build your wheels out of lightweight materials, such as foam board, or use old CDs. Attach rubber bands, balloons or other rubber material as tread. Make sure to use large wheels relative to the axle size.

4. Install the wheels and axles. Axles can be wooden dowels, or plastic or metal rods. Be certain they are straight and balanced, or your mousetrap car may shake itself apart.

5. Attach the drive string to the mousetrap. Leave the end of the string that you will wind around the drive axle loose so that it releases when it reaches the end. If you don't leave the end of the string loose, it will start to rewind at the end of its travel and slow down the car.

6. Lock down the trap and wind the string around the drive axle. Release the trap to send your mousetrap car down the road.

Tips & Warnings

• Use lightweight materials to maximize coasting distance.

• Wind the string tightly around the axle so it cannot slip.

• Be careful with the mousetrap. You can break a finger or be otherwise hurt.