First Steps with the Arduino-UNO | Maker, MakerED, MakerSpaces, Coding | Make objects rotating with a Stepper-Motor | Tips and Tricks

.

Fixing a Stepper-Motor for large objects

.

---

Make objects rotating with a Stepper-Motor | Tips and Tricks

Well, in a previous tutorial <===> https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2018/09/19/halloween-project-with-skull-arduino-blinking-leds-and-scrolling-eyes-maker-makered-makerspaces/ <===> we created a Halloween Skull and it was fix, didn’t rotate. Fun? YES, BUT more fun when it is rotating by using a Stepper-Motor; looks then as it would observe, control the space around it 😉 And it is very easy to create, only a Stepper-Motor, an Arduino NANO and a bit Code; the rest is a bit manual work to fix mechanically the motor. And with the right tools the mechanical work is a piece of cake 😉. We will discuss ONLY the mechanical works and for the the code (Sketch) for the Arduino, please look at the following tutorial:

• Make objects rotating with a Stepper-Motor
• …

When fixing a small object there isn’t any problem, you just drill a hole of the diameter of the axis of the Stepper-Motor and fix it with hot glue or instant glue. BUT, when it comes to make rotating larger objects it will become unstable!! We need then also a larger support plate to fix the object. I used two techniques, one with a copper-plate of 0.8 mm (was still in my cellar for 30 years…) and/or a single-sided copper-Epoxy plate. Copper-plates are expensive and single-sided copper-Epoxy plates are on a less expensive price. They are about 0.65-1€/piece on Amazon.

 

Elegoo Set of 5 Stepper Motor 5 V       Elegoo Set of 5 Stepper Motor 5 V 28BYJ – 48 ULN2003 Click image, please, to enlarge.	Arduino NANO     Arduino NANO (3 pieces) Click image, please, to enlarge.
Drill Countersink Set / Step drill Set Drill Countersink Set Click image, please, to enlarge.	Single-sided Copper-Epoxy plate Single-sided Copper-Epoxy plate Click image, please, to enlarge.

.

---

The mechanical works

First of all chose on what material you would like to fix the Stepper-Motor: this could be metal, plastic, cardboard or wood. As I like recycling, I ask in the Supermarket to get an empty wooden wine box. The Supermarket sometimes opens a six-pack of wine bottles in a wooden case (box) and they are happy NOT to recycle it themselves 😉 Here below an example for a Halloween project…

.

Wooden box front view   Click image, please, to enlarge.	Wooden box rear view   Click image, please, to enlarge.
Mounting and fixing of the Stepper-Motor Click image, please, to enlarge.	Mounting and fixing of an object Click image, please, to enlarge.
Skull glued on copperplate with Stepper-Motor Click image, please, to enlarge.	Skull is fixed on the wooden box – happy-Halloween-rotating-skull Click image, please, to enlarge.

.

Desription:

Drill a hole with a 6 mm drill in your support, then use the 32 mm Step-Drill to make the hole diameter fit to the diameter of the Stepper-Motor. Fix the Stepper-Motor. I used a copper-plate for having a large surface to fix the chosen rotating object. The axis from the Stepper-Motor is made from brass and that fits very well with copper for soldering them together. For the soldering you need an 80 Watt solder iron with a temperature of 430° C (806° F). Before you start soldering: clean the copper-plate, take off the patina first!! Same step for the single-sided Copper-Epoxy plate!!

.

 

Single-sided Copper-Epoxy plate Single-sided Copper-Epoxy plate Click image, please, to enlarge.	Single-sided Copper-Epoxy plate   Single-sided Copper-Epoxy plate Click image, please, to enlarge.
Mounting and fixing of the Stepper-Motor Click image, please, to enlarge.	Mounting and fixing of an object Support for Xmas decoration Click image, please, to enlarge.
Support for Xmas decoration Support for Xmas decoration Click image, please, to enlarge.	Support for Xmas decoration Support for Xmas decoration Click image, please, to enlarge.

.

Desription:

Above you see an example for a Xmas project, tutorial will follow soon, stay tuned 😉

 

---

.

L’auteur Gust MEES est Formateur andragogique / pédagogique TIC, membre du “Comité Conseil” de “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), appelé maintenant BEESECURE, partenaire officiel (consultant) du Ministère de l’éducation au Luxembourg du projet  ”MySecureIT“, partenaire officiel du Ministère du Commerce au Luxembourg du projet ”CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure).. The author Gust MEES is ICT Course Instructor, ”Member of the Advisory Board” from “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), BEESECURE, Official Partner (Consultant) from the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg, project “MySecureIT“, Official Partner from the Ministry of Commerce in Luxembourg, project “CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure). .

---

.

Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

..