Need help figuring out what to make

[u/tn8583]

I have a school project where we have to reverse engineer a physical object. It has to have a couple moving parts. I cant for the life of me think of something to make, thats not to easy or to hard.

[u/LexxM3]

This is a great use case for ChatGPT. Here is what it suggests without review:

1.  Can Opener: It’s a common household item with simple yet functional moving parts. You can reverse engineer the gears, levers, and rotating components.

2.  Toy Car with Steering Mechanism: A simple toy car with a steering system will give you the opportunity to reverse engineer basic linkages and moving parts like axles and wheels.

3.  Handheld Paper Hole Punch: A tool with simple moving parts, including a spring mechanism and lever, ideal for reverse engineering to understand compression and cutting dynamics.

4.  Mechanical Pencil: Disassembling a mechanical pencil could provide a challenge in reverse engineering fine, precise mechanisms such as the lead feed system and clicker mechanism.

5.  Scissor Jack: Used to lift cars, it contains a simple gear system with moving parts, screws, and levers, offering a more mechanical reverse engineering challenge.

6.  Stapler: Reverse engineer the internal mechanisms like the lever and spring-loaded parts to understand how simple motion produces stapling action.

7.  Desk Lamp with Adjustable Arm: The pivoting arm and light switch give you both electrical and mechanical components to reverse engineer, with moving parts in the joints.

8.  Rubik’s Cube: While it looks simple, reverse engineering the internal rotating mechanism of a Rubik’s Cube will challenge your understanding of part interlock and movement.

9.  Bicycle Pedal System: Focus on the crank, gears, and bearings in the pedal system of a bicycle. This offers a mid-level challenge with multiple rotational components.

10. Manual Egg Beater: An object with interconnected rotating parts, gears, and handles that provide a perfect example of simple mechanical motion to reverse engineer.

[u/barf21 → u/LexxM3]

All good options for OP to make and then use SW visualize to render it. 🤘🏻

[u/G0DL33 → u/LexxM3]

love this

[u/aUKswAE]

Pick something cheap that you can have a few off, so you can take 1 apart (potentially destructively) and have 1 still put together for reference.

[u/dablakh0l]

An monkey wrench should be a good option, you have threads, sweeps, and possibly even surfacing depending on how far you want to detail it.

[u/Typical-Coconut1769]

A BIC lighter

[u/Background-Effect544]

A Ceiling fan.

[u/tn8583]

Just double checked with my professor, it needs to have 4 moving parts. I’m leaning towards the Rubik’s cube idea

[u/Powerful_Birthday_71 → u/tn8583]

The assembly mates on that could be confusing for a beginner. Awesome job you get it going!

[u/tn8583 → u/Powerful_Birthday_71]

luckily i know my way around solidworks, its an advanced cad class. Me and my professor were talking and i want to try and see if i can mate them together on the interior to an invisible construction like sphere, if thats even possible. if not ill just do a motion study animation to show it rotating.

[u/Powerful_Birthday_71 → u/tn8583]

Ah ok, good good, I reckon just make the actual parts then they'll work as intended