Cascade Crew

[STEEL]

Ok, so Im working on a project. Basicly, we have to make a Rube Goldberg machine, (device is any exceedingly complex apparatus that performs a very simple task in a very indirect and convoluted way, thank you Wikipedia?)

Any way, mine has to have at least 5 steps, and I have it all planned out, but the last step is giving me problems. I was going to have a hot wheels car (a 91 Camaro z28, might I add?) hit the button on a surge protector which will then let my toaster receive power. The problem Im having, is unless the toaster has power, then the toast wont stay down! Has any one taken apart a toaster before?

I figured my best bet was getting an old one at the good will, but I couldnt find one!

[blue89]

ya, I think theres a solenoid in there that grabs the toast tray. Basically (the way I think they all work) the power goes through the solenoid, through a normally open adjustable "clicks-on" temp sensor, through a switch that gets closed when the tray is down, through the element, and then back to ground. The solenoid is magnetic and would need power connected when the tray is pushed down. Once the temp sensor reaches its adjusted temp, it opens, loosing power to the solenoid, allowing the toast to come up.

Its a safety thing cause it will not work if anything is broken or the wires are disconnected. The switch, sensor, element, or solenoid.

How to bypass it.... you can't. cause anything you do to make the tray stay down will prevent it from springing up. Can't you set it? Bypass the element so it doesn't get hot, then plug it in to power, push it down, and trigger it with whatever?

[Xophertony]

i got it. ....i think.
in addition to powering the toaster, when the power strip switches on it is also going to to power on a 12V converter. plugged into the 12V converter will be a GM electric door lock solenoid. this solenoid will be attached to some type of timer, it will slam the toaster down. the only problem is that the solenoid has enough force to hold the toaster down and burn your toast, so it will need to be hooked up through some type of relay series to "unlock" and pull itself back up. since it would not be attached to the toaster handle this would not be a big deal, it would then allow the toaster to pop up once the toaster has cooked your toast.

someone else will have to figure out the relays. might even have to use a capacitor. power comes on and starts charging the capacitor, once it reaches a certain voltage it dumps it to the door lock solenoid, then once it reaches capacity again it does it the other way.

[blue89]

thats a good idea. Use a LARGE capacitor in series with the door lock. The surge current will activate the solenoid, but then once charged, the solenoid will release its death grip.

dV/dT and all that.

[Demon]

you should make it really complex with hotwheels cars, marbles, a marble magic set, and some track parts.





or you could do what I did for the project...
I went out and bought Mouse Trap, put it together and called it good.



(I passed, barely)

[blue89]

Space Invader Zim rocks.

We used to play Mouse Trap! That was a fun one.

[Dewey316]

You need to add some fire in there. Use a marble to roll into and knock a candle over, lighting a trail of gas on fire, which at the end burns through a rope, thus dropping the toast into the toaster.

I could make a REALLY complex mousetrap.

[blue89]

geek on brother man, geek on.

[STEEL]

If fire was aloud, I would have the coolest EVER, but it wasnt....

Ended up using a K-nex engine and pully to pull on some yarn, which pulled on a lever, which knocked the hotwheel camaro into motion, sent it down the track, onto the power strip switch, which activated the powerstrip, which allows my toaster to start cooking my toast.

I was limited to 3 X 4 feet, so I couldn't do all the stuff i wanted.... and I ended up just going around the neighborhood asking people if i could trade them toasters till i found an old on that would stay down without being pluged in..... :p

[BigDaddyVu]

i used a train set and old atari game cartridges.

[Xophertony]

so i just checked... MY toaster will stay down without being plugged in. i kick it old school.

[STEEL]

Lol, the new ones use an electro magnet, the old ones dont....

yours must be from like, pre 1990!

[Xophertony]

mine is like, one year ago 5$ special from target.