Create a spinning Bow tie on a cartoon clown using Finnboard or Poplar Plywood and our very own Timed Drag Racer kit. This make combines the use of materials and electronics, making it perfect as a classroom activity.
Download the dxf file of the Kitronik Clown and follow, our in-house animator/designer, Kev’s instructions. In the file you’ll find the clown artwork as well as 2 stands and the template for his bow-tie.
We Used:
Step 1 – To the Laser Cutter:
Engrave and cut the clown onto a sheet of Kitronik Finnboard or Poplar, making sure to remember to cut out the hole for the motor to sit in the main body and the hole for the motor in the bow tie.
Step 2 – Decoration:
You can get your students to colour their clowns in any way they’d like using, felt tips, paints or coloured pencils. We found the felt tips worked best on the Finnboard, while the coloured pencils worked well on the poplar plywood.
Step 3 – Solder your timed drag racer kit together:
Full details on how to assemble the kit can be found in the teaching resources. The kit is largely pre-built but some soldering is required.
Step 4 – Kit + Clown:
Push the motor so that it sits in the hole of the clown. Make sure to remove the small plastic pulley from the metal driver and turn it around so that the bowtie can sit snugly ready for takeoff.
Step 5 – Attaching the legs:
Connect the standing legs to the body and if you wish, use the holes in the leg to screw on the board. We used PVA glue which will be strong enough for this card or the plywood.
Step 6 – The finishing touches:
Push the bow tie onto the plastic pulley and you’re good to go (to secure it that little bit more, add a tiny drop of superglue).
Press the button!*
We’d love to see your colourful circus clowns in all their glory!
*You may need to place some tac to the base of the clown if he decides to go wandering when you get the motor running.