Help Me Find Two Mini AC Motors for a Science Project

Maybe she has an old toy that has a motor or two in it that also drives some gears, interesting to cannabilize for parts. If not head to your nearest toy store and find something on clearance with the requisite donor mechanism. There's always Radio Shack's robotics section. Good luck.

This might be a little easier and fun....

http://www.ehow.com/how_5347246_make-earthquake-model-kids.html

This one is more ambitious.....

http://weloveyouso.com/2009/06/imaginary-cherry-flavored-landscapes/

Why AC, you can put an eccentric load on a DC motor spindle and make it shake. This place usually has some deals on small motors and stuff.

Another good source of (cheap) small motors, scientific and electronic apparatus, magnets, odds-n-ends, and miscellaneous "stuff" is Americal Science & Surplus:

http://www.sciplus.com/

A shaded-pole motor should do it; they are AC and come in small, economical sizes. Grainger is one source.

Edmund Scientific is still a good place to look for stuff like this.

http://www.scientificsonline.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?p=2&q=motors+ac

Is there a Goodwill store nearby? Pick up a small appliance with a motor - a mixer comes to mind, variable speed. Keep it safe!

How about a battery-electric drill with something L-shaped in the chuck, on the basis it's a whole heap safer than fishing about with mains electricity?

Computer fans

If you can use DC motors Radio Shack has some small ones for projects. One of them a vibrating motor.

Got any old cell phones? They usually have small DC motors equipped with eccentric shaft weights that provide the "vibration" when they ring. Would fit your bill nicely I think.

Please be very cautious if you want the motors to run at anything less than their fully rated speed.

When I was going through college (Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo) some Architecture students manufactured a scale model building for earthquake demonstrations. Since they wanted the motor to go slower than its rated speed, they elected to use a variable speed drill and tape the trigger at a useable speed.

The resultant heat buildup in the motor caused a fire that destroyed one of our engineering buildings and the loss of many students work.

3rd graders + high voltage = possible child protective services intervention

If a vibrating motor is required there are plenty of "mail order" establishments selling battery opperated vibrating devices for only a few dollars. Some I am led to belive have remote control opperation and variable vibration sequences

Come up and see me sometime!

--Mae West

Turntable motor in a microwave oven.

Hi Matt,

I would suggest using this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-Seat-Vibrator-Motor-Panasonic-6-to-12-V-DC-3000-RPM-Powerful-/280851509924?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41640df2a4

It is a good size and you could even place a couple under the cardboard. You could even go as far as using a linear actuator to move the two pieces of cardboard apart.

-Rob

You can find motors like what you are looking for in hobby stores as Hobby Lobby.

I would suggest the very small pump motors used on countertop or decorative home fountains or water displays- these should be readily available from landscape or decorating stores as replacement units

Someone else already hit on it. Use surplus cell phone vibrators. They're probably not AC, but you can get around that. They very inexpensive - you could use several if needed - try www.allelectronics.com or www.mjpa.com

Stop by the local pawn shop and pick up an old xbox 360 or PS3 controller, while not A/C they have 2 low voltage motors with eccentric weights to provide vibration "feedback". May be a cheaper / compact way to go?

An old electric shaver should vibrate enough for a minor earthquake.