What is a mechanical object that I can find around the house?

Question

I need a mechanical object for engineering class here are the guidelines
Can not be electrical
Needs to be able to be taken apart
Needs to have eight to twelve parts
And I have to be able to take it to school
What should I use that I can find around the house?

Answer 1

egg timer

toy w/ rubber band motor

wind up travel razor

pencil sharpener

old suit or brief case with locks.



visit a a cheap buy store.

Answer 2

Non electrical knocks a lot of things out

Are screws/bolts to be considered separate parts? because that could rule a lot of things out too.



A basic open top box would tend to have 5 panels+ at least 8 screws. I work that out as 13 non-unique components



Clockwork music box. (often get broken, but rarely that difficult to fix- bonus points?)



Hand powered tools might be worth looking at/for, (and if old show how parts *can* be made to really last- even with "primitive" materials) hand drills always fascinated me, but manual planes could be an option and often lurk in old tool chests (I'd check about the blade- wouldn't want you getting into trouble for having something sharp)

Answer 3

Suggest you start looking around your house with those requirements in mind. Being able to be taken apart is a pretty loose specification. How far apart? By who? With what tools? Does it have to go back together again?



Off hand I can't think of anything in my house that meets all those requirements. Wall can opener? Pencil sharpener? They both have parts that are meant to come off for cleaining/dumping, but they're not meant to be taken completely apart.