Shake Table mk 3 Project

Project Details

Completed: April, 2020
Current Owner: Donated to local elementary school
Current Location: M.V.
Materials: t-slotted framing, nuts & bolts & springs, acrylic

About

Details

This version of the shake table was designed to be lighter weight than the mk1 (all wood) version and smaller than the mk2 (24×24″ table) version. Sure, it’s much more expensive to build than a wood and PVC roller table (mk1) but mk2 and m3 use more off-the-shelf components and are built to last. Built for classroom use, it can take a licking and is sourced almost entirely from McMaster parts. Some basic assembly and production skills are required for assembly, including cutting the framing, drilling and tapping metal, cutting down the acrylic table.

How it all works:

The student cranks the drive handle at a given pace. This rotates a centered plastic flange and oscillating the main drive springs. The rotational motion is turned into linear (table top) motion with a bit of give at the ends (hence the springs).

Plans & Bill of Materials

Call this Open Source Hardware if you wish. The only thing keeping me from putting even more construction details in place is the time it takes to do so. Here is the pdf for the mk3 shaketable at a slightly larger size. You can scale it quite readily, since I have found a 12″x12″ table top to be more than sufficient for elementary school use.