Have you ever felt tired of doing the same things again and again? Going through the same tasks on a daily routine can be boring and sometimes, exhausting. Hence, it is always a bright idea to try something new. Work on a project, build something that can add up to your productivity and recreation. Build a hoverboard. If you do not have an idea on what or how a hoverboard is like, check out the best hoverboard brands online. This way, you would have an idea on what design to sport or how you want yours to look like.
How to Make a Hoverboard
How to Create A Hoverboard at Home
There are a lot of ways to build a hoverboard. However, if you plan on doing it at home, you should be ready to use all your creative juices. This project can be challenging, but it will surely be worth your time. The first step to getting this done is by acquiring all the materials needed for the project. Since this is a do it yourself project, most of the things you need are easily within your reach.
Materials You Will Need
Wood is essential to building your hoverboard’s structure. This is needed to make sure all the electrical connections necessary for it to work is housed and secured well by it. You will have to get two electric motors to be connected to two batteries. Two switches are also necessary to create the functionality of turning the motor on.
You may be wondering, are these enough to build a hoverboard? Of course, there will be other things to get, these are essential to make sure you get the functionality you want for your project. This includes an automatic switch, a self-balancing mechanism, and extended wheels. These are for giving you more stability when you use it. Nobody wants to fall off a hoverboard when riding it, guaranteed that this are all good investments.
How to Create an Electric Hoverboard
There is nothing more fulfilling than building an electric hoverboard that you can personally ride. However, just as how you want materials gathered for building a non-electric one, you have to gather materials for building this one too.
Materials You Will Need
You will need to get a one 12 volt battery, one 12 amp battery, two 24 volt scooter motors, one 2” x 2” wood, one ½ inch of plywood, one ¼ inch of plywood, one wood glue, a set of screws, epoxy, 1” diameter of small rubber wheels, and a 12” wheels for children’s bike.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Building an Electric Hoverboard
Work on the wheels and cut the frame
First, you have to start preparing the wheels. Detach the wheels from the children’s bike. This does not include all the nuts and bolts that come with it. If it helps, you can use a usable axel instead. Once you’re done with this, all you have to do is cut the frame from the two pieces of plywood. After cutting a thick piece of wood, you will be left with three pieces of wood. Do note that the shape of the frame will not matter, but the width will as this should be able to accommodate the battery and your feet.
Prepare the slot for the battery and wheels
Be ready to make a slot for the battery, cut it in a shape of the square to make room for it. Apart from making a hole for the battery, you also have to drill holes for the wheels. Create holes that are slightly bigger than the wheel’s axel for easy attachment.
Put the wheels and assemble the frame
The next step would be to attach the wheels and place epoxy inside the holes. Leave this for a minute for it to stick. It is always good to get materials that are of quality especially when it comes to those that are used to attach parts together. Then insert the screw axels of the bike wheels and leave it for a day. The day after, you can go ahead and assemble the wheels and axel into the thin piece of plywood. Cut more pieces and put them together using the glue.
Build the frame and attach the balancing wheels
Using the 2×2 thin pieces of plywood, build a structure to hold the battery. Remove the wheels for easier attachment of the bottom and middle part of the frame. From here, attach a 2×2 piece off the back to support the rotating wheel.
Prepare the motor and motor brackets
Attach a solid rubber wheel and then through the wheels and black belt gear on the motor axel, drill holes. Apply epoxy to the wheels and attach the motor axel. You can use electrical tape to wrap the motor belt gear with. The next step would be to build mounting brackets for the motors that are long enough to hold the axel against the wheel. This is used as a pivot point, so note that it was used as an attachment in elastic form.
Mounting the brackets and wiring the motor
With a duct tape, attach the motors to the end of the wheel. Wire the motor in parallel with the battery, making sure that you add a switch in between each to provide separate access to both. Then with screws, add the thicker piece of the plywood on top of the hoverboard.
Adding the Elastics
Attach the motor’s bracket to the wheels’ axel using elastics. This allows the motor to press against the wheel making it possible to move while you are standing on it. Add elastics as necessary.
Wrap Up
Now that you have built a hoverboard of your own, it is time to test it. Check if the switches are turning on and off properly. At a levelled and flat surface, check if it stands balance. Then once it is turned on, hop on it and check to see if it balances well and if it can be driven towards different directions. Once everything is set, enjoy the ride and the fulfilment of building something worthwhile.