DIY Mirror Steeror - Hands On Books

Home - Reviews - Purchase - About Jack - Links - FAQs - Workshops - Do It Yourself -

Mirror Steeror

A few years ago a friend offered me a large pile of Plexiglas mirror rejects. At the time I was teaching a science and carpentry class for kids, so I was always looking for interesting materials. While turning possibilities over in my mind, I took two pieces (8" X 24") and fastened them, side by side, to a board so that one curved in, the other out.

The kids got a kick out of this. They could see their faces in weird shapes, which was good for a laugh, but still left me wondering: could I design it so kids controlled the mirror curvature? How about making it large enough so a child could see her whole body?

In my basement workshop I had a cache of old boat parts, among them a steering gear. Maybe I could use it as a controller for this gizmo. I just needed to figure out how to combine it with a large piece of bendable plastic mirror. I made a frame to hold the mirror first, fastening the bottom of the mirror securely and letting the top slide up and down, between two small boards, as the middle of the mirror bulged in or out. It actually worked well this way. One person could stand behind the mirror and move it in or out while a friend, standing in front of the mirror, gained or lost weight rapidly!

Mirror Steeror, rear view
Next, I bolted my steering gear to a small 2 X 4 and clamped it to the stand, moving it around until I could envision a mechanism to connect the mirror to the steering apparatus. I had to experiment with the lengths and positions of the connector arms to get the mirror to move about 8" (at the middle) as the steering wheel moved through 5 1/2 turns. I worked these details out, and set it up by our front door. It passed this test with flying colors as we received many comments about the crazy contraption on the front porch.

It is interesting to watch when someone sees the mirror steeror for the first time. Kids will go right up to it and turn the wheel. It doesn't take them long to see what happens. Adults are more leery.

I've used the mirror steeror to break the ice on the first day of my summer shop class. It is amazing how interested kids can be when I start with something funny. I guarantee the smiles and the laughter will more than compensate for the cost and effort of building it.
By the way, on the second mirror steeror I built, I used the steering gear from a 1978 Toyota pick-up; I'm sure others would work.
(Detail: That's an eye-bold connecting the mirror to the mechanism - kept loose by a NyLock nut.)
Mirror Steeror, detail of mechanism

The mirror steeror has been displayed/used at the children's museum in Mt. Vernon, WA; at Mindport in Bellingham, WA; at the Target Gallery in Alexandria, VA (in 1993); at many schools in and around Bellingham, WA (in the 1990's); and on an occasional street corner for the entertainment of the builder.

Home - Reviews - Purchase - About Jack - Links - FAQs - Workshops - Do It Yourself -

Hands On Books - 1117 Lenora Court - Bellingham, WA 98225 - 360-671-9079 - fax 360-714-0774

mchkee@earthlink.net

Copyright (c) 2007 Jack McKee, all rights reserved

In my basement workshop I had a cache of old boat parts, among them a steering gear. Maybe I could use it as a controller for this gizmo. I just needed to figure out how to combine it with a large piece of bendable plastic mirror. I made a frame to hold the mirror first, fastening the bottom of the mirror securely and letting the top slide up and down, between two small boards, as the middle of the mirror bulged in or out. It actually worked well this way. One person could stand behind the mirror and move it in or out while a friend, standing in front of the mirror, gained or lost weight rapidly!
	Next, I bolted my steering gear to a small 2 X 4 and clamped it to the stand, moving it around until I could envision a mechanism to connect the mirror to the steering apparatus. I had to experiment with the lengths and positions of the connector arms to get the mirror to move about 8" (at the middle) as the steering wheel moved through 5 1/2 turns. I worked these details out, and set it up by our front door. It passed this test with flying colors as we received many comments about the crazy contraption on the front porch.
It is interesting to watch when someone sees the mirror steeror for the first time. Kids will go right up to it and turn the wheel. It doesn't take them long to see what happens. Adults are more leery.
I've used the mirror steeror to break the ice on the first day of my summer shop class. It is amazing how interested kids can be when I start with something funny. I guarantee the smiles and the laughter will more than compensate for the cost and effort of building it. By the way, on the second mirror steeror I built, I used the steering gear from a 1978 Toyota pick-up; I'm sure others would work. (Detail: That's an eye-bold connecting the mirror to the mechanism - kept loose by a NyLock nut.)

The mirror steeror has been displayed/used at the children's museum in Mt. Vernon, WA; at Mindport in Bellingham, WA; at the Target Gallery in Alexandria, VA (in 1993); at many schools in and around Bellingham, WA (in the 1990's); and on an occasional street corner for the entertainment of the builder.