Materials Needed:

• Horseshoe magnet
• Cork (3 or 4 inches long)
• Plastic knitting needle
• Small insulated copper wire (bell wire)
• Six-volt battery
• Wood base (about 12 x 4 inches)
• 2 metal strips (about 5 x _ inches)
• Tape
• 2 tacks
• 2 screws
• hammer and nails
• pliers
  

1. Use the hammer and nail to punch a hole a half inch from each end of the two metal strips.

2. Bend one end of each strip about one inch from each end.

3. Use the two screws and mount the metal strips to the wooden base about an inch from each end of the 4 inch side of the wood. Make sure the bended part of the metal is facing in. The two holes at the top will now be facing each other. The needle will go through the holes. Make sure about an inch of the needle will stick out from each side before you mount the metal strips.

4. Insert the needle through one of the holes in the metal strip and push it through the center of the cork. Move the cork to the middle.

5. Wrap wire around the cork about 50 times to form a coil. Make sure to leave about 3 inches of lead on each end.

6. Remove about _ inch of insulation from the end and tape them to opposite sides of the needle. Do not let the bare wires touch each other and don't cover them with tape. The bare ends will be electrical contacts for the two wires from the battery.

7. Push the two tacks part way into the wood base below the contacts (bare ends of wire).

8. Remove about 1/2 inch of insulation from another wire and bend it up from one of the tacks so that the bare end lays across the bare wire from the coil.

9. Hold it in place with a tack.

10. Repeat number 8 with another wire but have it lay across the other bare wire from the coil.

11. Mount the magnet on the base so that the two ends of the magnet stick up on each side of the coil.

12. Remove about 1/2 inch of insulation from the free ends of the wires held by the tacks. Then connect them to the battery terminals.

13. Give the cork a spin with your hand. The motor should now spin by itself!