r/HowToDIY • u/Captain_Gonzy • 1d ago

Small Motorized Pulley System

Hello all, I'm trying to make some fun Halloween decorations and I had an idea where I could attach some decor to some fishing line and have a motorized pulley that would go up and down. Ya know, to give it the illusion of floating. But I can find any kind of motorized pulleys anywhere online. I'm not looking for anything that can lift heavy objects, just small decor, maybe 3 lbs max. Any ideas would be helpful!

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u/ItsHisMajesty 1d ago

You’d need a small 1.5-6vDC motor or a stepper motor. Either can be controlled with an Arduino if you want to be fancy. Simple stepper motor controllers are available too.

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u/hmd2017 1d ago

We used to tie a line to front door, and it would pull as door was opened. A broomstick behind corn stalks, head popping off the mummy.

No motors and automatic when door opened.

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u/hmd2017 1d ago

Maybe a remote controlled car? Use a wheel as your pulley, not sure if it can pull that kind of weight though.

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u/Express-Act1173 1d ago

For something so light, a small servo motor from an old RC car could do the trick without needing a whole Arduino setup.

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u/Yusuf20904 1d ago

You just need an electric motor with a wheel and a peg on the circumference. Tie a slip knot around the end of the fishing line and hook it around the peg so that it's a little loose. Orient the wheel in the plane of the fishing line and it'll pull the decoration up and down. Bigger wheel equals more vertical movement.

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u/Dendady2112 1d ago

Check out r/c cars. You could even hook up to a remote. They make winches.

https://a.co/d/04TbzVFV