Difficulty
Mechanical: Easy
Coding and Electrical: Easy
Construction: Easy
This is a easy way to make a moving jaw or a gate that swings up and down. The basis for tilt mouth is the tilt portion of a pan and tilt mount. Please remember that this is an example for inspiration, be creative.
The servo will act as the hinge on one side of the jaw. Once you have determined where you want the hinge start by tracing a box around the base of the servo.
Draw a line down the middle of the box outline.
Cut out the top, bottom, and middle of the box. Make sure to leave the sides attached and fold them inward.
The servo should fit perfectly in the window you created. You can put a dab of hot glue on one of the flap on the inside of the box to secure your servo.
Take the piece of cardboard you are going to use as the jaw and measure how wide you need it to be by placing it on the front of your main box marking where to bend it.
You can use a ruler to force the cardboard to bend in a straight line.
Glue your servo horn on the part of the card that bends back to make the side of the jaw. This will attach to the servo and make the moving hinge.
Attach the side by pushing the servo horn onto the servo.
fold over the other other side of the jaw, line it up, make sure everything is square and push your wooden stick through to make hinge on the other side of the jaw. This side doesn’t need to be motorized, it will be a follower.
Your jaw should now be loosely attached an look similar to this from above.
If everything is lined up, secure the stick to the side of the jaw with some hot glue.
I used a piece of scrap cardboard and pushed it onto the stick on the inside. I did not glue the cardboard to make removal of the jaw easy.
Here is the jaw mounted and ready to be decorated according to your theme and coded make it move.
I cut some teeth into my jaw and a hole for the ball to pass through. Maybe I’ll put a face on it or some words like “The Ballinator”