6C-1 Foot Powered Hand Dryer

 

A site I used for generally how to make a bellows

        For inspiration I knew I wanted to do something renewable energy based. This factor combined with resources led me to a foot powered hand dryer. It is my take on a solution to two non-environmentally friendly hand drying options in bathrooms: electric hand dryers and paper towels. Electric hand dryers use electricity, which often comes from the combustion of fossil fuels. Paper towels involve cutting down trees, which leads to deforestation. In this solution, your foot presses on the bellows, releasing the air that goes up through a tube and comes out at the top. 

       In my creation process, I first shaped the funnel that leads in to the tube. Next, I cut the wood for the bellows. I chose a not as traditional shape because of the amount of leather I had, and because I did not need handles for a foot powered machine. The most difficult part of the creation, and the part that took the most time was cutting and attaching the leather to the bellows. I had to cut three pieces onto a small piece of leather, and when attaching, make the bellows completely airtight.

       Others appreciated that I knew what I would change next time. I got some compliments about having a creative idea, but some were disappointed that it didn't work as I had planned. Next time, I would have made a bigger bellows. By doing this I would have had more air to push through and more force to push the air all the way to the spout of the tube. Also, if I had used a skinnier tube, the high pressure zone coming out of the nozzle of the bellows would have continued, instead of being lost in a low pressure tube. From these values, The Maker Movement is able to use good traits of teamwork, persistence, and other important values and traits. These are good traits especially when working with nature and environmental issues with many components.