Features of Levitron

Levitron is a device that, when rotating, hangs in the air above the main box. It, in turn, contains magnets that create a counter magnetic field that prevents the top from leaving the location of this field.

Levitron forms a magnetic field that repels the top, allowing it to move only at a certain point. The magnetic flux created by the main box of magnets balances the suspension of the top on all sides. The repulsive magnetic field forms a kind of gravitational cushion in the air, the same along the lines of force on either side, when viewed relative to a horizontal plane parallel to the top edge of the box.

A spinning top, hovering over a package with magnets, must necessarily rotate, and it must be with a relatively constant angular velocity. If this top (floating disc) is stopped, then it will turn over and be attracted, since its lower pole, facing the box, will change to the opposite one. This principle of operation is the basis of all similar installations, in which the role of an elastic material that does not allow the load to fall is played by lines of force. The second prerequisite, in addition to rotation, is that the magnets in the package must be turned with the same pole upward.

The levitating photo frame consists of an outer and an inner contour. In the outer one there are guides and magnets concentrating their field. In the inner one is the magnet of the top itself. One or two photographs are inserted into the inner contour itself. Rotating, the contour with a top shows the front and back sides of the inserted photos. A frame with such a device can effectively decorate the table. For example, a gamer who is fond of popular online games places two photos of one or two favorite characters, directed in both directions. The inner contour of such a photo frame is made, for example, in the form of a heart, symbolizing love and sympathy for these fictional characters. And having got into the image from the webcam during streaming, the gamer will stand out with this "chip" and will attract the attention of new subscribers of his own video channel. In other cases, the levitating photo frame becomes a subject of the interior of the room, a decoration for the house.

The levitating dish rack includes a spinning top magnet built into the bottom of, for example, salad bowls or flower vases. However, asymmetrical handles on dishes, for example, a 1-liter saucepan for preparing first courses for one person or frying pans, will unbalance the top.

The loudspeaker should be round, homogeneous, operate on an onboard battery, and be wireless, for example, a sound-reproducing speaker with Bluetooth. All details are carefully balanced with a balanced layout. When operating on "bass" vibration feedback, the speaker vibrates while floating in the air.

Other gifts and souvenirs: a clock with a top view of the dial, a glass or mug with a shifted center of gravity (due to the presence of a handle on the side), a flower pot, a small Christmas tree in the form of a souvenir, a mini-tree made like a bonsai. As well as an artificial moon (yellowish ball with a lunar surface texture), a round decorative mini shelf and other gifts should be carefully centered. The slightest imbalance in the center of mass can turn the Levitron into a seemingly incomprehensible object, attracted by the "wrong" side and standing crooked.

The same applies to voluminous objects that have retained their lightness in terms of their total weight. For example, it can be a decorative cloud with multi-colored LED lighting, an original figurine in the form of a foam snowman with a painted face, and much more.

It is extremely easy to recreate Levitron at home. The first step is a suitable drawing of the product, without which the manufacture of a high-quality, truly reliable levitating platform and moving object is extremely difficult.

The selection of tools includes: a grinder with a set of cutting discs for wood and metal, a jigsaw with saw blades for wood, an electric drill with crown, conical and / or feather drills, a construction marker, (rod) compasses, pencil, tape measure, square ruler, protractor.

From materials, except for flat cylindrical magnets, you will need: a board made of natural wood or a piece of timber, universal glue (you can use "Moment-1" or hot melt glue in a gun), as well as additional materials. Often, instead of a set of neodymium magnets, a powerful ferrite (classic) magnet is used, extracted from a speaker of high power and dimensions. In the latter case, these are the dynamic heads of the subwoofers included in the stationary electro-acoustic installation. It will take very careful removal of the ferrite magnet: despite its hardness, it breaks very easily, and it will be very difficult to collect its chipped parts.

Follow the steps below to make a Levitron.

• Mark the section of the board in which the magnets are placed, along the outer arc of the circle using a compass. Use a jigsaw to cut the required piece.

• Sand the edges, bringing the wood base to a perfect circle. This is done with the help of a grinder or a sharpener, but the most ideal finishing of the wooden circle is done on a lathe or drilling machine, in the chuck of which the axle is clamped. A small hole is drilled in the center for this axis, and it can be fixed with transverse pins.

• Mark blind holes for magnets - ideally round notches. Use a drill and core bit, taper step drill, or milling cutter on a suitable sized router to drill them out. So, 6 magnets are arranged in the form of a regular hexagon, 13 - in the form of a 13-sided, and so on. There may be more magnets.

• Press in these magnets. They should fit tightly - the holes are pre-drilled exactly to the diameter of the magnets. For greater reliability, put them on glue. Experienced craftsmen dilute epoxy glue with sawdust (wood shavings) formed during drilling and "tightly" fill in magnets so that they have no chance of falling out. The rough inner surface of the holes (recesses) drilled for magnets reliably holds the epoxy filling - the product turns out to be practically "eternal".

• The base with the magnets is now complete. They are located at the same pole - for example, N - up. The magnet of the top is turned towards them by the same pole. To make the top itself, do the following. Cut a piece from a solid pencil - it will be 4 cm long. Make sure that the end of the pencil is perfectly sharpened, it is better to do this with a sharpener.

• Wind a piece of duct tape or duct tape onto a pencil. This will be needed so that the ring magnet is evenly, equidistant from the center, put on a piece of pencil. In this case, the N pole of the ring magnet will turn downwards - opposite to the magnets in the piece of wooden base made according to the previous instructions.

Alternatively, an electromagnetic base for the top. Instead of magnets, ready-made round ones are taken, or they are made independently, coils with iron cores. The utmost precision is required in everything from the location of the coils to the number of turns. Place them perfectly level, equidistant from the top. You may need a board with a pulse driver - sequential supply of constant current pulses or an alternating voltage sinusoid will turn the Levitron into an air frameless motor. The disadvantage is that this Levitron is battery operated. However, even an ordinary, mechanical, permanent magnet, levitating souvenir does not rotate endlessly, since none of the magnetic installations is a perpetual motion machine. You still have to twist it with your fingers.

In the next video, the manufacturing instructions are presented in more detail.