Alright folks, gather ’round! Let me tell you about my little escapade with something I’ve been calling the “knee kicker.” It’s a bit rough around the edges, but hey, that’s how we learn, right?
So, it all started last week. I was trying to figure out a way to, let’s say, nudge things along in a specific direction. Nothing fancy, just a little push. I initially thought about using some complex stuff, but then I was like, “Nah, let’s keep it simple, stupid!” (KISS principle, you know?).
First, I grabbed some cardboard. Yeah, plain old cardboard. Cut out a rough shape – something resembling a lever, but real chunky. I then needed a pivot, right? So I just screwed in a bolt through the cardboard into a block of wood I had lying around. Wobbly as heck, but it was a start.
Next up was the “knee” part. Basically, I just duct-taped a piece of old pool noodle onto the end of the cardboard lever. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but hear me out! The pool noodle gave it some cushion, so it wouldn’t be too harsh. I mean, we’re just nudging, not demolishing, remember?
Then came the fun part: testing! I set up my “knee kicker” and gave it a whack with my knee. The thing wobbled like crazy, and the cardboard started to bend. But, hey, it actually moved what I was trying to move! Small victories, people, small victories.
Of course, it wasn’t perfect. The cardboard was too flimsy, the pivot was too loose, and the pool noodle kept sliding off. So, I went back to the drawing board (or, you know, the pile of scrap wood).
I swapped out the cardboard for a thicker piece of plywood. Much sturdier! I also replaced the bolt with a proper hinge. Suddenly, things were looking a lot more professional (well, relatively speaking). And instead of duct-taping the pool noodle, I actually bolted it on. No more slippage!
I tested it again. Man, what a difference! The whole thing felt much more solid, and the “kick” was way more consistent. It still wasn’t exactly high-precision engineering, but it did the job I needed it to do. No more, no less.
Now, is this something you’d see in a fancy factory? Probably not. But you know what? It was cheap, it was quick, and it worked. Sometimes, that’s all that matters. Plus, I learned a bunch in the process. Messing around with materials, figuring out what works and what doesn’t – that’s the real value. So go out there, get your hands dirty, and build something janky! You might just surprise yourself.
- Grabbed some cardboard.
- Cut out a lever shape.
- Screwed in a bolt as a pivot.
- Duct-taped a pool noodle on the end.
- Tested it out and watched it wobble.
- Swapped cardboard for plywood.
- Replaced bolt with a hinge.
- Bolted on the pool noodle.
- Tested again – much better!
That’s my “knee kicker” story. Hope it inspires you to build something of your own, no matter how silly it might seem!
