Great invention, good job on the tutorial too! Thanks for taking the time to do the tutorial, make the plans, write the article and post this on KZread! I really liked the video!

Dean, I had seen this and have always been impressed with all your work! Thanks for the kind words about iFetch!

This is a fun video. Even tho he's making the ball move by himself, he looks at his owner each time. Gosh we're lucky that dogs share their planet with us!

Very cool. I plan on building ball launcher for my dog, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to teach him to drop the ball in np. It's the dragging it out of the garage, running the extension cord, and plugging it in part I'm a bit concerned about. I gave up on trying to teach him how to drive himself to the dog park. I worked out the peddle extenders but couldn't get past the no thumbs..."I can't get a grip on the steering wheel" problem. I told him, "stop your whining, you're not trying hard enough"

@rjs2400

8 жыл бұрын

+Mike Lange Lol Classic!

@camouflagejumpsuit

3 жыл бұрын

funny

What a great little tool/gift for your dog. Awesome to keep your dog happy while your away

I'd add a switch or opto at the entrance. It wouldn't be hard to add a cut-off if something was poking in the front hole. Even if it "cut off" the motor as the ball flew out, I doubt it would make any difference - so much momentum. Really love it.

Great idea, realy enjoyed watching your build. Best version of a Ball launcher I have seen so far. My mongrel has a homemade ball launcher too. It is not so sophisticated and well thought out but it works and is big fun.

Awesome. Great clear explanation. Super narrative.

Great invention. I would suggest using Loctite on all your hardware to prevent it all from coming loose from motion.

Thanks for the great instructions and video! Will be making mine soon, for my new Blue Heeler! "Blu"

You can get Sophie to drop the ball by trading her a treat that she really likes for it. Click her (w/clicker or a tongue click sound) just as she drops the ball to eat the treat & treat again. After a few reps add a cue as she drops the ball. (I wouldn't use "drop it" since she has a history w/this.) You could exchange fd for ball over the launch hole, click, and her reward would be chasing the ball! Eventually the cue & getting to fetch the ball will be all that's needed. Tks 4 ur vids!

Thank you so much for this. I was just looking online and some of these things are like £200 !! This looks completely doable even with my limited set of skills :)

I've gone threw 2 wiper motors the main gear cracks from the impact of the ball wacker over time, I tried reducing the spring tension too, my dog loved this machine but I need a wiper motor with metal gears I think.

i like your videos hope you dont stop making them!

Thats a smart job indeed. especially that box is flat. Alot of room for improvement, but the core idea is great. you may add an autofeeder pipe.also a rubber head on the arm to enhance distance & protect balls from damage. Applause 2 U.

Thankyou for your clever idea and for sharing it and I have made one my self, it works fantastically. I would like to send you some photos but I have no idea of how and where to do it. Thanks again

Loctite works wonders for walking bolts/setscrews/etc

Thanks for sharing this. I think I can create a similar mechanism to automatically operate a smoke ring shooter

To train the dog, I would detach the hopper, and put a non-toxic pet friendly scent on the hopper. I would then hold the hopper in my hand and reward the dog for placing the ball in the hopper with a treat. I would then throw the ball again. Once the dog is constantly returning the ball to the hopper I would continue playing seated next to the fetch-o-matic. Once the dog is comfortable with that I would reattach the hopper. It may also be useful to associate a command for placing the ball in the hopper.

Just like miniature clay pigeons thrower. Great idea, distance can be controlled by spring size

Nice how far would you say the ball goes in feet and height love it can we feed more balls automatically any ideas?

Thanks for the tutorial! I am trying to build a smaller version to launch ping pong balls with. The motor you are using is probably overkill as all I want to do is pop the ping-pong ball in the air 3 or 4 feet. I am totally lost on what kind of a motor would be low-cost and have the torque to load the spring. Any suggestions?

i live in the uk and acrylic is another word for plexiglass

hi... great video. quick question. where did you get the adapter to hook up your cordless drill battery ?

what an awesome idea!... i have found an old wiper motor covered in dust and have it working, im wondering, on the motor you used, does it rotate with next to no resistance (as the arm on yours seems to move freely), i am concerned that ones the spring (on mine) is past the half way point it will not 'fling' because of the tention on the motor? anz suggestions? Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would like to build a miniature version for the miniature tennis balls. My little 3.5 lb Chihuahua will bark at me all day if I stop throwing the ball, and this just might satisfy her if she can load the hopper.

can you tell me how much is torgue of motor ?

Could you give me the overall dimensions of the box please?

perfect, the best version

when you have to take of the top to see the arm why not use some clear acrylic to see what goes on and it would be easy to identify a problem

Needs to drop a treat once ball is returned!

got to say looks like some thing i will have to be making just to keep kids hands out i will make the launch tub longer did you have a cut list for the size you made the cuts just to save time lol

Why did you put a more powerful gear engine? The old one from a car window opener was not strong enough? Thank you.

Impractical maybe, but I'm gonna try and build one for my grandparents. The one dog is full of life and energy, but she's about to get "old" and they can't exercise her. SHe's also a fetchaholic :) Seriously, I've taken her outside, where she's spotted rabbits/cats, looked at me with the ball, back to them, then back to me tail wagging waiting for me to throw. She prefers fetch!

When i heard you mention a ball end allen wrench i turned to my friend and told him about how i had one break off in a project i was working on. and then yours breaks! i don't feel so bad now.

What do the materials total to? What does this cost to make? Less than just buying a store one?

I'm currently working on one of these. My dog will love it. My dog is a slobber monster and the balls get very, very wet. Also, I thought this would be fun to use by the lake, in which case the ball will come back soaked each time. How can I make that switch waterproof, so a soaking ball can be placed in the hopper?

@francisthinkwell9045

7 жыл бұрын

lol

Whats the purpose of the pully part?

Clever, Curious how the wiper motor returns to the same spot? Thought wiper motors had a "park" wiring circuit to them.

@HackaweekTV

4 жыл бұрын

park circuit is over ridden. It just coasts to a stop.

thank for showing this sick vid from jk in ENGLAND

Hi, Can you please tell me if any windscreen wiper motor will work the same or is there a reason you have used the ford windstar motor? Thanks

@integrated12345

5 жыл бұрын

I've tried a different wiper motor and the main plastic gear keeps cracking, I think you need metal gears

Awesome project. Wondering what the diode on the switch is for?

@HackaweekTV

Жыл бұрын

To prevent using it in a backward rotation if connected reverse polarity. ;)

Awesome Australian Cattle Dog!

Maybe the next project can be a lawn mower... ;) Good article.

6mm x 1 thread per inch? What kind of crazy measurement mixture is that? :-)

Hi Great idea. Can you figure out a way to adjust tension of the spring, to allow for longer or shorter throws?

@MrChaos-cd8xi

7 жыл бұрын

John Spangler just add bolts in other positions to to hook the spring to. or attach it with an I bolt and screw the nut down further for more tension.

I know this DIY is old, but is it possible to get the PDF instructions still? I tried the makezine site, and they don't seem to be available anymore. I really, REALLY want to make this for my JRT. I have been through 3-4 different commercial fetchers, and they are all trash. This would work perfectly. TIA

@HackaweekTV

7 ай бұрын

This link is for the PDF but for some reason it isn't on a secure server. COPY THE LINK AND PASTE IT IN A NEW WINDOW THEN HIT ENTER. Chrome browser will give you the option to download it anyway. I did so on my laptop and it downloaded fine. Build it!! Link: cdn.makezine.com/make/31/dog_ball_launcher_template_pdfs.zip

awesome

Dino is awesome!!!

It certainly wouldn't hurt!

I'm trying a tennis ball launcher machine. First issue I'm facing is joining my selected wheel to the shaft of the motor without there being the perfect shop that sells exact type of fittings that will join th😅ngs together. So far I'm trying to join a 5mm non threaded motor shaft to a 6mm non threaded shaft of the wheel. How would you join them?

@HackaweekTV

Жыл бұрын

I'd make a coupler on my lathe and add set screws.

Might be able to build this

nice built one my self ir works very good, teaching the dog is now the chanllenge

I prefer corded drills there is more consistent power at the bit just saying

lovely dog

Half Blue Heeler half Border Collie! She IS cute! Thanks!

Bravo! Благодарю!

Thats it time to go to amazon

If it's a craftsmen that you broke you can get a replacement for free at Sears!

I'm having issues with my wiper motor having enough power to get the arm over the hump so to speak

@DecentFarts

6 жыл бұрын

they make pills for that

@bryce86777

5 жыл бұрын

Too much spring tension

ehehe very cool and nice dog!

Next weekend. :)

pretty sure he meant 1 mm per thread...

Hmmm. Do you think the same concept would work for something like this? KZread video 3HRy3zu6ZtU It's SO hard to find friends willing to throw up the disks for me.

not sure if you seen this one since your post but someone has done it. search for dog plays fetch with himself and the video by bethemtay shows it.

You are my hero.

14:57

My Dog now believes u r a God!!! Seriously :)

Ha ha! Indeed I did.

I built my own Remote controlled version with a programmable 6 ball auto feeder, Video of it in action can be seen here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/ioV4zNGhf5W9nZs.html - thank you HackaweekTV for the basic idea on how it all works, i had to over come a lot of hurdles to get my completed version to work, i used a different wiper motor that didn't have an internal thread in the shaft so it took a lot of thinking to make it work in the end! i hope you get a chance to watch my video, it took me over a week to complete and lot's of driving around gathering parts! my final version will be controlled threw the internet from an app on my android phone so i can launch a ball for my dog now and then or all 6 in a row :)

Plz suggest a mechanism to make dogs drop the ball inside😅😂

NEVER use a ball end wrench to tighten hardware. Rookie mistake.

I built one, my dog is not so impressed though.