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Cosmic Crafts: Satellite Recycler

Total Time Needed:: 1 Hour

Drive the sturdy, smooth-riding Satellite Recycler around the neighborhood on regular collection days, or park beneath the Waste Shooter for a quick fill.

Materials

Wheels: 4 plastic lids, cardboard liners removed (we used peanut butter jar lids)
Axles: 2 bamboo skewers or wooden dowels, 1/8 inch thick and a few inches longer than your truck body is wide
Hubcaps: 4 small plastic caps (we used soda caps)
Axle guards: 1 toilet paper tube, cut in half lengthwise

Body: 1 lidded plastic box (we used a wet-wipes box)
Dish: 1 small disposable pie tin (ours is 3-1/2 inches in diameter), duct tape, 2 silver pipe cleaners, 1 large round plastic lid with a flip top (we used a wet-wipes top), aluminum foil, 1 small plastic cap
Tools: craft knife, pushpin, pointy scissors, wire snips, tape

Instructions

Wheels and hubcaps: Use a craft knife to make a trash-collecting hole in the lid of the box (a parent's job). Next, make a hole in the center of each wheel and hubcap. The skewer axles should fit through snugly. Using the same method, create two evenly spaced larger holes near the bottom of each long side of the box.
Push a lid and a cap onto the pointed end of a skewer. Thread the skewer through the holes and attach a second lid/cap pair on the other side. Trim the excess skewer with wire snips. Repeat for the second set of wheels. Rest the trimmed toilet tube halves over the axles so the truck's contents won't interrupt wheel movement. Tape them down.
Satellite dish: Reinforce the back of the pie tin with a small piece of duct tape. Use a silver pipe cleaner to attach the pie tin to the flip top of the plastic lid. For optimal reception, mold an aluminum foil ball onto the protruding end of the pipe cleaner.
Pierce a hole in the truck where you'd like to attach the dish and another in the center of the small cap. Attach the dish to the truck with the second pipe cleaner. On top, thread the pipe cleaner through the flip top and the small cap, then twist. Easy as pie!

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