Popular among junkyard makers, the windshield wiper motor is an
extremely capable piece of hardware. This device packs quite a
punch of torque, and can be had for a few dollars. Unsatisfied
with restricting use of this gearbox to its intended purpose,
makers have been, and will continue, hacking this motor into a
wide range of projects. The wiper motor housing will likely have
several mounting holes, which can be used to hold the unit in
place for your project. Readymade for 12VDC, some motors will
fire with as little as 3V — of course, the more voltage you
supply, the faster the motor will spin. They’re cheap enough
that you should feel free to open one up and deconstruct it.
Inside you’ll find a worm gear and simple ring gear, which give
the device its incredible torque. And when modified with various
mechanical linkage designs these motors can give nearly every
maker project the drive it needs to go! Here is a selection of
alternative uses for windshield wiper motors, and the next time
you’re at the scrap