Any idears for upcycling/repurposing a pair of garage door motors?

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#1

I’ve been sitting on a pair of 1/3hp garage door motors after upgrading to some belt driven openers (omg - so much quieter!!) thinking eventually I’d find a way to repurpose them. Thinking about why I hung onto them takes me to their essential qualities, that being an electric motor that comes with:

  1. travel limiters and stops (have retained photo eyes also)
  2. remote control functionality and
  3. chain drive output.

Just throwing this out there as a thought experiment to the most creative group of people I know. All ideas are welcome - none are too bazaar (as an example, I’ve considered pairing with an alarm clock to physically hoist my bed dumping me out of it - but decided linear actuators are the only way to go).

Any ideas?

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#2

rock tumbler motors as mentioned on another thread.

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#3

Years ago I knew a woodworker who used one to motor a large screen tv (circa 1985) up and down from the foot of his bed.

I offer the story as an idea for a different use, not a specific suggestion. :wink:

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#4

No but I do have a lead on some dirt cheap linear actuators and linear motors. I wish I knew what to do with them

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#5

Interactive Halloween decorations…

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#6
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#7

Why did I immediately think of mechanized guillotine when I read this?

#8

Sounds like you have quite the conundrum MrsMoose, but I’m not sure how that’s relevant to… Wait a second! Is there any chance they’re powerful enough to launch my snoring (not like the aggressive “oh God, I want to smother him” kind of snoring - but more like a soft, gentle kind of cute like a puppy snoring) butt from my bed into the television?

#9

Maybe. Idk how to look af specs and determine such things.

#10

garage door
garage door.jpg508×569 92.7 KB

found this and pinned it to my cool ideas board on pinterest - motorized french doors.

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