Make a Jerry-Rigged Plastic Water Pump With Scrap Plastic and Metal

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If you have a need for a small water pump, this quick little DIY build is right up your street. Using some basic components, you can whip one up in no time. 

Follow this short guide to find out how. 

As you can imagine, you'll need some tools and materials before you get started.

Materials and gear needed

• Old metal can
• Large metal washer, or similar
• Superglue
• Popsicle sticks
• Waterproof mastic
• Plastic ring
• Switches
• Soldering iron
• Rubber tubing
• Plastic-card
• Modeling/surgical knife
• DC motor
• Hot glue gun
• Connecting wires

With all the gear and materials ready, it's time to get on with this great little build. 

Step 1: Make the impeller

The first step is to take your old metal soda pop can, and make a series of small rectangles to act as the blades for the impeller of the pump. Mark, and cut four of these, slightly bend them, and glue them to your large washer (or make a donut shape) as shown below. 

With that done, cut a small length of plastic rod and glue it to the center of the main impeller disk. Then fill any gaps in the impeller blades with waterproof filler, as shown below. 

Next, take a plastic ring, and a small length of plastic tubing cut a hole in the ring, and glue the length of pipe to the ring. Once done, make the join waterproof using waterproof putty, as with the impeller. 

With that done, take a piece of plastic card and mark out the main shapes of the pump, as shown below. Measurements are given in the video. 

With that done, cut out the shapes, as needed, using a surgical knife.

Glue the ring you made earlier one of the plastic card pieces using a hot glue gun. With that done, cut another length of plastic tubing, and glue it to the center of the ring-mounted plastic card. With that done, insert the impeller inside the ring, and glue the scone piece of plastic card into place to make a sandwich around the plastic ring. 

With that done, take your knife, once again, and trim off the excess plastic card to match the diameter and shape of the main impeller housing the plastic ring. Once done, waterproof the outside of the impeller housing using more of your waterproof putty. 

Step 2: Make pump motor mount

Take some more plastic cards and make a mounting platform for your motor. Assemble with glue and mount the motor into place. 

Next, fashion small axle support using a length of a popsicle stick, and glue it into position in front, but away, from the motor axle. With that done, thread the rod from the impeller through the mount, so that it can connect to the main motor axle, as shown below. 

With that done, glue the main impeller assembly to one end of the motor mounting plate, ensuring the impeller rod can turn freely through the supporting column you just made. Then connect the plastic rod and the motor axle together as needed. 

With that done, glue the motor into place on the base mounting plate using hot glue. 

Step 3: Wire up the motor

Next, take a small electrical switch, and glue it into position on the base plate underneath the motor. With that done, solder one of the switch wires to one of the electrical contacts of the motor. 

Take the other wire from the switch and solder it to a small piece of conductive metal to make an electrical contact plate. Then, take another length of wire, and solder it to the other contact of the motor and another contact plate. 

Glue these plates to one side of the motor base plate. With that done, your basic water pump is now basically complete. 

Now all you need to do is add a power supply to the motor using some crocodile clips. Then connect a water source to the main inlet pipe. 

With that done, flip the switch, and your little DIY pump should work perfectly. If not, check the electrical wiring for any issues and adjust accordingly. Congratulation!

If you enjoyed this little project, you might like to build another water pump-based project? How about, for example, making your own desktop water feature?