VeluxHelp

VeluxHelp

This product was specially designed for an elderly woman who had troubles with opening and closing her velux-window is her service-flat. However, the product can be used by everybody who thinks a velux-window is hard to handle.

We made a product that can be mounted on the handle of the window. By creating a momentum, the velux can be opened and closed with far less force than normal and is much easier in use.

This easy to make and really cheap product can be the solution to your problem!

We added a video so you can see the problem and solution.

MATERIALS:

• aluminium tube with outer diameter 10mm and about 1m long.
• plywood (minimum 300x300mm and 5mm thick)
• 2x metal bolt M4
• 2x screw nut M4
• 2x cotter pin (not thicker than 2mm)
• chair leg cap (inner diameter 25mm)

TOOLS:

• lasercutter (you can use manuel machines or a fretsaw as well but in this instructable, we used a lasercutter)
• drill press and a 2 drills with diameter 2mm and 6mm (a regular drilling machine works just fine but it's harder to get straight holes)
• vise
• sandpaper (2 different grit sizes for better endresult)
• hacksaw
• metal file
• pencil or pen and ruler
• Safety goggles (safety first!)

NEEDED

• aluminium tube
• pencil or pen and ruler

HOW TO MEASURE

Every Velux-window is different. So every VeluxHelp will be different.

It is important to measure the thickness and width of the handle of your velux and adjust the drawings to those dimensions. This allows the VeluxHelp to sit firmly on your window.

You can download the illustrator file (for lasercutter) and the technical drawing file (for regular machines) below. The dimensions that need to be measured and maybe need to be adjusted on the drawings are indicated on the picture above. It's a 3d drawing of the handle from a Velux-window. The two question marks indicate what you need to measure. If you skip this step, maybe the VeluxHulp won't fit on your window!

NEEDED

• plywood
• lasercutter (or other woodcutter tools)
• costum laserfile (if you use a lasercutter)
• costum technical drawing (if you use regular tools)
• Safety goggles (with the regular tools)

HOW TO MAKE

With lasercutter:

1. Load the laserfile in to the lasercutter (be aware that you maybe need to adjust some things (see previous step).
2. Check the values of the lines:
   • Line thickness = 0.025mm
   • Colour of lines = 255-0-0 (RGB modus => full red colour)
3. Place your plywood in the machine and press start.
4. Enjoy the view while the machine is working for you.
5. When done: remove the parts from the lasercutter.
6. Sandpaper the wooden parts for a clean finish because the edges will be slightly burned by the laser.

With regular tools:

1. Use the technical drawing to make the parts.
2. Draw the parts on plywood with a pencil and a ruler.
3. Saw the parts with a fretsaw or other tools and drill the holes with a drilling machine. Don't forget to use your safety goggles!
4. Sandpaper the wooden parts for a clean finish.

NEEDED

• aluminium tube
• pencil or pen and ruler
• vise
• hacksaw
• metal file

HOW TO MAKE

The next step is sawing the aluminium tube to the correct length.

In our VeluxHelp, the aluminium tube is 93cm cm long. With that length, it is easy to open and close our specific window. Every window is different so go to your window and try it out. Hold one side of the tube against the handle of the velux ans try to find a comfortable position for your hand and mark the bottom of your hand on the tube with a pencil or pen. Maybe you need a longer handle, maybe you need a shorter handle than our VeluxHelp. It's important to test it out with an open and a closed window!

If you know how long your tube needs to be, you can saw the tube to the correct length with a hacksaw. Clamp it in a vise so that you can easily saw through the aluminium.

After you shortened the tube, it will have sharp edges. So be carefull! Use the metal file to trim these edges so you have a clean end product.

Note: You can rest the handle that we will make later on, on the housing of the velux. Hereby, the velux will be opened with a specified opening as shown in the last picture. So keep that in mind when measuring.

NEEDED

• aluminium tube
• drill press and a 2 drills with diameter 2mm and 6mm
• metal file
• pencil or pen and ruler
• vise
• metal file
• safety goggles

HOW TO MAKE

We need to drill 3 holes in the aluminium tube. Two holes on one side with a diameter of 2mm and one hole on the other side with a diameter of 6mm.

Start with marking the hole on one side. Measure 1cm from the end of the tube and mark that place with a cross. We will drill on that spot with a 6mm diameter drill. Clamp the tube firmly in the vise so you can drill straight through the tube. Don't forget your safety goggles while drilling!

Now we are going to mark the two other holes with a diameter of 2mm on the other side of the tube. Mark the first cross on a distance of 1cm from the end of the tube. The other cross needs to be on a certain distance of the first cross.

We have 15 wooden circels cut out of the plywood. Lay them on each other and measure how high the pyle of circels is. Mathematically it will be 15*5 = 75mm (the wood is 5mm thick) but it can deviate slightly. Add 2mm to this distance (we have to count the thickness of the drill itself) In our case the total distance is 77mm. Now place a cross on the tube at a distance equal to the found distance. Again clamp the tube firmly in the vise so you can drill straight through the tube at the marks. Again: don't forget your goggles while drilling!

After drilling the 3 holes, there will be sharp edges on the tube. Soften the edges with a metal file for a clean finish.

NEEDED

• 15 wooden circels
• 2 cotter pins
• aluminium tube

HOW TO MAKE

Put one cotter pin through the hole with diameter 2mm (the middle hole). After that you can simply slide the 15 wooden circels in it's place like shown on the photo's. Start with the 10 big circels and then the 5 little circels. If you have measured correctly and have done everything right, the last circle you slide on the tube, will just touch the other hole of 2mm diameter. Put the other cotter pin in that hole and all the circels are fixed. You can bend the legs of the cotter pin as shown in the pictures. The circels can rotate around it's own axe, but are fixed in the direction of the length of the tube.

NEEDED

• the aluminium tube with the cirkels mounted.
• the chair leg cap

HOW TO MAKE

We do not want to make any damage to the Velux, so we attach a rubber cap on the end of the handle so the aluminium won't scratch the velux. It is also a good-looking finish.

This step is really easy. You take the chair leg cap and just mount it on over the little circels. You need to push it until you don't see any little cirkels anymore. By the design of the chair leg caps, it won't fall off because it will be fixed on the circels. If it falls off, you can glue it in to place if you want.

NEEDED

• wooden parts
• aluminium tube with handle
• 2x metal bolt M4
• 2x screw nut M4

HOW TO MAKE

Take one metal bolt and start placing the wooden parts on it like the photo's show you. Start with 2 big pieces, then the 3 smaller pieces placed upside down and end with another 2 big pieces. As you can see, we create a square hole. Hereby the VeluxHelp will be firmly attached to your window's handle as seen in the last picture. Take the screw nut and tighten the wooden parts securely together.

Now we will attach the aluminium tube with handle to this wooden part. Start with another metal bolt and go trough one side of the wooden part. After you did this, go with the hole of the aluminium tube trough this bolt. After this you can end with going with the blot trough the other side of the wooden part. If you did this correctly, you will see that the aluminium tube can rotate around the bolt, but is stuck between two wooden parts. Screw the screw nut on the bolt and the VeluxHelp is ready for usage!

Notice that with only 2 bolts and nuts, we have put together the whole product. So it's really simple to remove or to put back on the window. It's literally 2min work!