Warning!  Spoilers ahead!

This is a copy of the letter I've been sending out to those curious who have written:

The video was made for the "April Fools" project article I did for Nuts & Volts magazine.

I gave very specific step by step instructions in the article and many photos to make building the project (and one other April Fools project) super easy.  (It's a VERY perplexing and fun project, and a great conversation piece for any desk!)

I know that Nuts & Volts sometimes gives out free sample copies of the magazine to interested builders, or you should be able to purchase the back issue (March 2012; which shouldn't be more than a few dollars) to get really good details/photos.

That said, I'm not trying to sell you anything, and am HAPPY to help with your project by email.  I can't send you the actual article at this point, since that is owned by the magazine.

So, here's a short description of how the project was made:

To make an April fool's perpetual motion machine:

Cut a  2 X 4 as shown in the video.

Spilt the 2 X 4 in half length wise with a chisel and hammer.

Hollow out an area that will fit 2 Nicad batteries wired in series.

Tap 2 nails into the block.  Connect one wire from each side of your battery series to one of the nails.  (Tip: If you predrill the holes for the nails, you can "pinch" the wires in the holes when the nails are driven in and make good contact.)

Put your wooden block back together with wood glue and clamp till dry.  (The irregular break made by the chisel will leave no seam where the pieces meet.)

Sand the sides of the wooden block to remove any remaining traces of glue, or chisel marks.

Cut grooves in the nail (as seen in the video) to create a cradle for the spinning wire.

Make the spinning wire by winding about 20 turns of magnetic wire around a 1" form.  (A wide variety of sizes will work, not just 1".)

Coat the wire with epoxy so it holds its shape, and remove it from the form.  (Look at the spinner in the video for how it should look.)

Last, remove the insulation from the part of the magnetic wire that sits in the cradle so that it will make electrical contact, and you're home free!

When your batteries run down, just recharge the internal nicads by connecting the nails to a nicad charger.

Thanks!
And let me know how your project goes!