You Can Build Your Own Sushi Train

According to [Garage Avenger], in Norwegian culture it’s considered impolite to ask for things to be passed across a dinner table, so much standing and reaching is the course of the day. To assist in reducing the effort required, he set about building his own sushi train device to solve the problem, giving equal condiment access to all!

The system is capable of taking plenty of weight from heavy dinner bowls, altogether quite different than relatively-light sushi dishes on plastic plates.

The system is actually relatively simple, relying on a Wemos D1 Mini controlled by a Blynk app to run the show. Mechanically, a large drive gears is turned by a stepper motor to drive the wooden conveyor chain that actually makes up the “sushi train.” The chain links ride on a bed of Norwegian one krone coins acting as rollers.

The result is a working table-sized sushi train that really does carry plates around well. It didn’t stop people leaning over [Garage Avenger] at the dinner table, but it makes a great centerpiece on the dinner table for sharing dishes like tacos.

We’ve seen similar table technology, the Lazy Susan, around these parts before. Video after the break.

19 thoughts on “You Can Build Your Own Sushi Train

  1. “According to [Garage Avenger], in Norwegian culture it’s considered impolite to ask for things to be passed across a dinner table, so much standing and reaching is the course of the day. To assist in reducing the effort required, he set about building his own sushi train device to solve the problem,”

    Lol, changing your habits might be a bit easier fix.

    But this is not the point of course. It’s just cool to make something like this, but it’s OK to say you built it just because it’s cool :P

    1. Very entertaining video, 2 mins in and I’d laughed out loud at least 5 times.
      “I was inspired by the Japanese” (clip of gameshow contestant getting crushed by rock, then someone eating nyotaimori off HIM).

  2. The use of 1 krone coins is genius. I was always fascinated by danish 25 ore coins with the holes in the middle when we were visiting relatives but never thought to use them functionally.

    1. The hole in the rotating part needs to be of a diameter larger than the threads, while the lower part has a hole that’s the size of the shaft inside the threads. Screws with a smooth upper shaft would be better.

  3. Cleanability?

    Not that Scandinavian food is notorious for rotting fish or anything.

    Anything that could potentially carry Lutfisk, Surstruming or any similar delicacy must be able to stand up to media blasting, acid washing and nuking from orbit…IMHO

    Also fun: Find a way to put a 1000W motor in there. Launch food at guests. Everybody laughs.

  4. I grew up with a round table with a large lazy susan, and often had extended family meals at a relative’s house on a larger version of the same. It did make family-style shared meals (where everyone helps themselves) easier, and encouraged pleasant cooperation and communication as everyone took portions and slowly rotated the platform. One essential practice was to tuck the serving utensils to the side after use, as handles sticking straight out would begin to knock over beverages as the rotation progressed, particularly wine glasses. I still catch myself doing that on a normal table; it’s one of those things that learning the hard way leaves an impression :)

    As for the style from Norwegia, a relative used to tell of a college friend eating mashed potatoes, who became fed up with rampant reaching at his eating house (it was customary to ask items to be passed in this case). When a neighbor’s arm thrust itself into his airspace, he took the forkful of potatoes he was about to eat, smacked it into the underside of the offending arm, and heartily bit down on the top. Perhaps a useful technique for conversion…

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