The hardest part was removing the scanner plate from the plastic frame (just because I thought it would be nifty to have a scanner plate lying around for spare parts... I mean, it's just glass...). It was connected with that sticky sort of stuff like those hooks that stick to walls.
So out of the scanner, I got the geared motor (it's a stepping motor, too! I need to look up its inputs, it has a part number and company on the side), and its gear train (minimal, about three gears, but they step it down a LOT -- you've seen how slowly a scanner can move, right? thunk, thunk, thunk....) and... the niftiest SUPER-EL-WIRE! It's the scanning "bulb". It takes 3kV to activate. I *think* it's DC, but I could be wrong. But even cooler is it has a modular bit of controlling circuitry. All I have to do is give *that* 15V, and I'm blinded. 5V only lights a third the tube. A 9V battery lights it fully but somewhat dimly. And it's flexible and all that and much great fun. It's not really EL-wire; it's much better, I think. =)
