Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Strategizing

I never like to post without having some progress to show, although I do it occasionally, and this is one of those.

Right now I'm thinking about what to do with the legs. I have PVC horseshoes (layered shoulders), but I'm planning on making my own MDF horseshoes instead, using the PVC as a backup in case I'm unsuccessful. I am going to try using the PVC as a template for routing, and make a "proper" horseshoe template out of MDF for the various layer sizes (shim layer, big layers and small layers). Then, with that template, I'll make the rest of the horseshoe layers out of MDF and glue them together.

Why would I do this? Mainly because I did a very poor job of gluing together the PVC horseshoe layers, and they are coming apart. I'm confident that won't happen with MDF and wood glue. Plus I think I can do a better job with MDF in hiding the layers along the outer edge of the horseshoes, using wood putty, like I did on the legs.

This whole idea may be a big mistake, maybe not. Either way, I probably can't work on it until the weekend. So that's what's going on.

3 comments:

Calvin Thomas said...

Something I thought about doing when I get my CNC Mill going.
Make the horseshoes out of solid plastic, and Mill the shape into the plastic.I forget the name of the plastic, But its hard enough to make gears.
The aluminum set is so expensive and they say they can't make them from resin.
Calvin

Victor Franco said...

Calvin, that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. I had mulled making the horsehoes from solid wood, but I don't have a good way of putting the ribs in to reveal the "layers," so I'll probably make real layers instead.

I know some of the screen-used R2s don't even have layers, but we all know that they should be there. :)

-Victor

Victor Franco said...

pF,

This sounds like a feasible way to go too, although a bit more tricky to do the inside of the horseshoe.

The only reason I think the MDF might work is the usual -- Mike Senna has made it work on two droids now, with excellent results. He is a perfectionist, though, with the required skills. I'm not, but I'll give MDF a shot and see what happens. I may have to retreat...

Thanks for posting,
Victor