Large Scale Central

MIK's Challenge Tortoise & Lizard Bash Build Log

The MIK - Annual Build Challenge
#61

John Le Forestier said:

Todd, after reading all this I came away convinced that you’re some kind of genius. And a very patient one at that. I can only imagine the hours you’ve put in dreaming all this up, and the many more hours you’ve spent fiddling and fretting to get the thing to work. I am just flabbergasted by your entry!

John,

I totally agree with you. I am dumbfounded each time I check in on the progress. We need to divide the challenge into two categories, one for the mad scientist geniuses with animated horses and moose and wave machines and hot tubs. I mean seriously we have guys hand making crankshafts and magnetic horse shoes. Then we need a category for normal people, the rest of us that are doing cool things but were not blessed with ablity to use more than 1% of our brain.

Keep up the excellent work.

#62

The crew completed the deck that the hot is to sit on. More importantly, the crew found someone with big enough ba–s to stand on the platform and and incite the horse to gallop.

A retired cop (from the Locsters) who was not used on the Low Rider Train build was stripped of his gun, his rank, and equipment. He was given a new outfit, a big stick with a carrot on the end, and told to keep the horse galloping.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/fe/d0/01/1ce2f_5835.JPG?c=ad56)

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/03/d1/01/1ce33_5ef9.JPG?c=7c76)

6 NEW RETIRED LIL LOCSTERS SERIES 4 MINI FIGURE CAKE TOPPER FAVORS- YOU PICK ONE

#63

The carrot before the horse…reminds me of working for a living. Very nicely done.

Doc Tom

#64

I see that no detail shall go neglected…

#65

Nice work Todd

#66

We connected the “Endless Wave” tube to the power take off (PTOs) using the drip soaker hose and as I expected, it ran way too fast (~1/3 the speed of the motors) and way faster than the horse has to gallop in his tube. The Endless Wave would fly off with reckless abandon!

I slowed the motors down with less voltage and to get the Endless Wave to a reasonable speed would stall the horse’s motors. But I could get it slow enough to stay in place turning and was thinking that California is so dizzy, why not make it hypno-spiral? Nah!

So I spent the better part of the day trying to figure to to get enough “gear reduction” in such a limited space using what was on hand. It wasn’t going to happen, so I started working with “limited slip” at the couplings/wheels. That may have worked, but wouldn’t be reliable (you may have to hand-start it) and was jerky in its movements.

Then another “ah ha” moment. Just run it off it’s own motor. Then it could also run as the horse pulls the rail car around. Duh!

I have a low speed motor but it is way too big. But I did find another surplus motor in the stash box (like the two that run the horse) and this will even fit under the tube and can rub directly against the 30" tire. This should provide a gear reduction of over 45:1 (i.e., <0.1" motor shaft diameter turning ~1.5" tire diameter x ~1/3) and I can control the speed independent of the horse. So tomorrow the crew can get back on it with a new perspective.

#67

Good thinking. A very good solution. You have a lot of very nice animation planned.

Tom

#68

A very mechanics intense build. It’s always good to get the solution worked out on a big hurdle. I can’t wait to see all the parts doing their things. The former cop has the perfect pose for his new job too. Good eye.

#69

We’ve completed most of the framework and had it galvanized for longevity. The 30" wheels were milled to width to reduce the track allowing for more access space and giving the motor shaft a bigger “bite” on the tire. The clear tube now turns at reasonable speed at 3 volts and will almost turn at 1.5 volts. I probably just use 3 volts with a diode to knock it down a bit.

(http://largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/a6/d1/01/1ced6_ef68.JPG?c=2914)

The lower deck work for the hot tub is complete and the hot tub’s base was trimmed of excess material. Batteries are stored under the decking with the wires run through the square Plastruct tubing. Brass “L” locates the decking on the framework and holds it securely in place. The decking received several coals of clear paint (both sides) to help resist the moisture of the hot tub.

(http://largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/aa/d1/01/1ceda_ec1f.JPG?c=fccc)

The crew also figured out out to make the “anti-gravity” walkway that will let the surfboard “float” in the air and support the non-moving portion of the Endless Wave.

(http://largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/ae/d1/01/1cede_22a7.JPG?c=e1cf)

A round magnet with a hole in the center was placed in a Plastruct "channel with decking. Square brass tubing passes through the hole in the magnet and a the next size smaller piece of the square brass had a magnet CA’ed to it. The two magnets resist and the upper magnet/tube ride on a “magnetic spring.” IN THEORY, small magnets placed on the rotating pop bottle tube will interact with magnets placed into the surfboard making it raise/lower/bounce as the tube rotates.

(http://largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/b2/d1/01/1cee2_2b72.JPG?c=2786)

#70

#71

The crew figured out how to mount the anti-gravity walkway within the tube so that it can be placed after the outer tube is in place. Took several tries to get the spacing just so, but, so goes R&D.

(http://largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/da/d1/01/1cf0a_f64c.JPG?c=8696)

(http://largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/de/d1/01/1cf0e_eed3.JPG?c=f8e4)

(http://largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/e2/d1/01/1cf12_eed8.JPG?c=9057)

#72

No pics today because the clear paint is still wet and too smelly to bring into the house.

The welding crew finished the metal superstructure to house the hot tub’s upper deck and “sand box.”

The carpenters came in and constructed the upper decking and some hot tub plank seating, and it is now drying.

The Big Kahuna came over and finished a pair of surf boards.

The electrical crew ran the wires through the framework before the welders came in and attached the new metal superstructure because the channels through the frame would no longer be open. They also modified the “one-horse motive power” so that it can now run off it’s own pair of 9 volt batteries, or the battery pack contained under the hot tub. Simply plugging in the hot tub’s “pump” disconnects the 9 volt batteries on the"one-horse motive power" and substitutes 6 volts worth of AA cells. The crew also figured out how to run the wiring for the hot tub to mate with the existing plug on the trailing car (that has track power pickups for the hot tub) and cannabilized and modified a plug from an old circuit board to make the new plug.

The mechanical crew also disassembled the “one-horse motive power” for some milling for more bottom clearance, and this stuff may just rust a bit while in the shop for modification.

The crew still needs to decide on how coupling is to occur. The “one-hore motive power” is not really condusive to a Kadee and I didn’t see any link and pins housings left in the parts box.

#73

“Draw Bar” like an engine and tender is connected. Simple and quick. On the fornt end, Fake it.

#74

I think if there were an award for the Most Far Out Build you would WIN!

This is one crazy setup. You will have to do a video for us to see the finished model in action.

#75

When do the parade flowers go on? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#76

John Caughey said:

When do the parade flowers go on? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Palm trees go in the “sand box” with others scattered around. “Drink umbrellas” will be used to shade the patrons playing in the sand.

#77

OK. The paint had dried to where I could snap a couple pics this morning. The “sand box” is behind the upper deck and still needs to have it floor and sand added.

(http://largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/44/d2/01/1cf73_b370.JPG?c=fda0)

(http://largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/48/d2/01/1cf77_d6db.JPG?c=bca0)

(http://largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/4c/d2/01/1cf7b_22ac.JPG?c=0b09)

#78

Sensational Todd…and not as farfetched as people might think: I keep thinking of those pictures you see of tourists picknicking and otherwise sight-seeing on flat cars on trains in the 1800s running through Clear Creek Canyon here in Colorado. This build of yours would have made a fortune for the railroad back in those days. Except the women were dressed much more modestly back then!

Great stuff.

#79

I’ve seen other pictures of tables set out on flat cars and ladies with umbrellas in one hand and wine in the other; this is the closest I could find off-hand though (these guys look like they could really use a hot tube and a couple of gals along for the ride):

#80

That particular picture is the Royal Gorge, of course, not Clear Creek.