Wednesday, June 24, 2009

More Leg Work

R6 is really taking shape now. I have nearly all the major parts made and ready for assembly.

Following the "Senna Leg" design, I have the five main parts for both outer legs. Both legs have the same parts. In the picture the parts are layered on top of each other to show how they will be glued together. From left to right wood thickness: 1/2", 1/2", 3/4", 1/2", 1/4". You'll notice the 3/4" piece was hollowed out.

Both outer leg parts stacked to test fit and show off how they'll look when glued. I still have some minor work to do on them before I glue. More on that next time.

Close up of the outer ankles. Note the hollow space. This is for the electrical wiring for the foot motors and for the 2-3-2 transition leg rod.

The standard Astromech Droid has a center foot connected to the center ankle which extends and retracts from under the body. Following the "Senna Design" the center ankle is made of four layers of wood, two 1/2" and two 3/4" with the 1/2" in the middle of the sandwhich. The two 3/4" pieces will be cut short of the ankle tip in a half-circle. The picture below shows one of the 3/4" pieces before cutting with the half circle drawn on it. BIG NOTE: I goofed here. The circle outline was positioned incorrectly. Each end should start at the bend points. Technicaly I believe it's a half-inch higher than it should be. Sadly I didn't realize this until I had already cut both pieces and test-fitted them.

This board has an 1/8" dia pin in it for the 3/4" ankle pieces to rotate on. Mike Senna goes into more detail about this in his tutorial. Basicly, the ankle will rotate through the bandsaw perfectly in line with the half-circle. Too bad I messed up the measurements which also affects where the pin is located.

The ankle ready to be cut. If only I could stop myself here. Now I'll have to remake these two pieces and try again. Good thing I still have the template.

I'm on vacation this week so I'll be spending more time at the shop than just one day this week. More updates coming soon.

John

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