R-Kaid-Revelation (2/12 Final photos and video!)

[TopJimmyCooks]

was gonna give you the benefit of my wisdom but PL was much wiser and much faster. 

[quizz_kid]

Still on vaccation, but have a question. Does anyone know how to reverse the rotation of a 12v RC motor? And could I maybe have a toggle switch to alter the rotation? Thinking about using one of those for the blind/shade.

Here's a circuit that will allow you to reverse the polarity/direction of the motor/actuator.

It uses a DPDT (double pole, double throw) momentary-on/off/momentary-on rocker switch that is spring loaded to return to center like this one.

When you press "up" on the rocker switch, it moves both throw arms (blue) to make contact and applies a + voltage through the normally closed (NC) upper limit switch (green) until the motor pushes the shade up far enough to press the upper limit switch and open the circuit (red) which stops the motor. Holding the rocker switch "up" after this will not cause it to move until the limit switch returns to closed.

To lower the shade, press "down" on the rocker switch. The throw arms make contact and applies a + voltage through the normally closed lower limit switch (green) until the actuator pulls the shade down far enough to press the lower limit switch and open the circuit (red) which stops the motor. Holding the rocker switch "down" after this will not cause it to move until the limit switch returns to closed.

You can also run it partially up or down, as desired.


Scott

Thanks Scott, this is much appreciated. So my task now I guess, is to find good spots for placing the two limit micro switches? Maybe I can put "stops" on the string along the inner side panel. That way I don't have to mess with the shade itself.

Btw, I've ordered two different geared motors, for testing. One with 70 RPM and another one with 50 RPM... I have no idea if that's slow enough. Guess I just have to try it out. But incase 50RPM is a bit too fast, could I drain the voltage s bit somehow? A pot or something maybe...

[TopJimmyCooks]

Typically speed control is based on pulsing the motor rapidly on/off.  the motor always needs 12 volts (or whatever) or it won't work at all. 

[quizz_kid]

Typically speed control is based on pulsing the motor rapidly on/off.  the motor always needs 12 volts (or whatever) or it won't work at all.

Ok, thanks. Maybe I should get a 30-40RPM motor as well then, just to be sure

[TopJimmyCooks]

low gearing is more important than overall speed.  131:1 is what I used for a monitor rotation, but if the blind's movement is pretty easy then you may not need so much torque.  I wouldn't direct drive it off the shaft of the motor.

[PL1]

Maybe you can use a shaft pulley (?) type assembly where the cord that wraps around the shaft also passes through the shaft to avoid slippage. (Not drawn to scale)

The difference of circumferences yields a proportional reduction in RPM.

The limit switches (blue) are actuated by a block (red) on the cable.

The blind would be in the middle area wrapped around the tan axis.


Scott

[Ond]

This is such a pleasing project, something different from the usual traditional approaches to arcade building.  I'm impressed by the combination of materials craftsmanship and creativity going on.  Funny eh?  I'm always hunting around hoping to see skill and innovation like this and when I do see it I'm still surprised as hell!    

[quizz_kid]

low gearing is more important than overall speed.  131:1 is what I used for a monitor rotation, but if the blind's movement is pretty easy then you may not need so much torque.  I wouldn't direct drive it off the shaft of the motor.

The shade/blind is mounted and rotates on bearings so there're almost no friction, very good movement. But the motors I ordered are pretty weak I guess. Just have to wait and see. Thanks.

Maybe you can use a shaft pulley (?) type assembly where the cord that wraps around the shaft also passes through the shaft to avoid slippage. (Not drawn to scale)

The difference of circumferences yields a proportional reduction in RPM.

The limit switches (blue) are actuated by a block (red) on the cable.

The blind would be in the middle area wrapped around the tan axis.


Scott

Thanks for that drawing, much appreciated Scott! I was also considering blocks like that. I don't Think I've got room for an axis going along the entire blind though. But there might be room for a thicker shaft to reduce RPM a bit.

This is such a pleasing project, something different from the usual traditional approaches to arcade building.  I'm impressed by the combination of materials craftsmanship and creativity going on.  Funny eh?  I'm always hunting around hoping to see skill and innovation like this and when I do see it I'm still surprised as hell!    

Thanks Ond, means a lot coming from you! I'll just have to join the choir here, 'cause I'm truly amazed by your processing skills and original design ideas. 

[PL1]

I don't Think I've got room for an axis going along the entire blind though. But there might be room for a thicker shaft to reduce RPM a bit.

Narrowing the center of the tan shaft and using larger diameter pulleys on the ends will further slow the raising/lowering speed of the shade, but makes it harder to ensure that the blind doesn't bind while raising/lowering.

I figured you'd tie the sides of the blind slats (yellow) to the drive cord and use several turns of the tan shaft to wrap up the blind on the center part.

Use beads (purple) the same thickness as the slats on the cord that wraps around the outer tan shaft as the blind deploys from the center part.

That way as you reduce by the diameter of the center as the shade goes out, you increase the diameter of the outer part.

It may also need a spring tension pulley to take up the slack, depending on the final design measurements.   


Scott

[Maximus]

Where did this guy come from? I think my head just exploded.

[mcseforsale]

yeah, buddy..  your brand of cool is on it's way out.   

AJ

Where did this guy come from? I think my head just exploded.

[sabreerbasAlpha]

yeah, buddy..  your brand of cool is on it's way out.   

AJ

Where did this guy come from? I think my head just exploded.

LOL ..Doubtful its a different type of amazing which they both contribute.

[quizz_kid]

I don't Think I've got room for an axis going along the entire blind though. But there might be room for a thicker shaft to reduce RPM a bit.

Narrowing the center of the tan shaft and using larger diameter pulleys on the ends will further slow the raising/lowering speed of the shade, but makes it harder to ensure that the blind doesn't bind while raising/lowering.

I figured you'd tie the sides of the blind slats (yellow) to the drive cord and use several turns of the tan shaft to wrap up the blind on the center part.

Use beads (purple) the same thickness as the slats on the cord that wraps around the outer tan shaft as the blind deploys from the center part.

That way as you reduce by the diameter of the center as the shade goes out, you increase the diameter of the outer part.

It may also need a spring tension pulley to take up the slack, depending on the final design measurements.   


Scott

Thanks again Scott. It gets more and more complicated here I see =) Like your inputs/ideas! Will try it out when I'm back in Aug

Where did this guy come from? I think my head just exploded.

Thanks Maximus, appreciate it! You make some real tidy builds yourself there man...

[talkgeek]

WOW! ..completely Stunning 

unfortunately when I see the level skill and creativity on this forum (and this is up there with OND, Griffindodd, Sjaak and Knievel) it makes me want to park my projects and study carpentry and creative design for a decade or two - then reality kicks in (I still need to pay the mortgage)

Shame none of you live close - I would convince you to sell me this awesomeness (2nd mortgage if necessary) and focus on enjoying the artwork ..of course i'd never let anyone actually touch them!

[quizz_kid]

WOW! ..completely Stunning 

unfortunately when I see the level skill and creativity on this forum (and this is up there with OND, Griffindodd, Sjaak and Knievel) it makes me want to park my projects and study carpentry and creative design for a decade or two - then reality kicks in (I still need to pay the mortgage)

Shame none of you live close - I would convince you to sell me this awesomeness (2nd mortgage if necessary) and focus on enjoying the artwork ..of course i'd never let anyone actually touch them!

Thanks for that comment talkgeek!


So, I'm finally back. Vaccation is soooo overrated =)

I started with the boring stuff, joystick wiring. This is not just very boring, but also very very time consuming.

The controller I'll be working with uses 2xAAA batteries, and I want to have them rechargable by USB for some ease. So I gathered the parts for the charging circuit. Some resistors, indication LED and a small DC socket.


Finished board. I'll then have a USB to DC cord connecting the pads to Revelation on the back.


Joystick mod, battery holder and circuit board mounted into the controller.


This is the wireless PC controllers I'll use. You can get these pretty cheap on ebay, no need to buy anything else.


Somewhat disassembled controller.


And here's the naked PCB, the only thing I need here.


Only thing with these PCBs are the soldering. It can be tricky if you're not good with the iron. I'm getting pretty used to this stuff, so...


This is after 45min or so. A lot of wires...


Then it's another 45min of putting it all together. The small space doesn't help.


Well, it's a mess, I know. But in this situation there's really no point of going for the perfect cable management, you'll never get there, trust me. Just making sure to steer the cables away from the battery holder as much as possible.


The backlid covers all that mess anyway, so =)


Here's the copper joystick shaft and a dust cover from solid walnut.


Mounted.


Finsihed joystick pad! The button layout is inspired from NEO GEO, my fav system.



Now I just have to make another one :sigh:

I also received some new stuff for the motordriven jalousie shade. Both 12V motors are about 50RPM. The bigger one is more sturdy I guess, but I hope that the little sucker to the left is enough. Would save a lot of space in there later.




More coming...
//Quizz

[rablack97]

Now thats what i call execution..........

Good grief man that gorgeous.....

[sabreerbasAlpha]

The contrast between the wood and black buttons is very nice. Can I ask were the receivers for the wireless controllers are going to be housed.

[emphatic]

Lovely work on the joystick! 

[opt2not]

Nice looking pictures too! 

[quizz_kid]

Now thats what i call execution..........
Good grief man that gorgeous.....

Thank you rablack!

The contrast between the wood and black buttons is very nice. Can I ask were the receivers for the wireless controllers are going to be housed.

Thanks Sabreer, can't really go wrong with walnut and black I guess. The receivers are going into the motherboard, USB standard.

Lovely work on the joystick! 

Thanks emphatic!

Nice looking pictures too! 

Yeah, I got this new camera last year. Magic!

[quizz_kid]

After making that second controller, I started on the USB to DC cables.

Here's the original cable...


A little soldering...



And here's now a USB to DC cable.
By now some of you guys might notice that I have a wild passion for coiled/spiral cables. Just can't get enough of them.


Here's the cable connected PC-to-controller, on the back of Revelation. You can aslo see that I've installed two USB 3.0 ports and two copper dial knobs for fan control use.



When not in use, the controller are simply slided into the main construction, a stealth design I'm very proud of. The magnets inside automatically slides the pads into position/place with a little push, a little nice touch as well.



And when you want to kick some ass, just pull them out like pull drawers.



The joystick shaft are used as pulling knobs...



For gaming, you just screw them out, and connect them on top



Another shot.



Hope you'll enjoy this as much as I am right now =)

//Quizz

[CoryBee]

This is friggin awesome quizz.

One thing though, have you ever used those DC plug connectors before (male)? I have and the surrounds break really really easy, they don't last long after even moderate handling. I would suggest you get one of the solid plastic shelled ones and not the perforated ones. Cheers and great job on the design.

 

[emphatic]

You should do something about the balltops. The method used to fabricate them has left an ugly line across the "equator" of them that does not fit in with everything else as that's spotless. Perhaps sanding them? Should give a better grip as well. 

[mcseforsale]

+1 midnight black hand candies:

http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70&products_id=368

AJ

You should do something about the balltops. The method used to fabricate them has left an ugly line across the "equator" of them that does not fit in with everything else as that's spotless. Perhaps sanding them? Should give a better grip as well. 

[quizz_kid]

This is friggin awesome quizz.

One thing though, have you ever used those DC plug connectors before (male)? I have and the surrounds break really really easy, they don't last long after even moderate handling. I would suggest you get one of the solid plastic shelled ones and not the perforated ones. Cheers and great job on the design.

 

Thank you Corybee! I've never used these DC connectors before, only similar 3.5mm audio ones. Might change into something more robust then, thanks for the tip!

You should do something about the balltops. The method used to fabricate them has left an ugly line across the "equator" of them that does not fit in with everything else as that's spotless. Perhaps sanding them? Should give a better grip as well. 

Yeah, the standard should be higher on those ball tops. I have a lot of them laying around, might find two better ones. If not, I'll think of options. Thanks

[lcmgadgets]

My God, he solders/wires like a pro, too.

& God bless the inventor of hot glue. Hot glue is definitely my friend.

[Rick]

My God, he solders/wires like a pro, too.

The word craftsman is definitely too light a word to use in light of the work this man produces. I'm struggling to find the proper description of this mind-blowing artistry.

[quizz_kid]

Thanks guys, means a lot!

I try not to use hot glue if there's better alternatives, but it does magic every now and then...

[rablack97]

In the words of CoryBee

Stop it you 

[ppv]

Flabbergasted. This is more than impressive. I'm at lost for words.

[talkgeek]

You just keep raising the bar - this really is a work of art!  i'm in complete awe 

[quizz_kid]

Thank you guys, means a lot!

Been a lot going on lately, but found me some Revelation-time yesterday, and started on the plumbing finally. Now this isn't your typical WC installation. Since there's no copper fittings for piping I decided to try my own DIY solution, combining 16/10 tube compression fittings and 15mm pipes, without welding.


Here's an exploding view of the basic concept. 16/10 fitting + pipe support sleeve + 15mm pipe etc.


To fit the pipe support sleeves onto the tube fittings I had to remove some material.


Then I used some silicon for secure sealing. I forced the sleeves onto the fittings with the use of a hammer.


To secure and seal the piping I used one layer silicon / one layer epoxy. No welding needed.


Pipe secured onto fitting, very DIY...


Here's one pipe module finished.


Some patina's been growing onto the parts over the last couple of months.


Got my hands dirty with some Autosol...


It's not Attila, but shiny enough for me. Here's a picture of the pipework and cable management in symbiosis.


SATAs and 24-pin connected. A perfect fit around the pipe is a job well done I guess.


Another part of the loop, close up.


A shot of the loop in whole. It looks really good IMO.


Here's the idea:


When I was at it, I decided to give the dial knobs a bit of polishing as well.



Leak testing tomorrow, fingers crossed :::

[CoryBee]

 

I admit that I was sad to see the barrage of pictures end. Amazing work!

Hard to find anything in this build to pick at but the PCI extension ribbon cable stands out with its green PCB board. Maybe you could dip it in a non-conductive black paint or something to conform to the rest of the visuals.

Hope you find a cool solution for the Voltage meter (if you plan on using one).

 

[quizz_kid]

I admit that I was sad to see the barrage of pictures end. Amazing work!

Hard to find anything in this build to pick at but the PCI extension ribbon cable stands out with its green PCB board. Maybe you could dip it in a non-conductive black paint or something to conform to the rest of the visuals.

Hope you find a cool solution for the Voltage meter (if you plan on using one).

 

Thanx Cory.

Ribbon cable is going black. yes...

And regarding voltage meter, that's for another build =)

[rablack97]

I love saying this for some reason....

   Stop it You !!!!!

This is getting ridiculous, what gets me is fols who do this with flawless results, do you screw up, where are the do-overs......

I too am sad now........slideshow ended....

[quizz_kid]

do you screw up, where are the do-overs......

Don't worry mate, I still haven't tested the loop for leaks, don't even know if the system will boot and i still have that shade machanism to construct. Everything could go wrong from now on 

[emphatic]

It's.... Beautiful... 

[thatpurplestuff]

My God, he solders/wires like a pro, too.

The word craftsman is definitely too light a word to use in light of the work this man produces. I'm struggling to find the proper description of this mind-blowing artistry.

Yup some of the amazing updates from quizz_kid, Ond, Maximus, and others almost qualify as arcade porn.  Tastefully done arcade porn.

[rablack97]

do you screw up, where are the do-overs......

Don't worry mate, I still haven't tested the loop for leaks, don't even know if the system will boot and i still have that shade machanism to construct. Everything could go wrong from now on 

No I hope you dont screw up, all i'm saying is, if you've went this far and not screwed up you are not a human being!!!!!

Keep it up man.....this is awesome.....

[sabreerbasAlpha]

The water cooling work is beyond words my friend. amazing simply amazing..

ooo And congratulations on the piece in STUFF Magazine. Brill read mate...
 :notworthy:Do me a favour though lower the price just for me...