My new project - 'Transformer' Standup/Sit down driver cab

[Cretster]

Ok guys, this is the background first to the project, I already had a standup cab I built and modded over the last few years which has been a project I really enjoyed doing.

I love the challenge of a build that does what I want, but am not good when it comes to the finish of projects etc sadly.
So the original was a standup with a fold out keyboard, two player stick & buttons, trackball, and pinball controls, plus a steering wheel that folded out from inside the cabinet to lock in place on the front for driver games (pedals permanently in situ at the bottom).  Also a flight stick that rotates from the side of the cab to lock in position on the front.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but I loved making it and playing it.  Recently though there's been a few changes making me wanting to change it.
1) My kids (4 and 6) want to play on it but aren't tall enough really and if on a chair can't reach pedals and wheel simultaneously.  It's driving games they like most.
2) More and more I want to play driver games (either PC based ones, or now I've included a 360 in it, Forza 4). I have back problems and my back doesn't appreciate me standing to play drivers or sitting on the edge of a tall chair.
3) I'd like to build a dedicated driver cab but no way this is happening due to space constraints.  I don't have a place to fit one permanently due to the footprint - the wife doesn't like the existing cab taking up space, so a second one is out of the question, and replacing the existing one with a sit in cab is no good for other games.
4) I also want a sit in cab for playing flight sims and now that I have it, for Elite Dangerous too.....

So the conclusion was to disassemble the current cab and build one that ticks both boxes.  I.e. a stand up that converts to a sit in racing cab as & when required.
Many people may not like the idea so please don't feel the need to follow the project if this is not your cup of tea - we all like different things, and I like a challenge.

First things first, I knocked up a hasty balsa scale model to see if it would remotely be something worth trying.
This is effectively the current stand up machine:

Then here with the top module lowered, the front panel folded down and seat in position, plus wheel folded out from within the cab:



Step one then, take apart the existing cab:
Here is was in place:


Stripped out:


Taking cab apart:


Now one 'upgrade' here was that the existing 19" monitor was acceptable stood up close for the games, in that format cab, but sitting down and further back as a driver it would need a bigger screen so I bought a 32" LCD for the job.

With that in mind, I cut both side panels just below the level of control panel, in order that there would be a top module containing the new monitor, and which could be raised & lowered as required depending on the mode of the machine.  The top section was measured and widened to suit the new monitor:




The monitor module will raise & lower by approx 13" between modes.  A little more travel would be good in an idea world but I think after some basic measuring that this should do the job.
This is achieved with an electric linear actuator donated by a friend:



To stabilise the movement up & down of this section and make sure it moves as smoothly as possible I've got a set of 4 linear bearing blocks, for 16mm rod/tube.  So the ram will push towards the rear centre of the monitor module, and the bearings rods will be closer to the front.  I'd prefer the ram to be mounted more centrally to balance the weight more evenly, but it would put it right in the way of other parts of mechanism required so I don't think I can.  This may get experimented with, depending on how it behaves as the build progresses.  It's important that the top section moves nicely and isn't wobbling around the place!!
Not sure what else will be housed in the top with the monitor yet, eg the PC itself or AV amp etc.  Undecided at present.  It can lift 160kg so no problems either way.  Just a matter of what suits the space best, and what room is available elsewhere.

The seat section will housed in be the 3 foot tall front panel (to the height of the control panel when in stand up mode) which pivots down from the base.  This'll need to have some sort of built in side panels to improve the look (will be tricky for the bearing rails to keep out of the way of these).  A folding seat will be fitted in the top of this panel, and hopefully be adjustable forwards & backwards, with the same for the pedals.  Not sure what mechanism I'll use for having these adjust but it needs to not be too fiddly really.

Contents out of the old cabinet!



Anyway, I've begun some progress on beginning the built/adaptation.

These pics are hard to see what's what from the floor in the shed looking the same as the parts of cabinet but still.  It might give an idea. 
Here's the separated top & bottom panels showing the approx position of the actuator, and the the bearings rods in place:


This one maybe shows a touch better the positioning of these parts to facilitate the moving up & down of the monitor section.
The positioning of the bearings/rods & actuator are far from being final yet.



One issue I forsee potentially is the strength/rigidity of the bottom half of the cabinet.  The problem is that due to the way the top section lowers down, I can't put a cross member/beam across the front at the top of the lower section, so this can introduce weakness and flex potentially.  Hopefully the fact that it's locked in with the top module via the sliders will prevent this being an issue, but I'll just have to wait and see how it transpires as things progress.

So this will be interesting to say the least.  I've bought the monitor and completely dismantled the old cab so no going back now.
One bonus of course is that as a driver cab I'll be able to include rear speakers and thus install a nice 5.1 sound system to it, which should add to the enjoyment playing the likes of Forza and Elite etc.  Also, it may be an option to include some sort of rumble thing under the seat.
Flight controls are planned on being integrated to the fold down panel, but so they can rotate out of the way as required.

The front panel is unlikely to be motorised at this stage, but I plan on using a pair of gas struts (car tailgate type) to enable it to raise/lower with a relatively neutral balance if I can get it right.

Cheers guys!

[Generic Eric]

Looks cool.

[BadMouth]

Anything with actuators on it is cool! 

[Cretster]

Thanks folks.

More than happy to accept ideas & input on any obvious blunders in design that'll stop something from working further down the line.  I have at least planned this at a crude level (more than I normally do), but certainly not to the extent of the wonderful 3D models some people make.  I don't have sufficient skill with those programs nor the spare time to learn currently.
Please don't take offense if you you offer suggestions/criticism and I don't agree or do something the way suggested - I very much appreciate the input & ideas regardless!

Re' the actuators, originally I was meant to have 2 of these big buggers but my friend cannot find the matching one.  One is plenty sufficient for the weight involved but would have been nice to use the other for raising/lowering the seat section.
I do have a second actuator but a baby one which has 78mm travel from one end to the other.  I'm wondering if this can be used to move the wheel from its hidden to deployed position, but would have to think about how to effectively translate that 78mm movement into around 180 rotation of the wheel in an arc.  Got an idea how that might be done but need to sketch it out....

[Cretster]

Also, don't expect anything remotely resembling aesthetics for a long time yet.  The main thing is to do proof of concept in respect of the moving parts and ensure they can co-ordinate and get into positions where it's ergonomically acceptable, before then adding any electronics and tidying it all up.

I've got a nice Yamaha AV amp (DTS/Dolby Digital 5.1) that's sort of surplus to requirements, but due to the amount of space it'll take up and the fact I'd then have to have full access to all the controls/display etc is making me think twice about using it.  Possibly it could fit beneath the driver seat, but then it's not accessible for stand up mode for the cabinet.

This is something I'll have to address since even if I just buy something like a fairly cheap PC based 5.1 system it'll be great from the space & practicality angle, and would simplify controls etc, but I'd want to arrange it somehow so that at the very least the volume is in easy reach in either playing mode.  Not sure how that would work or where/how I would need to position controls in order that they would be accessible for both scenarios but it needs some thought.

[BadMouth]

This is something I'll have to address since even if I just buy something like a fairly cheap PC based 5.1 system it'll be great from the space & practicality angle, and would simplify controls etc, but I'd want to arrange it somehow so that at the very least the volume is in easy reach in either playing mode.  Not sure how that would work or where/how I would need to position controls in order that they would be accessible for both scenarios but it needs some thought.

The 2.1 setup I had on my old driving cab had the volume and headphone jacks on a wired remote separate from any of the speakers.
I had it velcro'd just under the steering wheel.  You could do something similar and have Velcro patches in different places for upright vs driving.
Not a slick solution, but would be functional.

Another idea would be to have buttons that post as volume controls on a keyboard.
You could just have buttons in multiple places wired together.
I know in your other thread you mentioned wanting to run an xbox360, so it wouldn't work for that though.

[Cretster]

Thanks for the suggestion buddy.

I had the 360 armed & fully operational in my cab before I dismantled it although the sound was a little crude to be honest.

The previous setup was a cambridge audio 2 channel hifi separate amp running a set of 15cm (ish) bass/mid drivers and separate ear level tweeters through crossovers, plus for bottom end a Kicker 8" bass tube running from an Alpine MRD-M300 mono amp.  Bit of a mish mash, and not the last world in fidelity but was good enough.  The problem I had with that setup was the alpine bass amp (being a car one) is designed to have a permanent live 12v+ feed to it, which of course the ATX PSU does not give.  And as that particular amp has all its settings entered by button presses, and not by position of a -db knob etc, it 'forgot' each time the machine was off, and defaulted to stupid amounts of bass each time.  Tedious!!!

The 360 had simple stereo phono outputs to the cambridge amp, and the same from the sound card on the PC motherboard, so it all worked fine really, but plenty of room for improvement.  If I used the spare AV amp I've got then it'd mean I could have optical output from both the 360 and the PC into the amp to give surround.  It's just it's a big heavy bugger for locating it.  Plus, while I can use the remote for it, I'd rather have hard installed controlled, without too much complexity.

The velcro idea would work ok, but I'd prefer if i can have EITHER, certain controls duplicated (electronically could be a nuisance to do), or have the main controls in easy reach somehow for either configuration.

[Cretster]

Something like this is what I was thinking might greatly simplify things:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Logitech-X540-Surround-Sound-5-1-System-/161544441681?pt=UK_Computing_Speakers&hash=item259ccc8f51

[Fursphere]

I have almost that exact same Logitech speaker system in my driving cab.  Works great.  I tried numerous other speak systems / setups.  The 5.1 Logitech's proved to be the simplest, cheapest, and best sounding option (by a long shot).

[Cretster]

Ace, thanks - that's good to know.  Does it have much 'oomph' to it?  I realise that's subjective and it's only a very small system compared to separates etc, but still enough to give a good robust sound?

One thing I would love to do is to add a touchscreen overlay to the monitor but I don't think I can get one for a 32" screen (for jukebox purposes and game selection etc).  Not actually looked for that specifically but I think I've only commonly seen up to about 19" ones before.  Will check though.

[Fursphere]

Well, when I crank my cabinet up it thumps pretty good, and you can hear it loud and clear outside of the garage... 

[Cretster]

Plenty good enough for me then.  Don't want a beast, just enough that if I want to crank it up on occasion a bit louder than TV levels that it won't horribly distort/clip.

[Cretster]

Hard to really see what's what from these pics but here's a couple of pics showing the monitor and control section in raised and lowered position.  There's approx 13" difference in height between the two, which seems just about right for the difference between a standup and sit down cab depending of course on the seat height.



I don't like the way in this top pic (cab in lower position) that the top edges of the side panels stick up above the control panel level.  I might have to do something about the shape or taper of the front panel to address this, as while I'm a thug when it comes to making things look good, I'm not keen on how this would affect the end result.



Here you can see the sliders and linear bearing blocks that it moves on.  Yes I know it all looks horrible and rough currently....


My main concern at present is whether the ram will be able to make it lift smoothly and evenly.  The linear bearings/rails are meant to facilitate this, but I think it might be easier said than done, and I don't want it to jerk and wobble around as it raises/lowers.  What I might therefore need to do is to fabricate a big metal bracket so that the top and bottom of the ram are pretty rigid, meaning it doesn't allow it to push anything other than perfectly straight up & down.  Sounds kind of obvious but the rails ought to prevent a lot of the need for that in theory so I was hoping not to have to.

[Cretster]

Ok, some progress now, but I think I need a bit of help at this point maybe with some ideas.

I've fitted the main lifting ram/actuator, and it has no trouble whatsoever lifting the top module up & down.  It stops automatically when it gets to the end of its travel so no worries there.  It's even relatively smooth, and I suspect that once it's full of stuff like the monitor and other electronics (ie extra weight) it'll be smoother.

The problem I've realised at this point is that it's when at the top position it's susceptible to quite a lot of wobble, and this needs to be resolved.  I don't mind if it can move a tiny tiny amount since any mechanical device would have some element of play/backlash, but it's not stable enough at present.

Here's a couple of pics of it with the ram fitted, extended to the up position:



Now in an ideal theoretical world the metal bar I've fitted across where the ran attaches, might stop the top section from wobbling, but with this gauge of metal, the weight and leverage & general physics etc involved there's not a hope of that.

You can see how it works though - the ram raises & lowers and the slider rail at each side smoothes & guides the cabinet to move up & down. 
The issue with that is it's a lot of potential leverage on those rods and their mount points, plus there's nothing to guarantee that they both move up & down by equal amounts constantly other than the theory of the ram being in the mid point and being balanced (as best as is possible).

So it works, but not well enough.

So ideas are requested here on how to ensure the sides of the top module to not either have the freedom to rock/tilt forwards & backwards, or effectively rotate from side to side (ie one rod being lower than the other etc).

I wondered if adding some drawer runners (assuming they're decent ones that don't have lots of play) would do the job, but they need at least 13" travel.  I think they would prevent it from tilting forwards/backwards, but not from side to side, unless perhaps I fit a second pair on the back of the cab?

I'm all ears anyway guys.  Itching to do more but don't want to until I resolve this as it's a fundamental thing that it has to be steady when raised (when it's lowered it sits on its lowest 'stop' points and cannot really move so that's not really an issue).

Thanks for any ideas!!!

[Cretster]

These are the sort of things I'm thinking of - say one on each side to complement the existing rods/bearings, and one pair on the rear of the cab.  Given the construction/nature of these, there shouldn't be a lot of room for them to bend across their width (not thickness - if that makes any sense), so hopefully by covering 3 sides it'd keep it all pretty solid, but smooth with the bearings in them?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Double-Fully-Extension-Ball-Bearing-Drawer-Slide-Runners-Heavy-Duty-45kg-Runner-/330695818115?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Kitchen_KitchenFurniture_EH&var=&hash=item4cff01bb83

[bfauska]

I would be concerned that adding more things with basically the same goal and system (like adding drawer glides to the existing rods) would only add more points for binding and potentially make the movement jerky without really doing much to solidify the cabinet in the tall position.
The linear guides and rods you're using typically are supported on both ends with the item moving on them being mounted between the rigid mounts of the rod. I know that doesn't work here but could you brace the top of the rods to each other and/or add some diagonal bracing from the top of the rods to the bottom or back of the cabinet? Any wobble you are getting is probably the result of the rods flexing or moving in their wooden mounts in the bottom cabinet, if you can brace the top of the rods to each other and also brace them down to the back of the bottom cabinet at an angle you will be able to get rid of a lot of the flex.

[Cretster]

Thanks - that's an interesting thought and one that had certainly not occurred to me in the sense of securing them in that particular way.

I think I could probably make a sort of grid/frame for the top of the rods to secure into.  It should definitely improve it, but I don't know if it would be sufficient.  Hard to know but worth trying.

I did also consider that if I added all those drawer type sliders then it might work out better to remove the rods & linear bearings as it might be a bit of overkill and make them a bit superfluous.
again, hard to know which would be most beneficial without trying so since they're cheap, I might order one pair of those anyway for the rear of the cabinet, but make a brace in the meantime for the top of the rods.

Good thinking.

Ideally also, I think some sort of sprung mechanism would be good that secures the top once it reaches its top point.  That's probably not difficult to design & make, but I need to bear in mind that it should be quick & easy to release again for lowering it back down again.  Possibly even an electromagnetic bolt or two that lock it maybe?

[Cretster]

Hmmm, looking at the pics again, I think a brace for the top of the rods wouldn't be as easy as first thought. 
The issue is that when it's lowered down there's a lot of those rods exposed in the top half, without much support, but then when it's in the low position the cabinet is pretty secure anyway, so not an issue at that point.
In contrast, when it's raised, there's a little of the rod exposed at the end, but the only thing to secure this to is the top section itself, which it already effectively is secured to by the top pair of linear bearings (hope this makes sense), but a big distance between the top section and the bottom of the rods where they secure to the bottom section of cabinet.

BUT, if I perhaps ran a thick/solid spine piece or two from the lower cabinet up behind the whole thing (ie two beams with little to no flex) then it could have brace pieces that reach in from those to secure on the top of the rods.    They'd need to be no taller than the top of the machine in its lowered state.  This would then mean both ends of the rods are effectively secured against the main lower section of the carcass.

Hope I've explained that in a way that makes sense.

[bfauska]

If I'm reading your response correctly you are talking about the linear bearings themselves bracing the rods, but the problem is that the linear bearings are attached to the moving part and not the stationary part so the space between rods is fixed but they can still sway in relation to the lower cab and therefore the player. The super quick crappy red lines in my attached image show where I would add braces, 1 between the two rods at the top and then one from each of those corners down and back to the rear of the lower cab, creating a cross-brace that ties the top of the rods to the bottom of the cabinet.

[Cretster]

Yes of course!  Thanks - I see now.  Your awesome 'artists impression' is just what I needed.

That makes a lot of sense.  The only thing I would have to be careful of is bringing those braces near the front of the lower cabinet since they would cause a major obstruction to the fold down seat section (ie the front panel of the cabinet with side panels etc.  I'm sure I could work round that though and possibly include what I'd described as well too.

Thanks so much for the suggestion!

[Cretster]

Actually - I've just been and had a look at it and given it a wobble and on reflection I'm not sure the cross braces you describe will help.  When it's lowered they will help secure the tops but that's not a problem anyway.  When raised though, the rods can't sway other than forwards/backwards (due to any movement/weight of the top cab tilting).  The side to side movement is the top cab and linear bearings moving on the rods (one side up one side down, only a little) even if the rods are perfectly still.  Shouldn't really be able to with two of those bearings per rod as that should provide quite a bit of rigidity but my guess is the rods are just a fraction of a mm below the ideal diameter and this provides enough slack for it all to flex since any tiny movement there is amplified as a fulcrum point.

I might try it anyway in case I'm overlooking an angle to this.

[Cretster]

I think I have another solution now actually.  A mixture of ideas.

My friend called round and suggested I put stops on the two rods, above the exact position of the upper linear bearing.  This 'should' stop the side to side movement it can do when raised, since it prevents either side from moving any higher.  I.e. one side cannot rock lower, if the opposite side cannot move higher, and vice versa.  I think it's a great idea, and easy to implement.  I may include some sort of rubber damper so that it's easier to exactly align the stop point of the ram, with the limit positions of these new stoppers.

So that should solve the side to side motion.
Re' the front to back tilting, I still think a strong wooden spine (or metal box even) on either side at the rear of the cab, can have a brace extending inwards to prevent the rods flexing forwards & backwards.

I'll try to draw a picture as it might make more sense.

[Cretster]

Here's what I mean - the little red donut type bit gets fixed to the rod (screw through it) - not secured to the top cab half.  But it prevents that side of the top cab moving any further up than the actuator limit by rocking.  Same on other side.  Ergo, it can't then rock side to side.

The spine bit at the back shows on the inside of the cab but would actually be behind it all, but basically a solid timber running up the back, with a brace that comes in to the top of the rod and prevents it flexing forwards or backwards.  Therefore the second axis of unwanted movement is fixed.

Or something.  Hope that makes sense!!!

[hsr]

Cool project!  Is the 62t/64x going to allow you to play WaveRunner on this cabinet?

[Cretster]

Ha ha!!!  Good spot mate - it's from a squarenose superjet 650.  I was given it by my brother as needing engine mounts and an impeller pump housing.

After I got it home and started to disassemble it, I soon found water in the crankcase, so that was that.  A complete engine rebuild in the process now.  Just need to pull my finger out and put it together.
Then I need to gelcoat (flocoat) the bottom of the hull as it's rubbed right through.  Looks awful.

Might need a carb still, and a starter, and it has no exhaust currently.  Plus pump housing to be replaced.  Good few quid to be spent yet but at least I have everything for the engine itself.  Even painted it with real Yamaha engine paint!

Can't wait to have it ready to try - never owned one before, but have boat & kayak and just love being on the sea.  Specially living on an island!

Think I had an N64 emulator in it though so I can play waverace for practise!

[BadMouth]

Another idea I'll throw out there to keep things aligned:  angle stock and rollerblade bearings like people use for home built cnc machines:


I'd think one at each corner would keep things pretty straight.
Not sure I'd go with this configuration, but you get the idea.

[Cretster]

Another good idea from the look of it thanks.
I've got a load of these bearings left over from building my time lapse rig.
I think they would help smooth it and reduce unwanted movement but have to figure where best to fit them.
Afraid after another day of terrible neck pain, tramadol & valium, my creative mind isn't quite at its best right now!!!

[Cretster]

Well I got the top stops fitted to the rods last night, and also the 'spine' pieces at the back, with angle ally tethers reaching in to the top of the rods too. 




All seemed to be VERY nicely working in terms of stability, except that the bracket holding the top pf the ram then broke (it's a handlebar clamp from a minimoto, made of crappy cast alloy).  I'll sort the other one out and refit it.

I just bought some of the drawer runners I described in B&Q so I might add those potentially instead of the rods, OR at the back. 
The only real issue the whole mechanism has now, is that it binds in places.  The problem is due to tolerances in the assembly of various bits of wood  I should have really welded up a box steel frame then added panels afterwards.  Will inspect it now and see what spare bearings I've got, and where I can add them to help it run smoothly.

Getting closer to it working nicely though.

I also got the timber I need for the front panel, and seat type parts to a certain extent so I can start measuring and plotting for that too.

[Cretster]

Ok, I've spent the last couple of evenings making a right dog's dinner of this to be honest.  I've been going about it all wrong, and in all honesty, probably based around laziness.

I've had the lift motor attached and it was all able to move up & down, albeit a bit jerky and not how I wanted it.  So each point I've noticed a problem I've tried to correct, and this has gone on & on over a couple of evenings.  I did fit a set of 24" ball bearing drawer runners at the rear as well to help smooth it out.  Well, in hindsight, unsurprisingly it's made it all worse. 
It suddenly dawned on me (as it should have at the start) that I should not even be considering adding the motor until I know it can move smoothly and freely by hand up & down, otherwise I'm set from the start for a load of hassle, and that's exactly what's happened.  Took the motor out and found it was horrible still with bits binding and out of alignment etc.

So tomorrow evening all being well, I'm going back to the start of this slide process.  The new drawer runners will be fitted first at the rear, and carefully aligned so that the monitor module A) goes up straight (ie isn't attempting to creep towards one side or the other, and B) that they are nice and parallel to each other, so that it doesn't move freely in one bit but then pinch up further up or down the axis.

Once those are in place and it slides smoothly, I will then be in a position to re-align & re-attach the linear bearings/rods closer to the front of the cab.  I presume it will take a bit of mucking about at this stage to get it right but given the time I've wasted already I don't mind.  Once they're correctly aligned & in position it should be able to lift up & down freely by hand, without any tight spots.  Should also be fairly secure at this point in that it should neither be able to rock side to side, nor tilt front to back since it also has the spines/anchor points etc.

Then, and only then I'll re attach the lift motor, and see what happens.  It's so mind numbingly stupid not to have done it this way to begin with that I'm annoyed with myself.  Too keen to make it happen without planning it properly. 

As usual!!

[Cretster]

Success tonight at last.  Top half of cab moves freely up & down by hand & then subsequently by motor.  Yahoo!!!
Stops nicely at both ends of the actuator travel and is basically free from side to side wobble, or front to back rocking/tilting.  Result!!!  Very pleased.

So the next phase is to attempt to make a fold down front panel that houses the seat etc. 

Wish me luck, but hopefully I think that's the worst of it done now mechanically speaking. )

[lolomc2]

Crester, May I share what I made ?
Since this video, I have added a setting to get the pedals going up
If I would have only one suggestion for this project, it would be about a pico-projector instead of a real screen. Screen has to be too far from the head of the driver. Especially if you use a wide screen.

Regards,

[Cretster]

Thanks for sharing that mate and sorry for the slow response!

I really like that although it's quite different to the way mine will work in a few ways really.
I'm trying to work on the front panel/door section of mine currently but it's not quite as easy as I thought.  Only takes one measure/cut of wood to be 1 or 2mm  wrong at some point and it can cause s twist that can make everything a massive ballache.

Have limited space for a seat to fold into, so need to put some thought into that.  Once I get it mechanically fully functional then I need to figure out where all the electronics will squeeze in.

One thing I'm very curious about with your build if you don't mind clarifying, is in relation to the deployment of the steering wheel.  It appears that it powers into position by some means then perhaps locks in place.  Could you perhaps explain what mechanism you've used to do this please?

On my original machine, the wheel did a similar thing, albeint fully manually, so was attached to a hinged plate.  The front panel opened by hand, the wheel was then brought forwards into position, with the subsequently closed front panel wedging beneath it to secure it in place.  Not exactly ingenious but it worked ok.

I've got a second linear actuator but it only has 78mm of travel.  I was thinking I can use this to translate to roughly 90 degrees of swinging the wheel forward into position using a lever mechanism but it'll depend on a few things, and even then what I need to figure out is some means of securing it firmly in the 'play' position, which can then easily be released again for returning to the upright cabinet configuration.  Any thoughts on this?

Appreciate any info on the way yours is set up anyway as it looks like it moves very positively into place.

Thanks!
Jim

[lolomc2]

Hello Jim

Thanks for sharing that mate and sorry for the slow response!

I really like that although it's quite different to the way mine will work in a few ways really.
I'm trying to work on the front panel/door section of mine currently but it's not quite as easy as I thought.  Only takes one measure/cut of wood to be 1 or 2mm  wrong at some point and it can cause s twist that can make everything a massive ballache.

Have limited space for a seat to fold into, so need to put some thought into that.  Once I get it mechanically fully functional then I need to figure out where all the electronics will squeeze in.

This is what I made also... Stupidly, I did not think about wires. It was complicated to deal with that after. It is still a problem

One thing I'm very curious about with your build if you don't mind clarifying, is in relation to the deployment of the steering wheel.  It appears that it powers into position by some means then perhaps locks in place.  Could you perhaps explain what mechanism you've used to do this please?

You should have a look on the French forum where I described the project from the begining even if it is not translated. Pictures will be more helpful than the last video as you can not see anything because of wood panels.  A First interesting post and the second one

On my original machine, the wheel did a similar thing, albeint fully manually, so was attached to a hinged plate.  The front panel opened by hand, the wheel was then brought forwards into position, with the subsequently closed front panel wedging beneath it to secure it in place.  Not exactly ingenious but it worked ok.

Sorry but you lost me 

I've got a second linear actuator but it only has 78mm of travel.

You want to make it electric ? Nice challenge !!!

I was thinking I can use this to translate to roughly 90 degrees of swinging the wheel forward into position using a lever mechanism but it'll depend on a few things, and even then what I need to figure out is some means of securing it firmly in the 'play' position, which can then easily be released again for returning to the upright cabinet configuration.  Any thoughts on this?

This is a must to respect. It must be firmly locked and not moving at all, especially with a strong motor like G25 wheel. I used two cheap components which can be found in every door (sorry but my vocabulary is limited)

To release it, I tried two diffents things.  Firstly, I made a system with a cable between two cheap components. It is explained in the page on the French forum. Was working perfectly ! But after five-six times, it had to be unscrewed to be screwed again.... I tried several things but nothing lasts correctly... I know how to make it definitively fine but from now, it is a big job to modify it so I replaced the system with two, one on each side, pusbutton (see video)

Appreciate any info on the way yours is set up anyway as it looks like it moves very positively into place.

Honestly, from the complete system I made, this is, with the pedals, what makes me the most proud of. I just regret that "three" hands are needed to released it (can be seen on the video : two hands for pushbuttons and one hand, my head, to push on the wheel)

Rgs,

[Cretster]

Thanks for the reply and the links mate, that's great!

I haven't read yet as my iPad wasn't translating but the pictures show a lot of effort!

I kinda wish I'd made a welded frame for this from the outside really.  Everything would have been really accurate then and unable to flex.

But yeah, the up/down movement of mine is motorised and works well now, so I'd like to do the same with the wheel if I can.

[Cretster]

Now I have a front cabinet door at last, which folds down ready for a seat to be arranged for it.

It's not the prettiest thing in the world right now but this can be resolved.  The width of the front opening in a nuisance as it's wider than most panels I can easily get from B&Q (typically 2 foot wide where this needs to be closer to 32" wide).  So i have got some thicker battens running along it to make up the width and fit, and to add strength.  Tonight, I plan on dropping the monitor section with the panel down, so that I can figure out how & where the wheel, pedals & seat need to ideally be positioned relative to the screen.  Then I can work on adapting them all to fit accordingly.





Pleased though as it's progress after a while being too crippled to really do anything.

I also need to figure out a bunch of wiring.  More on that later though....

[Cretster]

Ok, I've got a provisional attachment of the wheel in position now so it can swing between attached to the front of the control panel, or swing down inside the cabinet for stand up (non driving) mode.
It's a bit crude and nothing in place to secure it at either position yet, plus it's literally just on hinges, not motorised at all, but it works and fits ok etc so is a good starting point.

I need to think about refining this so that it can have the second actuator moving the wheel in & out of position via leverage, and so it locks positively in place once raised.

One thing I also need to figure out is the electrics system for the powered parts to ensure nothing moves at the wrong time (ie leading to the cabinet ripping itself apart etc).
So effectively things like the following:

1) A switch for the front door (seat section) being upright /closed, which disables the entire lift motor circuit if the door is closed.
2) The lift motor is a simple +/- 2 wire input for power/control.  It has built in end stops either end so if the power is connected it stops anyway, but I need some sort of switch that will swap the input polarity basically.  I could do it with an arduino I suppose with inputs & outputs and motor controllers etc but a simple forwards/backwards rocker type thing that swaps the polarity of the battery wires effectively would do for now.  Not sure what the proper name would be for a switch that does that, or that sort of control method etc.

Need to go modify the board the wheel is attached to anyway as it interferes a tiny bit with the lift actuator, so I need to cut a section out and move one of the hinges.
Hoping to replace all that cheap setup with welded box section and bearings though in due course.

[Cretster]

Getting this sodding thing into the house is going to be interesting once it's built.  Was hoping to keep it so that it could be assembled in situ as completed modules but not looking that easy to do.

Certainly not fitting any electronics to it until it's in place (other than motor control), which I need to figure out.

[Cretster]

I think this is all I'd need for controlling the direction of the top half of the cabinet actually, linking the power supply to the motor?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201255011472?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

Should be the same for the ram that hopefully will move the steering wheel in & out of position too, but I've not got the measurements/angles etc quite right for getting that all figured out just yet.

[BadMouth]

I think this is all I'd need for controlling the direction of the top half of the cabinet actually, linking the power supply to the motor?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201255011472?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

Should be the same for the ram that hopefully will move the steering wheel in & out of position too, but I've not got the measurements/angles etc quite right for getting that all figured out just yet.

Any double position, double throw switch that can handle the current would do.
The one you linked to is just pre-wired for that purpose.  For that price why not. 

If you want choreographed movement of multiple things, you'd need a motor controller.
https://www.pololu.com/category/94/pololu-simple-motor-controllers
I used one of these for my monitor rotation.  It can be controlled via batch file or autohotkey script.
You might have to add a heatsink depending on how much current you're pulling.

If going that route, I'm thinking a switch under a cover wired to your keyboard encoder which triggers the script.
Might require an emergency stop. 

[Cretster]

Thanks - have got an estop I could use from my partly finished CNC machine conversion.

I've bought a couple of those switches but unwired and I'll add that myself as there didn't seem to be pre wired ones in the UK so I'd have been waiting weeks.
Yeah I use Pololus on my 3D printer and on a timelapse rail i built so I like those, although with these being normal 2 wire DC motors I think I need a more basic DC controller like LN988 or whatever the last one I got was....

I can then use an arduino to control the timing of each event potentially rather than have to press each button manually.  The difference will be the seat section can probably be released and lower smoothly down on gas struts but will have to be lifted by hand back up again.