Main > Driving & Racing Cabinets

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

<< < (6/22) > >>

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. )

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page