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Building a Star wars yoke from scratch
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menace:
thanks!
GamingGreg:
I imagine that finding some springs with the right strength will be tricky.  They need to be strong enough to return you to center, but not so strong as to make manuvering the control difficult.  I believe you can find rotational springs (is that the right term?) like the original yoke used, but I'm not sure where (hobby store maybe).  I have seen some yoke designs (such as Joey's) that use just a standard pull spring that is pulled and partially wrapped around the axis. So that's another option.

Menace,

I'm looking forward to more pics and your writeup when you're done (no pressure).  I'm still curious as to what kind of turntable bearing you've found that holds those two pieces together (and also where you found it). Also I'm curious as to how you attached the grips to the pipe.

Anyway, thanks again for insipiring us all.  I really want to make a yoke now too!
menace:
I have it all together now, and am probably going to finish the writeup-tonight or tomorrow--i hit a few snags and had to back track, but the writeup shouldn't reflect that.  There are no weird or hard to find parts on this entire build (with the exception of the grips--other than dollar stores, walmart or others, i don't know who cares them with regularity.)  Oddly enough the write-up is taking as long as the construction since I had to stop and document what I was doing before I got too carried away--be warned, there are still going to be some leaps of engineering required on the part of the builder ;)

I will then pass the doc to tiger-heli for a proof read and then post away--here's an almost finished pic to keep the interest up  ;D
Gamecab:
Menace,

I really like it.  It's a nice design and looks pretty easy to build.  I am also Impressed by your choice in gears, they look to be the same ratio as the gears that I purchase.  

I just wish I was able to duplicate a plastic version of the SW grips that were loaned to me.  The SW grip duplication was a project that I was working on but I kept getting too many air bubbles in my latex molds.  After $150 in Latex I decided to give up.  I may dust off and complete my Road Blaster Grips as they are plastic and seem to take to a latex mold with less air pockets.  I'll let you know if I can manage to duplicate those grips, if your interested.
Xiaou2:
menace, nice so far.  needs a bit of tweaking still i think...


  the metal y shaft looks like it has threads.  these will eat away at the wood where it rest, like a saw!  

 you could attach a smooth metal surround piece to act as a brushing to protect the wood.

 the cotter pins will probably wear into the wooden sides and carve into them.  this may also cause the springs damage... as well as the pins comming loose or bending

 the metal ends that attack to the wood arnt so pretty...  in my design... i took a thick wooden dowel and drilled a hole though it.  then glued the dowel to the hand grips (after sawing in the correct angle)   Since your grips need a greater surface strength - you could use a simuar technique but just glue the dowels to the woodblocks.   Youll still want to pop 2 or 3 micro screws into the dowel fron the woodblock side - for additional strength)    

  you can use the dowels as a means to keep the shaft from moving.  leaving just enough space for smooth movment.  
 
  Drilling  holes thru the dowels.. you then screw in some bolts into the shaft.  the nuts will be on the underside of the dowel so as to be invisible yet easy to access later on - if ever needed.

 funny enough... we both ended up using the same gears! : )  they are great.  heavy duty, and good depth so as not to slip.

 the springs look too flimbsy.  you may want heavier duty ones (thicker gauge).   Also.. you may want to use a different type of spring for the x axis - as shown in the original picture (cant recall the name of those types of springs) - as they would be better to return the thing to the center properly.

 the kind of springs you used will strecth out of whack in a short time period and cause the centering to be off... as well as maybe making an odd echo-ing stretching noise...

 ill try to pop some more pics of my yoke up soon for examples..

see dowel on upper middle part...  ill try to snap better pics later...

 

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