Judd McStudd Sees

Drunken Discovery

So, the reason the mech seems drunk is a: the front is heavier than the back, moving the center of gravity forward and b:

Bent bolts

 Replacing them with 3/8" ones... they were expensive: $21 for 8 and their lock washers!

Improvement!

And since I used gorilla glue instead of PVC cement and primer things are coming apart: some pop rivents and a prayer might do the trick:

Drunk Mech

Leggums and Lumber

Stasis dock fell over:

 

Entire thing wobbles like a paralellogram and tips onto the sides too easily.  Screws ought to do the trick:

Some all-terrain tires

And a lateral stabilizer!  Try falling over now!

Then Linking the shins to the body aka thighs.  I quite like how the different sizes mesh together

Manly chest.

Modeled a chest

Made the chest

Properly mounted the chest

What more could a guy want?

Cats and Armor

So I'm at my folks place watching the cat, Lucky.

We have a sort of wizardy-familiar thing going on: started when he was a wee little abandoned kitten and I bottle fed him and took care of his poopers (you don't want to know about that bit of business).  Now ten years later he occasionally wanders over to say hello, and I can occasionally pick him up without too much hassle, although when I first got there this week he didn't leave my arms for a good 10 minutes or so.  Things have been different around the house since my dad retired, and with my parents leaving on vacation poor little fellow might have thought everyone died.  His only experience with death has been other pets of the house being sick before disappearing, usually with a somber atmosphere similar to that surrounding my dads retirement (life changes, ya know?).  Could I be reading too much into the cat? Perhaps.

Yet since he's tried using doorknobs, opening windows - and was quite surprised when he discovered that a ceramic plate could break- I wouldn't put anything past him.

Anyway, onto the good stuff!

 I brought some materials with me to build some back paneling, when much to my surprise I find that the aluminum flashing is impure!  Must be copper or something...

Still works the same though.

Taping things in place while I drill the rivet holes.

Thank god for my parents basement: its over 100 degrees upstairs!

And the finished... thing.  About 3 feet tall.

Test Run

The legs do rub a bit. I like how they flare out but the main problem is they flop about because the only structural support is on the front. Technically they're supposed to be flush with the sides. If I keep 'em from wiggling there would probably be very little rubbing. Of course I also forgot to put on the belt strap, so the entire thing was flopping around on my back.

There is a lot of flopping at the moment.

Adding the weight of the torso onto the shins means I need more bungees to give proper resistance for the ankles. Gonna change the bungee hookes out for some bungee cord (off a spool!) instead. I'm also working on a lighter shin subframe, because the current ones weight about 20-30lbs!

Livestream Test

Finally figured out how to livestream.  At 720p.  From a tablet.  During peak hours.

Arming Up

I got 2 pairs of boxing gloves at a local thriftstore.  Enough for a pair of fighting bots I guess :P

Started making the various bits out of metal:

Workflow is a bit different than carboard/papercraft.  You start out tracing from the paper pattern onto the sheet, but instead of directly cutting it out you just  score the metal with a knife and then tear along the seam.  It quite satisfying to rip metal into all the funny little patterns.

Secured to the frame with bolts and some funky inner PVC framing that seemed simple but took up most of an afternoon.

 I put an outer sheathing on the elbow cables so they have more protection and look pretty cool.  I have no idea where the sheathing came from: found about a hundred feet of it all curled up in the bushes behind the house.

The "hands" in the glove is just a 2x4 slid into it, bolted onto the PVC frame.

The shoulders were quite an experience, using about 40 rivets each.  I'm banking on the duct tape wearing off.  Or I'm gonna need a wire brush.

Mounted in various ways (aka a stap, a floating ball and socket joint) the shoulders are looking interesting.  Using some fun noodles to give an interesting shape and act as a cushion from the projected jiggling the shoulders are gonna experience.

On a separate thrift store trip I got a skull and sparring helmet. Every 'bot needs a head, right?

Spoopy scary.

First Time Suiting Up

Have everything together to try it on for size:

A few things appear to me right off the bat:

- Seat is unstable: perched on 3 posts wasn't my brightest idea.
-With such a narrow base, the stasis dock can tip backwards easily, especially with a loaded boom arm
- The step ladder is good if someone wants to try out the arms (e.g. exhibition) but for a full suit-up a step built into the stasis dock base would be handy.

Stasis Docks and broken feet.

Since spring is here, my van has finally defrosted from its snow bank.  I went on a supply run to get some lumber and PVC for a new stasis dock.

There are four casters on each corner.  The front two swivel, while the back two do not but lock to keep the unit from sliding away when suiting up.

An adjustable boom arm is useful making a variable height for suiting up.  Note: adjustment of the boom arm under load is not recommended.

Wrestled the torso onto the stasis dock.  Spent a good few hours trying to find the winch and hook from the first stasis dock.  Turns out they were hanging on a the coatrack near the door behind an extension cord and garden hose.

The feet broke up in the last video.  RIP feet.  The mech has been de-feeted before it has even fought!

So I've come up with a simple, robust design.

And reinforced it.

Stay tuned for a video testing out the stasis dock!