June 19, 2014

Outer Feet - New foot internal frame work 1.4

I had two choices:
  1. To modify the internal wood frame work to accept the new wheel and motor arrangment. Wood/Metal hybrid?
  2. To build a new metal 'frame' based on design's already used by other builders?
Neither is a quick solution.
Am going to go with new metal internal frame works. Going to follow, attempt to follow, a now tried an tested method of assembling  a 'flat pack style' frame work.

Outer Foot Shell - R5D4

For more details, see Astromech.net.

So I ordered some metal plate as a starting point. 300x300x3mm thick.

Outer Foot R5-D4
Above pic is sheet 1 of the two bought. I then made a carboard template and worked out best position for the wheel and fixing bolts.

I needed some spacers to fit between the wheels and the side plates.
So turned some up out of Brass bar.
I didn't fancy replacing these at a later date and the bar was to hand.
To reduce some of it's weight I turned a step diameter to produced 'flanged' ends.

Wheel spacers
M8 x 80mm long bolts are ordered for the main wheel's.

Next I got out my (my Dad's) angle grinder, that I 'borrowed/was lent' about 15 years ago lol, and got to work cutting out the sections. For my first attempt's at cutting, and comments I've recieved, I didn't do a bad job of cutting straight edges!

R5D4 feet



In work I used the piller drill to drill accuratly the two holes for the main wheel bolt.

I used the works guillotine to cut two strips which will be welded across the top,
to the sides to form a box section.

After measuring the distance between the wheel and gear on the motor, I marked an arc from the centre of the wheel bolt. This helped me to determin the best position for the motor to fit inside my Foot Sheel. As there's not much room. I roughly marked an opening area on the inside face of the foot shell and cut it out.
R5D4 Feet

R5D4 foot shell

R5D4 wheel & motor

R5D4 wheel & motor
Next is to drill holes, but that's a 'back in work' job......

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