Centre Leg - Film version **UPDATE 1.4**

So i got home from work Friday 26th and gave the components a lite sanding over the primer paint.

I then set up my hi tech spray booth........My cardboard box......and set up the components for spraying. After a few coats, I left them to dry. It has been very hot here in the UK the last few days, so it wouldn't take long to dry.

new all white components

Saturday again the weather was fair, after a massive thunder storm early hours of the morning.
Out came my spray booth and i got on with clear coating the components. Again, these didn't take long to dry. A few hours later, I started to fit the components onto R5's centre leg and foot shell. They all fitted.

I dug out a tube of silicone sealant, but it had gone off at the ends. I cut it open to find the inside middle was still okay, so I scooped the good stuff out and used some to fix the front and rear ankle details onto the centre leg. Applied some masking tape to secure in place till it had set.

silicon applied to fix ankle details in place

ankle details taped into place till silicone set

The new centre leg & foot shell, pre-weathering

Rear ankle detail taped into place

Just back from a weeks mini-break..... Next up was to weather the new components to better blend in.

New Centre Leg - 1.7 - Installation

So last night I started to re-assemble all the components for R5's new centre leg.

• First off was fitting the internal wheel platform into the foot shell.
• Then the locking bolt through the angle & Leg & into the M5 thread in the other angle.
• And next the M10 ankle bolt/locking washer/nut.
• On went the two side panel, half moon details.
• And finally, fitting the assemble up and into the bottom slot, where it was clamped with the two pieces of aluminium angle.

I did have to remove the cylinder holder to fit the wheel platform as the shell needs to move slightly to be able to fit the M10 bolt head into the shell. This is not a problem as the holder just pops snugly back in.

I've posted up on R5's Facebook page, the UK R2 Builders & the R2 Builders and have had good positive feed back, which coming from more experienced builders is great :)

One such comment was 'your the first to do this' !

Praise in deed, thanks.

New Centre Leg - 1.6 - White paint & Dirt

So here's the new centre leg all sprayed up in white with clear coat too.
Ankle cylinder unit and holder fitted in place too.

I did have a problem with fitting the cylinder holder, so had to trim some wood of it's inside curve edge. But it's not noticeable.

Next comes the weathering. This is the start so far.

Paint it on, burnt umber, then allow to dry, before wiping off excess.

New Centre Leg - 1.5 - Primer & Bush

After some more sanding of filler. I next cut up a piece of 8mm dia dowell. This was instead of the planned two screws to hold on the cylinder holder. This way it can all be removed without damage to the cylinder. I actually only used one piece, not two, to allow it to pivot in fitting and removal, along with the cylinder. The previously drilled holes were filled with wood filler.

Later on, after some more sanding, I applied some grey primer. This helps to show up spots missed that need more wood filler lol. Not going for perfection mind as this goes towards the 'used' look of R5.

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Also machined up a brass bush to push fit into the ankle hole. I included a washer style end to aid the extra piece of material I added for the thickness. To reduce any stress on it and prevent splitting.

Next is white paint.......

New Centre Leg - 1.4 - Cylinder work

So Friday night's I managed 2 hrs work, re-drilled cylinder location fixing holes. Happier with position now. Played with position of new leg in centre foot to get the right angle, clearance over the foot sheel. Trimmed down the curve edge of cylinder holder to better fit the width of the leg. Touched up with some more wood filler on the ankle curved area. Cut a spacer as centre leg ankle was actually a bit to thin for my foot channel. Marked location hole position for locking the leg inside body base.

Monday mornings work was to drill through the centre foot's ankle angle brackets for the locking bolt. I used a M5 hex socket bolt I had left over from the outher foot metal builds. This might seem easy but with limited free hands and no clamps available lol..... But I got it done. 

Next was the new set of two holes needed to clamp the L brackets onto the tongue that fit's up inside R5's body. I couldn't use the original holes drilled because they were 'special*' lol.

Last was to cut off the excess material not now needed for securing the centre leg. I then drilled, glued and applied wood filler to the extra piece of wood to make up the correct width.

* and by 'special' I mean there was no way I would of been able to align these original holes lol

New Centre Leg - 1.3 - Ankle Cylinder

As only one or the other centre leg will ever be used at one time, I'm going to swap over one of the ankle cylinders to the new Centre Leg when in use. The wedge is already fitted to the cylinder, so I don't need to make a new one of these.

But I will need to make a new ankle cylinder holder. I have to make a new cylinder holder as the centre legs don't have these and the outer legs need the ones already fitted to them.

So I found a scrap piece of 18mm thick wood and shaped it to fit. Unlike the other holders [which are fixed to the cylinders] this one will be screwed onto the centre leg.

I marked hole positions onto the leg for the cylinder fixing dowels to push into.

 pictures of holes

picture of cylinder fitted position

I've done things this way so that the curved angle is right and matches up with the angle on the cylinder wedge.

Next is a brass bush for the bolt hole......

Weathering 1.3 - Body, Leg, Outer Foot and Battery Box

My attempt at weathing R5's body. Started next to the fitted rear hatch and worked my way round. The Leg got in the way so moved onto this lol. This then led down to the Battery Box. I then turned him round and carried on with the Body, working down to his skirt (no pics yet).

I got round as far as the Centre Vent's but didn't take pictures, will do for next post.

This is by no means perfect, not that it's supposed to be, just my interpretation.

Horseshoe No2 - Hydraulic & Buttons fitted

To make space in the bedroom [keeping the wife happy] I took the Horseshoe back out to the garage and fitted [bolted] the Hydraulic & the two Buttons back on. Then fitted the spacer and finally, pushed the location pegs into the holes on the Leg.

Leg No2, is now complete :)

Ankle Cylinder for Main Leg No.2 - 2.2

I've eventually got round to taking some photos, don't really like to post without them, as it's a bit boring and a picture makes things easier to understand :)

Well I drilled, out the two wood pieces and then PVA glued in the two 'dowels'.

Next I lightly sanded over the wood filler around the end caps and all over the plastic tube to help key it for primer.

Followed by silver, masked off areas, and once dried and re-masked off, blue :)
Here it is in bits, again.

Main Leg 2 - 2.4 - Ankle work [bracelet & wedge]

Ankle
I marked out the curve section needed on the two blocks I'll be using to make up the ankle. I also marked where I need to drill counter sunk holes to fix them to the leg.

Image is from first Leg build

Did this then screwed them on. Next I used my trusty saw to cut chunks off to shape. Then I used a file to smooth over. I then used dowel cut to length to plug the screw holes. The next step was to apply wood filler all over and sand all over....again.

Image is from first Leg build

Had a 'lost item' moment last night. I couldn't find my Ankle Cylinder Holder ????? I'd taken it out of the storage tin to remind myself what needed to be done, if anything, to it. Then........it was gone!?!?! I'd had a bit of a tidy up to make some space and yes, you guessed it, it had fallen into my box of off-cuts! Phew....... :D

Ankle Braclet:
Marked out the Ankle Bracelet for the 2nd leg & cut it out. Then measured my leg and cut the inside of the Ankle Bracelet to fit it. I then marked up and drilled a location hole for the Leg Strut to fit into. Next up I applied watered down PVA glue all over and allowed this to soak in and dry. This hardens the wood and seals the cut edges, which stops the spray paint from being absorbed into the wood and gives a better finish.

Image is from first Leg build. Wood filler to underside of bracelet

I then applied wood filler to the underside of the Ankle Bracelet, that may be visable to anyone on all fours looking up underneath R5, lol. This will smooth over the textured underside of the hardboard :). I then fitted the Booster Strut in place and secured the support angle with a screw. The bottom of the strut fitted into the hole in the Ankle Bracelet. Some wood filler was applied to the gap between the bracelet and the lower ankle area.

Ankle Wedge:

Cut out a piece of 3mm hardboard to make the ankle wedge front panel. I angled the back faces to fit flush up against the angle face of the ankle and the curved part of the cylinder. Next I applied masking tape all over the cylinder & angled face of the ankle and applied p40 resin to fill the gap & build the sides. Once dried, this new piece came away easily and was then ready for trimming of the excess P40 resin and then filling any gaps with wood filler. Once all this was dried, I drilled and screwed the new Ankle Wedge and also the Cylinder holder onto the Ankle Cylinder. Once painted, these become a one piece item which is then held on the leg via the fixing method mentioned in prev post.

Image is from previous wedge build. This image shows sides and P40 resin.
For the last wedge, I didn't use sides.

The weather has been very cold, so build time has been limited, hence lack of photos. I will take some up-to-date ones soon.

Leg 1 update

Clear sprayed Leg No1 up, don't know or remember why I'd not done it before now, apart from the Horse shoe, it's completed ??? lol

 

Then I fitted the Ankle Cylinder/wedge/cylinder holder combo in place, this just clips over the holders [click here for how I made these]. Then glued on the Ankle Details. Used silicone sealant to hold the ends of the Ankle bracelet on, then screwed it down. The screw will be covered by the Booster cover. I then fitted and screwed the Booster Strut in place and finally used sealant on the dowels again, to fit the Booster Cover in place.

Drilled and threaded some holes in the shoulder stabilisers and clearance holes in the metal back plate. Then screwed in two cut down 6BA screws to hold in place. Thought this would be easier to hold them in the leg when the back plate is silicone'd into the shoulder socket.

 

Ankle Cylinder / Wedge No3 - 1.3 - paint

Sanded the wood filler smooth, then sprayed primer all over.

Masked off into sections and then sprayed silver.

Once dried, re-masked off and sprayed with blue metallic paint.

A mishap with the masking tape ment i had to redo one silver side of cylinder :-(
So sanded, re-primed and then silver sprayed again!

Cylinder holder attached with a screw. fitted,looks good. Finally finished off with clear lacquer.

Ankle Cylinder Holder 1.4 - paint

Cylinder holder sprayed white.

Just needs clear spray paint and attaching to the Ankle Cylinder.

Ankle Cylinder Holder 1.3

Applied more wood filler to cylinder holders bottom edge, to cover the wood grain and to make smoother. Once dried, it was sanded.

Requires a little more sanding  and then I'll re-primer it.

Leg Assembly 1.7, Ankle Cylinder fitting

Ankle Cylinder fixings.


10mm dia drill bit, clearance for dowel 9mm dia. (bought original to make the under shoulder stabilisers)

Marked position on leg, then drilled holes with 8mm dia drill bit.

Then pushed the dowels into the holes and glued them into the cylinder fixings.

I then carefully trimmed down the dowels diameter till it was a tight fit in the holes.

Cylinder with fixings in place, trial fit

Wood glue, dowels into fixings

A quick mock-up

Marked up where the ankle slot needs to go on the flat face.

Next is screws, primer, filler, more painting....... oh yeah and an ankle wedge, almost forgot