R5's dome rotation upgrade 1.7 - metal ring

I needed to add some more pads & had Steve add some more tabs to help centralize the metal band. I was considering weight against thickness, but the thicker metal may have been a better choice in helping to reduce flex of the band. The additional pads and tabs should hopefully help with this. Found that these were not actually needed.

Next up was preparing the ring for painting. I'd already lightly sanded the ring and edges to key the surface and deburr the edges. I then used pin stripe tap to line edge & mask off for spraying up.

Using the original skin, I'd measured up about 25mm.

I then wrapped around the pin stripe tape and then masking tape.

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Now Easter break is over, I was able to get back on with sorting out the new neck ring. It's not been easy, lol, with the dome in work sorting neck ring and clearance with the new bearing. Then taking the bearing and un-attached neck home, to check it all works on the body with the motor etc.

Well....... due to my unique skills, lol, the ring needed to be re-worked a bit. Then it was time to screw it all back onto R5's dome.

Glass fiber filler the gap between the metal ring and the wood. This was applied via the inside to also give some extra strength to the wood angled piece.

Wood filler applied:

This was then sanded smooth once dried. This side needed a bit more than the other.

Next up was primer. So I bagged up the dome and masking taped it off at the edge.
Using works spray booth makes life easier and breathable lol.

Due to time, I didn't take any pics of spraying up white, but it was the same as the grey pic lol. This work was done yesterday and left over night, to stink out works workshop.

This mornings little project was applying the neck's silver tape. Now, you can/could use silver spray paint, but this tape matches the other tape used on other parts of R5. Plus it re-matches the original he previously had.

Goes on easy'ish, then used a cloth to smooth out all the edges & wrinkles. Next up was to trim off the excess.

Once I'd finished this, it was back into the spray booth to clear coat the new paint and silver tape.
Then once it was dry, it was de-bag time.

The white, is WHITE lol, so will need to be dirtied up a bit before Saturday's Lego Land event! It's amazing to see the colour difference over the time since I'd originally sprayed up R5's dome. Hopefully this should last him a few more years.

R5's dome rotation upgrade 1.6 - metal ring

My co-worker Steve, who's just a little bit handy with welding, said he'd be able to roll and weld up the new lower dome ring. So I drew up some sketches and talked through what would be needed. He then took the metal strip home over the weekend and got to cutting and welding.

this supplier has materials & options available to be cut to your own required sizes.

Metals4U

The cut material didn't need much deburring, only along one edge. This option is available on contacting the company. Steve welded on four 'tabs' that would be drilled and countersunk/t-nut's fitted to the wood part of the ring. The ring then screwed back in place onto the dome itself.

Welded ring with location tabs

This just shows the fit and tab position. The bearing isn't shown, hence the tab to wood gap.

Next was to mark and drill fixing holes in the tabs.

Next was to then press fit in the t-nuts and screw in the counter sunk bolts.

And of course, the test fit on the dome (held in place for photo)

The gap was needed as wanted to ensure correct fit, and wood being wood, it's not perfect lol. The gap fill be filled with fiberglass & resin, then smoothed off with filler.

This metal ring add's strength to the lower neck.