Studio Scale AT AT With Full Animation Armature

[Big C]

Sweet Jesus What swgeek said: knowing now what it takes to do such work on the legs makes me doubt my abilities to reproduce such stellar workmanship! I'll just stand back and relax, looking at you and your efforts into engineering the whole thing by yourself
You're raising the "Cool Bar" at every update!

Thanks joberg! Having a CNC mill really helps with having stuff look perfect. Even though these parts were made the same way on the originals, I still sometimes feel like I'm cheating CNCing it all.
I'm looking forward to the body and head modeling. I haven't done that kind of hands on model making in a very long time. Keeping that work up to standard will be challenging and fun!

 

[Big C]

And here is the knee plate rotator mechanism mockup! Tan parts are CNCed ABS. Grey parts are 3D printed. I thought printing the ring holder and ring would save time but the cleanup and fitting took longer than if I had CNCed 'em in the first place. Live and learn.

Gears are CNCed Delrin. I might do them in brass on the final parts just for fun. Some small tweaks need to be done but overall it works well.

I have no idea if this is how the mechanism was put together on the originals. With the exception of Phil Tippett mentioning in Light and Magic that there was a mechanism and two small clues from photos, there really is no other information I have been able to find.

I guess I'll just have to wait for George to invite me over with a bag of tools so I can dismantle one of the original models and see how it was done.

Short video shows it working. Set to some funky music of course for y 'all's viewing enjoyment!

Now that this thing is working, I'll be getting back to making aluminum parts.

 

[JediMichael]

Was thinking I hadn't seen an update in a while....and then saw I missed a few posts from the last page.
The more I see, the more you just have to really appreciate how the model was made back then. Just that level of engineering for a few mins of screen time.
For a long time, knowing they were stop-motion, I just figured every single part on the model had to be moved just a tiny bit every single frame.
So all that engineering sure helped with that with moving part of the leg and the little moving parts moved with it.
Like the music from the little video, been listening to 60s music the past few days, so its very similar.
And just that you have been able to recreate all these little parts and are making them work....amazing.

 

[joberg]

Show-off!! No, seriously; every update means pushing the bar higher with you build.
I ain't worthy Big C

 

[Big C]

Show-off!! No, seriously; every update means pushing the bar higher with you build.
I ain't worthy Big C

Thanks for the kind words joberg! Judging by your models and comments here on RPF I'd say I have a LOT to learn!

 

[Sym-Cha]

Okay, I'm out the door ... walking the dog ... this is way beyond my comprehension ... ciao

Chaïm

 

[joberg]

Thanks for the kind words joberg! Judging by your models and comments here on RPF I'd say I have a LOT to learn!

Well; I'm learning right now Big C. : looking at every update/video and at your workmanship is an invaluable tuto