Build Log: ED-209 Stop Motion Armature

Thanks so much!

Finally a build update! I feel like my pace is slightly slower than Mountain Man from Duck Dynasty. If you don't know anything about Duck Dynasty, disregard my analogy, and just know that I'm inching along on this build. Anyway, on to the update:

OK, you've shamed me into making some more progress on my ED!

Stunning work. Some people might not understand how small the foot actually is to fit all the moving parts. Perhaps the usual beer can shot for scale?

Cheers

Neil
 
OK, you've shamed me into making some more progress on my ED!

Stunning work. Some people might not understand how small the foot actually is to fit all the moving parts. Perhaps the usual beer can shot for scale?

Cheers

Neil

Thanks Neil. I've been waiting for your next ED update with bated breath! I didn't have a beer can but did have an apple. Scale reference shot, as you wish:

 
WOW, this is all super impressive!!

Amazing stuff. Great progress!

Thanks guys.

Yesterday, I re-machined the 'shin' piece and connected it to the universal joint. I'll spare you the 'shin bone connected to the ..." commentary. This added significant weight the the universal joint. Slitting the end pieces is necessary so I can clamp and maintain the foot position. Next steps I hope to complete tonight:



I'll post progress...
 
Stay out of trouble!

Looking very good, keep up the great work.

Greetings from the netherlands,

BasD

Thanks! Another design quick update:

Before I cut the 'toes' I want to ensure things are going to sit flat. Here's a pic of my problem:



A re-design that takes care of the problem and improves my ability to adjust the toe shell laterally.





Sorry it's not a build update. But getting this kind of stuff worked out prior to spending time in the shop saves much frustration.
 
Love those updates, even if it's the blueprint (and what a beautiful blueprint at that). Yep, better be prepared with that kind of project; aluminium is not cheap if you make mistakes.
 
Love those updates, even if it's the blueprint (and what a beautiful blueprint at that). Yep, better be prepared with that kind of project; aluminium is not cheap if you make mistakes.

This is going to be awesome!

Thanks guys! joberg - Nothing has been cheap about this project!! :$

Build update. I had some time this weekend to work on the toes and foot and come 'one step' closer to finishing a major assembly. But 'two steps forward and one step back' as you'll soon see. And I'm not apologizing for the puns. :lol

Milling slots in the knuckles which connect as a hinge joint with the toes:





The toes require an odd angle so they can sit flat. I constructed a quick styrene piece to help align the piece for milling:







Next, I milled the other side of the hinge joint (x3):





Here's the fruit of all the labor:



The hinge joint is finished by two teflon washers in each assembly. I did a lot of internet searches for teflon washers small enough for this joint. What I found was too expensive. So, I made my own.

I bought a 12"x6"x.015" sheet of PTFT from Amazon for $6:


I also bought a punch and die set from Harbor Freight Tools for $24:


I also used a Waldron punch set I've had for years. Scale model building is my core skill set. The Waldron set was part of my scale modeling tool set:


A few minutes later, I had 6 really small washers .015" thick. That's a #2-56 screw for scale:



Here's a few shots of the foot so far:







Now onto two problems that halted further progress. First, cutting the slots in the universal joint proved challenging. The slot is .010" thick and the slitting saw is very thin. The deeper I cut the slot the more my saw blade wandered from the line! GRRRRRRR!!!! Luckily, I had enough foresight to try it on a scrap piece. If anyone has any advise on using a slitting saw, please PM me. Here's a few pics:






The second problem was with my radius jig. Evidently, I milled one side of the jig slightly off-center. So the radius (again on a scrap piece) turned out wonky. Although this is frustrating, I know how to fix it. Once I repair the jig, then I can radius all the toe pieces and complete the final assembly:







So there it is. Hopefully I can overcome these two issues this week and complete this assembly. Thanks for following along!
 
It's funny, but seeing the foot, I couldn't help to do the sound effect of the walk...great work and good luck with that saw:)
 
That is a great build!!!
Thanks for sharing your progress with us.

Now onto two problems that halted further progress. First, cutting the slots in the universal joint proved challenging. The slot is .010" thick and the slitting saw is very thin. The deeper I cut the slot the more my saw blade wandered from the line! GRRRRRRR!!!! Luckily, I had enough foresight to try it on a scrap piece. If anyone has any advise on using a slitting saw, please PM me. Here's a few pics:

Regard the slotting problem.
I had great success with either slotting multiple parts at once or adding some scrap peaces on boathouse sides to give it more support.
Temperature could be a second problem.
Did u try to cool it with some lubricant or ethanol?

Sins the blade is that thin it tends to warp.
So cooling and going slow should help.

You could go with a thicker plate,
like 0.5mm.
That would give u also more freedom with clamping.
 
That is a great build!!!
Thanks for sharing your progress with us.

Regard the slotting problem.
I had great success with either slotting multiple parts at once or adding some scrap peaces on boathouse sides to give it more support.
Temperature could be a second problem.
Did u try to cool it with some lubricant or ethanol?

Sins the blade is that thin it tends to warp.
So cooling and going slow should help.

You could go with a thicker plate,
like 0.5mm.
That would give u also more freedom with clamping.

Thanks for the kind words and the advice. Slotting multiple parts at once is a good suggestion. And yes, I was cooling the blade. I was running the spindle ~400 rpm as well. I think a slower spindle speed may be warranted.

After much thinking and some research, I suspect the deflection is being caused by two factors: (1) the blade has 280 teeth so the gullets are becoming loaded almost immediately. They also make a lot of dust-like chips which are not being evacuated from the slit. (2) the slit being cut is very deep for a .010" cut. Without more support (as you mention) I think I'm asking the laws of physics to abstain from their natural inclinations. :lol I'm going to try some experiments this weekend. One of which will be to make very shallow passes and clean the saw gullets after each pass. It could take 30 mins to make one cut - BUT - if it helps to make them straight, it's worth it.

I have a slightly thicker and 1" smaller diameter slitting saw on the way, too. If it arrives in time for weekend build time, I'll post an update. Hopefully, post a final pic of the foot assembly with extraordinarily straight slits in the universal joint. :thumbsup

Thanks so much for sharing your words of wisdom.

- - - Updated - - -
Flixen - I checked your blog. Insanely cool R2D2 build, BTW!
 
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Hi All!

Short build update. Better short than nothing I suppose.

I solved the radius problem and finished the toes. Yeah! The rotation is tight and very smooth thanks to the teflon washers. Here are the finished pics:








I know it's not a major update. But, I'm using this progress thread to keep me moving - even if it's in smaller chunks. Thanks for tracking along!
 
Not a major update but a nice one ! What will you use for the shell ? The Horizon kit ? A scratchbuilt one ? Or just a naked armature ? (I think you should build 2, one naked and one dressed with the shell ! :D).
 
Not a major update but a nice one ! What will you use for the shell ? The Horizon kit ? A scratchbuilt one ? Or just a naked armature ? (I think you should build 2, one naked and one dressed with the shell ! :D).

Thanks! Currently, I'm planning to re-use the Horizon kit as a shell. Last night, I modified the toe pieces and attached them to the armature. Worked OK. The pieces will definitely need tweaking. Some pieces will have to be rebuilt from scratch for sure.

Your suggestion about 2 armatures is good. I thought about creating a display that would incorporate a full ED and the raw armature, back-to-back or something.
 
Hi All,

Build update - I resolved my slitting problem and finished the leg assembly today. I'm pretty excited! When I started planning this project 5 months ago, I was starting from square one - with everything! I had no equipment, no machining experience, and very little reference for the ED armature. Now, I hold a leg assembly that closely matches the pics I have and perfectly matches the Horizon kit. Finishing this assembly is a great motivator to keep pressing on. Anyway, here are the pics:











Finally, I tested an idea I had to use a 1:1 printout from the SketchUp model to place the slot for mounting the shroud to the armature. It actually worked well. I'll need to rebuild the toe base with sturdier sheet plastic, though.




I'm ready to build the leg rail assemblies. I tweaked the rail design this week and mocked up the leg/foot clamps to ensure my dimensions would allow the leg to rotate:










That's this week's progress. Thanks for tracking with me!
 
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