3DOF - AC Motor Platform - 95% FINISHED - 020515

Hello folks,
After two years +, and over 1 year of have the majority of parts - steel tubing, new welder, AC motors, gearheads, u-joints, spline and spline coupler - well you get the idea - I have FINALLY started the build - and it "feels good".......procrastination is over...and finally, I have seen interest in AC and VFD's - and my friend yobuddy turned the page for me.
I know this will take several months, and at 66 years old, young grand-sons - well, it's going to happen.

I am building a platform sim, 1hp AC Invertor Motors, heavy duty Boston Gearheads - 30:1 ratio - 3 DOF -
I am good enough mechanically to do the fabrication - and electrical wiring - but the electronics is where I will really need the help - and I know you folks will help when the time comes.

I'm sure there's a lot of thought "why is this guy building a ckas type platform" - Well, it started out about 4 years ago wanting a simulator for Flight Sim - that's my 8 year hobby - and with the information I had available then was the ckas type platform - and after much searching, I decided to build a platform with very strong AC setup....

NOW, here's the rub - I started checking out InsideSimRacing, and reading a lot of racing forums and some folks that used a motion sim - no platform types though - Well, I now have, along with FlightSim, the racing bug - having purchased TS500rs - shifter etc... I'm hooked.

I have invested about 1500.00 US in motors, gearheads, steel, listed above - and I can't go back now..
and yes, finally, I have to make it work - and at my age I do not need the poop shaken out of me to get excited and the grandsons' are very young......

Enough rambling - you have the synopsis..
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Steel for the base platform is cut - drilled for the mfd base cover - and I've drilled the backside of steel out to 3/4" so I can put a socket in, tighten up the mfd base, and cover the 3/4" holes with flat hole plugs..keeps the moisture out and just a clean appearance with no nuts or bolts showing.

Great project! I wish you good luck!
Thanks for sharing the story and the pictures ;-)
Mat

Thank you RacingMat for your reply.
I'm really excited and having "fun"....been a long time.
Will continue post with pics as I move along.
Have a blessed one.

Tom

Good luck with your project Tom. I look forward to seeing it all take shape.

Mike

age is not an issue, ask @Rastus .

Hello bsft,
Well, age "sure" felt like it UNTIL I started cutting and drilling steel. Like I mentioned - haven't had this much fun and excitement in a LONG time...and "me thought and believes" life was/is good. Well,
it has just gotten better.
Thanks folks for your replies and encouragement.
Have a blessed one,
Tom

Just a though, insidesimracing.tv is a good site, but as you may have seen , very little of them are motion based and the ones that are, usually Simx or dbox actuators.
Me and others have posted our DIY rigs with DC motors on their with mixed results, mainly compliments on construction, but the commenter do not have time, money, couldn't be bothered, etc building their own. Granted a few people have come from there to here after they saw my setups.
They would rather pay 2-3 times the price and have "plug and play". Fine, no problem there from me.
Its mostly pushed out of the way when a sponsor, or rather a company that pays for an add on site objects heavily against DIY setups.

bsft,
I've been a member at that forum for about a year. Good stuff about getting into sim racing - and you are right - appears most of them have no interest in motion - go figure -
And again, there are a few that rant and rave about Dbox and how good it is.....I'm happy for them, but too overpriced at what they do..
I do agree, I've seen some disappearance of threads about mods etc., when you have big blocks of advertisement for same type of mod by a big company....well, I guess that's just business.
I did see several postings by MotionDave talking about his motion rig...I know I've seen his name somewhere else, but don't remember. He seemed to know what he was talking about, but,
there just wasn't interest and he evidently went away...
For me, I'm going to build the rascal and make it look good and work good - at 1/3 the cost over purchasing one - now that's a plan for me.

Thanks friend for you intel.

Tom

Good start @cthiggin ... And sure yes enjoying the structure making is the best part of what you'll finally get ... keep posting and re posting every step so we can keep track with you ... If you may allow us to give some suggestions ... you're not home alone in this project

Good job ...
regards
speedy

Another CKAS copy cool, I dont like the company and enjoy seeing people build their unit for a lot less and in most cases out performs the original.
Looking good, get those grandsons or sons cutting and grinding you should just be the supervisor sitting back telling them what to do. Ah ya nice Grandad build a sim for the boys, Cool.
Best of Luck.

@cthiggin , yes I am motiondave.
I have a mate with a 2 dbox actuator seat mover dropped by a while ago and tried both my Dc motor rigs when they were here. He tells me DC motors throw more and give more motion, but do not have the tactile vibration of dbox, but nothing a bass shaker or 2 wouldnt fix on a DC motor sim.

Really this is a big surprise ... Welcome my friend ...

Hello friends,
Re: abdo_tahan - I will continue to post pics and updates - YES to all - I'll need help with "exacting" motor placement on base, pivot arm lengths, pots - SO all help and tips will be highly welcomed...

Re: eaorobbie - yes, I guess it's a "me-too" CKAS reproduction - but I'm hell-bent on making it look better and working better - Grandsons are 3-5 years - too young to hold the grinder - and my only
son is 37, an attorney, and hates to get his hands dirty or even gloves dirty for that matter - and in his case, IF he did do as little as ten minutes work helping me, in his mind it would become "HIS"..
That's ok - still love him dearly, good boy - I just want him to stop asking me when it's going to be finished

Re: bsft - well, aka MotionDave - good to know - SO, you know it was very truthful about my statements and interest at ISR. Lots of good ideas out there and a lot of very good DIY motion rigs..
but as I said - at the time several years ago, CKAS was all I could come up with and it was going to be strictly for FSX...but with your kind folks help, I'm sure we can make it as good as it's going to
be.

Thanks gentlemen for your interest and help. Very excited.

Have a blessed day.........

Tom

Glad to here you got some fine sons.
Anyone who betters a CKAS design is on my thanks list.
Eager to see this come together.

eaorobbie,
Thank you - yes, I'm blessed with 3 fine kids and 5 just excellent grandchildren...
Well, with you help and the help of others here, WE will make this "AC Platform" look great but be the best it can be, which I'm sure will outshine the CKAS.
Have a blessed one.
Tom

UPDATE:
Well, the bottom frame is welded and grinding is done. I'm pleased. Off to HomeDepot this weekend to get the sheeting for base and some paint for base - and onward we go.

Hi yobuddy,
Dimensions Setup I drew up and used as template.
PS...won't be long until I'm crying for your help on the electronics...
Thanks for your interest. Tom

PS - SORRY for size of jpeg..I'll do better

yobuddy,
THANK You - I appreciate your interest and the help you've already been to me. When you sent me the wiring diagram awhile back - and the understanding it gave me - Well, it built the fire to finally get started.

Tom