Shantastic Project has begun

So I have started the frame!

Gonna use the Pololu Jrk 12v12 for my first go round with Wipers.....decided i need a chop saw to cut metal, the cut off blades just arent doing straight enough cuts for me...atleast i have the frame size's now so i can make a template.....

To find the balance point I was going to place a piece of steel tubing under the middle and look for balance forward and back....any other suggestions to this?

I have the drive shaft cut and welded, but is there a theory around height of the drive shaft or joint?



Update
Today I added the pivot and built the base stand, still need to create the corss members that connect the base to the pivot

looking good mate keep us informed any questions let me know.

Thanks Ear, I have always received so much info here that I am documenting the experience with my webcam in the workshop so that I can give back as well. I have measurements on everything so far and some scale drawings I prepared for others just incase I get this right

Got lucky today and found a company that had 2 - JRK 12v12's in stock. They had a total of 5 on the way to them so I got 2 of them! Should have bought all 5 but o well.

Still trying to find a decent priced and reliable power supply

Ok, so Ordered the CST pedal guide, already orderd the Load Cell, the USB leo control board, the pot's for that as well as the springs and the fittings for the pot's. The guy from CST where i got the pedal plans was super cool and helpful. Im going to modify his plans a bit to hard mount them with steel to my x-sim.

also mounted the shift point to the main frame today

purchased some ball joints for a lawn mower, they are 1/2 inch. Store only had 2 so I will get the other on Tuesday, they ordered them for me. Also bought 36 inch solid rod that fit into the female end, cant remember the size but welded them up and attached to the back of the chair,,,,,getting excited!! I have alot of gift money from my job and think I might use some of it to buy a new wheel and shifter...

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I need a wheel and shifter,,,,since im making the pedals...any thought on the shifter standalone? I know that ACT has a standalone for about 100 us dollars after you get the usb connection piece. Guess i could build one.

Looking good what did u end up using for the povit joint.

universal joint from an old jeep i had, cut it to about 10 inches, i dont want to be on the floor, this way i dont need the arms to keep me from twisting like a bushing.

Have all the parts ordered for my CST DIY pedals using my own style.





Welded up the base, have the rods, need to weld the pieces that will go on the back of the T for the joints to attach, weld the motor platets on, what for my JRK, leobodnar in the mail, 60kg load cell in the mail, springs in the mail.

Then the process to build the wheel stand, pedal stand and foot rest as well as the shifter and shiter support.

Im going to use a couple designs that are out there and combine their best features, i have it in my head so well see how it turns out.

If you don't want to spend the money on the ACT shifter, you can make your own shifter from an old joystick and still have an axis left for the handbrake, or you can make one from a gamepad.

There are plenty of tutorials on youtube.

I made mine from an old joystick, and, believe me, it bahaves way better then the g25's one. I used the third axis of the joystick to build my clutch pedal.

Good luck with your project!

yeh Im going to machine my shifter with Alum using a ball bearing and spring centering system, I have it in cad, and I have a leo board so i dont need a joystick, used that a long time ago and just wasnt a good feel for me.

Looking good, nice thread name

Is not the joystick who is responsable for the feeling, but the other mechanisms which define the gear zones and lock the stick into gear. For mine I used a copper pipe instead the joystick body and a resistant mechanism to hold the stick into gear.

I'm also planning to build a ball bearing one using a gamepad board, and that's because my joystick shifter is using the processor to constantly monitorize its position and simulate a key and it can only simulate letters and figures which comes difficult when they are already alocated.

The only thing I couldn't figure out with this project is how to make it have a sequential mode. The solution I have been thinking of is to have a lever that will control another set of levers in order to lock its lateral move and to shorten the vertical range of the stick by pushing two extra buttons at the two ends. This will also prevent the stick to hit the gear locking area, so it will come to center as soon at it is released. Having those two extra buttons, you won't have to change the controls in the game menu everytime you want to switch to sequential mode.

Theoretically it works but being such a complicated mechanism I'm not sure if it will work in real race conditions.

So, I was wondering if you came out with a better system to do that task...

Perhaps tomorrow i can load my cads up so you can see the shifter plans

as for today i took 3/16 flat stock, 4 and cut it to size for my pedals. Almost got all 3 done but didnt get to the gas pedal.


As for my goodies in the mail today my leo bodnar LC came! and my Springs and POT arms came as well.

All I am waiting for now is the load cell which should be here in a week or less. I imagine if shipped soon after I orderd, it may be here tomorrow.

Valy

I think I can picture what youre saying, but I believe that you may be overcomplicating it.
Check out the video below. Guy has a cool concept and I will go in this direction but have some addons to improve I believe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6nWJQlbVqI

Where did you ordered the load cell from and how much does it cost? I couldn't find any above 100$, and I believe it doesn't deserve to spend that much money on a single pedal.

If I won't find a cheap cell, I intend to build one from an electronic scale (10$), a pair of syringes, and an op amp for the output. All this won't cost me more that 40$ but i'm not sure how well will it work.

Ok almost done with the CST DIY Pedals, did my own mods, the load cell is from china and taking over 20 days to get here, i will mount this to the wheel stand as it will not move like the wheels. Also added the rod ends as well as a piece on the side that is removable for shiter/hand break or for flight stick and yoke to be easily changed out. Going to use the leo board and a pot for the hand break as well as a shifter i plan to make, this too will use 6 or 7 of the leo boards available buttons, has 12 total. thinking about installing a turnable key for the ignition switch.

Im wondering if the pololu delays which are based on that vhns30 of whatever, that is the part they dont have, willl be delayed by the issues in Japan. I have reached out to the simexperience as I think I may change my plans and try to get scn5 actuators.

pics or nothing has happened...

Pedals are done and have been for about 2 weeks, they are pretty awesome if I say so, much better then my stock pedals. I have my power supply, today I went and got my wiper motors, its funny to go to the auto parts store and say, ok this is going to sound odd but I need 2 wiper motors, the same, and I need them to be reasonably priced. You get funny looks. Well the second store I went to the lady thought I was a genious and it was helarious, told her what I was doing, we found that a 2000 ford escalade has pretty good sized motors and they were only 49.99 at autozone, had to pay a 10 dollar core charge, but I wanted new motors. Well when I was leaving she was like come in the back with me real quick,hmmm, she had this box full of bolts, threaded rods, washers, all kinds of shit and said do you want this stuff for your projects? so of course I took all the goodies, she said to come back every 3 weeks or so and she would have more stuff that was either mixed up or returns and I could have it! Jack pot.

had to install carpet on the stairs today so the wife will let me have my playtime so hopefully tomorrow I will hook the motors up to the chair, mount the power supply, set the Jrk's in position, install my POT's and then see if I can figure out how this software works! More to come,,,,getting close!

ok so didnt have too much time but I have the motors, i wired up the temporary power supply, meaning lets see if and how long it works. In the picture its powering both motors showing 12.8 volts at the posts. I have the Jrk's shown in the picture and need to mount them. I plan to Mount a plate to the power supply and the jrk's to the plate. I wired a 5volt to my binding post so that I can wire a fan to cool the Jrk's. I have one POT but the other is in the mail. I will need to figure out the wire length needed for them and then wire them up. I was able to get the part number of my motors, and then go to the website and see the pin out. I made jumpers to all of the correct pins to get the high speed going.very pleased. I hope to be finished by next weekend as the seat is completed, just need to wire the hand break and weld on the motor mounts.

DONE! everything is connected, wired up. Now I just need to figure out the software and im kickin! pictures soon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY1QO0vJso8