01/02/2019
After the disappointment with the 18" dome I had ordered, and the
lack of response from larger plastics fabricators (who apparently don't
want new business; looking at you Crossman Mfg. and California Quality
Plastics), I assumed the project would stall indefinitely (again) since
the dome is pretty crucial to the project. Fortunately, I stumbled on a
possible alternative that was not at all on my radar as an option: a
dome cover for food trays.
I had no idea that they made
really large dome covers, so was pleasantly surprised when I discovered
them. I resisted the idea at first since I originally wanted a whole
hemispherical dome without a seam, but the covers are injection molded,
which eliminates the distortion inevitable in vac-formed domes and
gives a consistent thickness. I was not crazy about the fact that the
front half is larger and rolls back over the back half, but when I
though about it, I decided that by turning it around, the front could
actually roll back into the larger (now) back half and allow easy
access to the internal head details, either for maintenance or for
"business" if I should be able to do any film projects with the robot.
It also added an extra detail that hearkened back to the head design of
Maria from "Metropolis"; which can't be a bad thing, right? :)
This
change also "forced" me to do some redesigning of the head to
accommodate the change and ended up opening up more design ideas. I also
lucked into an exceptionally good deal price-wise and decided that it
was fated to be, so I grabbed one quickly and started modifying the
dimensions of the head details (slightly) to fit the new size and shape.
Although
constantly having to change things can be frustrating, when I started
this project I deliberately left many details vague or completely out
since I was anticipating these kinds of potential setbacks. I still started
with some basic design elements and ideas, but knew if I stayed "fluid"
with the design, I'd likely have an easier time completing the robot
than I would if I stuck to a rigid idea or blueprint. As long as the
aesthetic and spirit are right, it should still turn out like I want.
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Originally posted on 12/11/2018
I've been making some changes to the design of RoBob, both structural and detail-wise.
I just got the clear 18" acrylic dome I ordered from Granite Earth and I am very disappointed with it. It is unusable (for my intended purpose) due to dimpling in the surface. It also isn't anywhere near the approximately 1/8" thick as I was told, it's closer to 1/16", making it very flexible and a bit flimsy. Overall it has a very amateurish look to it. But the good news is that Granite Earth refunded the entire purchase price including shipping! Three cheers for great customer service! They also told me to keep the dome rather than spend the money on return shipping! Not sure what, if anything, I could use it for but I'll put it in storage and see if something else comes up down-the-road.
This does, however, create a major set-back on getting anything done. Especially since it seems that most dome manufacturers aren't interested in answering inquiries via their own "contact us" forms on their websites or by having woefully out-of-date price lists.
On the positive side I got some pinball machine parts in from Macro Specialties and they are great! They will definitely make the inner head details more colorful and "spacey" looking while giving me a break on having to fabricate everything by hand. Sometimes insomnia-fueled internet research pays off!
I've been making some changes to the design of RoBob, both structural and detail-wise.
I just got the clear 18" acrylic dome I ordered from Granite Earth and I am very disappointed with it. It is unusable (for my intended purpose) due to dimpling in the surface. It also isn't anywhere near the approximately 1/8" thick as I was told, it's closer to 1/16", making it very flexible and a bit flimsy. Overall it has a very amateurish look to it. But the good news is that Granite Earth refunded the entire purchase price including shipping! Three cheers for great customer service! They also told me to keep the dome rather than spend the money on return shipping! Not sure what, if anything, I could use it for but I'll put it in storage and see if something else comes up down-the-road.
This does, however, create a major set-back on getting anything done. Especially since it seems that most dome manufacturers aren't interested in answering inquiries via their own "contact us" forms on their websites or by having woefully out-of-date price lists.
On the positive side I got some pinball machine parts in from Macro Specialties and they are great! They will definitely make the inner head details more colorful and "spacey" looking while giving me a break on having to fabricate everything by hand. Sometimes insomnia-fueled internet research pays off!
Originally posted on 12/11/2017
As the vision for the RoBob project is finally starting to gel, it has grown into a desire to create an entire world or back-story. A call-back to the sci-fi films and TV shows of the 50s and 60s. Though before my time, it seems to have been, perhaps, a more innocent time when kids could still tune in for a sense of wonder and to fire their imaginations. As the Arts and creative thinking are increasingly marginalized in favor of what I feel is social or societal programming, most modern entertainment strikes me as overly market-researched and inspires little to no thinking or imagination; just consumption. I hope to try to overcome that to some degree with this project. So I will be developing a fictional back-story for the RoBob character (https://atomicrobotbob.blogspot.com/) alongside the factual one.
As the vision for the RoBob project is finally starting to gel, it has grown into a desire to create an entire world or back-story. A call-back to the sci-fi films and TV shows of the 50s and 60s. Though before my time, it seems to have been, perhaps, a more innocent time when kids could still tune in for a sense of wonder and to fire their imaginations. As the Arts and creative thinking are increasingly marginalized in favor of what I feel is social or societal programming, most modern entertainment strikes me as overly market-researched and inspires little to no thinking or imagination; just consumption. I hope to try to overcome that to some degree with this project. So I will be developing a fictional back-story for the RoBob character (https://atomicrobotbob.blogspot.com/) alongside the factual one.
Originally posted on 11/23/2017
After eight years of constant delays and near total RoBob inactivity (and a job loss in 2016), I am hoping that 2018 will finally see some actual progress on RoBob.
Sadly, vac-forming the larger components is likely out of the question. The person who was supposed to help build the large vac-form machine frame turned out to be unreliable, so I will likely have to do fiberglass, which I HATE doing but that's about my only other option.
I also pretty much wasted two years working with a local "Makers" group that said they could help me with the robot's electronics. They turned out, in the end, to be all talk and no action, so as unreliable and untrustworthy as everyone else I've tried to work with in Pensahola thus far.
Oh well, live and learn, I guess.
After eight years of constant delays and near total RoBob inactivity (and a job loss in 2016), I am hoping that 2018 will finally see some actual progress on RoBob.
Sadly, vac-forming the larger components is likely out of the question. The person who was supposed to help build the large vac-form machine frame turned out to be unreliable, so I will likely have to do fiberglass, which I HATE doing but that's about my only other option.
I also pretty much wasted two years working with a local "Makers" group that said they could help me with the robot's electronics. They turned out, in the end, to be all talk and no action, so as unreliable and untrustworthy as everyone else I've tried to work with in Pensahola thus far.
Oh well, live and learn, I guess.
Originally Posted 06/03/2009
I still haven't decided the best method of fabrication for the body shell of Bob; vac-form or fiberglass.
Both have positive and negative aspects to them. Fiberglass is something I am fairly familiar with after working with it on a recently completed project, but I am allergic to the glass fibers and the smell inside the suit would likely be too much for me. Vac-forming, on the other hand, would be lighter weight overall and would not smell, but would require me to build a 4' x 4' sheet capacity vac-form machine. Which is a fairly complicated and expensive thing to build up-front. The masters/plugs/bucks (whatever you want to call them) would have to be constructed differently for each method, so I can't start building anything until I decide. Grrrr...
I still haven't decided the best method of fabrication for the body shell of Bob; vac-form or fiberglass.
Both have positive and negative aspects to them. Fiberglass is something I am fairly familiar with after working with it on a recently completed project, but I am allergic to the glass fibers and the smell inside the suit would likely be too much for me. Vac-forming, on the other hand, would be lighter weight overall and would not smell, but would require me to build a 4' x 4' sheet capacity vac-form machine. Which is a fairly complicated and expensive thing to build up-front. The masters/plugs/bucks (whatever you want to call them) would have to be constructed differently for each method, so I can't start building anything until I decide. Grrrr...
Originally Posted 04/27/2009
Well, I have a new ear design rattling around in my head and will post a sketch soon. I would like to have some kind of spinning component like B-9 (originally had) and Robby, but I think what I'm envisioning will look alright. It will also reflect a design element of the first toy robot I ever had and I do want this to have a toy robot-like appeal. Plus, I don't want to weigh the head down with too many motors and batteries...
Well, I have a new ear design rattling around in my head and will post a sketch soon. I would like to have some kind of spinning component like B-9 (originally had) and Robby, but I think what I'm envisioning will look alright. It will also reflect a design element of the first toy robot I ever had and I do want this to have a toy robot-like appeal. Plus, I don't want to weigh the head down with too many motors and batteries...
Originally published 03/2/2009
Here I will chronicle the design and creation of the automaton to be known as Atomic Robot Bob or RoBob for short. RoBob is intended mainly as a tribute to two of the most famous robots in film and television, B-9 from "Lost in Space" and Robby, the Robot from "Forbidden Planet".
RoBob will be named RoBob because of three people who influenced me as a child (though from afar): Gorilla man and props savior, Bob Burns (who I am proud to now call a friend), B-9 and Robby designer Bob Kinoshita and Bob May, the man who gave B-9 his soul. It was Bob May's recent passing that helped push me over the fence when debating doing this project (or a different one) just one day before his untimely death. Here's to you, gentlemen!
All designs and utterings on this blog are copyright T.M. Lindsey unless otherwise noted.
Here I will chronicle the design and creation of the automaton to be known as Atomic Robot Bob or RoBob for short. RoBob is intended mainly as a tribute to two of the most famous robots in film and television, B-9 from "Lost in Space" and Robby, the Robot from "Forbidden Planet".
RoBob will be named RoBob because of three people who influenced me as a child (though from afar): Gorilla man and props savior, Bob Burns (who I am proud to now call a friend), B-9 and Robby designer Bob Kinoshita and Bob May, the man who gave B-9 his soul. It was Bob May's recent passing that helped push me over the fence when debating doing this project (or a different one) just one day before his untimely death. Here's to you, gentlemen!
All designs and utterings on this blog are copyright T.M. Lindsey unless otherwise noted.
Shifting Focus
I recently decided that rather than delete this sadly neglected blog, I will change the focus of it to chronicle projects I am working on rather than to give opinions on films. This is partly to create a record and timeline of my works and also because I just don't seem to care about seeing most new movies that come out, and even when I do, I'm mostly left with the same feeling of "meh" after most of them.
Most of what I am working on these days is my 1:1 scale robot project "Atomic Robot Bob" or "RoBob" for short. More to follow...
Most of what I am working on these days is my 1:1 scale robot project "Atomic Robot Bob" or "RoBob" for short. More to follow...
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