Wednesday, May 27, 2015

3D Printer parts for HOn3 shay - regauge to HO

I picked up a Roundhouse/MDC HOn3 Shay about ten years ago. I never really got into HOn3, but recently picked up some dirt cheap On30 locomotives and cars. I thought I could re-gauge the shay, make a bigger boiler and cab and have a nice quirky slightly off scale shay as well.



3d printed adapter bracket
fits perfectly - had to drill the holes out with a 5/64" bit for the side frames
will have to do something about the coupler pockets










Runs - poorly - but it runs.... no where to go but up.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Firefly

I like to think that in the Serenity of my brain, Wash is the pilot, Mal is captain and Kaylee is running the engines.... but more often than not it seems Jayne is in control...

Sunday, February 27, 2011

The Origin of Miniature Brains for the Home

The Book


Yeah. OK - going to try for at the very least monthly updates.
At least to document projects for my future self.

Monday, February 08, 2010

Bottom of the Barrel

The lower regions of watchable TV went something like this:
- More watchable -
Unfathomable Japanese animation in French on CBUFT
"Hooray for Harold Lloyd "
Tommy Hunter
.
.
.
- Unwatchable -
- This -

Sunday, February 07, 2010

The Boy Mechanic: Tunes that pop into my head about once a year...

The Boy Mechanic: Tunes that pop into my head about once a year...

Tunes that pop into my head about once a year...

It's 1982. Saturday afternoon. I'm probably working on Physics 200 problems at the dining room table. Pat is flipping channels trying to find cartoons ( this is back in the age when we had 12 channels. Eventually, inevitably, one of these shows is on.

To this day, I can still remember the songs




( of the two, Albator was the most kick-ass cartoon ever. First Anime I ever saw )

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Eleven

Yeah, well... I found facebook....

August 2009 - Value Village, Richmond: One (1) 2.4 GHz 4 channel remote control transmitter. $5.00. W00t!
September 2009 - RC Stop, Langley: "Can I buy a receiver for this?" "Probably not, They're matched to the receiver with a ...blah blah blah...."... whatever. Besides, $75.
December 2009 - www.hobbyking.com : identical transmitter. Receiver $15.00. Electronic Speed Control $6.50. OK - works for me.
January 2009 - Receiver/Transmitter pair work. 10 Starbucks for me!

(Now the Eleven reference)

Why does the electronic motor speed controller have three (3) wires? Ummm... most motors have two. OK, there's stepper motors, but I didn't think they are used here.

Off to google....

I spend an hour reading sites that tell me basically " hook the three wires of the ESC to the three wires of the motor".

*Why* are there three wires?

"There are three wires"

*Why* three?

"Right... three.... These motors have three wires. It's one better"


This is not the first time I've wandered into an area where it is assumed that everyone who comes there is already aware of the basics. Often you will get an FAQ, but even so - there are always questions unanswered.

Finally: "There are three wires because these are brushless motors. More efficient, easier to control and less noisy than cheaper two wire brushed motors" . Thanks Wikipedia.

I'm thinking I didn't find the answer because here, in the RC universe, all motors have three wires. You don't have motors with two. So Who needs to know?

Still, the Spinal Tap style logic of it was overwhelming