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"Joel Kuester" <septenemae@hotmail.com> writes:
> Thanks to Jon's addition of the tip section to the Galactic Shipyard, I was
> reminded that I wanted to work on some docking port ideas...
> I had an idea in mind, but after seeing some of the other cool docks,
> specifically William R Ward's system... I decided to work in that direction.
> I have come up with a few ideas for a gender switching system, and while
> this one I have on Brickshelf isn't the most user-friendly, it gets the idea
> across well enough. As always, LMKWYT... • [...]
> in this shape, they are more stable when docked at a 90 degree rotation to
> each other. I am going to try to figure out a way to make them more stable
> when docked directly.
This is a very cool-looking design, and has a great playability
factor. I think it shows a lot of promise. I do have a couple of
concerns though...
I have one concern though - the brackets you use to hold the Technic
"L" pieces are rather hard to come by. I don't think I have more than
1 of them, for example. Those are the ones used for some of the RES-Q
string spools, right? How are they held on to the rest of the
structure? I'd guess 2x2 Technic bricks with 2 holes, and those
little half-peg thingys? Won't the brackets come off more readily
than the axles?
How would you handle a vessel that has to brave the heat and fire of
re-entry? You'd need either a big door to cover the whole thing up
(very bulky) or a pretty significant change in design. I could
imagine a female-only docking port that would mate with this, though,
using the 1x2 bricks with axle holes instead of the peg holes used in
my earlier design.
> the 2 long axles that connect the ports together are impossible to control
> when pulling the ports apart, ie you never know what side they end up on.
> The next version of this dock will fix that.
This is the big problem. How do you plan to fix it?
I'm wondering if we aren't taking the wrong approach here. Your
swiveling Technic bits are suggesting an idea to me. Perhaps
something could be done by having Technic axles on one ship slide into
corresponding pegholes on the other, on each side of the airlock...
I'll try to come up with a model and post here.
--Bill.
--
William R Ward bill@wards.net http://www.wards.net/~bill/
(formerly known as hermit@bayview.com)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life is too important to take seriously.
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In lugnet.space, William R. Ward writes:
> "Joel Kuester" <septenemae@hotmail.com> writes:
> > I have come up with a few ideas for a gender switching system, and while
> > this one I have on Brickshelf isn't the most user-friendly, it gets the idea
> > across well enough. As always, LMKWYT...
>
> I have one concern though - the brackets you use to hold the Technic
> "L" pieces are rather hard to come by. I don't think I have more than
> 1 of them, for example. Those are the ones used for some of the RES-Q
> string spools, right? How are they held on to the rest of the
> structure? I'd guess 2x2 Technic bricks with 2 holes, and those
> little half-peg thingys? Won't the brackets come off more readily
> than the axles?
actually I didn't plan on using this part in the final design, it was a fast
mockup of the idea. However, I was using this part:
'Technic Steering Arm with Connectors'
http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/32069
its quite strong.
> How would you handle a vessel that has to brave the heat and fire of
> re-entry? You'd need either a big door to cover the whole thing up
> (very bulky) or a pretty significant change in design. I could
> imagine a female-only docking port that would mate with this, though,
> using the 1x2 bricks with axle holes instead of the peg holes used in
> my earlier design.
I am going to have the whole docking chunk slide outward from the hull.
That's why I want it to be compact. as for the 1x2 bricks with axleholes,
check out the second iteration of this idea:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=53869
this is getting much closer to what I want to use on my ships.
> > the 2 long axles that connect the ports together are impossible to control
> > when pulling the ports apart, ie you never know what side they end up on.
> > The next version of this dock will fix that.
>
> This is the big problem. How do you plan to fix it?
the new design fixed that :)
> I'm wondering if we aren't taking the wrong approach here. Your
> swiveling Technic bits are suggesting an idea to me. Perhaps
> something could be done by having Technic axles on one ship slide into
> corresponding pegholes on the other, on each side of the airlock...
> I'll try to come up with a model and post here.
cool, looking forward to it!
I just added 4 pics of the second port design to:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=5448
cheers!
Joel Kuester
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"Joel Kuester" <septenemae@hotmail.com> writes:
> actually I didn't plan on using this part in the final design, it was a fast
> mockup of the idea. However, I was using this part:
>
> 'Technic Steering Arm with Connectors'
> http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/32069
> its quite strong.
I've never seen that part before. Interesting. But then, I don't
have any of the "super cars".
> In lugnet.space, William R. Ward writes:
> > How would you handle a vessel that has to brave the heat and fire of
> > re-entry? You'd need either a big door to cover the whole thing up
> > (very bulky) or a pretty significant change in design. I could
> > imagine a female-only docking port that would mate with this, though,
> > using the 1x2 bricks with axle holes instead of the peg holes used in
> > my earlier design.
>
> I am going to have the whole docking chunk slide outward from the hull.
That's going to be bulky... it probably won't work on anything but
huge ships. :-(
> That's why I want it to be compact. as for the 1x2 bricks with axleholes,
> check out the second iteration of this idea:
>
> http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=53869
>
> this is getting much closer to what I want to use on my ships.
Ah, yes. I like that a lot. Very clever.
> > I'm wondering if we aren't taking the wrong approach here. Your
> > swiveling Technic bits are suggesting an idea to me. Perhaps
> > something could be done by having Technic axles on one ship slide into
> > corresponding pegholes on the other, on each side of the airlock...
> > I'll try to come up with a model and post here.
>
> cool, looking forward to it!
I tried last night but couldn't get anywhere. I'm not very
Technic-savvy, I'm afraid. I didn't get into Technic the way I got
into Space as a kid/teen and so never really developed the design
skills for it. I keep trying, but not getting far. *sigh*
I'll keep working on it, though.
> I just added 4 pics of the second port design to:
>
> http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=5448
I like the new design a lot. It's also a lot easier to achieve using
my LEGO collection :-)
--Bill.
--
William R Ward bill@wards.net http://www.wards.net/~bill/
(formerly known as hermit@bayview.com)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life is too important to take seriously.
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In lugnet.space, William R. Ward writes:
> "Joel Kuester" <septenemae@hotmail.com> writes:
> > actually I didn't plan on using this part in the final design, it was a fast
> > mockup of the idea. However, I was using this part:
> >
> > 'Technic Steering Arm with Connectors'
> > http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/32069
> > its quite strong.
>
> I've never seen that part before. Interesting. But then, I don't
> have any of the "super cars".
Aren't there also 4 available in the "Mud Masher" <set:8226>? It's a little
cheaper....
<snip>
>
> --Bill.
-Duane
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I do not know if they are in there, but 8226 is on sale at S@H this
week for $6.50
--
Overkill is the only sure kill.
SR
"Duane Hess" <DNJHESS@ZDNETMAIL.COM> wrote in message
news:GGBs38.7sB@lugnet.com...
> In lugnet.space, William R. Ward writes:
> > "Joel Kuester" <septenemae@hotmail.com> writes:
> > > actually I didn't plan on using this part in the final design, it • was a fast
> > > mockup of the idea. However, I was using this part:
> > >
> > > 'Technic Steering Arm with Connectors'
> > > http://www.peeron.com/inv/parts/32069
> > > its quite strong.
> >
> > I've never seen that part before. Interesting. But then, I don't
> > have any of the "super cars".
>
> Aren't there also 4 available in the "Mud Masher" <set:8226>? It's a • little
> cheaper....
> <snip>
> >
> > --Bill.
>
> -Duane
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