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 Building / Mecha / 5124
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Subject: 
Re: Evangelion construction
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.build.mecha
Date: 
Fri, 21 Dec 2001 16:18:43 GMT
Viewed: 
332 times
  
In lugnet.build.mecha, Dave Johann writes:
In lugnet.build.mecha, Christopher Kalos writes:
So, let's see if I can describe this beast... and get some tips :-)

The head's being built as a skull with armor plating to be added later.
I've got a jaw joint design that I may be able to use from the previous
revision of the head.  More importantly is the scale that I'm at.

Could you post the approximate dimensions in studs that your head is? That might
give us a better idea of what you want to accomplish.

Well, the skull's about 6x6x4 without the jaw joint or armor plating.  I'll
estimate at least 8x8x6, maybe a bit larger with the chin :-)


The entry plug is actually a truncated fuselage (with heavy modifications!)
of the 6356 Med-Star Rescue Plane, so it *can* fit a minifig or two inside.

Hmmm...8x8x6 perhaps? If so, this seems quite large for nearly any mecha head
(Cankerworm excepted).

Quite large, yes.  Up there with Brian Cooper's designs, I suppose.


Since I lack purple pieces

Don't we all! Try finding people parting out the mindstorms Extreme Creatures
sets for more. Alternately, Cyberslam works in a pinch, but you'll have to use
studless beams.

Wait... there *are* purple pieces?  Aside from the bumper tubes from the
Mindstorms sets?  Well I'll be...

(as should anyone who only uses Lego, unless I
missed something important,) I'm going to end up making a custom armor
design and color scheme.  I seem to have a decent amount of red and black,
with a smidge of grey and green as well.  Let's just call it Unit 14, or
01a, or whatever.  Due to parts shortages, it'll definitely only have two eyes.

Try to stick to a main color (60%-70%), secondary (20%-30%), and tertiary (10%)
color scheme if at all possible. I'd recommend eliminating the grey if at all
possible as green makes a fantastic third color. Four color mecha only work well
if three of the colors are shades of the same with a fourth, very different,
color. An example of this would be building a mecha that is red (25%), sand red
(20%), dark red (20%), and dark grey (35%). The dark grey helps to 'pull' the
other colors together and make them work. Dark grey is the best color I've found
for accomplishing this, btw.

I seem to lack any appreciable amount of dark grey.  I suppose red is my
best option, or maybe black.  Oooh... a black Eva...


All of this mentioned, I'm guessing that the final unit size might be
somewhere along 2 feet tall, if not higher.  Since I only have 4 turntables
and 6 worm gears, I don't see this going very far unless someone here knows
some good tips for alternate joint designs that won't fall victim to gravity
so easily.  The fact that I've picked such a slender (bio-)mecha design
probably doesn't help, but Gundams are becoming too popular, and I wanted to
try something fairly original.

Throwbot gear boxes. Without them the two foot barrier is almost impossible to
breach. They are very strong joints and quite small for the strength they
provide. Currently, I'm using them to power a large mecha claw and I'm still
amazed at their strength.

Are these the same as the Roborider gear boxes?  I've got one of those, and
can probably find more (TRU around here has plenty of Bionicle and
Roboriders in stock since last week.)  I've yet to find any Throwbots even
at KB Toys, the dumping ground for toys that no one wanted.


Using turntables means that your creation won't be as slender as you think.
Their very size determines how large your joint will be. Look at the workings of
Eric Sophie or Brian Cooper for examples of this. This is one of the reasons I
usually forego the large technic turntables.

Well, I was thinking about that compacted gear box mentioned in a recent
posting, just for arm rotation.  I could probably embed that in the chest on
either side of the entry plug.


Wormgears will provide you with the smallest geared joints possibile, but you'll
need more than 4 to hold a two foot tall monstrosity together.

If the Roboriders use the same gear boxes as the Throwbots, then I'll just
start stocking up on those.  One box complete with worm gear per set :)


Any tips?  I mostly have standard parts, along with the contents of three
bionicle sets and 2 RIS sets (1.5 and 2.0) and some other things which I
can't recall.  Pretty basic stuff, not many custom pieces just yet.

Which Bionicle sets? Perhaps we can work out a trade deal that nets you quite a
few joint parts if you have what I'm looking for. Email me about this one. Yes,
I'm quite serious.

I've picked up Pohatu (two standalone ball connectors!), Onua (two arms
pieces can't suck, I hope) and Kopaka (just for fun).

Bionicle torsos are hideously strong parts being that they are a single piece.
Unfortunately, I don't think the gear on the bottom has ever been used by a
mecha builder. Even my newest creations can't make use of it. It's that 3 wide
construction...it goes against the 'even' nature of lego building.


I was actually considering using these with a heavily compacted worm drive
to make the spine bend.  I'd lose twisting capability, though, which is far
more important.

The joint parts are quite useful. The best example I've seen recently is Adrian
Drake's Sensei Trainer mecha. Very posible. Note the use of dual joint parts to
form a single joint. That's the basis for many a big mech. To give you an idea,
I'm using 4 of the throwbot arm parts (Pohatu's arms) in tandem to create a
strong ankle joint. It's flexible and holds an large amount of weight.
Obviously, the more parts used in tandem, the less flexibility there will be as
they are working together as well as against one another.

I've noticed this and begun to look into it, although only for knees and
elbows, nothing that actually needs to mimic ball-and-socket action.  The
fun part was fitting the L-shaped Bionicle (and Roborider, and RIS Ultimate
Accessory Set...) to the back of the head to get some decent neck motion
going.  I had to connect the support assembly by offsetting it 1/2 of a
stud, but it's well hidden, so you'd be hard pressed to notice it after it's
installed.


Suggested parts-more Throwbot joints-any joint will do. Throwbot gear box-not
the rectangular ones. Click hinges-use multiples for strength and armor. Axles,
axles, axles...


I've got more axles than I know what to do with.  Perfect :-)  No click
hinges, though.  What's the cheapest source of those?

Suggested sets-Stormtrooper or C-3P0. These are great parts fodder for mecha
builders. Most of the speed slammer sets are great fodder as well. Most Bionicle
EXCEPT Gali and Onua-their arm parts hurt mecha building far more than they
helped. Bohrok sets will be a BIG boost for mecha builders as well. Look for
them in March.


Bohrok?  Got any more info on this?

CK



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Evangelion construction
 
<snip> (...) I think some of the Technic Cyberslam has purple technic pieces, and if you dig hard enough, I think there is some sand blue in the Red Planet Protector from the Life on Mars stuff. Purple and Sand Blue might work together. However, I (...) (23 years ago, 21-Dec-01, to lugnet.build.mecha)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Evangelion construction
 
(...) Congrats! Welcome to the club! More mecha postings are always welcome. (...) No problem. I'm sure we'll see it in time. Tough design to work on, btw. I've tried it myself and can't get it to work the way I want to. (...) I feel your pain. :) (...) (23 years ago, 21-Dec-01, to lugnet.build.mecha)

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