Subject:
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Mecha Joint Tech
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.build.mecha
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Date:
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Sun, 13 Jan 2002 13:24:50 GMT
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Viewed:
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527 times
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In lugnet.build.mecha, Andrew Todd Amacher writes:
<Big Snip>
> If anything worthwhile develops from this thread, perhaps it should be
> a discussion of individual values in Lego mecha design. For example, do you
> want your mecha to just look good or do you want it to have a degree of play
> value? Can your mecha stand and hold a variety of poses? Do you consider
> yourself as a Lego artist or a toy/model designer? What are your preferred
> hinge elements-friction pins, clipping elements, ball & socket joints, click
> hinges,etc.? Do you ask yourself if your mecha would be viable as an
> official Lego model. What construction techniques do you consider
> legitimate? I'd really like to see such an exchange of perspectives.
>
> Later,
> Todd
> http://sil-psyche.0catch.com
Fair enough, Todd! I'll take a stab at this one.
My initial designs were based heavily on Colin's leg designs using friction pins
for joint tech. While these designs were successful for me initally, they soon
became a stepping stone to larger, more stable designs. Click hinges provided
some slight improvements, but had drawbacks as well-they wore out if not doubled
up. That effectively made the hinge 2 x 5 in size-to bulky for many mecha.
Ultimately, I've had most of my successes using ball and socket joints, much
like you have. Their advantages far outweigh their drawbacks. There is still a
major drawback to them, however-they can't support monstrous amounts of weight.
This brings me to the strongest of all joint parts-gears. They support
unbelievable amounts of weight, simple axles hold them on, and they can be made
into relatively small joint systems compared to the other choices out there.
Here's the listing of what I use and the pros and cons of using them:
Friction pins
Pros: cheap, effective joints for small (10 inch tall) mecha. Easy to acquire.
Can make a joint as small as 2 x 1.
Cons: Not terribly strong when many joints are involved. Has a tendency to cause
a 'ragdoll' effect.
Plate hinges
Pros: effective 1 x 4/2 x 2 hinge. Supports small mecha well as shoulder joints.
Cons: has a tendency to fold under pressure. Tends to be overpriced compared to
other joint options. Better than brick hinges
Brick Hinges
Pros: effective 1 x 4/2 x 2 hinge. Supports small mecha well as shoulder joints.
Cons: wears out quickly. Not terribly effective in multiples compared to other
hinge types. Worse than plate hinges.
Click hinges
Pros: strong 1 x 5 (or larger) hinge. Supports small and medium mecha well.
Supports large mecha if used in multiples. Allows for unusual angles to build
off of. Allows for both vertical and horizontal hinges where other hinge types
fail.
Cons: wears out quickly IF not doubled up (2 x 5 instead of 1 x 5).
Ball/socket
Pros: allows for more degrees of flexibility that any other hinge. The small
ball part is more versatile than any other hinge type.
Cons: bulkier than any other type of hinge assuming that more than just the ball
part is used. The larger arm parts are all locked at odd angles. Parts wear out
quickly under normal use and require 'doubling up' in order to ensure strength.
Gears/gear boxes
Pros: commonly available. Allows for large mecha creation by locking joints in
place. Can support enormous amounts of weight without breaking.
Cons: takes time to create effective joints. Not as versatile as ball socket or
click hinge. Complex in nature to build with (most of the time).
There are other types of joints that I have't touched on (bendy arms for
example) that I'll let others with more experience using them take a stab at.
Like Todd, I'd love to hear any comments or questions about these (or other)
gear types.
-Dave
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Mecha Joint Tech
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| (...) Good point. They are too weak not be doubled up in large mecha and that technique limits the flexability- especially in the arms. (...) Plus , they're rather costly to acquire. Furthermore,(and I hope Brian Cooper takes no offense to this (...) (23 years ago, 15-Jan-02, to lugnet.build.mecha, lugnet.lego.direct)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: My top 10
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| (...) What Jacob has expressed in a single post is no different than what many of us have done throughout the course of several posts. Those of us who are longtime participants in this forum should have pretty good idea of where we stand as mecha (...) (23 years ago, 13-Jan-02, to lugnet.build.mecha)
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