Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate This Thread
Hop To
Page 3 of 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
#3154638 - 12/10/10 09:11 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit ***** [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,353
HitchHikingFlatlander Offline
Senior Member
HitchHikingFlatlander  Offline
Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,353
California
Wow amazing stuff! Simply Amazing!


I've got a bad feeling about this.....
Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#3154661 - 12/10/10 09:46 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,221
f15sim Offline
More projects than sense!
f15sim  Offline
More projects than sense!
Member

Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,221
Graham, WA
jawdrop


Proud owner of 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
http://geneb.simpits.org - the Me-109F/X Project
#3154893 - 12/11/10 07:12 AM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
choowy Offline
Member
choowy  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
Thanks guys cheers




The foot pedal unit is just left left and right switched straight into the interface box as keyboard "left and right" I didnt need them to be analogue for this and it kept it simple.

I used a diamond plate pattern rubber sheet over a ply foot pedal.



Drilled some holes in it so it looked a little more military like.




The housing and base are MDF and I attached a door hinge to allow the pedal to pivot.



I stole an idea from another flight forum by adding a rubber ball behind the pedal so it will return back when you push it. Works great and has a nice feel to it.



The micro switch is mounted on each side with some adjustment room.



Add a bit of paint and the obligatory stickers and you're good to go.

#3155270 - 12/12/10 01:49 AM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 574
RAF74_Raptor Offline
Jurrasic
RAF74_Raptor  Offline
Jurrasic
Member

Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 574
TN
jawdrop jawdrop




thumbsup


Ahh CLOD never in the history of Simming has so much been promised and so little given.

However I want to thank Team Fusion for keeping the Dream Alive.
#3155383 - 12/12/10 01:12 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 748
AndyB Offline
Member
AndyB  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 748
Ayrshire, Scotland
Absolutely fantastic workmanshop there!

Can't wait for the next set of pics....

BTW how did you manage to drill the rubber sheets so neatly ? Any time I've tried it the rubber gets all torn up. I've tried HSS bits, spade bits and fostner bits - all the same.

Cheers,

Andy


Andy's simpit: http://www.simpit.me.uk
#3155428 - 12/12/10 02:57 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: AndyB]  
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,812
JAMF Offline
Frugalite & P-38 fan
JAMF  Offline
Frugalite & P-38 fan
Senior Member

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,812
The Netherlands
Originally Posted By: AndyB
BTW how did you manage to drill the rubber sheets so neatly ? Any time I've tried it the rubber gets all torn up. I've tried HSS bits, spade bits and fostner bits - all the same.
I'd guess a hole saw?

#3155509 - 12/12/10 05:31 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 471
MudPuppy Offline
Member
MudPuppy  Offline
Member

Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 471
Appalachian foothills in Virgi...
Choowy....more great work, and some inspiration for me since I've kind of stalled a bit on my build.

On the neat round holes in the rubber mat; I assumed you used a good forstner bit after clamping some scrap wood on top of the rubber mat for a clean cut. Was there another way to get such a neat cut?

Regards,
Derek

#3155619 - 12/12/10 08:45 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
choowy Offline
Member
choowy  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
Thanks Guys.

Yes exactly as Derek says, after gluing it on to the base use a Forstner bit clamped to a board to prevent beakout.



I think as long as the rubber is glued down well it should cut OK.

AndyB the rubber I used was reasonably thick also which helps prevent tearing. The bit style I used doesn't have serrated teeth like some which also helps.

#3155625 - 12/12/10 08:56 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
choowy Offline
Member
choowy  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
Interior fit out was next. I used a cardboard cut out of the front display panel which you will see in some of the images. I designed all the panels on graph paper first so I knew roughly what I needed and how big it would be.






The left side armrest was made up of 18mm chipboard (because I already had some) with a cable access hole through each. It is glued and screwed through from the outside and the holes filled later.


Scanned sketches of panels used for planning.





#3155911 - 12/13/10 11:32 AM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
choowy Offline
Member
choowy  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
MDF side panels fitted.







Cardboard template to work out what's going on next. This part had no plan and it was designed on the fly.



Peg board used for left and right pedal area. There is a fan in the floor of the left housing that supplies air in through the holes in the peg board for ventilation. It is switched from the environment control panel.





Both sides fitted, the rectangular hole on the right side is in case I needed to add a switch panel or wiring access.




Front panel and monitor piece. This is designed to be removable. Behind it and sitting across the two left and right peg board pieces is a support piece that covers in the area above the pedals. This is where the PC sits.


#3156563 - 12/14/10 04:53 AM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 13
TOKA Offline
Junior Member
TOKA  Offline
Junior Member

Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 13
its worth watching you building it.. Really good craftsmanship.... even though mech warriors are not my thing, but it's really good work done.... would also like to see other projects that you might have done....

#3156582 - 12/14/10 05:29 AM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 730
WynnTTr Offline
Member
WynnTTr  Offline
Member

Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 730
Wow, very impressive.

I'm just curious though - you've got torso twist on your throttle, wouldn't it be more intuitive to have it as rudder pedals? That's assuming you've got turning on your main joystick.

Just another curiosity - how are you going to get airflow through there? With the monitors and intense combat, it's surely gonna get hot. Or you can keep it that way in the spirit of the Mechwarrior universe - that mech cockpits are hot and sweaty.

And it's really, really, impressive that you can build something from scratch - particularly brushing wood to look like metal and in such detail. I wish I had your creative ability.. even a fraction of it. If I had your ability, I'd figure out some way of hooking that up to some sort of swivel base so that when you turn left the whole thing swivels left as well. Maybe not by electrical means (that'd get expensive) but as in by mechanical force eg. when you push the left pedal for torso twist it swivels left etc... I mean during games I push my rudder pedals pretty hard.

Kudos to you though.

#3156693 - 12/14/10 10:50 AM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
choowy Offline
Member
choowy  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
Hi Toka, thanks.

I haven't done any other sim projects, just random stuff, furniture, trebuchet you know.

Hey Wynn cheers. Yes the great torso twist debate, there was a lengthy discussion on Frugals. As I'm not using a joystick (trackball for aiming) I felt the pedals were best for turning and I don't twist too much so it got to go on the throttle. Another option that was discussed was twisting the throttle but it may have led to confusion throttling, twisting and firing.

The fan (high flow) blows air from outside the sim and up into the rear of the monitor and PC through the open top of the left side module. As the front end is fairly well sealed a fair bit of air blows through the holes in the peg board and into the seat area.

It does warm up inside (temp panel indicates this) I still have to connect up the rear exhaust fan to assist the flow but its still comfortable.

Yes a moving sim would be great but I had to draw the line somewhere.

#3156700 - 12/14/10 11:14 AM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
choowy Offline
Member
choowy  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
How to finish off all the fittings inside was a long process of trial and error. I used cardboard and all sorts of things to see what would work the best and look OK.




I ended up using pvc pipe cut into lengths to cover up the timber joins with the effect to look like a roll cage inside.






I made up some block assemblies to make it easier to mount the pipe at the different points and angles.

I then detailed these to look metallic and added some non functional bolts and machine screws.





#3157848 - 12/15/10 08:41 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,562
Cold_Gambler Offline
Member
Cold_Gambler  Offline
Member

Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,562
WOW!~

The whole build is stunning but your work on the chair and throttle are truly amazing!


looks very modernishy-phoney-windows eighty-tabletty like

Asus P8P67 Pro Rev. 3.0 // i5 2500k @4.3 GHz with Noctua NH-D14 // nvidia gtx 780 // 8 GB DDR3 1600 //Win7 home 64 bit //450 GB VelociRaptor //Recon3D Champion
#3157903 - 12/15/10 09:43 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,812
JAMF Offline
Frugalite & P-38 fan
JAMF  Offline
Frugalite & P-38 fan
Senior Member

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,812
The Netherlands
But 10.9? Such overkill for MDF and plastic. 4.6 should do fine. WinkNGrin thumbsup

#3157919 - 12/15/10 10:00 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: JAMF]  
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 792
PropNut Offline
Member
PropNut  Offline
Member

Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 792
Greenville, Michigan
Originally Posted By: JAMF
But 10.9? Such overkill for MDF and plastic. 4.6 should do fine. WinkNGrin thumbsup



neaner


F/A-18C Hornet cockpit build project:

http://hornetpits.org/index.php?topic=15.0
#3158196 - 12/16/10 06:14 AM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
choowy Offline
Member
choowy  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
I had no idea what the joke was...........then I noticed the bolt. biggrin

Hey what can I say, it was lying around.

#3158649 - 12/16/10 09:03 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
choowy Offline
Member
choowy  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
The front panel with a rebate in the back to house the monitor.(19")




This was the first surround I used but wasn't happy with the look.




Testing the new solid surround.




Painted and fitted.




The speakers were mounted either side of the monitor so I wanted to fit a panel that didn't look like a speaker grille.


#3158661 - 12/16/10 09:10 PM Re: Mechwarrior Cockpit [Re: choowy]  
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
choowy Offline
Member
choowy  Offline
Member

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 134
This is something random to fit inside to break up the plain interior.






Painting started, used a flat paint to reduce reflected light from the monitor as it is fully enclosed.



Some other panels to fill in the interior space.3mm MDF panel used. A little weathering (dry brush technique) adds a little realism.








Page 3 of 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Moderated by  RacerGT 

Quick Search
Recent Articles
Support SimHQ

If you shop on Amazon use this Amazon link to support SimHQ
.
Social


Recent Topics
Carnival Cruise Ship Fire....... Again
by F4UDash4. 03/26/24 05:58 PM
Baltimore Bridge Collapse
by F4UDash4. 03/26/24 05:51 PM
The Oldest WWII Veterans
by F4UDash4. 03/24/24 09:21 PM
They got fired after this.
by Wigean. 03/20/24 08:19 PM
Grown ups joke time
by NoFlyBoy. 03/18/24 10:34 PM
Anyone Heard from Nimits?
by F4UDash4. 03/18/24 10:01 PM
RIP Gemini/Apollo astronaut Tom Stafford
by semmern. 03/18/24 02:14 PM
10 years after 3/8/2014
by NoFlyBoy. 03/17/24 10:25 AM
Copyright 1997-2016, SimHQ Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.6.0