Post by: mlbelanger on February 04, 2013, 10:05:50 AM
To that end, does anyone have any hardware questions, stuff they'd like photographed, etc? I'm already fascinated by the amount of wiring going to each of his feet for the ground sensors so I'll be taking a look at that circuit for sure.
I do notice that it's probably a bit harder for NOP to walk around sans skin. I think the skin itself provides a lot of resiliency to the joints and traction to the feet in crouching positions.
NOP also seems to be sniffing alot with the cover off of his IR sensors so I think the receiver IR is constantly seeing the transmitter right next to it. The black plastic clip that's embedded in the back-side of the skin must visually shield it so it's infra-red light goes forward instead of to the side. I'll try a bit of black shrink-tubing for now and see if that helps.
Has anyone else left their Pleo skinless for a period of time and let them still roam around?
M.
ps - a warning if you have a skinless Pleo you want to operate: when they are moving they become a very serious pinch hazard as there are lots of moving pieces of plastic your fingers can get very severely pinched by. Do so at your own risk!
Post by: Crewella on February 04, 2013, 11:38:49 AM
She did put the feet back on, as the loss of traction without them made walking difficult, and he was unable to hold his leaf properly so he got some rubbery false teeth. :) :moose:
I have run them skinless, but not for anywhere near as long as poor old Patches. I agree that the skin also gives valuable support and resistance to the frame.
Post by: mweed on February 04, 2013, 02:35:49 PM
The key areas to look at are the neck and tail vertebra near the body. These seem to be the ones that break. While studying the legs, it's the sensors and wires that have the most problem. Nobody's ever broken a foot, but wires in the leg seem to break with some frequency.
Lastly, having re-skinned a pleo, you'll want to see about making models of the plastic rings tjat go around the battery compartment (and switches on the classic). These are thin plasic pieces that are easy to break when removing the skin.
Post by: mlbelanger on February 05, 2013, 11:30:35 AM
Post by: Crewella on February 05, 2013, 05:04:13 PM
Post by: mlbelanger on February 05, 2013, 05:11:51 PM
I'm not sure how well the neck is going to do with that replacement being round instead of square in cross-section however.
Now where to buy some springs?...
Post by: kat on February 05, 2013, 05:16:05 PM
Post by: Crewella on February 05, 2013, 05:19:52 PM
On my first Pleo neck repair the whole head and neck just fell away as soon as I removed the skin! :moose:
Just out of interest, do you have a pic of the damage?
Post by: InmemoryofRomeo on February 05, 2013, 05:57:16 PM
Post by: kat on February 05, 2013, 06:20:37 PM
Also we are all just a little bit nosy and very curious about pleo surgery ;D
Post by: InmemoryofRomeo on February 05, 2013, 06:33:19 PM
CONGRATULATIONS KAT!!! and thank you for being a valued member of this community :)
You may now resume you scheduled broadcast :P
Post by: mlbelanger on February 05, 2013, 07:46:54 PM
Post by: mlbelanger on February 05, 2013, 07:56:40 PM
I did notice on all the other vertebrae that their regular flexing action had worn into and dented the spinal chord so that they could not easily slide forward and back over it as I'm imagining they did when he was new. I'm guessing that's just regular wear and tear.
I'm betting a lot of Pleos are building up the same issues under their skin so I'm hoping to find some off-the-self components at the hardware store that can be used to rebuild things.
I'll get some pictures up tomorrow and keep you all posted!
M.
Post by: Crewella on February 06, 2013, 04:35:03 AM
Interestingly, in my (limited) experience, this is the first damaged spine I've come across. :moose:
Post by: mlbelanger on February 06, 2013, 10:24:40 PM
But here's a summary: Took a trip to Home Depot (Our ubiquitous hardware chain in the western U.S. for those across either of the ponds) and found everything I hopefully need to fix NOP's neck for about $10. Not counting loc-tite to put on the bolt threads to keep them from coming loose. Everything is very standard and is hopefully available world-wide. I should have something rigged up to show on Saturday!
I promise tons of close-up pictures.
M.
Post by: fancyfont on February 06, 2013, 11:35:36 PM
Post by: RedwoodsMama on February 07, 2013, 01:37:40 AM
RWM :cat-hug: