[Barry]

Knee pivot cap fitted.



Foot pivot fitted. Eventually the in the middle will also disappear.

[Barry]

mammoth job Barry.... very impressive work and patience

Thanks Rod.

[wacko-ocker]

mammoth job Barry.... very impressive work and patience

[Barry]

I'm still hopping along on a crook foot, (nearly broke it) but I brought an office chair on wheels into the workshop after work today and got a bit of welding done around the table. One foot on the ground, the other knee on the chair. It works.

Started with an arm and shoulder, welding on the new component detailed features.

[Barry]

lol I saw a video of a cop car in the USA pulling up a black Lamborghini and Batman was driving .. in costume. He was going to the childrens hospital and does charity work. He had his real rego plates in the glove box or something but had to provide them to the cops. I can imagine Iron Man trying to drive and same thing happening .. that would be way cool.

Perhaps I should try that though....

[Barry]

Love you to try and go through airport security in that!

Perhaps I shouldn't try......

[millicat]

lol I saw a video of a cop car in the USA pulling up a black Lamborghini and Batman was driving .. in costume. He was going to the childrens hospital and does charity work. He had his real rego plates in the glove box or something but had to provide them to the cops. I can imagine Iron Man trying to drive and same thing happening .. that would be way cool.

[seaslug]

Love you to try and go through airport security in that!

[Barry]

It's coming along nicely... just don't hit the walls when you've got the full suit on or your walls will need patching up.

! Thanks Anna. I've already got rubber on the bottom of the boots to protect the hospital floors. I don't think Iron Man is a match for an angry hospital matron....

[millicat]

It's coming along nicely... just don't hit the walls when you've got the full suit on or your walls will need patching up.

[Barry]

So, I've designed some little steel features to add to the suit to make it look more tech and set it apart from so many other suits that leave out detail and therefore look plain. I have a machinist doing it for me because it wouldn't be appropriate for me to use the lathe at work at the moment.

This guy is way better than me anyway.

I gave him simple drawings with a few guidelines only.

He's just dropped off all bar two pieces. (I have to get him some more steel). They look brilliant. Toe pivots, knee joints, elbows, shoulders front and back.

[Barry]

G'day my loyal minions. Here's an update for you.

My wonderful wife helped me get the legs and boots on for a test walk in the modified joints.

Now the legs are supported on steel struts welded to the boots and pivoting at the ankles. The knees have been silenced with washers in between the joints and the flight control flaps at the ankle have been hinged. They will be spring-loaded at a later date. The boots now have rubber soles to protect the floor.

Here's video and some photos.

[Barry]

Both legs have now been elevated and supported on pairs of solid steel struts welded to the boots and pivoting at the ankle. You can see an aluminium flat disk on the right boot - this will be replaced later with a more attractive steel turned toe-pivot. The flight control flap at the back of the ankle has been hinges so now it swings up as the boot and leg moves. The knee pivots will eventually be welded closed with an attractive cap once I'm happy I don't need to take the legs apart again. Rubber soles have been glued onto the bottom of the boots to save flooring.



The rib features have now been filled in from behind with scratch-built steel caps. It looks untidy with the positioning spot welds from the front and the rest of the welding from behind, but this will all be cleaned up later.



The steel sheet is only .95mm thick, so to give the illusion that it is thick armoured plate I have welded in some 8mm edging all around. Welding from behind except in spots I couldn't get the welding gun into. Edges will be cleaned up last.



The lighting is great, but the eyes are too bright for indoors and night. They overpower the dark so much you can't see the face, so I'll be adding a resistor/dimmer so I can vary the brightness as needed.

[Barry]

Leg on the right now supported on a steel strut either side of the boot and pivoting at the ankle. The weight of the entire leg now sits on the ground instead of hanging off the suits torso. The gap between the top of the leg and the cod-piece is now a lot smaller and realistic looking.



Won't be scratching up the hospital floors now! Glueing on rubber soles.

[Barry]

I've been so strapped for time lately. This non-daylight savings is pissing me off. Stuff-all done on the suit in a while.

Today I made a start (only had 20 minutes). Reinforced the knee pivots with some heavy pipe welded in, some M10 cuphead bolts and washers in between the layers to smooth out the pivot. They move silently now.

Hopefully tomorrow I can weld a couple of struts into each side of the boots, to push the leg up high and enable the weight of the leg to rest on the ground, rather than hang on the suit.