- August 29th, 2016, 11:15 am#4878906
So, as I was completing my pack, the kiddo wanders out into the shop, eyes my pack up and down, and says he wants his own proton pack. Who am I to deny him his dreams? The kid's getting a pack.
So I want to build a 3/4 scale pack, but I want to do something a little lighter, a little cheaper, and a little more adept at taking a beating. Not to mention he'll outgrow it an a few years time, so something that I won't mind retiring in short order. I decided to experiment a bit with EVA foam, aka those cheap foam floor mats from the hardware store. Anyone familiar with Bill Doran or Evil Ted Smith should be familiar with this process.
So here's my proof of concept. I started by designing the top of the cyclotron in Fusion 360 with the intent of cutting parts out on the CNC...this is actually the bottom of the top plate of the cyclotron...
Then I had the machine cut it out, and accidentally cut it upside down. The recessed ring around the outside is intended to remove the textured surface of the mat, making it easier to glue up...so the top should be smooth, not textured. But this is just a trial run, so that's ok. I found a scrap strip of foam for the sidewall of the piece, and glued it up with contact cement (when done correctly, the glue joint is stronger than the material itself, so you'll rip the foam before you break the glue bond)...
Not too bad, I'll give it a go. The shell will probably be a combination of parts built like the one above and parts built up out of layers, mostly all cut on the CNC because I'm lazy and sloppy. I'll probably add some foam core board gussets as I go to keep everything from sagging. I'll document the build process as I go. Stay tuned.
So I want to build a 3/4 scale pack, but I want to do something a little lighter, a little cheaper, and a little more adept at taking a beating. Not to mention he'll outgrow it an a few years time, so something that I won't mind retiring in short order. I decided to experiment a bit with EVA foam, aka those cheap foam floor mats from the hardware store. Anyone familiar with Bill Doran or Evil Ted Smith should be familiar with this process.
So here's my proof of concept. I started by designing the top of the cyclotron in Fusion 360 with the intent of cutting parts out on the CNC...this is actually the bottom of the top plate of the cyclotron...
Then I had the machine cut it out, and accidentally cut it upside down. The recessed ring around the outside is intended to remove the textured surface of the mat, making it easier to glue up...so the top should be smooth, not textured. But this is just a trial run, so that's ok. I found a scrap strip of foam for the sidewall of the piece, and glued it up with contact cement (when done correctly, the glue joint is stronger than the material itself, so you'll rip the foam before you break the glue bond)...
Not too bad, I'll give it a go. The shell will probably be a combination of parts built like the one above and parts built up out of layers, mostly all cut on the CNC because I'm lazy and sloppy. I'll probably add some foam core board gussets as I go to keep everything from sagging. I'll document the build process as I go. Stay tuned.
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