My TARDIS

Greeting to everyone!

I have finally decided to come out of the shadows. I'd like to first thank everyone who have blazed the trail before me and have not only made magnificent pits, but have shared that knowledge to everyone else to make our experience that much easier. A special thanks to Linden, and I hope everything goes well for him. I've been lurking for quite some time and really only recently decided actually signed up for an account, and now post. So hello!

I haven't gotten too far with my pit, but I have definitely made progress using Dimebug's plans. The pit is a project that I've always been dreaming of, and it's now a Father/Son project. (A 16 year-old that would frankly rather it be a Mech pit, but is still excited anyway.) I've been fortunate enough to get the majority of the pit from Linden. (Though my wife isn't too thrilled with him considering the rather large drop to the bank account! ;) )

So thought I'd introduce myself before I started asking a bunch of questions, of which I have plenty. In case your interested, I was in the USAF (Ground Rat) and was at DAL for 14 years before I was forced to medically retire. (AMT 250.) As you can tell I'm very verbose, so I apologize beforehand. Unfortunately, I don't have a really cool call sign, so I'll just sign off with my name. :)

Wayne

P.S. Why TARDIS? 1. Dr. Who has been my absolute favorite show since I was 13. 2. It's the place where I can go that takes me, for the most part, anywhere I want to go and any time I want to do it. I can fly a bi-plane in WWI, or I can pilot a spacecraft in some remote galaxy. (Looking forward to Star Citizen, BTW)

First "pit."

How it used to be:

Starting to design the front console:

Front cut:

Assembling. Unfortunately, in the middle of nowhere, Vermont, no access to CNC. (Don't even have a table saw! :( Everything cut with Jig Saw and Skil Saw.)

And how it looks today. Still a lot to go!

very nice startup! Looking forward to see more!

Hello,

Pit is looking good…You will be surprise what you can do with a jig saw and hammer. Like you that’s all I had for my build and you can get pretty creative with different kinds of materials though.

P.S. Your garage looks a lot like my garage when I was building pit lol but, it’s all clean now, wife orders lol.

Showtime817th

That's looking pretty good for Jig saw / Skill saw work. Well done!

Thanks! I must admit it looks a lot better than I thought it would. As long as you don't look *too* close. :D Working on the sides now. The only thing I don't like about using the jig saw is the blade often doesn't give you quite a 90 degree cut. Nothing a hand plane can't make right, though!

Welcome out into the light Wayne. Your pit sure has a great start and time and effort will make the rest.

The wify versus building funds sounds 'very' familuar ;-) but somehow time and effort will make it work.

Cheers

Gus

That is very nice work. I must admit that I hadn't thought it would be possible with a jig saw. I stand corrected, Sir :thumbup:

Will follow you progress closely and see if I can gain a hint or two :music_whistling:

Cheers

Hans

Nice work with the saws, a pit is something that you will always be looking to improve something with it.

Thanks. Here's the front console straight from Dimebug's plans. I had to change a few of the gauges around to fix a 24" monitor to the back. I've got a second 8" monitor for the left MFD. Now on to the sides.

I've been wanting to attach a small extension to my Thrustmaster Cougar. I've tried the Gardena DIY trick, but for whatever reason, (maybe a difference between the Cougar stick and the Warthog?) the plastic piece simply does not want to thread into handle! The metal nut screws into the base fine, but not the handle. A different pitch? I don't know. I wish Metalnwood was still making his fine looking aluminum ones.

I've even talked to a local machinist about making one similar to Metalnwoods. He could make 10 of them about the same as one, as he has a CNC lathe. I know that there is an New Zeland outfit making plastic ones, so I don't know if there is any interest in anyone else wanting aluminum ones.

Welcome out into the light Wayne. Your pit sure has a great start and time and effort will make the rest.

The wify versus building funds sounds 'very' familuar ;-) but somehow time and effort will make it work.

 

Cheers

Gus

Thanks Gus. Your site especially was one of the ones that inspired me that I could really do it. If you ever had any doubts or questions wondering if it was worth the time and trouble, I can tell you it is, at least for me. Thank you. :salute: (I know it's not a real emoticon, but it should be!)

Thanks! I must admit it looks a lot better than I thought it would. As long as you don't look *too* close. :D Working on the sides now. The only thing I don't like about using the jig saw is the blade often doesn't give you quite a 90 degree cut. Nothing a hand plane can't make right, though!

Hi MacFevre,

your work looks awesome:thumbup:.

I have the same problem as you. No eccess to CNC:(. And I don't like the issue with the 90 degree cut.

If you go on working with the Jigsaw you will possibly like this:

http://www.neutechnik-werkzeug-shop.de/shop/article_200100/Pr%C3%A4zisions-Stichs%C3%A4getisch.html?sessid=ZleOWAShh4uNJriDV09LmvvPQg29OsBzT9n4Aot8R4UzppOs50aN84M1eN5IXAfU&shop_param=cid%3D2%26aid%3D200100%26

I got it and did nearly all cuts with it. Works realy great for me.

Not sure if they ship to the US. They just say "call for a quote for international shipping". And maybe you can get a tool like this in the USA.

Keep on with your nice work. I'm Looking foreward to see more.

Cheers

Kubi

super clean assembly mate! very nice! looking forward for updates :thumbup:

If you go on working with the Jigsaw you will possibly like this:

 

http://www.neutechnik-werkzeug-shop.de/shop/article_200100/Pr%C3%A4zisions-Stichs%C3%A4getisch.html?sessid=ZleOWAShh4uNJriDV09LmvvPQg29OsBzT9n4Aot8R4UzppOs50aN84M1eN5IXAfU&shop_param=cid%3D2%26aid%3D200100%26

 

Cheers

Kubi

Looks great! If I don't do this one than ill look into the one StumpyNubs has created on YouTube. Thanks for the heads up. I never knew, then I was all over YouTube trying to find out how to make one.

Looks great! If I don't do this one than ill look into the one StumpyNubs has created on YouTube. Thanks for the heads up. I never knew, then I was all over YouTube trying to find out how to make one.

I think I'd be pretty leery of getting saw related advice from somebody going by the handle of "StumpyNubs"... :music_whistling:

I was going to wire my first panel today. Got my Bodnar board, wire, finally finished my AHCP panel... oops. The Bodnar board can't just swing out in the open right? Found an old plastic housing but it's a little large. OK, I'll just cut a new piece of acrylic, mount it to the present stand-offs, drill a couple holes for the smaller Bodnar, Bob's your uncle!

Hmm... wait. Should I connect the AHCP to a connector first? Besides the Bodnar board, I'll also be using a B256A13 for some of the other panels. My only experience is with Amphenol connectors, or Cannon plugs, etc. that are used in aviation, but I can imagine if I did that it would turn a bit expensive. Can I ask what others are using? Are there other, more "civilianized" connectors that are similar?

And I just wanted to say thanks again to everyone that posts their experience. I think I'm experiencing Pitfitters disease. (Similar to Shipfitters disease.) Every time I do one little thing, it turns out to be a big project because, you might as well do it right the first time, right? :D

You might want to consider DB style connectors. They have been used for serial port connections for years, but now that computer users mostly use USB instead, they are a good candidate for pit wiring connections.

http://www.cablestogo.com/support/connector-guides/db

If you look around, you can get them where you solder the pins, or you can get them where you crimp the pins (which could save you a lot of soldering). Plus, if you are so inclined, you can readily purchase pre-made cables and potentially save yourself even more work. One caution there though... make sure you are getting "straight through" cables, and not "null modem" cables.... and also that all the pins are wired up, if you actually want them all.

You should also be able to find bulkhead style versions for mounting on switch boxes, etc, if you need that. (potentially good for modded joysticks and throttles, for instance)

I thought about using Ethernet cable and connectors. Had a bunch left over from wiring the house. Kept on breaking the wire hooking up the switches on account they were solid core. The db connectors look pretty good, though. Thanks.

About time I do some kind of update! After my son had an encounter with a curb, (Seriously, what kind of place puts curbs not only on a 2 lane state highway through town, but makes them out of sharp cut granite?? No smooth over edge,) my funds have been severely limited this month. So, instead of the rails and Dzus fasteners I was going to buy, I decided to keep with not only the look-a-likes, but do them on a budget.

What I've done is using 3/8" U-Channel for the rails. I've painted them black, as I simply think it looks cleaner that way, and you don't see as many mistakes. For the fasteners, I've drilled holes in the appropriate places for the panels, hoping they don't change in the future.

The fasteners for the panels to the rails that I've chosen to use are 8-32 J Clips. This allows me to take out the panels at will without worrying about nuts. I thought about using nut plates, but this offers more movement if the drilling was off a little.

To take the place of the shell of the Dzus, I was able able to buy some black spacers, which was cool because it saves the step of painting the others. I also sourced, very inexpensively, #8-32x3/4" slotted screws. I had a devil of a time finding simple slotted counter-sunk screws for whatever reason. I'm finding the nylon ones are not only easier to find, but take and keep paint on them easier than the others. (Which I've only been able to find Cadmium slotted #8.)

With these in hand I began counter-sinking the spacers for the screws. I made a jig for the process as I was finding I couldn't tighten the vice without marring the spacer, and with something covering the jaws so it wouldn't than I couldn't press down on the drill very much or it would make the spacer push down.

I've put 3M double sided tape on the jaws to hold sections of clear tubing (left over from transferring the wort from the steeping grains into the boiling pot) to to prevent marring and moving the spacer. I'm using a 10deg suicide counter-sink drill bit, as it make a little steeper slope so the screw sits down below the surface. I've secured between the jaws on to a board on the bench a 1/4" deep-well socket. In the socket I've placed a cut-down screw that pokes out about 3mm or so. I can then place the spacer on the socket and tighten the vice. The screw prevents the spacer from moving around, and the socket prevents it from pushing in when I put pressure on it with the drill. It sounds like a lot, but when you have more than 100 spacers to counter-sink, one tries to make it as easy as possible. Here's what I mean.

Close-up of the jig

The final result looks something like this

And finally, here's what I mean by doing them on a budget. Prices are rounded to the nearest USD as of JUL 2013

Flat Head Slotted 8-32x3/4" Machine Screw. Pack of 500(!) - $14

Black Round Spacer, #10, 1/4L. Pack of 100 - $5

Spring Nut, J Style, 8-32 Pack of 50 - $8 (2 needed so really $16)

U(or C) Channel Aluminum. 8' - $9 (Used 4 - $36)

So, in total, approximately $71 for the material to make all the cockpit railing with all the "Dzus" fasteners. I'm sure everyone probably already knows this stuff, but I hope it helps anyone who doesn't. If you know of anything that would make it easier for me, as I'm still drilling, please let me know. :)

Well it has been awhile since I posted an update! I guess since there was no feedback on the Dzus fasteners, I figure there's not many reading. :huh: Oh well, here goes the next phase. :)

I've finally got all the panels done and most of the sides painted, etc. Only 4 or 5 panels actually have switches that are hooked up to Helios, though. All in all, it looks like this at the moment.

I'm still needing a landing gear panel, and a fuel indicator panel. I've gotten a CMSC and NMSP panel, but no room to put the switches behind them due to screen I've got! Wasn't really planning this through when I first started. I guess I really didn't believe I would go this far. :music_whistling:

The dash is just a temporary thing I got from an old VW that I wanted to install my only Fire Pull handle and stores jettison button until I built something better.

I've been trying different options in running hookup cabling to the B256A13 card. Here is the power panel trying out using RJ45 jack and ethernet cable. The next panel, YAW SAS, that I'm hooking up now is using an Arduino Uno. Trying that out worked wonderfully. The knock-offs are getting down to almost $10 on eBay. I wish that I had the ability to do some of the stuff Whartsell is doing.

Back to the pit! Next, besides the panels, are to get an extension for the stick, and eventually an ACES II. Get the caution LEDs wired and hooked up to the PhidgetLED. Finally need to start backlighting. Oh yeah! Can't forget the UFC and CDU. Might be moving in the near future, but it will eventually get there! Here's the rest of the panels so far.

Looking great MacFevre :thumbup: Looks like you got hold on one of the CMSC panels DM had. Like your NMSP. I got hold on the same light plate.

How did you hook up the Arduino Uno for the SAS panel? Have you modified the Arduino to show up as a joystick controller or are you sending inputs back to the game as UDP?

Do you happen to have a few photos of the fire ext. handle assembly. I need to try and figure out how to make something workable for my pit.

Cheers

Hans

OMG that's amazing.

Thanks K2. Really appreciate it. It's taken... Time. ;)

HMA, sure, I'll grab some pics in a bit. I took the Arduino tutorial straight from Whartsell's tutorial at http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=108160. Piece of cake... With one. Not sure yet about hooking two together. Wish they had more than a few digital inputs. Thanks for the compliment! :)

Thanks a bunch MacFevre.

Looking forward for the pictures when you have time. No rush.

With regard to the few input I believe that it is possible to configure the Ardunio to run the analogue input as digital inputs as well. Haven't tried it though.

This is also something which I haven't tried but it looks awesome: http://www.f15sim.com/?p=223

http://macetech.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=23

It looks like it can expand the Uno to 64 general purpose I/O pins. Might be a possiblillity if EOS/Helios can handle it. Again I have not tried it yet and still have a very long way to go on the programming side of the Arduino :music_whistling:

Cheers

Hans

Hey thanks for the link! That looks like something to definitely look into. Not sure exactly what your needing with the fire pull, but here's what I have. Remember it's only temporary and not really even bolted in yet, just enough so it doesn't go anywhere. The reason being, honestly I'm not exactly sure how I'm even going to go about doing the dash. Something about bridges and time. ;)

Since this is the only actual pull I have, I'm not sure how to implement the others, but I'll probably put them on a similar system. When you pull the handle, (Fire pulls only come out maybe a centimeter or two,) ill have it complete the circuit with either a snap-action switch or a magnetic switch. Or maybe through Helios it would be easier to do the opposite? I don't know, just thinking out loud. I really haven't seen what others have done.

Anyway, here's the fire pull.

Anything, really, anything else you need don't hesitate to ask. This community has really helped me out, and I'm more than happy to do the same.

Cheers. :)