carousel

[shipto]

I decided to make a model carousel for my grandaughter and feel confident now that I will at least be able to make it even if I dont have one with all the lights like I asked about in the "how to" section.
I started off by making a mistake pic1 the first carriages i made where much too big so I made 5 smaller ones (only need 4 but one is just in case).
Next I cut the playwood circles and ring will will make the base, top and deck of the carousel and glued many coffee stirrers to simulate planks onto the deck. The coffee stirrers are good for the scale but I need to make sure they show through the paint I will put on it.
that will do for now I will not rush to put all the pics up as I still have a very long way to go to complete it.

[Brass_Machine]

I love carousels. I will be watching this one!

Eric

[shipto]

Good brass machine I wasnt sure anyone would be interested.
The pics and stages are not in the order I did them I have skipped ahead here and there.
I made the centre section for the carousel, this needs to be hollow to house the motor and gearing and most probably the electronics or whatever I decide for the lights and music.
Some simple wire twisted with the drill soldered into some brass holders to keep the deck in place all painted gold, looks very impressive I think.

[Brass_Machine]

Good brass machine I wasnt sure anyone would be interested.
...

I think most people will be. Not everyone makes a comment though. Post away... it isn't in vain.

Eric

[Brass_Machine]

I would like to see how you did the wire twisting.

The decking looks nice. Is it just glued?

[ddmckee54]

It's too late now since you've got the decking complete, but if you would have put a small chamfer on the edges of the coffee stirrers before you glued them down it would have helped make sure they show through the paint.  That would highlight the joint which is what I think you were hoping to do.  Another option is just do a clear finish on the deck and let the wood show through.

I build wooden models of construction equipment and I have yet to use anything to finish them other than clear or amber shellac with a polyurethane varnish top coat.

Don

[shipto]

the wire twisting was quite simple I had a fitting (from a gazeebo i think) lying around so just drilled a few holes either side of it then bent the ends of the wire fed them through the holes, put a nail in the vice and let the drill turn it until i was happy with the finish. I then just wound the rest to closely match the first one.
ddmckee54 I sorted that problem out by grinding the end of a small file to a sharp point and scoring between the stirrers using a ruler to avoid going off (second pic). As for not painting I did think about that but dont think it would be in keeping with a proper carousel. I think they are meant to be painted bright and cheerful colours.

[Bluechip]

Shipto
 
Are you still looking for a random generator wotsit for your lighting?? No way could I find the wretched circuit I prattled on about but I now have a much better method. Well MikroC does anyway. They have a RAND function that does it for PIC code in their compiler.
 
Ridiculously easy ... wanna see ?? If you want I could post the code.
 
 
Dave BC

[shipto]

Still not decided exactly how I am going to do it yet bluechip but if you could post or message me I will store it for justin case.
thank you.

[Bluechip]

Shipto
 
I assumed you would want 8 individual outputs, could be others, no trouble.
 
This is all it is.
 
 

Code: [Select]


int number;
int iter;
unsigned char _low;
unsigned char _0;
unsigned char _1;
unsigned char _2;
unsigned char _3;
unsigned char _4;
unsigned char _5;
unsigned char _6;
unsigned char _7;
void main()
{
    for ( iter = 1; iter <= 299; iter ++ )
    {
    number = rand ();
    _low = number >> 12;
        switch (_low)
        {
        case 0: _0 ++; break;
        case 1: _1 ++; break;
        case 2: _2 ++; break;
        case 3: _3 ++; break;
        case 4: _4 ++; break;
        case 5: _5 ++; break;
        case 6: _6 ++; break;
        case 7: _7 ++; break;
        }
    }
}
 

The rand() function produces a number 0-32768 ie 15 bits
The only two lines that do anything useful are
 
number = rand ();            // generates the number
_low = number >> 12;     // Shift right 12 positions

Most of that code is to vaguely determine just how random it is when it's squashed down from 15 to 3 bits. Not too bad. Although it does occasionally chuck out the same value in succession but it would be no big thing to stop that if required.
 
Anyway, sent it around for 300 laps and got this:
 
Dave
 
 

[shipto]

Thanks bluechip
copied and filed away, I am still not sure exactly what to use but like the idea of the microswitch cam method from the other thread, it somehow strikes me as more in keeping with the project.
Anyway a few more pics I painted the carriages in liberal amounts of primer to start with then in bright colours (apart from the black one) as a base also shown in this pic is a few of the horses I am going to use. The horses are not made by me but brought on ebay, I did not even want to try making 16 horses or more if you count discards. you will notice they are missing their tails so I will need to sort this out.

[shipto]

Not too much to report but I managed to scrounge a black and decker power screwdriver from a guy at work. It has a 6volt motor and a 2 stage planetry gearbox and is perfect for the drive 
My arduino arrived today so have been trying to get to grips with that and managed my first simple experiment by making the led blink dependant on the light shining on a ldr.

[shipto]

Stripped the screwdriver down and mounted the motor on a ally disc.

[PTsideshow]

Looks good so far, for working in the dark sort of. Sorry I didn't see this sooner. Here is a UK site you may find of interest if you don't have it. http://fairground-heritage.org.uk/
there was an on line magazine a couple years ago for Euro old funfair equipment, but sadly it now is a slot gaming site!

Here is the page with links to the photo's of some miniature carousel builders group members in the US. From mild to wild! http://carousels.com/mcb/  MCB is mostly centered in PA and the surrounding areas. They used to have a set of plans and some other stuff for sale. when I was a member years ago.
Contact info is at the top of the page email addy.

There is another group out of West Va for miniature carousels, but it seems to come and go.

Here is the internet center of the carousel world in the US. http://www.carousels.com/index.php

[shipto]

Thanks pt I have seen the carousels.com site and looked through the members models I might post them mine, assuming it looks ok when done 

[PTsideshow]

You have a really good start, And I have seen some pretty bare bones to a couple real crazy detailed ones. They have had some very folk artish ones from past members. I will have to find the newsletter with the mods to a import small tubing cutter that lets one turn out the twist brass tubing that is used animal hanger poles.

[shipto]

Been working on the drive today, after stripping down the screwdriver I turned the outer part out so it was straight and bored a new housing to press it into reassembled the gears and bolted the motor housing to it, after that I bolted half of the pan washer bearing? to the top and the whole lot is fixed to the carousel centre.
It turns a little fast (scaled up I think it would throw kids off no problem  ) so the pwm is definatly needed.

[shipto]

Had a accident with the center column for the carousel and had to remake it but to avoid it breaking should the same thing happen I covered it with cloth and drenched the whole lot in glue.
Also made a start on the gearing to make the horses go up and down.

[shipto]

Its been a long time since I even looked at this project, amazing how other things get in the way but found myself at a loose end today so decided to do a bit with it and started by trying to remember exactly what I was doing so put it together and sized up the bars.
Anyway apart from the post to show this project hasnt gone by the wayside I am still having trouble with the gearing to move the horses and wondered if anyone had some ideas. The main gear needs to be 80mm id and up to 180mm od while the other 8 need to be about 26mm with a ratio of around 4.5 : 1

[sparky961]

Although I'm not that interested in the carousel itself, I have to thank you.  Looking at the approximately 2 years since your last post made me feel a lot less alone when thinking about the myriad projects I've started and not "yet" completed.  Seems it runs in the community.

Glad to see you've rekindled the interest and best of luck with the continuation/completion.

[shipto]

 
I am almost losing track of the projects I have on the go at the moment in no real order of importance.
engine idea,
dirt bike rebuild
fixing lathe
heat bender for plastic
sorting out shop storage
the carousel
etc, etc and etc

[SwarfnStuff]

Ah Shipto.
     Our model engineering club has a saying, "One project at a time". Don't think any of us stick to it as there always seems to be a hiatus between operations. SO, what to do with the glue set time" or silver solder pickle time? Why, "Just start on this little project" and the rot sets in.
     Nice aim though?
Good luck with the carousel, they really look good when finished and running. Saw one at an almost, local (87km up the freeway), model exhibition a few years back..
John B

[shipto]

A really nice aim but most of my problems getting these projects finished is usually a lack of the proper tools for the job. I finally have a decent lathe thats capable of way more than I will ever need (famous last words?) but a milling machine would be the next thing that would help me with a lot of the projects.
Maybe sometime next year, will have to sweet talk the wife or better still make her something really nice 

[shipto]

Managed to spend a bit of time on this project at last. Made a tool from a old bit of parting tool and some flat stock.
Made some fixings for the bottom of the twisted bars which will fit on as in pic 3, still need to put a rebate in the bottom of them so they can sit flush on the wood and put some m3 grub screws in to hold everything in place before they are polished up.
I have also located the gearing for moving the horses up and down, already brought a large meccano crown gear and will order the small gears once the funds are available.

[NormanV]

I have always stuck to one project at a time. Trouble is, I am bored with my current project and as a consequence I am doing nothing!