Post-MegaCon update

It's a twap frame!

It's been a week since MegaCon, and I've managed to get more than a fair amount done on R4.  The frame is now to the "stabilize and prep for skins" point, and the bearing is ready to be mounted once I'm ready.  And I finally started on legs!  I have 1 leg almost completely cut out (I just need to buy some 1mm styrene before I can cut out the last bits) and I'm to the stage of welding.  I've been learning more about techniques and how to actually get the most out of the parts that I have, and it's really helped.

Tools:  I ended up picking up a metal square, it's making a drastic difference on how accurate I can make cuts, even versus other metal rulers I have.  I also picked up a sanding block (instead of just using the paper for my mouse sander) and it's made evening out the rough spots a lot easier.  Lastly, I got a "bastard" file, which is making cleaning up uneven spots a LOT easier.  Thanks Todd for the suggestions, they have really helped!

Techniques:  You would figure after spending 6 months working with the knife that I would have figured it out by now, right?  Nope.  I have been holding the blade at WAY too shallow of an angle, and it makes the cuts take FOREVER.  After fiddling around a little bit this week, I'm at more of a 45 degree angle now, and it's making a massive difference in the quality and effectiveness of each cut.  It may sound like a small thing, but stuff like this definitely makes me feel good when I figure it out.

Other materials:  I ended up getting a new 4' table (the parts in this last update are sitting on this table now.  What I'm using it for currently is to hold parts while I work on other sections, as my workspace is limited.  It's also small enough that eventually I can bring it inside if needed as well.

The start of the 1st leg!

I'm planning on going slightly off plans for my legs, mostly in the support area.  I have the top section welded, and I'm moving forward.  Finding the pipe for the main housing was a little bit of a challenge, but I think my father-in-law has some 3/4" outside diameter pipe that will end up working nicely. I'll post up more leg shots once I have more to show.