Day 93 - Cutting bits for eyestalk and plunger arm

Wow, it's been a month since I last posted!  I feel neglectful!  Part of it is that I'm in a weird phase where I'm losing confidence in the build, and most of it has to do with the bloody dome cowl.

ChristmasDalek did as best as she could removing all the stuck-on linoleum remnants and other crud, but it's still a pretty nasty, crinkly mess inside.  So I just put it (and Rainier) out of my mind for awhile and sulked.

But, I'm trying to muscle my way through the funk.  I cleaned up the garage (which was one MAJOR thing that was keeping me from continuing), and that helped a lot.  The after shot should speak volumes.  No, I'm not a hoarder.  (At least I hope not!)

Now that my tools were back in reach with elbow room to spare, I set about on something else entirely (eschewing the cowl for now).  I decided it was high time to cut up all my aluminum tubing that I've had laying about.

First I set to work on the various pieces for the eyestalk, per the manual.  Now I need to get the eyestalk lenses cut to size and drilled.

Then I cut up the large plunger tube so that I had 20cm sticking out the back end for me to grab.  This matches what's currently the inner length of the gun tube, but I may trim both down if they prove too awkward for me to wield once I'm situated snugly inside.  From the front of the globe, 39.5cm of tube protrudes, per the manual.  For now, I also cut up the two smaller tubes to approximately the same lengths.  I'll be using 1" diameter acrylic hose as a means to extend the arm rather than longer lengths of tube, for safety's sake.

I can't remember if I mentioned it earlier in this diary or not, but the same friend who micro-lathed my gun bosses also carved me up some top hat bushings that I designed one day in Goggle Sketch-Up for my plunger arm tubes.  I've been keeping them in my freezer for months (thermodynamics and all that) and finally attached them to the cut up tubes.

On each of the inner tubes, I temporarily affixed masking tape 20cm from the top as a means to stop them from falling completely out of their respective housings.  Here's a shot of Rainier with his new arm fully extended!  Note the screw in the front bushing; a similar screw will be set within the eventual rubber-casted plungers that I'll be making.  Then, they can simply be screwed on to the arm!

That's all for now ... perhaps I'll try and fiberglass up the cowl soon after repairing some of the air pockets.  Or I may work on the eyestalk lenses ... we'll see!