The AXIS 4D Coaster Model Construction Forum

[Ccron10]

Here I go again, but..... to be honest, it is just as easy to just build the prototype instead of doing it in Inventor. You will learn so much more about the materials and how easily they conform to the shapes you want. In fact, you may design something in Inventor that cannot be easily modeled with the materials you have in mind. Like I said before, let the actual model dictate where you go with this. I suspect that the building of the model is unfamiliar territory for you, but working on the computer designing it is a more comfortable way to approach this. At some point you will have to let go of the virtual constraints and just start building.

 

Personally, I would weigh the costs of scratchbuilding such a large and complicated model with using an existing modeling system like Knex or CoasterDynamix. In my experience, a model of this size would cost upwards of $2000 to reproduce at the least. The bearings alone will run over $100. Think about it. For example, with something like CoasterDynamix, you could build a realistic model, then go back in Inventor and reverse-engineer all the drawings to conform to the design of the ride. You could wrap up the project in record time and impress your teachers all at once!

 

The reason why I designed it on inventor was to some better measurements like the width between supports, the angle of the track and height. Doing this showed me if I needed to make some changes and in which I did. The height was going to be 12in, but it looked a little short so I changed it to 18 in. After drawing the track, I found out the drop angle would've been around 75 degrees which isn't the average drop angle on a coaster and it wouldn't be likely that the angle would've shown up on the design so I changed it back to 12in. That gave me a drop angle of 65 degrees which is a little better.

 

I guess when all else fails, I can just do the prototype, cars, finish the layout, and document on what it took to get that far. The materials aren't really a big problem since the station, supports, part of the cars, platform and spine are going to be made out of wood in which I have a lot of. I also have an old Remote Controlled car motor for the lift motor. Most of the other items execpt for the wheels and the lift motor control wouldn't be that expensive that I know of.

[Vffreak07]

I can't wait to see another update! What colors are you gonna paint it?

[Ccron10]

I was thinking of focusing with the colors red, orange and black. Yellow might be included.

 

Good News! The prototype is fully completed! The screen below shows the fully completed prototype. I hope to start actually building it on the weekend. Cross supports on the crests of the hills will be added on the project, they can't show up on the model.

 

Car construction could start as soon as tomorrow night or as late a next week.

 

Stay tuned for more!

The completed prototype.

[christianscoasters]

IMO, those colors aren't that great. I would really go with X's or Eejanaika's.

[Moose]

Good News! The prototype is fully completed! The screen below shows the fully completed prototype. I hope to start actually building it on the weekend. Cross supports on the crests of the hills will be added on the project, they can't show up on the model.

 

Car construction could start as soon as tomorrow night or as late a next week.

 

Stay tuned for more!

 

The prototyype is not completed, it hasn't even been started yet. The drawing of the prototype is completed. That is a big difference. It is very possible to draw what cannot be built

 

[Moose]

Oh btw. Very cool drawing. I'm impressed.

[Ccron10]

^^That's what I ment. The drawing is done, but not the actual work on building the prototype.

 

Those aren't the actual colors, those were the layer colors that I used in the model on the AutoCAD drawing of the actual coaster model. The supports will be black while the track will be read, the crossmembers will be orange and the spince will be yellow. Right now the color isn't a big deal.

[Ccron10]

Construction on the prototype has finally begun!!!! (and it's not on the computer either.)

 

After making a change to the width of the platform, we cut a 6 inch by 24 inch long piece of wood, then drilled 9, 1/8 deep holes for the footers which are 3/4 inch wide.

 

Next I sawed off 9, 5/8 long dawl rods for the footers and while I painted them, my dad eurithained the base.

 

Stay tuned for deigning of the cars and the supports being created.

The footers were pained grey.

The Base

The Base

[Vffreak07]

That looks great! Can we see some trackage?

Also, I would have a couple little camel backs, and not just down and up, so you can see what the trains do with speed and all.

[Ccron10]

Could a mod remove this post too? Thanks

[Ccron10]

Could a mod. remove this post? thanks

[Ccron10]

I'm just going to keep it the way it is and my testing plan is measuring how high the car could go going up on a hill. This will give me a ratio on the max. hight I can make each hill. Also, I don't plan on making anything higher than the hill it last went over.

 

When I went to get my supplies, I looked around for something better than metal tubing or Plastruct and found ployetholine tubing. It's thick and stiff, but it can still bend, eliminating the use of any bending machines.

[Jack Rimer]

Have you tried glueing it? It's tricky.

Also, it's a good plan to not make any hill higher than the previous hill.

[chaos]

I'm glad you're finally starting to build this thing. It's been a while since you first announced this. Good luck with the building.

[Vffreak07]

Any updates?!? I wanna see the completed mini-model.

[Gav]

Ummm, the guy has been posting updates left right and center throughout the course of the project, I'm sure he will be quick to post pics when he has done something.

[Ccron10]

In fact, here's a brand new update.

 

Last night I took the painted supports and glued them to the platform. To have them all line up straight we took 2 pieces of wood with a daul rod at each end and clamped them between the supports.

 

I also did a paint test with the the track and spine. I used 3 different types of paint, a racing finish paint used for RC car bodies, a basic modeling paint and woodworking paint. The one we're going to use is the racing finishsince it's flexable and won't chip as easily, also because it has a nice smooth finish.

 

Next update will include the making of the track crossmembers and spine saddles.

Another view of the prototype. By the way, this thing is being made in my dad's woodworking shop (a.k.a. the garage.)lol

The paint test.

The model so far. Take note that the actual model will be 3 times the height of this!

[RRollergod]

It may just be me but the trough of that drop is waaaay to sharp there would be tons of +Gs.

[Gav]

Its RCT Style

[Jack Rimer]

How's the train coming along? You may want to recheck your supports in the base of the valley. Not sure if that is going to work.

 

As I have said before, spend a little less time on paint selection and devote more time to the train design. This is the point that will make or break the whole project since the train is the single most important aspect of any working model.

[Vffreak07]

I agree. I think the model needs to have a little bit longer radius coming down, and I'd like to see some pics of the trains as well. ^

[Ccron10]

I haven't started the trains yet, but I hope to soon.

 

There's a small support in there between the jig at the middle and hopefully since the cars are going to be articulated, hopefully they can take that radius.

[Ccron10]

Hey guys, I have a cool Idea!

Maybe when I finish the project I could create floorless Dive Machine, and B&M floorless cars for the coaster? That'd be cool! Just thought I'd throw that out there as an idea to do later.

 

The cars are coming along great, the frame is finished and we're starting to design the wheels.

 

Also, since the cars are small, the seats won't be able to rotate. aw well... I guess the coaster could be called a wing-walker coaster instead of a 4th Dimension coaster.

[Vffreak07]

Or you could make the cars on a freely rotating axis so they can flip to their pleasure.

Like kinda of an Intamin Ball Coaster idea.

[Giovanolafan]

It wouldn't be terribly hard to make working 4d coaster.

Just have a bar attatching each side of the cars and have a prode connecting to that to the fourth track