First attempt - 6DOF and learn to TIG weld at the same time.

Hello from New York State. Not long after my sons got an Oculus Rift a couple of weeks ago, I started looking around for motion simulator ideas, and found this community. Since I never perfected the skill of walking before I try to run, I saw the 6DOF project by @SilentChill, and decided to try to make my own based on his work. And, to add style points, I thought I'd try to make it out of aluminum, though I've never TIG welded before.

So here I am, introducing myself and creating what I hope will be a useful build log. I'll be using 12V 50:1 crab pot puller motors, LED power supplies, Thanos' AMC1280USB, probably Sabertooth motor drivers, some gas struts and a lot of unattractively welded aluminum tubing. I don't think I can upload photos yet, but I will as soon as I have the permissions.

I appreciate all the information I've already gleaned here, and will appreciate even more any advice that I can get as I stumble forward.

Thanks, @noorbeast. Good advice. I've been reading carefully here for a couple of weeks, and putting together a scrapbook of ideas I like, and lessons learned, from others' projects. I have a pattern of diving into projects that are probably a little too big. I built a DLP-based 3D printer from hardware store parts and pictures from the web a few years ago, and that seems have started it all. The list of projects since then is sort of embarrassing when written down - everything from laser harps to a full size replica of Captain Kirk's command chair. I'm sure there will be frustrations with this one, but I'm motivated by the thought of watching my sons enjoy it.

Here are the photos I was trying to upload when I started the thread. Didn't realize it was as easy as drag and drop. Some of the aluminum stock for the frame, the motors and original power supplies (now going to be ditched in favor of LED supplies), the base pieces cut and waiting to be welded, and the new welder, an AlphaTig 200x. We'll see how it goes...

Im trying to put together a very similar setup @Squonk ! Im excited to see this build!

Can you share plans/dimensions and materials being used? Thanks

I anticipate having to make some changes as I experiment and run into problems, but I will do my best to provide a set of final measurements at the end, and interim reports as each subassembly is complete. For now, I can tell you that I am using 2" X 4" X 1/8" T6061-T6 aluminum/titanium rectangular tube for the base, and 2" X3" X 1/8" rectangular tube (same material) for the main seat frame. I'm planning to use 1" X 1" x 1/8" square tube (again, same material) for subframing to support the seat, pedals, etc., though I haven't designed that part yet.

Thanks. I look forward to seeing your build progress. I am still gathering materials for my 6dof build using 24v 400w motors. I will be using steel, but quite fancy having a go at alumium and Tig, which I would have to also learn.

Fancy or foolhardy. Time will tell.

This won't progress anywhere near as fast as @SilentChill 's project, but I will try to document the good, the bad and the ugly as I go. Today, it's a combination of all three. I got a bottle of argon and have spent the past few days destroying a lot of scrap aluminum and gaining immense respect for welders in general, and TIG aluminum welders specifically. Today, after a LOT of internet reading, YouTube watching and control tweaking, I was finally able to join some scraps together with butt welds that put the butt in "butt ugly." As bad as they look, they penetrated fully and are holding well, as far as I can tell. I'm not proud of how they look, but I'm posting the photo just to make sure the record is complete. Hoping to get much, much better as this goes on...

Let me also interject....................I also learned mig welding the same way you're learning..................................and practice does make "almost" perfect.
Hang in there and go through several bottles of argon and you will be home free!

Tom

Yes. A few bottles of argon and about 10 pounds of filler rod, I'd say. Still having some trouble starting, and then controlling, the puddle. And my dabbing is obviously hit and miss. Thanks for the encouragement!

'dem sum perty welds. keep practicing.

Thanks. I'll get there. It's only day 3 for me, and I know the "welds" are ugly as sin, but I've made some progress on being able to start the puddle consistently and modulate the amperage as I go along. My filler rod/torch coordination still need a lot of work. Today I've been playing around with different settings, speeds, torch positions, etc. to see how they affect the bead and interact with the temperature of the base metal as it heats up. But that's enough about TIG welding for now. I'll make sure my next post has something to do with the actual motion platform.

All right. I said I wouldn't post again until I had some progress on the frame, and I sort of do. Finally got a reasonable, though not beautiful, weld today, which gives me hope that I'll be able to assemble the thing after all. It's not perfect, by any stretch, and it kind of fell apart at one end because my rod filling technique isn't great, yet. But it's definitely a start. I may have a hexagon this weekend!

Squonk,
Your welds are looking good considering you've only been welding such a short time................AND on aluminum substrate, which I find much harder than mig on steel.

Good and continued luck on your project.

Tom

Not bad at all. Tig welding is a lot more difficult to perfect than mig welding too since a mig feeds the wire for you and you don't have to feed it with you other hand.

So, to quote @SilentChill "I have myself , well ermmmm a hexagon." It's being held here by the future rider to provide a sense of scale.


Welds are slowly improving, but since I have no good reason to trust them completely, I added gussets on the underside at each joint to beef things up a bit.

Still debating whether to add a rectangular sub-frame inside to hold the electronics like @SilentChill did, or to house everything in a separate cabinet with an umbilical for the motors.

Good job. Out of interest would brazing the joints with something like Durafix aluminium rods be an effective way of assembling a platform? Some videos on Youtube seem to indicate that you can get very strong joints.

Yes I would agree, for the "first time welder", using Durafix aluminium rods may have been the key; when using Durafix you almost can't go wrong!

But hey, Squonk keep at it, as welding is a great art to master!

Good luck with your build.

Regards Jerry.