Maria Del Camino

Catching Up - Maria rolls outa here in 13 days!

6/25/2011

Working alone today, finished the mock up for the carrier guide on the boom. The hydraulic lines were also fitted so they can be ordered. The resolution and movement of the lines is more elegant than I was expecting. Too bad they will be hidden for the most part.

JP & Jason worked through the week rorganizing and cleaning the shop. JP built a solid work table w/steel top and a movable vise stand.

Jason finished the weld prep for extending the blade tips to full track width. JP should weld next week.

6/26/2011

Fabricated the aluminum guides for the hydraulic hose carrier.

Went to SFMOMA beforehand to see “Para Design.” The Toilet and High Tank were on display. A bit crowded/display wise. Same room that Gnomon was in. The seat has aged to dark brown - shit. The decrepid hose was not secured well to the toilet should have a bailing wire twisted. It is the oldest piece in the show: 1987!

7/7/2011

JP, Jason and I attending to numerous details: rallying to start up the engine. Refilling hydraulic tank and lines. Engine starts easily but pin hole leak-puncture in the fuel filter sprays fuel all over - potential disaster! Replaced old fuel line as well - possible leak.

We rig up temporary control sticks for spool valves to test lift & tilt circuits. Air is bled from lines. We first test the lift - success!! Then tilt - success!! Then combinations for standing & flying! All work remarkably well. I climb in/on and jump all around. More testing needed with more load, and then to drive her …

7/9/2011

JP & I work all day - rapid prototyping battery box mounted at front near tanks. Drive linkage installed. First drive in flying mode. Scary as all hell! Clody took video and stills. I encouraged her to use security camera footage if possible.

7/10/2011

Jason & I cleaned up some. I worked on the tilt/lift controller linkage. Rusty & Kelsey came by to video Maria in the daylight.

7/16/2011

Mounted control tower after working all week on configuring the bell cranks and modifying Komatsu parts.

JP & Jason attended to details all week.

I begin to build the mold for the fiberglass tub. It feels great to shift to another mode of working — wood. I love having to think insideout, but this is a real puzzler. Building from the top, but planning for removal from the bottom. Floor cross members done. Taped off/marked tops of doors to be reshaped with fair curves.

7/18/2011

Margaret & Brian stop by after Mary leaves. Two show & tells in one day. It feels good to be at this point. I spend the rest of the day fitting floor panels. A very curious and inigmatic shape results from floor intersecting plane of top of X frame.

7/19/2011

Frustrating day - engine won’t start. It is keeping us from a long list of other tasks … mold work is slow - can’t figure out detail @ tub top edge.

7/21/2011

The tower controller finally/finely adjusted for the tilt/lift. All other connections made, Testing in NIMBY lot - then a beer run in full flying mode to corner store. Mayhem on the street with people stopping and staring!

7/22/2011

Hi speed sticks on. Brian Maltby consults about how to interchange hi-speed spool valve from old unit to the larger one in use.

8/2/2011

Mold for the interior fiberglass is progressing well with both John & Jason assisting. Tom & Zorca helped on Sunday cutting out fiberglass pieces from the larger sheets. Trying to find a boat yard that can do the gel coat. I may go with linear polyurethane as a less expensive/time saving alternate.

8/11/2011

Fiberglass work officially begins!

8/13/2011

Jomo (he’s back!), JP & I continue prep, foathoning, laminating tub edge dash & pilars. Andrew and Ethan come by to help.

8/14/2011

I spend a fair amount of time detailing the edges and drilling 5/16” holes in air bubbles under the cap sheet fiberglass to be filled. Dash is trimmed out with more mat filler pieces. Then overlayed w/cloth. The squeegee is working well. Two more layers of cloth at pilars. Dash now has 3 cloth + 1 mat + 1 cloth. Tub has 7 layers + cap sheet.

Sanded second layer of pink opaque gel coat to fair translucency on sample. When held to sunlight grapefruit/proscuito color is good. Pink is slightly cooler and whiter than previous samples. Perhaps too light now?

Will take to samples Svensen’s Boatyard tomorrow for color match!

Beer run …

Thanks to Kelsey for filming this!

Thanks to Kelsey for filming this!

Thanks to Kelsey for filming this!

Maria’s lift and tilt circuits have been tested and they work!

Three cheers!

More later, Bruce