2019-06-27 (Th) PillarGame

The base for this project was designed using a whole day so that some of the bugs could be worked on while it was on the drawing board. I didn't mention anything yesterday, but I purchased the materials shortly after designing everything.

The base was constructed first so the rest of the parts could stack on top of it and mount in place. Some of the dimensions shrunk during construction, but the base was a full 48" (1.2m) from side to side.
Base with crossing beams

The next pieces to be cut were the vertical members. These would attach perpendicular to the base at their bottom and accept a 5/16" (8mm) rod in the top. A couple of saw blade grooves were cut in the sides of the wood so that when I sandwiched them together, the slots would align to make a pilot hole and ensure the drill bit cut true. In the original design, they were 48" (1.2m) tall, but they were made short enough that they would not make the pillar's bottom extend over the height of a table. Ideally, the base will not be visible to the player.
Saw-cut pilot hole

Extra long 5" (125mm) screws held the vertical members to the base. Additional braces had 45° on each end. Screws held them to the bottom and vertical members. They were driven perpendicular to the angled pieces so they would remain flush.
Long screws holding angled beam ends

All the wood was screwed together and felt rigid. The size made me nervous that it would not fit in the backseat of my car, and it was not collapsible. Some of my larger projects were made to be portable, and while it was possible to carry this with one hand, it did not fit through doorways without tilting it.
Complete structure

For the hole in the top, a 12" (30mm) drill bit cut the slot. With the grooves, the drill went smoothly, but I was worried that a rectangular pilot hole would not be useful. A spade bit may have had different results, but the spiral one worked well.
Drilling a deep hole

I wanted the feet to be adjustable so the pillar would be vertical or at least not allow any wobble during operation. Some furniture feet came with nylon inserts, but these were swapped for metal pronged T nuts.
Replacement machine screw receptacles

After the foot installation and adjustment, the testing commenced. I stood on the vertical members and balanced myself on my hands and it did not shake under me.
Sturdy enough for a full-grown human

The next test was easier, and the base successfully held the PVC cylinder and rod while it was spun. Spinning it this fast will definitely exceed the maximum speed in the game, but the mass of a full-size cylinder will be higher and have more leverage since it will be taller.
Base with cylinder spinning on top

The rest of the posts for this project have been arranged by date.

First time here?

Completed projects from year 1
Completed projects from year 2
Completed projects from year 3
Completed projects from year 4
Completed projects from year 5
Completed projects from year 6

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2019-06-23

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