Help needed - retracting stands

[ummester]

Hi, I'm generally a system MOCer (don't hold it against me ) I don't mind using technic parts for functionality in my MOCs but am often out of my depth. I hope I have come to the right place for some help.

I'm trying to make some retractable stands that work as a group.

Here are the stands down.

And up

I have 2 main problems.

1. How do I include the front stand in the link?

2. Is there a way to make the stands lock in the raised and lowered positions whilst keeping them all working as a group?

LDD file attached. Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Spaceship stands.lxf

[Captainowie]

Hi Ummester.

My suggestions would be:

1. Extend the axles until they are level with the front stand, and use a #2 axle joiner to connect them to the leg. Let me know if that doesn't make sense.
   
2. That really depends on how sturdy you need the lock to be, and how often you will need to change positions. For example, to lock them up, you could place a technic brick through the two gray axles you have, and fit the studs on the brick into the anti-studs of the plate above. But it'd be fiddly to get unlocked. To lock them down, you could simply have something that limits the travel of the axle frame until just after it's passed the fully down position, and the weight of the model will hold them in place. Solutions go up from there in technicality!
   

Hope that helps

Owen.

[Bricktrain]

maybe this

[ummester]

Thanks for your help.

By #2 axle joiner do you mean part #6536 ( http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=6536 ) Captainowie? This part throws the alignment of the front stand out for the raising/lowering.

Bricktrain's solution works perfectly, though does make the one stand look different to the others.

The idea was to make and array of stands on the undercarriage of a spaceship that could be used as a playable feature. The array here has 5, with one offset as part of the design I was going to use them in. In theory, the array could be set up for any number of stands, of any size, on a model of various weights. The design I'm using it on is only around 400 parts, so less than 500 grams - but there is no reason the technique couldn't be applied to something as heavy as the UCS Falcon. Of course, the heavier the model, the more important it would be to make sure the stands lock in place.

[Captainowie]

I meant this one http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=32034, so that all the connections between the frame and the legs are in the same plane.

I'm not a LDD user, so I can't see Bricktrain's solution, but if it works for you, then great.

Owen.

[Bricktrain]

the #2 connector is the one I have used on the front leg. You could use 2 long axles and half stop bushes for the pins thru the toggle joints rather than the frictionless pins I have shown. You could change all the bricks with pins to the type with axle holes and just use as many friction pins as neede to get enough strength to stay in position and use frictionless pins in the others.

or else just use one link to the front

Spaceship%20stands3.lxf

[ummester]

Yes - you both had the same solution :) Sorry, I don't know techic part names that well.

Thanks very much for the second file Bricktrain - it seems to be the most elegant solution that maintains the aesthetics of the stands - I could set up a 'fake' axle with that configuration that makes it look like the array is symmetrical.

I guess I will have to build the array with some friction pins to find out how many are needed. I like LDD for planning and part ordering but it does have functional limitations.

Again, thanks so much to both of you for your help.