VSS Space Carrier - Part 13

Bad News!
There's been a disaster. The primary laser cutter is down! Started going crazy right in the middle of doing some cuts.

DioWarriors uses a number of laser cutters. We have two from FLUX, a company in Taiwan (we also use 3D printers from FLUX). Well, it's been a crazy week with Thanksgiving approaching (now past) and I'm working on the orders too. Lots going on. All the printers and laser cutters are busy every day from the morning to night. Things wear down with use. A control cable within our FLUX BeamBox -- the primary cutter -- must have flexed too much and broke, at least according to the tech support. So a replacement cable is on the way, all the way from Taiwan. In the mean time we're not slowing down.

Engine Room Continues
The next stage for the engine room is the portion that comes in direct contact with the VSS. Deck 4 is 002's central deck and the engine section connects to it. The way it connects is via rails and a linkage assembly. The engine section simply slides along the rails until it connects. So the engine section is in two parts -- the rear which has the thrusters and all the stuff I've been posting about and then a small part -- the inner section (in blue in the screenshot) -- that fits directly inside the VSS deck 4. This inner section is critical and it has to be strong to support the weight of the engine section. So the approach I've taken is to design this like a box that fits into the VSS structure.

002 Has Been Moved!
VSS 002 is now in my Joe Room. Currently it sits on a 6' table -- one of those folding types -- and already it is obvious it's going to need a longer table. But having it in the Joe Room will make it easier to show it in a video. It'll be easier to show up dates as it gets worked on.

Not Taking a Pause, But....
So, for the last few weeks I've been posting about the engine room section and it might seem like there's been a slow down with this VSS project. But that's not the case at all. There's just a lot of details to make right before committing resources. I've been going back and forth updating objects as I get nearer to 3D printing them. For example there's a lot of beams to support the floor or the walls. Since they take hours to print, and there's many of them, I can spend a week or two printing one set of beams. So I need to make sure the design is not going to change, which might require a reprint. So I inspect those beams, making sure they will print correctly, that the design is sound so I won't need to alter those beams in the future, that they fit correctly...I'm not taking my time on it, just being sure before committing. With JoeFest being the target deadline and there's much to do still, there's no luxury to reprint too often.

New Props and Such
Now with VSS 002 in the Joe Room and the project is coming together, I find myself thinking of new props -- not just for this project, but props that can be used in general for any project. My thoughts are returning to the generic machinery that were in the DioWarriors Store years ago. Those are going to be updated very soon. New consoles and displays are also going to be looked at. New tables and cabinets, and other things needed in a diorama to fill-in. Stay tuned because things are going to heat up! :-)