Working Carousel WIP Thread (Finished Pics Pg. 12!)

[Colorscapesart]

So for the 2014 MLP Fair custom contest I want to do something big!  I thought about being all secretive and mustache twirly about it but that's not my style.  It's the most ambitious thing I've attempted to date and I thought ya'll might find it interesting.

***I love comments and questions!  They keep things so fun!  I will ask, however, that you please refrain from offering ideas and suggestions as this will be a competition piece and has to be my own work completely. Thank you <3 <3

My goal is a working carousel.  The spinning and the music.  :faints: 

I want this project to be about unity, so each gen will be represented. 

The plan:
~4 reposed G3 horses fully sculpted (G3 is a nice medium size).
~Integrated music box/turning mechanism
~Decorative canopy, with a hand painted image for each pony/generation
~travel safe (10 hour car trip with kiddos)

The horses (after much deliberation I decided on each character being a different color, a character unique to their generation, and no pegasus)
G1: Bubbles
G2: Copper Glow
G3: Kimono
G4: Rarity

Before pics:
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Bubbles, Copper Glow, Rarity, Kimono (tentative need to add a horn soon).

Technical stuff:
At first I wanted to go with a battery motor but those are typically pretty friggin fast unless they have been gear reduced (and that's beyond my level of gonna happen right now).  I contemplated a lazy susan and just making it able to be hand spun, but that's not crazy enough.  I finally dug through my mechs and found a lone music box mech with a built in and ready to go rotation plate on it yay!  One prob, the plate is small than a quarter!  I tested it at work (lol) and it can hold at least 2 lbs. and still spin and play music. 
Math:
An unsculpted G3 is about 4 oz.  I'm guessing a sculpted one to be about 7oz. (ish).  That puts me at approx. 28oz and getting close to 2 pounds right there.  As much as I wanted more durable materials like masonite, the smaller and lighter I go the more likely this is to work.  To keep it light, I will have to use acid free foam core (doesn't succumb to yellowing/age as much).
Math:
I'm going for an octagon to avoid trying to cut perfect circles.  The diameter will be 12 inches, so with 8 sides each will be about 4 5/8 inches and the angles I will shoot for about 135 degrees for each junction. 

Problems to be solved:
~Stabilizing the music box mech by attaching it to a wooden base without interfering with sound quality and motion
~Planning extended "stopping pin" to turn on and off the carousel easily without having to wind as much
~Extending music box mech key from 1/4" to 6" (probably joining key extensions) so that the carousel won't have to be completely lifted to be wound
~Creating a track for the areas underneath the horses to allow movement and yet help support the weight more evenly (not just on the quarter-sized area in the middle!) 

I'm sure I'll find new problems as I go too

I took a little video of the motion test on the music box mech but it won't load up to youtube yet.  When it does, I will update.  Thanks for anyone taking the time to read this!


UPDATE 3/18/14:
Ok, so I finally did a mock up to test the mech supporting weight/balance issues.  I have a ways to go but I am optimistic!  I am still getting the wood base cut, so for now enjoy some foam!

Here is link to video: http://s213.photobucket.com/user/Majjikkatt/media/MOV032_zps147716b3.mp4.html

Here is the plastic plate that is helping distribute things more evenly:
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Update 4/16/14:
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These two girlies are going to represent G2 Copper Glow and G3 Kimono!  Ignore Rarity's gigantic horn in the background, that's gonna be redone.  Bubbles is being sanded and is apparently not where she is supposed to be...

Like genuine carousel horses, these will have a "romantic" (i.e. detailed) side and a non-romantic side. 2 hour sculpting sessions like every day right now.  My goal is to finish pony sculpting by May 1st, spend May painting ponies and art panels, and then have June to assemble/test.   

4/25/14:
Sculpt, sculpt sculpt!  May 1st cometh!
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5/1/14: Sooo close!  One or two more sculpting sessions should have it!
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Sculpting Completed, time for paint!
G1 Bubbles
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G2 Copper Glow
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G3 Kimono
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G4 Rarity
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Next, I will paint all the gem areas with thick rubber cement to protect them from the airbrush. Yay!

6/7/14:I will have pics soon, 3/4 airbrushed and I stayed up wayyy too late painting.  I need to go get more white paint and the hobby shop is a bit of a drive so that has slowed me down!

6/17: Painting progress.  I HAVE to get the painting done this week! Gah!  Sorry that the pics are so blurry.
Rarity is still getting airbrushed. 
Bubbles:
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Copper Glow:
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Kimono:
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6/21/14
So got the base painted and planned.  I found mini wooden bobbins to use to help stabilize the wooden skewer/poles for the horses.  To increase their strength, I coated all the poles in several layers of wood glue before I painted them.  I secured the bottom bobbins to the base with thick wood glue and allowed that to cure overnight.
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After paint:
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The middle pole is a pvc pip cut to fit.  To attach it to the base I nailed a long nail into the wooden base, lined up the pole and placed it around the nail, the sealed the outside edges with super glue.  I then put several inches worth of wood glue inside the sealed pvc and around the nail. 

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The mech has been a butt, honestly.  The white coaster spreads the force out nicely as the little metal plate is just too small.  Do you see that tiny gap between the music box and the little metal musicbox turning plate?  That's the bane of this problem.  The factory pieces have a little wobble in them, not noticeable on a small scale but amplified for this.  It spins fine then just leans.  It's either bent or the threading isn't 100% tight.  I'm going to experiment with counter weights.
The blueish plate under the mech is a lovely heavy steel that adds balance.  It has been attached to the mech using a 2 part apoxie and super glue.  It's genuine enamel coated steel, so no drilling there. 

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Drying.  To attach the top I wood glued the bobbins to the top and let those set.  I also put a pust pin through the wood and covered the pin top with apoxie sculpt and then fit it into the pipe.  I'm currently painting the trim and finishing a cute little McD rearing topper pony.  I really want to finish this up tomorrow!!!!! O.o

No pics for this sad update.  I did learn that wheel bearing grease is smelly but a lovely shade of pink.

Custom Topper.
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6/29 Oh joy.
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This was the aforementioned ball bearing track attempt on the first mechanism.  This is pre-greasing.  The bearings moved very freely, but once the carousel tipped enough to start putting a little pressure on the bearings, the mechanism wasn't strong enough to keep moving.  More grease did not help.

The grease about to be applied, it stinks so much but at least it's pretty!
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The dreaded lean returns even with a new mech, carefully leveled.  The lean only occurs after movement begins, the carousel goes in and of out the lean.  The new mechanism is still not strong enough to use the track.
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A sample of wasted money, failed attempts.
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So we will see!

[kaoskat]

*waits to see what magic happens*

[Thrice]

OMG I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS HAPPEN!!

[MiRaja]

Sounds amazing!  I hope it works out for you!

As someone who works on a lot of antiques and *does* have experience working on music boxes and the such, and some with the motion bits that turn them around, I would look for a donor music box with said mechanism and use it for your project.  Or even use it just as reference in regards to the parts you'll need to use.  I've even managed to rewire and fix the mechanisms in one of my music box.  It has lights, with the music and there's a Geisha in her rickshaw, and when the box is open, the wheels on her rickshaw turn! 

Another guess may be to use the motor out of the old erector sets or the new ones.  I have experience with the old ones and the engines they provided were pretty low amp-age, so they turned pretty slowly.  Like you could build a carousel or a ferris wheel with them. 

[Rhini]

Oh man, I'm sure this will be super awesome *stalks* Perhaps you could cheat a little and find an old carousel and use its mech

[SourdoughStomper]

[hannaliten]

You are so epic!  I can't wait to see this finished!

[Roogna]

HOLY COW! that sounds amazing and so challenging! I can't wait to see it!!!!!! totally digging the reposes too
I'd like to add that I love that you're posting some WIP stuff including process and goals and challenges. I would personally love to follow this all the way to completion

and now I have no idea what to do for the contest lol
are you planning on it being submitted to handicraft or hasbro-inspired?
are those wooden rods?

[MikeysGrrrl]

That sounds ambitious and I can't wait to see how it all comes together I'm sure you will do an amazing job! I'll just be here to cheer you on

[Shenanigans]

This is going to look EPIC when you finish! I can't wait to see it *stalks thread*

[NovelNerd]

I'm sure it will be beautiful! I cannot wait to see it.

[BlackCurtains]

Goooooo CSA! If anyone can do this, you can! So excited to watch it come together

[BerryMouse]

Whaaaa .... looks awsome so far (luv the first one on the left) 

*will follow this topic *

[Tabbyclaw]

Why no pegasi? Weight concerns?

-Tabby
the princess with claws

[Mana_Mihara]

Oh, holy cow...that's an amazing idea! I can't wait to see it in person. I already really like how you've begun your reposes.