Servo - October 2010

www.servomagazine.com/index.php?/magazine/article/october2010_Verhage

I used this straight edge and Sharpie to draw the lines on this sheet of 0.7 mil thick plastic.

The smallest octagon is the same size as the bottom deck — 16 inches across. The next octagon is 2-1/2 inches larger in diameter (1-1/4 inches larger in radius) and marks where the skirt will tape to the edge of the bottom deck. The last and largest octagon is 2-1/2 inches larger still and is the edge of the skirt. You’ll cut the skirt out on this line.

draw the outline of the bottom deck onto the plastic drop cloth; it’s 16 inches across. The drop cloth comes in a huge amount, so cut off a hunk of the stuff first. Since the bottom deck is 16 inches wide and you’ll need to add a border to the skirt, cut off a piece of plastic that’s two feet square. You’re going to have enough plastic drop cloth left over to make a fleet of HoverBots. Lay the plastic on a flat surface and place the HoverBot’s bottom deck over the center of the skirt material. Use a Sharpie to draw the outline of the octagonal-shaped bottom deck. Draw neatly; you want the skirt to be as symmetrical as possible and you’re going to build up the skirt’s outlines from this first octagon you’re drawing.

Don’t cut the skirt out yet! You still need to add additional width to the octagon in order for the skirt to billow. I used my straight edge to draw a 1-1/4 inch wide border around the octagon. Why a 1-1/4 inch border around the octagon for the billow? That’s because 1-1/4 inches is the width of my straight edge. You may want to experiment with adding different border widths for the billow (remember, you have skirt material left over for

This photograph was from an early test of the HoverBot; the riser bolts had not been added to the bottom deck when the skirt’s first octagon was drawn. However, you’ll draw the outline of the bottom deck onto the 0.7 mil plastic while the riser bolts are attached to the bottom deck.

an Exacto knife. Then when you get back, separate the top and bottom decks of the HoverBot. You’ll only need the bottom deck to make the skirt. You’ll use the top deck later when you mount the drive fans.