Servo - November 2015

There are sound mufflers and silencers available that greatly reduce this noise, but sometimes this still doesn’t silence them enough. One method I employ is to run an airline from the exhaust port to a remote location far from my guests. If this solution is not feasible, I will run the airline into the base of the prop and cover it with towels. This will help lower the sound to an acceptable level.

Choosing the proper compressor and attachments can make a substantial impact on how loud your unit is. You can further negate the noise level by placing your compressor well away from your guests or in another room or container all its own. If constructing a separate noise cancelling enclosure, be careful to allow for adequate air flow. We do not want it overheating!

Safety Above All Else

I am often asked for my recommendations for plans to build pneumatic components from PVC, bicycle pumps, and washer or sprinkler solenoids. There are a plethora of plans and videos on the Internet showing how to do this, but my response is always the same: Don’t do it!

It can be tempting to try to make your own and save a few dollars, but the time, effort, and cost savings are not sufficient to warrant the risk. Invest in the proper components and be assured that you are using materials that are designed for the

Figure 16. Banshee controller.

Figure 18. Our Pirate Pete character with pneumatic arms.

Figure 17. Slider rig made out of wood — no welding required.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words I would like to take this opportunity to thank my son, Bryan Koci — the owner of Red Tie Photography ( http://redtiephotography.net) — for his marvelous work on the September 2015 project, Parkerbot. His photo was chosen for the magazine cover and he was able to bring my idea to life. It can be a time-consuming and difficult task to showcase a character in photos and video, but Bryan accomplished it in style! If you missed it, check out a back issue of SERVOMagazine. You can also check out his teaser video at http://tinyurl.com/qzcyuj7.