Monday, October 27, 2008

WLF1 Ring - The Bridge







The last and probably most challenging section for stabilizing the circuit was the Cable Stay Bridge. I wrestled with a few concepts for the spire and supporting structure while modelling in Lightwave, eventually settling on this concept in late March. I then printed a full size elevation to use as a template. With PLENTY of 1/2 inch MDF left over it became my primary bridge material. I laminated 2 pieces of 1/2 inch together and taped the template down to cut it out with a jig saw. Then I sanded it, drilled holes for the cables, inserted aluminum collars and fastened to the track. From there I ran 1/8" Cable from under the table through the spire, under the table, back and forth, back and forth finally securing at the end. The coolest part which was a bit unexpected is that the cable stay bridge actually supports and stiffens the road beneath. I was expecting some of that but it worked far better then I could have hoped. Keeping good tension on the cable was key there.

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