Working SMOT ramp from Tom Ferko ?

[nwman]

Thanks for your input. I can't argue that your wrong. I really want to play around with the linear design which I think will shed a lot of light on how a wheel can be built.

Well, if I take Tom's numbers and don't change anything the design would have four sets of rails (8 rails). Each rail consists on 13 -1.5" long 3/4" neo batteries (the closes I could find are 3/4"L x 3/4"D with two together would equal 1.5"). The best price I could find was on ebay for $4 per 3/4"L x 3/4"D which would be $8 per magnet (http://cgi.ebay.com/MAGNETS-with-TEETH-4-Neodymium-RODs-3-4-only-4-ea_W0QQitemZ150113018506QQihZ005QQcategoryZ1468QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem). So each rail would cost $104 in magnets + the rail housing. So 8 x $104 = $832+. Then say we have three arms each ring magnet if not changed would cost $20ish so $60. Then the stand and mounts for the rails and arms with axle if made out of aluminum and welded together (I would have to pay a couple hundred $$) and the components needed for the staggering effect. It would easily be near $1500+. Plus, taking into account any rebuild/ redesign from changes. $2000 I think would be a safe budget to say under or around.

I was trying to think of a simplistic way to make the rotating magnets slide back and fourth without having to find some kind of custom built ball bearing axle. A simple idea I had was to mount the magnet on a flexible peace of material that can bend side to side but not up and down. Like holding a flexible metal ruler on one end with its long edges facing up and down and wobbling it back and fourth. This would give it enough play I think to bounce off the sticky spot. If the peace was thin enough it would even allow for a small amount of twist if needed which would be closer to Tom's first design. The picture below illustrates from a top down view and displays an idea for an adjuster that you could move in and out on the arm to control and resistance of the wobbling. It might have too much resistance to the side to side movement but I think it would work just fine.

[nwman]

Personal note: I'm leaving on a road trip to AZ tomorrow so I'll be back Friday night hopefully. Please post any ideas or comments. Until them I'm out.

Tim

That link for those magnets on ebay is http://cgi.ebay.com/MAGNETS-with-TEETH-4-Neodymium-RODs-3-4-only-4-ea_W0QQitemZ150113018506QQihZ005QQcategoryZ1468QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Nastrand2000]

you may think about buying your magnets from these guys......I have in the past.
http://www.magnet4less.com/

[nwman]

Thanks! That's half the price! They are at the top of my list.

I'm even tempted to go with the 1/2"D by 1.5" long neo rod magnet because its also half the price of 2 -3/4"d 3/4"L. I think the fields in both are plenty big. What do you guys think?

Tim

[magnetman12003]

Hi Guys,

Here is the video I promised.  I am pumping the wood ring with two magnet segments mounted on it

Still have to build the other ring with segments so thats why the pumping action.

The other ring with two segments will be mounted 180 degrees with respect to the ring you see.  One ring will go "under" the wood axle and the other ring will go "over" the axle.

The ends of the segments will overlap and hopefully the runner magnet wheels now directly facing both rings with mounted segments will then turn 360 on their own. 

Note that both rings will be seperated by about 3 inches.

The diameter of each rotating runner magnet is 4.5 inches.  10 pounds total on my  precision lazy susan type turntable. No wobble at all. Very little effort is needed to do what you see.  Yes- You can start the turning motion from the centerpoint of any ring segment.  If the sements on the ring are not constructed correctly- nothing will happen.  The magnetic signatures of both rings and runner magnets must aggree.   Experiment.

Excuse the bare feet but this demo blew my socks off.  Odd strokes for odd folks. Ha  Ha.

Open for comments,

Tom