In every SRL show, some of the large, more complex machines are damaged. Normally, these are repaired between shows. For the last 2 years though, getting moved and set up again was the priority, so few repairs were carried out. This section of the site describes damage to, and the repair of SRL machines.
After endlessly fantasizing about getting my remaining fingers, or Jake Eddies arm cut off in the chains of the Dual Mule, I decided to put a simple chainguard on both ends to cover the main drive chains. Not that there aren't a lot of open power transmission bits on the machines, but the Dual Mule is prone to smacking ankles and if you fall onto it, the kneejerk place to grab at is the chain area....Special thanks to Kyle Minor for the idea.
Mark Pauline and Gill Wright work on Hovercraft assembly so it can be enhanced and repaired:
Mark Pauline made many improvements to the Dual Mule, Running Machine, Air Launcher, Spine Robot
Assembled the Air Launcher. It was disassembled so that we could take the launcher portion to Amsterdam in 2007 and pulverize some of the props. Now it needs to be adjusted so that the sequencer will run the loader again. Also needs new cameras, the recoil seems to have destroyed the lens on one of the gun cameras!
The Dual mule needed new batteries and there were some functional issues that were addressed. One was the charging, which required the mule top covers to be removed to access the charger cord. A male plug socket was installed to correct that.
The on switch was labeled with faded red sharpie, this was enhanced with a off/on metal plate under the switch. Also, a red system-on LED was added, to warn of the chance for ankle breakage by the stabilizer wheels.
Armored shells and a simple chain guard to keep remaining fingers from getting cut off will be added next.
The Running Machine needed a carb rebuild . The carb was clogged with debris from the tank so a stainless screen standpipe was silver soldered to the fuel tank petcock to keep fine particles from getting into the carb. The start sequence required reaching under the machine and pressing on a stiff manual starter button with your head next to the spinning motor flywheel! This was resolved by the addition of a starter relay, a labeled on /off switch and a starter push button mounted in a shielded metal box. A red LED status light was also installed to remind operators to shut the motor off and avoid battery drainage/destruction. New brass marine battery terminals were added to replace the junky old lead ones.
MP carbon arcing the old prop off of the Big Walker. Note the wet red towel covering the gas tank....
Gill grinding whats left of the welds after carbon arcing
Mark Pauline doing more carbon arcing
The offending growth removed, soon to be hauled off by metal collectors.
BIG WALKER Archive
The Walker is getting first dibs on repair. That's because we need to raise the legs with the hydraulics and put it on rolling skates to make it easy to move a nd get to the other broken machines.
M I S C E L L A N E O U S M A C H I N E S Archive