Thread: Final 3-axis witch test video!

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Okay folks, this is the final test video before the witch head gets installed on the stirring cauldron witch body. Note that it's really only a 2-axis witch now because my original jaw servo melted down (literally) and I had to replace it with the tilt servo until I get a chance to order a new servo. I think I figured out why it burned up. Turns out that the minimum closed value was just a tiny bit too low and the jaw was clinching shut causing strain on the motor.

Anyway, here's the video with her complete voice track for this year's Halloween. I go live with my display tonight at dusk. Will record another video once the witch is all up and running. Let me know what you think!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cTwFJu0ucY]YouTube - 2-axis witch + moving jaw and eyes[/ame]

Wow, great job. Can't wait to see her in action!

I've been waiting for this Great job! Dont know what it is, but her eyes bother me lol
So did you just attach the mask to a 3 axis (which is now 2) skull? And if so, HOW?

MsM

I'm such a novice. 3-axis next year fer sure.

Thanks! Nope, no skull there. I built up my own structure using sytrofoam to hold the mask. There is a lexan plate similiar to the ones that go in the skulls, and the servo setup is pretty similiar too. I'm definitely a novice at this, but I've learned a lot since I started. For instance, now I know how to blow up a servo, lol.

Unfortunately, right now it's a 1-axis witch. Rotate, jaws, and horizontal eyes only. Not only did a blow up another jaw servo earlier today, but I also just blew up the nod servo. The jaw servo failed during the day, so I had time to run out to a hobby store and I bought a heavy-duty metal gear servo for the jaw. I also figured out why I blew that second jaw servo. The latex mask was actually causing stress on the jaw servo. I had to separate the jaw portion of the mask entirely from the head. The jaw servo is working great now and has been running all day without any problems. The new servo for the jaw is a lot stronger with more torque and metal gears. The nod servo was working up until about 7:20 pm. Too much stress on it and not enough torque for the weight. It ran for about 6 hours today before it blew. I should have just gone ahead and replaced that servo with the same one I got for the jaw. Only problem is they cost $39 from the hobby store. My wife is going to kill me if I spend another $40.

By the way, the previous servos (the ones that blew up) were from Servo City and were supposed to be Tower servos. I have no idea what they actually gave me because there is no label or branding anywhere on the servo. But I believe they are crappy servos and I will never order those ever again.

I feel your pain. Our 3 axis skull ended up being a 2 axis as well. Never got to 1 axis level like you though lol I even posted it as a 3 axis minus 1 skull lol AND at the end of the party, his little boney head was slumped over. I'm thinking one of the guests messed with it. So today we are going to see if we can get him back up and running. Once he's served his time as our skeletal organist, I really want to use the 3 axis minus 1 set up to animate our witch. It would be totally unexpected since she's just been stirring and turning her head left to right for the past 4 years.
Glad you got the jaw servo working again

By the way, did you make up and record what she says yourself?

MsM

Now I'm down to 0-axis! Yep, the rotate failed too. The mount got lose for the head's shaft and started twisting back and forth when her head was turning, and it twisted past her rotation arm which was going the opposite direction and the servo reversed on itself and got stuck.

So now I have a working jaw and horizontal eye movement and that's it. Well that was a lot of money I burned up! Lol... I think my wife is going to be "okay" with me ordering some more servos, but I will definitely get metal-gear high torque servos. I think I need to re-engineer some stuff while I'm at it. I'm going to redo her jaw with smaller aluminum to try and make that part lighter. Her head is definitely front-heavy. I'm also going to remove the counter weights in the back because I don't think they help. I also need to buy servo extension wire because the remote power servo box is hanging off the back of her head right now, and that's really not a good thing. I also need to find a way to keep her main shaft type to keep it from rotating. I have a lock washer but that's apparently not good enough.

I attempted to redo the stirring motion yesterday with a real stick. Didn't work out too great. The stick is pretty heavy and the arms kept falling off to the side and the motor jammed a couple of times. I had to keep the stirring off most of the night. Guess I'll have to totally rework that.

So for now I'll just run her in "talk-mode" only while I wait for the new servos to ship. That's probably good because I need a breather! I've been working on this witch non-stop for the last 4-days and I'm exhausted!

Despite all my failures I actually had fun last night. We had a lot of visitors, too. One couple came from New Lenox, which is almost an hour away! The new fog machine is awesome!