Just a quick note of recommendation for Halloween Bob's new skulls. I was (I believe) the first person to buy the DIY kit back in July. In a nutshell, I'm quite impressed with the product. The engineering is extremely clever (would you expect anything less from Bob?) and the 3D printing is beyond what most hobbyists can achieve. I own two rather expensive, high end "prosumer" printers, a dual extruder Raise 3D N2+ (raise3d.com) and a four extruder Stacker3D 500 (stacker3d.com) and I can't achieve the quality and precision of the parts in Bob's products, which are printed on seriously expensive printers-- and it shows!
Bob has been very proactive with his support, even noticing when the UPS delivery was delayed due to the truck getting into an accident! (package was unharmed). Even though I took the DIY route, he provided me with a carefully curated list of additional parts complete with prices, vendors, and online links. He worked with me as I came across a couple of alternatives, and together we figured out what might or might not work. BTW, he sells fully assembled skulls and unassembled full kits too, of course.
As for assembly, he has a series of videos that break it down step by step. I'd say the trickiest part is soldering the tiny LEDs for the eyes. I have a big magnifying glass on my "third hand" soldering clamps, so I was able to do this without too much difficulty. Bob has an even cleverer suggestion that involves using your phone's camera as a magnifier, which I never would have thought of.
His custom DMX board was not available until recently, which kept me from finishing the skull until this weekend. Happy to report it all works beautifully. Again, he proactively reached out with a fix for a minor mechanical issue with the board that was simple to implement and will be addressed in subsequent batches. The skulls movement is natural and the whole thing is wonderfully self contained. He even gives you a neck piece (vertebrae) through which you run the wires and support rod so that the illusion isn't broken by unhidden wires and mechanics.
As for the price, I think it represents good value for the product you receive. I've made five 3-axis skulls in the past, based on Bob's original design. If you've done this too, you'll realize that creating a high quality, reliable, fluid skull that can be consistently controlled by VSA takes many, many hours to get right. If you give your time any sort of value, you'll come to see that Bob's product is a good deal. Of course, many of us love the "making" aspect of this hobby. I know I do. But I also really enjoy coming up with creative routines for my animatronic characters. The HS skull will let you more quickly get to this part of the fun. Something to consider.
In sum, two thumbs up for:
a) engineering
b) 3D print quality
c) customer support
d) value for money
I'll try to post pics when I get a chance and would be happy to answer any questions you might have, too.
