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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=7YQSqjSh" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/","20110807173043","https://web.archive.org/","web","https://web-static.archive.org/_static/", "1312738243"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=p7PEIJWi" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="content-type"> <title>Steam Spider</title> </head> <body> <div style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><big><big><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steam Spider<br> in collaboration with <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043/http://www.mechanicalspider.com/">mechanicalspider.com</a><br> </span></big></big> <hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><big><big><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></big></big><br> <table style="width: 700px; text-align: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="vertical-align: top;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cheddar Plover</span><br> </div> <img src="/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/plover.jpg" alt="" style="width: 300px; height: 228px;"><br> <br> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tamiya junked tank</span><br> </div> <img src="/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/tamiya_junk_tank.jpg" alt="" style="width: 300px; height: 172px;"><br> <br> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Clutch</span><br> </div> <img src="/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/tamiya_clutch.jpg" alt="" style="width: 300px; height: 172px;"><br> <br> </td> <td style="vertical-align: top;">This project begin when I saw Joe's amazing leg mechanics at <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043/http://www.mechanicalspider.com/">mechanicalspider.com</a>. After talking shop and developing a friendship with Joe, he was kind enough to help me visualize this project - an 8 legged, full function R/C steam powered Robot.<br> <br> It was a toss up between a twin engine design, or one powerful engine with clutch drive. I went with the single engine design, and searched high and low for the core parts.<br> <br> The engine is a Cheddar Plover. Double acting duel cylinders, propane/butane mix gas tank and ceramic burner.  This engine / boiler is capable of much more power and pressure than other engines that I've work with before.<br> <br> Next up was the need for a clutch drive system that could be adapted to this spider. I was lucky enough to track down a junked 1/16 Tamiya tank with clutch drive. These tanks are hard to come by, as they are no longer being produced with a single motor & clutch system. <br> <br> After ripping out the clutch, I went on brainstorming and designing the spider with Joe. My part was making sure that the engine, boiler, clutch, R/C all work well together as a unit. Joe went on designing a crank driven legs system that will work well with this setup.<br> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sketch of the original Steam Spider design:</span><br> <img src="/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/steam_spider_sketch.jpg" alt="" style="width: 600px; height: 776px;"><br> <span style="font-style: italic;">Original Sketch of the Steam Spider I</span><br> <br> <img src="/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/spider_core3.jpg" alt="" style="width: 400px; height: 300px;">   <br> <span style="font-style: italic;">Tamiya Tank gearbox/clutch mounted to the steam engine. Servos installed & tested </span><br> <br> <br> <br> <img src="/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/steamspider_fit.jpg" alt=""><br> <span style="font-style: italic;">Laser cut plastic chassis</span><br> <br> In preparation for Robogames, The 3 layered plastic crank broke<br> during a test run, just a few days before the event! I ended up<br> hacking the core into a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_trilobite_tank/">Steam Trilobite Tank</a> at the last minute, <br> and won the Gold medal for Best of Show!<br> <br> <img src="/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/broken_spider.jpg" alt=""><br> <span style="font-style: italic;">broken crank</span><br> <big><br> </big> <hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"><big><span style="font-weight: bold;">Movie of Steam Spider I</span></big><object height="350" width="425"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object> <hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"><big><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></big><br> <object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uypuAHTTg_g"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043oe_/http://www.youtube.com/v/uypuAHTTg_g" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></object> <hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"><big><big><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steam Spider II<br> </span></big></big> <hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"><big><big><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br> </span><small><small>Steam Spider II project took the opposite approach to Steam Spider I.<br>  Joe and I decided to Start simple, but make a flexible design to refine and build on<br>  top of. The idea is to use an affordable steam engine, Wilesco D14 <br> (the same one used in the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/steam_walker/">Steam Walker</a>) and produce them as kits, or pre assembled for sale.<br> Construction should be pretty simple, similar to erector sets - no machining required, only basic tools. <br> There are many plans for upgrades and add ons on the Steam Spider II, but initially the<br> Steam Spider II will just be an 8 legged walking Spider, capable of walking forward or reverse, <br> with a built in whistle. Design and prototyping is in progress, and hopefully soon will <br> have a solid design that is easy to build, as well as simple and  fun to run.</small></small><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br> <br> </span></big></big><img alt="" src="/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/ss2_wide_narrow.jpg" style="width: 400px; height: 446px;"><br> <span style="font-style: italic;">Initial Steam Spider II sketches. Considering wide or narrow chassis</span><br> <br> <br> <br> <img src="/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/steam_spider2_sketch.jpg" alt="" style="width: 500px; height: 314px;"><br> <span style="font-style: italic;">Steam Spider II Sketch. Original Wilesco firebox is redesigned</span><br> <br> <br> <img src="/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/woody.jpg" alt="" style="width: 500px; height: 328px;"><br> <span style="font-style: italic;">The "Woody" version. Wood lagging would help insulate from heat lost. </span><br style="font-style: italic;"> <span style="font-style: italic;">Firebox need to be sealed on top to not catch the wood on fire :) </span><br style="font-style: italic;"> <span style="font-style: italic;">Tubes on the topside of the firebox is designed for ventilation.</span><br> <br> <br> <br> <img src="/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/rc_steam_spider/steam_spider_3d.jpg" alt="" style="width: 640px; height: 480px;"><br> <span style="font-style: italic;">Joe's final Steam Spider drawing in 3D.  Holly gears! They are needed as these engines</span><br style="font-style: italic;"> <span style="font-style: italic;"> are very low powered, and requires a lot of gearing down.</span><br> <br> <hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"><br> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043im_/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/crabfu_steamworks_banner.jpg" alt="" style="border: 0px solid ; width: 400px; height: 115px;"></a><br> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043/http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Back to Crabfu SteamWorks</span></a><br> <br> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043js_/http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </div>  <script type="text/javascript"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript1.1"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript1.2"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript1.3"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043js_/http://monster.gostats.com/js/count4.js?id=10699"></script> <noscript><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043/http://monster.gostats.com/click.xml?10699" target="_top"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043im_/http://monster.gostats.com/bin/count?a=10699&t=4&i=10&z=" style="border-width:0px" alt="GoStats stats counter"/></a><br/> <a style="font-size: 9px" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110807173043/http://gostats.com/" title="GoStats stats counter">GoStats stats counter</a></div></noscript>  </body> </html>