DoubleL Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Does it exist? Would you want one if it did? 1. No moving parts to hold plates on 2. Spins faster than others 3. No adjustments needed for plates, ever 4. Extremely portable collapsible design 5. One man setup 6. Single arm replacement possible without welding 7. One handed plate attachment 8. 22 rimfire friendly, as well as major factor ammo Wouldn't that be a nice setup? What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydiver Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Sounds like a dream! Gonna give the patent away or will it have to be licensed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleL Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 That's putting the cart in front of the horse, a little I appreciate the vote of confidence though! Okay so it is actually near completion and partially tested as well. The next several weekends will be spent with 7 or 8 of my buddies trying to kill it to ramp up the test to full steam, if I can manage a day off from my day job. Yes, all those items on the above list are feasible and worked into the partial windmill in my garage. This project actually started with the intentions of building a practice star for my own use. It just grew into what it is now. So far it's coming along nicely.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PistoleroJesse Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Good, Fast, Cheap ... which one of those aren't we getting here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hey he's building them not wanting to buy one. If he was wanting to buy them #9 would have been cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Regarding #2, for a lot of people, they already spin fast enough. IF I were putting together a wish list, it would be to have adjustable speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PistoleroJesse Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 I don't know if people were being tongue in cheek... but any ways. Here's what I'm talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleL Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 I thought cheap was always on the list! And Jesse brings good stuff, that triangle isn't just opinion, it's a hard fact, especially in my day job. A brake is a really good idea. Could make practice much more effective. On cost, a deviation from the standard design means less AR plate, or as I like to call it, Flat Gold. That's the single largest contributor to price on a large steel target of any kind. So you have to get use of that as low as possible and only where needed. Shape has a lot to do with where and how much armor you need. The standard right now seems to be, let's build the whole damn thing of 1/2" AR. Sucks as a buyer for sure. So my co-collaborator on this watched some videos of pros clearing windmills at an alarming rate, his first words were that it needs to be faster for shooters like that. Asked me if it was okay in the rules to put one green plate on it. I asked why. Well to activate the adjustable rate spring loaded turbo prop start, of course my buddy is just as evil as myself.... It shouldn't be easy to clear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydiver Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Yes, it's legal to put a green plate on it, but it's not legal to tell the shooter that they must shoot the green plate first (unless you really push some USPSA Level I exceptions). Barring stipulating the engagement order, you'll have to hide other plates initially if you want a particular plate shot first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PistoleroJesse Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 (edited) Or make the green plate significantly lighter so it ends up on the top every time. Edited July 5, 2012 by PistoleroJesse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Or set up a popper with a line to pull a wedge out to start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Or attach a DC motor to the back of the shaft and start with the pistol on a pad that powers it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleL Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 Yes I saw yours before JMorris. I'm a sparky at my day job so the motor is a no brainer for me, but I really want no wires no battery no hassle. I was in my garage thinking and sketching, happened to notice the setup to assist with lifting my garage door. Simple. Two moving parts. The shaft and the wedge that holds it. Just preload, wedge, and make ready. The popper doing the activation is what I thought would be legal for a match. I just finished welding up 90% of the collapsable stand. Two more kickers and I'll be ready to turn down a shaft and give it the ole bob barker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a matt Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 I would be interested in the cheap and easy, and hope it has a good warranty. Lol. Really sounds interesting to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydiver Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 With the release of Raspberry Pi (http://www.raspberrypi.org/ )... It maybe interesting to actually have the motion of the star programmed... It can make it rotate or counter rotate, as fast or as slowly as the operator wants. And if the motor is strong enough, it can always be consistent for all shooters so that nobody will complain about the "randomness" of the star. Of course, what makes things more complicated is now needing a motor and a power source for the motor. The brains itself can run on a low power battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleL Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 Yes I've seen many ways to use an electric motor for positioning. Some reliable and some not. Even the simplest setup would be too much of a hassle on the range, for me. Plus, on my day job, it's never the motor that fries or doesn't want to work. Always the positioning system. Either a drive, or encoders or readers or gear switches or whatever. Even some uber pricey hi-tech encoders take a dump eventually. I've got a crane I baby sit daily, full of pricey electronics and it's a pain in tha arse to keep running. Now the fully mechanical American 40 ton.... Never breaks down. Ever. I think it is close to 30 years old and reliable as can be. Ive got the spinning section done, and it works quite well, but my 'gen 1' stand is a bust. It will be cut apart in the next few days. Live and learn. The 2nd design takes care of the flaws from the first, and is quite a bit simpler. It did fit in the back of my ford escape, but I had a spacing issue with the plate at 6 o'clock. That's what I get for building the stand separate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chills1994 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Sounds a lot like market research to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Sounds a lot like market research to me. I guess this is " Target & Prop Design and Construction". DoubleL andy details about construction you want to share? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinj308 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Yes, it's legal to put a green plate on it, but it's not legal to tell the shooter that they must shoot the green plate first (unless you really push some USPSA Level I exceptions). Barring stipulating the engagement order, you'll have to hide other plates initially if you want a particular plate shot first. Couldn't the green booster plate be an optional bonus target, with bonus being awarded only if it's engaged first. Would let those who want to use it, those who don't won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleL Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 The holding means seems to be the only real issue. So far mine are working great, once I have it fully assembled and am able to test the whole thing I will likely share the method. It's incredibly simple. I was amazed to find that no one makes one already. Of course it has to survive a few days out with my buddies and I shooting at it to really prove the arms are worthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PistoleroJesse Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Couldn't the green booster plate be an optional bonus target, with bonus being awarded only if it's engaged first. Would let those who want to use it, those who don't won't. All steel is worth 5 points in USPSA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread1911 Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 Or attach a DC motor to the back of the shaft and start with the pistol on a pad that powers it up that is cool. Is it currently available somewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juan Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I always thought would be neet would be plates that hinge back 180 vs falling off would be cool. it should unballance it enough to spin and super fast reset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 (edited) The holding means seems to be the only real issue. . From the "no moving parts" in your first post makes me think your using magnets, they don't like shock very much. I have some that I was going to try too though. that is cool. Is it currently available somewhere? Not that I know of, never heard of another one. I simply drilled and tapped the shaft for the motor. IIRC its a windshield wiper motor out of a wrecked BMW a friend gave me. Edited July 9, 2012 by jmorris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleL Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 Hinging plates would not provide imbalance. They would still be attached. The weight has to be removed in order to make the target spin. Now you're thinking hard about this aren't you JM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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