Backdate- Solution to Hydraulic problems

I tried vegetable oil, seemed to work great , pulling back as well. But 6 hour after the line, the plunger, seized, not able to push the plunger in. I tried other liquids, motor oil, yet right from the start the line does not move. Solution was to get clear elastics to help with the pull back of the plunger, seems to work great. Yet more pressure retained in systen because elesatic working against the other end, so manifold having some issues with power and pushing at higher pressure, but still works.

Projection

Proof of Concept seems to be working okay, have been tweaking the manifold and the track/ trains. Not sure how long it will run before a train derails. The projections in the room are starting to get interesting, perhaps we can have a combination of project projections on the east wall for exhibition.

Review Notes

Here are the minutes:

- Study of the uncanny-ness… Exploring the above and below
- “Fluid” network – fluid of the technology


Comments

What is your idea of the uncanny?
- unhomely, disconnection with what you think something should do… it is not real (automata) – notion of devices behaving on their own.
- Fearful response, something that you think should not happen.
- Pleasure principal – we love to be scared

Amazing thing in itself – standing in as a representation it is unclear. What would these things be?

- Play off of public / private – lower surfaces as a more private nature.

What surface are you referring to? Grade?

- Model suspended at eye level – ground plane
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Is the position literally there? As in underground?

Can you go down there?

- Not necessarily literally 30 m underground – but you can build lower.
- Not intended just for hobos
- Exploration of the unknown world

Nat

Would be very helpful to be specific about what things really are.
Pleasure of the infrastructure... Inputs are very simple – trains are going by. Meaning of the thing is basically a train going by tells people a train is going by. The complexity is the articulation of what is happening underground. Pleasure in trying to understand infrastructure that is unclear about what it is. Very helpful to start to say very practically, how much of this can I get in contact with, how do I get in contact with it? Hiding behind the abstract / figurative. Define the spaces in terms of reality. What are the surfaces? Spaces lead to other spaces? Describe what it is. How do I engage with it?

Rob

Got caught in the “unconventional”. Totally seduced by it…
Not working as well as it should.
Do not see the connection between the hobo culture and the model. Not convinced about the representation of the thing.
For me I would flip the thing on its head and have the whole piece as some kind of installation in the air.
Why did you go underground?
Why does the hydraulics say “underground” to you. – Idea of what might be at the site. How we dream into the ground.


“Stop Market Planetarium” – Danish artists ** Example.
- Could not read the thing literally, but you were aware of a world.


Another pleasure in the specificity of the translations – how the passing of the train is understood by each one, individually – different trains, sorts of trains, triggering different meanings. Is there a sensitivity to certain conductors that might suggest that they would be more welcoming to hobos, etc…

Rob – Still unsure why it is underground. I want to enjoy the thing not only as a model, but as a real thing. Idea of the uncanny is the least convincing aspect.

Patrick: It is a speculation – It is a possibility. Parallel would be the want to travel into the subway tunnel just to see what is there. Could just say “okay there is infrastructure” but really it is about speculating beyond what is underground. Dream of an imaginary infrastructure. An imagined world.

Absolutely need a section of what is really there. Draw in the piles, etc… How I would come across this space.

Early aspect of reconnecting the two sides of the city that are divided by the trains. Opportunity to address this through cross-section.


Reflection:

My presentation was good for the most part, i recognize my presentation of the work was poor, repetition and generalities became an issue. I agree with all the comments, and will be addressing these issues in the portfolio through the drawings. My regret was to get hung up on the uncanny in my presentation, the work is involved within the uncanny, but my work was more about exploration into abandon sites , finding a potential to bridge the neighborhood that was once divided. My focus for my porfolio will be to address these main issues.

syringes- real hydraulics?

Hydraulics (syringes) getting air in system, and not able to pull back. will try oil, or other fluid. if that does not work will fake it coming the other way, string or something to pull it back.

Started populated the underworld with wire mechanicsms, need some more on top, and to fill with network of tubes.

Here are some pics

Hydraulic network

Current Progress

Currently working on the underworld. The strategy is to create a network of hydraulic lines throughout the site. Extensions have been fabricated, and slowly are being assembled to support the network and a series of manifolds that will operate the hydraulics. The intersections of the lines themselves, areas of collisions and grouping will be areas of focus for inhabitable space. The following sketch illustrates the idea of using the the lines to suggest a inhabitable space.



I plan on developing this imaginary, network of lines. My focus can then be on the intersections of this network to develop areas of inhabitable space. These spaces will incorporate syringe activated surfaces that will influence and manipulated these possible inhabitations. But my goal is to create a series of uncanny moments within the site based on hobo symbology.



My intent is to sketch sections as i develop these unknown worlds, its been hard for me to get started, so i have just gone right into the model,building the 3d form to get a better idea of what i am dealing with in section.

Hydraulic manifolds

I was trying to figure out a way to activate the syringes that i will be using to represent a pneumatic hydraulic device. The idea i came up with uses a couple of motors and a gear system to move the plunger of the syringe up and down, activating the syringe on the other line. The intent originally was to create valves, which can be done for technologies proof of concept, but i decided to simplify by creating separate arrays of syringes within a manifold, where each array is activated separately. Here is a sketch showing such an array:

The strategy is to rig up the structure for the manifolds, and get the hydraulic network up, and then i will focus on some of the technical aspects of operating on it. If the motor, gear thing does not work, i might have to use muscle wire, or a servo motor.

Design Schematic in progress

Here are some sketches of my design intent. Exploring the relationship between architectural space and the manipulation of a fluid network, the underworld will explore the use of cells activated by syringes. Each cell will explore how space can transform through a series of movements within a structured assembly. For example some cells will consist of a series of enclosures that will respond to the switching of the train. As the train hits a contact line or grid, the space's dimensions will transform. These cells will act as a starting point, and as the cell evolves, in response to hobo symbols and train behavior, the connection between these cells well evolve as well. The syringe tubes and the fluid network will also become a structure component of architectural space.

As for the above world, the intent is to expand on a network of switches and contacts. The trains will extend upwards, and will come into contacts with a shifting conductive canopy. The canopy as shown in the schematic will evolve into to something much more, creating an invisible network. The main material will be mono filament, with select areas composed of thin wire. The canopy will move horizontally through the manipulation of tension straps to the ground plane, and will move vertically through the up/down movement of select posts, through the syringe mechanism. I wanted to explore the shifting of surfaces and orientation of planes in relation to the uncanny network created by the train.

I am currently working on sections through these spaces, to elaborate on some of the spaces created by this network.

Gear Ratios

The whole motor torque issue is still a problem. I didn't want to have to use a system of gears but it seems like the logical choice, and solution for remedying the following: motors need less voltage because less work, less spin outs, and the trains will run slower. This is actually a good thing considering the exposure or contact to the switch lines is dramatically reduced with the present trains. Hopefully the use of three gears, 9 teeth on the motor and next gear, and the last one in the series, attached to the wheel will be 18 teeth. The 2 to 1 ratio should increase the torque dramatically compared to the 1 to 2 ratio before.