After having a fatal "twist" of my wrist I decided to try to incorporate springs into the return tendons. 

The twist of the wrist breaking six tendons and folding the forearm near a print flaw I saw that the wrist though realistic was too realistic for the unstrechable line we are using. Now I haven't fixed this yet but I did make it so your fingers may be less floppy and an easier time trying to tension the tendons in the hand.

Now my springs that I bought are a little weak, but this mistake turned into a great find.

While setting up the thumb with the new springs on the return line I found out my thumb likes to stick more than the spring likes to pull. Disappointed and not really wanting to cut out and rerun the line I pulled the line tight and tied the two ends together hoping to just bypass the spring till I found ones that were strong enough/ had the mental state to not break down trying to tension the hand. 

Going to test the bypass I moved the slider and since my knot was tight enough it gave a little. This let the spring pull but at a point it "bottomed out" with the knot and pulled hard on the line, creating a shock absorber like action. I seeing this was fill with happiness. 

To easily tension your lines turn your servo to the close hand position, put a bead and loop the line back onto the bead. Run the bead all the way to the pulley tight. while being careful to not move the bead pop the pulley off and move the bead about 1-2mm and tie several knots on the bead. Return the pulley onto the servo and move the servo to the open hand position. Now take a separate line and tie a bead onto it and run it back though the pulley up the arm. Now tie the spring as far up the arm as possible onto the finger line. Now take the line coming from the servo and pull the spring all the way to the gilded holes and tie some knots. move the servo back and forth a couple of times and then take the lines from the finger side and servo side with the hand open and tie them together with the finger all the way open. 

 

Mastablasta

10 years ago

I found these adjusters a while ago and will use them in the left hand. Just a few mm but this could help here and there. Also you can disconnect the line e.g. if a servo-pulley breakes without renewing the whole line.

killbox

10 years ago

In reply to by Mastablasta

where did you find those? i'll order a dozen!

hairygael

10 years ago

Nice adjusters Mastablasta. Yes where did you find these? Do you have a link?

I have been running both for arms since mars 2014  with springs, but I never mentionned it because I was testing.

In fact Alessandro got really surprised to see that when I opened the for arm in Roma.

The result isn't as expected, although it has some good, it does help for a while. The tendons still get loose after some time.

Here are some pictures, the springs are mounted on the retract tendons only.

I got them in a hobby shop where they sell parts for radio controlled planes. Very cheap.

Two days ago I was forced to test one as my thumb servo burned. Awesome! I just cut the line and attached both ends. 100times more easy to adjust, it took me less than a minute. The ones I use are really small and you can only get +/- 5mm. But I am satisfied with the result.