Trial and Success!

Today was another busy day! This morning I tried to get the hinge idea to work, so I built a 3D model on inventor. Inventor actually liked me today, which is unusual, and the hinge I built on the computer moved like an actual hinge! Then I did a bunch of calculations to see if the idea would work, and it did for the most part except the hinge would still not close properly. Then we went to Global Village for lunch. After I came back, I showed Gary and Aly the idea, and they thought it was really good! After talking it over with them, I had a Eureka moment and I moved the pieces around, and doing so, it solved all of our problems! We got rid of the hinge completely and interconnected the pieces. Coincidentally, the alignment was just perfect so we didn't even have to make any more cuts to the length. I just had to move around the pieces under the mirror, and this is when I discovered making the Schlieren System is a two person job, because it is extremely difficult to hold the 20 pound mirror upside down while trying to screw bolts into the frame with only two hands. After I got the pieces adjusted, I went to the machine shop and got holes made by the same college student who cut our parts yesterday. All we need are some longer screws and the portable Schlieren System will be complete! (Pictured tis the hinge I built on inventor next the the actual hinge).