Bus that rotates like a Merry-Go-Round?

[Elliot Naess]

On the Burning Man forum is a guy who wants to install an excavator turntable under a bus so he can make it rotate in place like a Merry-Go-Round. Sounds doable to me. He's looking for collaborators. Jason?

http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtop...2241cea4d7258b

[lapeer20m]

i'm not going to the burn this year. i'm in the middle of buying a house, and i should be bussless soon if all goes as planned.

but a bus merry-go-round??? hmmmmmm!

[timbuk]

burningman eh theres more than you think burning to come up with those ideas....burn on

[Elliot Naess]

Actually, I don't smoke at all, but....

You think some of us Skoolies build some cool stuff? You ain't seen nuttin. Burning Man is a lot of different things to different people, but it it one thing for sure: Burning Man is the World Championship Grand Finals in homebuilt mechanical fun stuff.
Here is the "Mobile Art" section of the Burning Man web site photo gallery:

http://images.burningman.com/index.c...o.x=15&go.y=16

The rotating bus sounds entirely doable. The excavator turntable goes under the frame of the bus. Then, below that, four hydraulic legs that swing out and lift a little -- like the stabilizer legs on a mobile crane. In fact... I'll suggest just that to those guys.

[Xtevan]

I've been following this thread over on EPlaya also, I hope he pulls it off.

Timbuk,

You would probably amazed at the number of older folks who go to burningman that don't party all week like the kids. The scope of the art projects that are brought several hundred miles is unreal



Big Rig Jig, It would have been interesting to see them set this up.



Crude Awakening was about 100 feet tall, the tallest statue in front is over 30 feet tall


I saw two different eight legged mechanical spider vehicles, It really is the 'World Championship Grand Finals in homebuilt mechanical fun stuff'

Safety Third

[Elliot Naess]

Eight legged walking machine? Check.



Powered by a big block Chevy. I seem to remember he told me it weighs 16.000 pounds.

It's probably not possible to "get" Burning Man without participating.

[lapeer20m]

i think a bus merry go round sounds like a good idea.

i don't think the extra weight and complexity of the merry go round bus seems like it would make a good road trip vehicle....sounds like the guy wants to travel a bit besides just going to the burn.

the idea of a bus merry go round has kept me awake thinking about it at nite....the easiest and simplest does seem to be using the guts from an excavator, but i think there are two problems with that: finding a junk excavator for cheap...scrap steel prices are so high that it seems it would be difficult to find a large piece of steal for cheap. the 2nd problem is that it's a large HEAVY piece of steal. Not that a skoolie couldn't handle an extra 5 or 10K pounds, but it would come with it's own set of challenges.

I definately like the idea of 4 outriggers like you see on a crane or a newer fire department ladder truck like this:



having the bus sit on a central pivot point is the difficult part.....hmmmm

wonder what he'll come up with? better get to work, the man burns in....well the time for him to burn will be here in no time!

[Elliot Naess]

Here's the other walking machine that Xtevan mentioned:



Just looking at these photos makes me almost smell the Playa dust!

[Elliot Naess]

A few posts above, Xtevan showed you the sculpture Crude Awakening -- the giant human figures worshipping an oil drilling derrick. Here it burns:



I'm told they notified the FAA, NASA, Air Force and a couple of other agencies in advance, to avoid causing some sort of alarm. Lots of propane and other accelerants, yes.
A very professional production, I assure you.

That shot, and over 10.000 others are on the Burning Man web site gallery.

[timbuk]

most definetly an unusual and unique event that i would love to attend the hours that go into those sculptures must be huge and a northern guy like me could use a little desert time thanks for the links and pictures guys timbuk