Room for large project (Battletech VR pods)

Ask Dallas Makerspace
#1

I am working with someone who owns a collection of the VR BattleTech pods from Virtual World. We are trying to get them refurbished so they can be set up at my store (Source Gaming Lounge in Denton).

They need rather extensive work as well as possible retrofits to be made more portable (cutting off the bottom and replacing it with a metal frame with wheels). The current place they are stored in does not really have the room to work on them however. Is there any space at the Makerspace for a pod or two to be there while we work on them? If not in Makerspace is there anyplace nearby so we could travel between pods and Makerspace more easily?

Each pod is about 7’ long, 3.5’ wide and 8’ tall.

Here is what they look like refurbished and retrofitted.

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#2

I’d say get a storage pod nearby and bring one as it is being worked on. Once you get the base and the major design fleshed out just start the process with the others.

Also I haven’t played these in forever. They’re awesome.

#3

Would we be able to have one of the portable storage pods in the parking area behind Makerspace?

#4

Absolutely not, Jim meant like a CubeSmart facility.

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#5

Ah, OK, makes sense.

So there would be room to fit one pod in makerspace at a time it sounds like?

#6

The only place I could imagine is in the auto/loading dock right. That may be frowned upon.

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#7

It’s possible it might be allowed by @Team_Automotive with permission, and if so probably on the same basis as working on autos: member has to be in the area and generally be working on it. This effectively means not “stored” overnight or otherwise left unattended for long periods.

Auto team will chime in if they see fit. Given the size of the thing, I don’t see much in way of alternatives, though…VECTOR might have been an option, but they are full up if, I remember correctly.

#8

Paging @Shawn_Christian for Vector.

Right now it’s full with projects members are getting ready for Texas Pinball Festival in mid-March.

The bigger question is: is there enough room to even get it over to the Vector area? the aisles are small coming from the back past the workshop tables and the area around Science is even tighter.

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#9

My wife was one of the employees at Virtual world Way back in the day. Callsign HERA.

#10

I cant speak on storage beyond the dock area is likely a no go. I can however tell you I’ve seen a good wheel solution. PM me if you would like to talk about it.

#11

Would be interested in a good wheel solution.

I took a look through a few days ago and it did look a bit crowded at the moment. Didn’t know that Auto had a rule for no overnight. If them in the space it would likely need to be overnight for one, transporting the 300-500 pound pods is tricky.

#12

To be clear, the policy is more along lines of “owner has to be there and working on it”. For instance if you can work on your car, or BattleTech pod, or even a frickin’ TARDIS (if you can get you hands on one), for 24 hours straight, then yes, overnight is fine. You are just expected to be there working on it, not (for example) sleeping under it (I wish I still had that picture of the guy…).

#13

I had a friend restore one of these years back! As someone that played mechwarrior 2 in the 56k days I’d be interested in how this project shapes up.