More Rear Door work with magnets

Moving forward on R5. I took most of him apart today to get some work done. Batteries out and skirt off so I can replace the lower support rods that attach the skirt.

I was using the rod on the top with a bunch of washers. I just replaced them with the longer version that works with the JAG skirt better. Not like anyone will see this, but not it don't seem like its mish mashed together down there in my head. 

Now back to your regular programming of the never ending back door project!

Here is what I'm doing on my rear inner skins. Please think it threw before you attempt a full rear door, or alteast read what don't work. Anyway, I have screwed on 1 rare Earth magnet to the lower part of both skins and then mounted 3 4-40 screws with nylon nuts to fasten the bottom on. The strip above got 2 rounds of Gorilla Super glue. I think it didn't hold well last time because I painted the strip and then glued it on. Basically gluing the paint on  was wrong. Now I'm just gluing metal to metal.

Here is the other side. This creates a lip for the back door to rest on, other wise it falls through the skins. I made it a little bit too big so I can file it down to a perfect fit later (never ends). All the screws are counter sunk so the outer skin will hide them.

Its kind of hard to see. What I did here is drill and tap a 8/32 hole just over an inch above both lower support rods. Then mounted rare Earth magnets, and over that I glued on a plastic ring that came with the magnets. The idea is not to let both magnets touch. It takes too much forces to separate them and the skin is quite thin and it won't take too much to start bending it. I can adjust how far or close the magnets are by screwing this into or out of the frame support rod.

Another photo prior to gluing on the plastic spacer ring. The reason for this is to suck the lower skin as tightly to the frame as possible.

Here is one of many test fits. These magnets are quite strong and will bend your skin if you make too big of a gap.

This is working much better than when I tried to do this with velcro.

Now I made a prototype to hold on my rear door with a magnet and this piece of L bracket. The L bracket is a little to short but works. Since I put a magnet on my rear power coupler last week this should just kind of snap into place.

This holds the back door on so far but it don't take too much force to remove it. A bump in a sidewalk might drop the door. These rare Earth magnets are the best but under powered in this situation. I could add a few more magnets to make it stronger. I'm using I think 7/8 of an inch magnets. I should just order some 1.5 inch magnets for added power.

This never ending project now has a light at the end of the tunnel. I have pretty much accomplished the goals I set for myself to some degree. One thing I'll remember about this droid I won't forget is how much I wasn't looking forward do the back door from first cutting it out to its final magnet.