DIY Gooseneck

[Pete Prodoehl]

Makers,

I'm looking for some ideas... I need a gooseneck-type thing, and would
like to DIY it rather than buy something.

I want to put a photocell inside flexible plastic tubing, and run the
wires inside the tubing to an Arduino. The idea is to allow me to
reposition where the photocell is pointing.

Here's a terrible sketch: http://raster.posterous.com/gooseneck

The tubing is of course flexible, but I need a way to make it keep it's
position, and I was thinking of a few ideas:

One would be put stiff wire(s) inside the tube, either the wires
connected to the photocell, or additional/separate wires.

The other idea was to wrap wire around the outside of the tube.

I think both ideas have pros and cons, but I'd like to see if anyone
else has some ideas.

(Also, I want it to look really nice.)

thanks!

Pete

[Jerry [HM]]

Are you open to changing the 'tube' material?

How flexible does it need to be? Like more than 90 degree bends? etc?

What about small ID/OD flex tubing?

What about repurposing one of those old lamps with the flex/goose neck 'arms/shafts'?

[Pete Prodoehl]

I'd consider other materials, but I would like it to be something
readily available at the local hardware-type store.

I'll look at ID/DO flex tubing... is it stiff enough to hold a position?
(Less than 90˚ is fine.)

I'd prefer not to re-purpose something, due to repeatability, etc.

I could also do it with narrow PVC pipe with elbows to adjust the
angles, etc. Does PVC come in 1/4" or is 1/2" the smallest?

Pete

[Joe Buck]

Copper tubing works really well for that.  I once built a "copper knot" chandelier for a modern kitchen with six  ~12ft lengths of 1/4in copper tubing from the "hookup your ice maker" department. I ran the wire for the 12V halogen bulbs down the center.  The arms twisted all around each other in a vaulted kitchen ceiling before ending equidistant from each other above the kitchen counters.  those 12ft arms held their shape for years.

Not sure how long your goose neck needs to be or how sharp it needs to bend.  copper tubing has it's limits.  Another option is the clear pvc tubing  from the plumbing department with thick (10 guage?)  solid copper wire down the middle. Heck, most any kind of flexible tubing would work with that method. (cut the ends off a flat shoelace? smallest size pipe insulation? 3ft long Twizzler?   ;-))

[yrog]

Snap-Loc or Loc-Line modular hose would work well for this
application.

http://www.cedarberg.com/snaploc.htm

http://www.modularhose.com/

or you could scavenge some from a cheap camera tripod