Space Brain

I've been trying to figure out how build the vegan, gluten-free pie slice - the 6th slice that is also the accessibility hatch.

The challenge is to attach the upper part of the slice to the lower part of the slice securely while also making the two pieces easy to separate in a not-so-obvious way.

Spent hours in a variety of hardware stores, bringing stuff home and trying it out. Getting more frustrated at each attempt. Though about a allen wrench hex bolt type of thing but the allen wrench is too wide to fit between the slats of the bench.

Then I tried a window latch which would have worked great if the latch would hold hold better. Brain tired!!

Window Latch Experiment: The plates on either side help guide the pieces together, then, in theory, the window latch holds them together.

Window Latch Experiment: I think this could have worked if the latch wasn't so flimsy.

Then my husband came up with yet another great idea. Use cam connectors...of course neither one of us knew what those were called. All we knew is that they are used to connect IKEA shelves and they work great...on the IKEA shelves that is.

Cam Connectors & Screws

So the idea here is to attach the cam screw to the upper part of the slice, drill a hole for it to insert down into the lower part where it will connect to the cam which is placed in a drilled hole in the side of the same lower part. Ack. My brain hurts just from trying to explain this!

Cam screw is in the wrong direction in this pic but the idea is that you turn the cam connector and it pulls the screw down and tightens the two pieces. It will be snug and will be hidden AND I can reach it with a 90 degree philips screwdriver.

I have some scrap wood to practice on. If I fuck up, I guess I can always get some more pieces CNCed. Hope it doesn't come to that. I'm ready to move on to figuring out how to make the Galactic Tube!!!