FAILURES
or, there are some things better left to the professionals

THE BOTCHED BUBBLE
The famous bubble failure. Some have had success in forming their own bubbles, and my hat's off to them. On this web site, any attempt to do this is discouraged. Spend the $$ and get a professionally made bubble.
Total waste of time: about 3 hours.
 
Buy yourself one of these for under $100.00 and save yourself from an ulcer and half a day of your time
THE FINGER LIGHT FIASCO
Yet another project that's not for the faint of heart. If you're going to do this, buy one of those aluminum brain cups with the pre drilled and pre measured holes. The Hankscraft motor will also fit into it. After trying to make my own cam and fit the motor above the light rods, I wound up with spaghetti and a not enough room to fit even the smallest motor into it. The rods kept falling out and the motor was too low to work, so this part was abandoned until I someday purchase the real deal. I'd share a photo of the debaucle with you but there wasn't much left to photograph after 50 or so whacks with a ball peen hammer.
Total waste of time: about 5 hours. T
 
 
THE POWER PACK SWITCH SCREW-UP
 
I had the bright idea of having the power pack turn on the lights. I figured I can't lose - just install a momentary switch behind one of the power pack pins and there you have it. Wrong. First off the momentary switch I bought required the strength of a mule to depress. I removed a high tension spring from inside it. Then I had to make a pin with a weak spring to make it retract when the power pack is removed. Then I had to make a holder for said switch at just the right distance so the pin would activate the switch. All this was working fine, until I finished it, plugged in the power pack - and nothing. I moved the switch closer to insure contact, and still nothing. I took the switch apart and it worked fine. I reinstalled it once again, and nothing. At this point I got a sledge hammer and finished it off once and for all. My B-9 has since been repaired, so don't worry. I will not attempt this again.
The only thing that worked was the additions of the pins on the power pack which was previously just screwed down to the torso and not removable.
Total waste of time: about 7 hours.