I’m hammering away (wanting to but never getting round to) at building my first robot, but in a classic late night “let’s review your mistakes” moment, I realised that how I planned to do so was a horrible idea. What I was planning to do is attach a plastic corner cover thing to the 2 panels I want connecting, before drilling in a small screw to attach them. Then I realised that I couldn’t take them out and put them back in again a lot, and doing that would mean either just not taking big hits or rebuilding the chassis after every fight.
I need ideas on how to get my panels stuck together. In case someone suggests a 3D printed chassis, my access to 3D printers is, at best, asking a teacher really nicely and hoping they say I can use it.
Fold and bolt is a viable chassis construction method. Otherwise you can get strips of thicker plastic (say 5mm square) and screw that. Or if you’re feeling extra fancy you could use some of the aluminum nut strips from the BBB store.
There’s the problem of both space and ascetics. My robot’s already a bit over the width size limit. It’s a good idea, but it’d also cause problems such as getting the robot open. The more I think about it, it seems like a better and better idea.
I’ve already thought of a way around ascetics problems (Without spoilers, it’ll be like if an albino diotoir had a baby with a rear hinged firestorm). But, I don’t have any small nuts and bolts (or haven’t checked). It’ll be fine, and my self-imposed deadline is still a ways away.
By size limit I assume you mean the 4 inch cube? If it is the cube then that is only used by I think 3 antweight events in the uk at the moment so if you haven’t already it is worth checking that the event(s) you want to go to actually use it.
If can afford it you can buy 3d printed parts (I usually use Ranglebox or Treatstock) online. No worries if you can’t use them as all the ways mentioned by Harry are valid ways of making a bot.
Yeah. I was planning on using screws for the fur, but I could just use blue tac. I’m going to go on a nut and bolt hunt after school, and get around to cutting the fur sheet, one of the wheel holes and seeing if my terrible soldering really did break the motors (I say for the 15th time).
I didn’t need to do that, since my dad had some larger but still small nuts and bolts lying around. If he hadn’t, I guess I’d have had to buy 20 motor mounts only for me to use the 2 screws they come with.
I’m all out of excuses. I guess I gotta buckle down and do it.
Hey, just for the uninitiated you can just buy huge (and small) packs of nuts, bolts screws and such really easily online.
Have a look for m2 and m3 sized bolts on eBay.
I used to buy them in packs of like 5 from a hardware shop when I started. Must have wasted so much money doing it that way little bits at a time. Just buy a bag of 50 for a couple quid and be done with scrounging fixings and fasteners.
I can give you some good sellers and examples if your like?