yeah i have a titanium version of the same bar thankfully! i think its about 7 grams lighter? might have to switch to that one
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yeah ive still been using the BBB ESC just because its quite easy for me to solder up and i’ve had no real issues with using them in the past
Ah, you’re at the “Oh come ON what do you MEAN I’ve only shaved off one gram?!?!?!?!?” stage too. I’m going to second the Malenki Nano. They aren’t that scary to solder and if I can get one to work despite my lack of skill I think almost anybody can!
What size wires are you using? If you go for smaller ones that are still safe to use with spinner ants it could save you a couple of grams too!
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yeahhh ive saved a lot of weight on redesigning the body but i’m just not there yet haha.
I’ve been taking a look at it since Hollis suggested it earlier and i might consider it tbh, since that would already be at least 7 grams saved alone.
I’m a little confused on the wiring setuo though, does the black wire on a spinner esc not need to be soldered to anything? i’m assuming thats what is illustrated on the graph
other than that im planning on trying to save a little more weight on the body too, since id like to finally give this robot some polycarbonate weapon mounts instead of ABS, or at the very least add attachable polycarbonate forks.
Correct, that’s the ground for the signal. Sometimes (in a drone or RC plane or whatever) you might have the receiver and ESCs running from different batteries, so the ESC needs a separate ground to connect the two systems and provide a reference for the signal. In a robot we run everything off the same battery, so usually you can get away without the black signal wire.
You should be able to save some weight with a re-wire. I like to use 26awg PVC insulated wire for drive motors, it’s more than enough to handle the current and a lot lighter than 24awg silicone wire. 24awg silicone wire should do for the main power and motor wires. I also do away with all the connectors except the battery connector, and reduce the lengths as much as possible.
Another thing you can do is downsize all your screws, although that might be a pain if you don’t have a printer and have already ordered parts for specific screw sizes. M2 self tappers are enough to hold plastic parts together at ant scale, and often four M2s will do better than one M3 and still weigh less.
Finally, if all else fails it’s speed hole time!
Ahh, okay noted! that makes a lot of sense. I’ll keep that in mind, i might go for it for this robot at the very least then since i need the weight for other upgrades i have in mind too!!
I think all my Screws are pretty downsized at the minute, i’ve been running M2 screws for a very long time now
hopefully won’t need Speedholes! Will order a Malenki Nano when i get home and take some more weight out of the body, hopefully thatll be enough to save weight (and maybe even get myself some polycarbonate weapon mounts)
Thanks for the advice, i appreciate it!!!
Howdy peeps! its small update time!!!
The Malenki Nano’s have arrived! I ordered two, one for Somatic Damage and the other for a mystery robot that ill be showcasing soon!
For now, heres an update on the new version of Somatic Damage!
Just wanted to show it off, i really like how the bot looks now!! And in terms of weight…
It’s just 9.4 grams overweight! which is already an insane jump from the 16 grams ot was before. I have another redesign of the body currently on the way, in addition to possibly changing to a titanium weapon bar too! I’m saving extra weight for another awesome upgrade i mentioned in the form of polycarbonate supports 
was thinking of going for 2mm thick, is that adequite for this weight class?
That’s all i have now pretty much, will post another update when everything else arrives!!!
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Great work.
I reckon an updated body and a titanium blade will get you under 150 so you are in a good spot.
I haven’t worked with polycarbonate yet so unfortunately I can’t provide any advice there.
Keep up the good work.
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thank you! i appreciate it. Should be quite an easy swap since i already have the same bar in Titanium anyways!
Hoping to get it ready in time for the next GroCs event, so should be quite fun!
Is that CNC or printed polycarbonate? I have no experience with 3D printed polycarbonate, but I have worked with it in sheet form. 2mm should be fine structurally, but it is quite heavy. If you’re struggling with weight and getting parts CNCed it might be worth looking at carbon fibre.
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was hoping for cut as i’m unsure how good 3d printed polycarbonate is… i might just get the forks alone cut in polycarbonate and screw them in with the weapon mounts, at least then if the forks are damaged i don’t have to replace the entire weapon mount, as swapping those out are quite tedious…
will have to see how much free space i have first though! hoping to get all the new 3d printed stuff soon
Honestly might be more worth getting them printed from TPU.
TPU bricks can withstand nearly anything at this scale, case in point, Marie Antoniette.
85g, yet can hold its ground against the strongest spinners.
I would do TPU, but im quite skeptical about wether or not the forks would have a nice, sharp edge on them or not, since the forks i have now tend to be quite dull at the tips. Might try and just get polycarb forks rather than replacing the whole motor mount, soulds like a safer use of weight
TPU Forks are used on SVRN kits, and have proven great for ground clearance. I use them on Y2K and they have proven great.
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ah okay, will keep that in mind then depending on how much weight ive got! thank you for the advice
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