Piecing together a budget heavy

[Shakey]

Valves are off, it is an M25 thread (NOT 1").



Now to find a screw top valve and M25->1/2" bsp adapter to fit!

[maddox10]

Why the adapter? That looks like a perfectly useable extinguishervalve. The threads are perfectly standard, and are the ones all of us use in the heavies.

The only thing you need is a replacement for the handle.

[Mouldy]

you can get M25 hydraulic blanking plugs with rubber seals in, i had 2 of those, then drilled and tapped the end to 1/2" BSP for turbulence...never had a problem and they never leaked.

[Mouldy]

http://www.etscc.co.uk/hexagon-head-stopper-plug-m25

[Rapidrory]

I'm guessing that's for the buffer tank. The slightly harder part is finding a valve for the main tank that passes tech check and fits the extinguisher; looking for a tap valve as that's what seems to be used by everyone else.

[Shakey]

I was told fire extinguisher valves weren't allowed/discouraged from being used as main bottle valves.

[maddox10]

It's just not the smartest way to open a bottle in a robot, all or nothing.

[Shakey]

I've started mounting the ram into the base, the slight slant lets me get in a good bit of extra throw, it is supported on a hardox structure that bolts to the bulkhead. Ordered a die to shorten the tie rods tot he right length.

[Shakey]

Another test but driving it as full as I can, seems nice and quick even missing 5v off the voltage I'll run at! The TZ85s did heat up a lot though and there was a tiny bit of smoke either from a TZ or a connector. They still work though.

Churkets are also on route for working the flipper, I just hope they arrive in time.

I fixed the robots ground clearance issues with the application of bike tyre.

[Shakey]

So had a slight setback. When I put the robot away everything appeared fine, the LiPo was not warmed at all by it. It was also fused under it's predicted rated.

However it did not appreciate the testing at all:





I think part of it is that this LiPo is old, 4 years old and so had had a decline in quality that meant that though it was all fused and stuff it was already not in the best of shape and the load of testing this heavy (which while it was under the theoretical peaks of the LiPo) was too much to cope with.

On the otherhand, EO's... Dry powder is excellent at containing LiPo fires, far better than CO2. Sorry to all future competitors who have to hoover their bots but the TZ's under 1cm away were saved nicely. Also always have an extinguisher to hand, our one was handily right next to the bot and it was quickly booted into the garden and sprayed.