Rigid Robotics Build Diary - Flat Damon

[lowndsy]

Most stuff has arrived now, will have a go at mounting the motors this weekend.

[lowndsy]

I just read the manual and the receiver only has a safety on channel 2. Do I need a "safer" one?

[Danjr1]

You'll need the receiver to failsafe on all channels you're using outputs from. What radio gear did you get?

[lowndsy]

It's an Absima 3 channel gun style so when the bot flips I'll just swap hands. I think the model number is cr3p. The 4 channel version probably has quite an unfortunate name...

Receivers aren't that expensive so I'll just build with this receiver and then swap it out when I'm ready to compete.

[lowndsy]

20161009_201814.jpg

Test fitting a motor. Plenty of space for a belt drive, but protecting it from damage might eat a lot of weight.

[lowndsy]

Flat Damon had a slight delay because it turns out angle grinding plastic throws molten globs of nastiness all around the room and in your face. I did one side but gave up before I went blind.

It took a surprisingly long time to find safety goggles in Stoke, but now I have them I'll be able to permanently mount both motors tonight, then measure up to order the belt and pulleys. I might even permanently stick the chassis together and start adding the bracing (PP chopping board) to make it super rigid.

[Tim The Plumber]

LOL!!

You can just use a hacksaw or something.

[RogueTwoRobots]

Get yourself a jigsaw, hacksaw or standard wood saw. You'll have more success and less molten plastic globules everywhere!

[lowndsy]

Where would be the fun in that? Seriously though, I do have most of those tools, but the snake attachment on my mini angle grinder grinder is the only way to reach certain angles. The rest was done with a jumbo wood saw.

Anyhow, all cutting done now, no injuries.

[lowndsy]

Bit of progress, Flat Damon is now a rolling chassis and I am halfway through cutting up countless strips of PP for the bracing. I also found a huge sheet of plastic that would be perfect for one of the armour layers, but it is cable tied to the side of my building advertising some new flats.

I need to start thinking about speed controllers to get Flat Damon actually moving. I had my eye on a dual controller on amazon that looked perfect, but delivery would have taken ages and I'd have expected more people to be using them if they were that good.

The obvious solution would have been a couple of BotBitz 30As off Ranglebox but they're out of stock. Anyone got any suggestions? Still on a budget so I can't drop £150 on escs just yet. I'll go with NIMH on the batteries for now to avoid, erm, explosions.