My First Build. ("Mischief" if that name isn't taken yet)

This is my first steps in to the creative yet very destructive world of Robot Wars.
I have always followed the sport but never had the know how to design and build a competitive robot, but i'm gonna try anyway! :P

First things are first. a little light reading. (yes that is small bolts holding it together... i ran out of paper clips)
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...tml?sort=3&o=0

first design.
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...ml?sort=3&o=14
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...ml?sort=3&o=12

First Mock up to make sure parts fit. yes it's held together with cable ties.
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...ml?sort=3&o=31
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...ml?sort=3&o=29
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...ml?sort=3&o=27

I have welded up the chassis today and the paint is drying right now.
still a long way to go.
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...tml?sort=3&o=3

More to come soon!

Hey there, welcome to the forum!

Thats a very nice looking machine Need4Sleep (a real name would be useful), am I correct in assuming its a featherweight (13.6kg/30lbs) ?

I'm curious as to what its made of and how thick that material is ? Looks a tad on the thin side to me.

Yes it's going to be a featherweight.
This is only the inner chassis so i feel 2mm mild steel should be fine, Though i have room and weight to use 4mm if needed.
I have designed this chassis so i have a few options of weapons. If i make this a pusher bot i will make a much stronger outer shell i would probably shock mount that shell too. For the moment i am playing with the idea of a full body spinner.
This is a untested design. anyway I think there will be a lot of trial and error before i am able to put this into a battle.

For a first venture into the sport, that's absolutely brilliant! You're clearly being modest when you say you have no know-how!

Can't wait to see what you build (what's that? I think I hear the whole forum chanting... "fullybody! fullybody! fullbody!")

Good luck, ambitious but again it seems you have things under control. :)

Welcome to the forum mate and lovely looking robot you have there. Think a 2mm steel chassis should be fine.
Don't suppose you plan to disclose weapon stats?
Also where did you get it cut? Looks laser

Thats brilliant for a first robot. Nice to see someone new building something interesting. Will be good to see how those motor/gearbox's perform... I looked at getting a set for 720 but went for the banebots on the proven track record.. those do look nice with the rear motor supports attached though.

I don't recognise them.

Robot is very impressive generally, let alone a first machine.

Thanks for the warm welcome. I should have started by saying hi, I've been reading the forums without making a post for a while.
Oh I'm a mechanic but engineering is just a hobby, it gets so boring just repairing things all the time.


New inner chassis paint job.
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...95932.jpg.html

I rebuilt the motors with M5 as I'm using the threaded rods as part of the motor mounts.
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...95615.jpg.html

A step closer I'm still working on a way to create the weapon. keeping it within 20% of the robots weight and balanced is gonna suck. i am thinking that maybe i can start with a torque converter drive plate as it's balanced and should be strong.

Looks rather good so far, I assume those are the magnum 775 motors from robot power, they look very similar anyway.
Good luck with the rest of the build.

That's a good eye you have there Harry. they are Magnum 775 motors i got them from Robot Market Place along time ago

Heh, cheers:) I've been looking for some powerful drivemotors recently, and they came up so that's how I can recognize them. Got any comments about them, would you recommend them?

they are untested yet but seem to be very well made (even though i changed most of the bolts and drilled and re-tapped every hole). I bought them ages ago i don't even have speed controllers to try them yet sorry.

This does look incredible! This is going to be a contender straight off the bat! (I looked at the other images and immediately thought over head bar spinner driven by a HK 40 (Or similar)... ouch!

I only see one issue.

http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...ml?sort=3&o=25

Top left hand view in that image, I take it that shows your belt set up? If so I doubt that will work. The area of contact to your rive pulley is so small that even if the belt is perfectly tight you will get slippage or the belt might pop off completely. if you get a longer belt you can use an ideler wheel to bring the belt further round on one side of the pulley, giving you more contact and reducing the risk of loosing drive. Hope that helps.

am I missing something but are these the small gas tanks used often in bike repair?
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...11342.jpg.html

*ponders what its used for

Very nice build going on here, will be watching! Yeah they look like the single use co2 cans used in air guns ect

I have not finished designing the weapon system fully yet. Yes they are 12g co2 tanks. i had a crazy idea for an on board fire extinguisher (still playing with that idea)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eventorizon

This does look incredible! This is going to be a contender straight off the bat! (I looked at the other images and immediately thought over head bar spinner driven by a HK 40 (Or similar)... ouch!

I only see one issue.

http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...ml?sort=3&o=25

Top left hand view in that image, I take it that shows your belt set up? If so I doubt that will work. The area of contact to your rive pulley is so small that even if the belt is perfectly tight you will get slippage or the belt might pop off completely. if you get a longer belt you can use an ideler wheel to bring the belt further round on one side of the pulley, giving you more contact and reducing the risk of loosing drive. Hope that helps.

---

when i designed that i was considering using a wheel to run along the inside of the drum. The reason i considered this is to give slip. If the weapon stopped suddenly without any slip i would risk damaging The weapon drive system (i think the motor would explode) though none of this is tested i will most likely build two or three options to figure out the best solution. Thanks for the tip about the belt drive I'm sure i would have run into that problem.

Ever notice that maybe you have been doing things totally incorrectly? well i did this morning...
Now i am sure to go with a full body spinner i figured a much better way to build the robot.
This new build design will allow for extra battery packs to be added if required.
I will also be able to remove motors quickly if they are damaged.

http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...build.jpg.html

If you are serious about a rebuild, you need not design it for extra packs to be added. Designing it to accept one known configuration and optimising is better for that kind of machine. Now we are allowed 12S lipos you could design it for two 2650mAh 6 Cell packs (Wired in series and used as a pair) knowing that it will always work and and always fit.
If you want to be able to change it, make the head adjustable so that you can switch between something that cuts, something that clobbers and something that lifts (Or anything really). That is better far better (IMO) than messing with your internals.

I'm after a little advice i can foresee have a big problem with radio interference. This robot will be a full body spinner and i am pretty sure that i may have to try many aerial / radio systems.
Basically i am just wondering if anyone has had similar problems or knows of a good salutation before i invest in many different types of RC systems.
Any advice would be useful.

lol i think these need to go on a diet.

http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...23047.jpg.html

I doubt you will get interference or a blocked signal even with a full body spinner. LS4 has no issues with normal spektrum transmitters and receivers. If you are that worried you can get receivers designed to go inside all carbon fibre aircraft (Carbon fibre blocks 2.4Ghz).
For a long time we couldn't control Binky with its 2mm armour on but it turned out that it was a combination of 2 BECs, and a crap orange receiver that were doing us in. With 1 BEC and a genuine spektrum receiver, I had control of Binky from over 30m away.

Perfect. Thank you so much. I was expecting this to be a major problem.

The new steel arrived today but it's very wrong due to my mistakes when converting from sketch up to draft sight... DERP!.
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...tml?sort=3&o=7

Also 4mm steel is way to heavy.
This is just the base plate and weighs in at 5kgs.
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...tml?sort=3&o=6

Looks good though and i was able to place some parts just to test fit.
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...tml?sort=3&o=1
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...tml?sort=3&o=4
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/Ra...tml?sort=3&o=5

New chassis is really starting to take shape.
http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...8-06132836.jpg

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...8-06224506.jpg

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...herchassis.jpg

http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/...8-06132915.jpg

As i don't have a lathe or even access to one. Would anyone be able to recommend an engineering company that could turn a shaft down for my weapon mount?

Looking really nice
I would be a bit worried about that base. It must be heavy and the cads dont show it being very well braced.
I had a 3mm front scoop on my feather and it was reasonably braced and its bent to hell after an event.

I will recommend people and in return could you mention where you got the steel cut? :)

Kenny, not sure he is about robot wise but he is a working freelance engineer
http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/members/755-kenny

Famous maddox is the guy to go to for random specialties like gearboxes and rams
http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/members/1160-maddox10

But there is countless people on this forum who have lathes and some one may pop up and offer to help you out or recommend someone else.

I would add in some cross braces to the two vertical pieces, creating a rigid welded/bolted box in the centre of the robot. All the force will be going through it so it needs to be very strong. Also, how much does it currently weigh in that last photo?

In the last picture it weighs almost 5kgs (Chassis and drive motors) I understand it may still need bracing but for now i need to get most of the main parts fitted correctly and working, then i can work out how much weight i have to play with for extra bracing.
I found this ebay shop that will cut steel to your shapes and sizes. i just give them a DXF file i made in DraftSight. They seem to get the parts cut and shipped really quickly too.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/gdiproducts...p2047675.l2563

Wow, thats actually really good price!
Thanks for that, good find.

By the way, what sort of size/diameter is the robot??

May I ask how much all the cutting (I pressure laser cutting) cost?