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For heavyweights, 2kg cylinders are the common size used (usually one 2kg bottle as a supply and one or two modified bottles as buffer tanks) and for featherweights, 600g/20oz paintball bottles tend to be the go-to option. The key point is if you can get them with screw valve handles on them rather than lever ones; this will make it easier for adapting the valve to take an M10 nut which will allow you to use a 17mm socket tool to turn on the gas.
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So, even if you may not find it suitable to use the extinguishers in your build, it is worth while taking them - if they are filled, as you will get through CO2 quickly during testing, and having access to them FOC helps out during the build and testing stages. Plus some smaller events do not supply CO2 - so you can bring along your own supply to fill up your paintball tanks.
For buffer tanks in smaller builds, get hold of 7oz or 4oz paintball tanks - difficult, or get hold of fire extinguisher co2 cartridges (these are the things inside water, powder extinguishers that make them work) these asre good for small buffer tanks - google "fire extinguisher cartridge co2" for several stockists including zoro.
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So, is there an idiot's guide to full pressure flippers?
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Not to be too serious here but I wouldn't use Idiot and full pressure flipper in the same sentence and definitely
not in the same room, I have seen when they go wrong.
It's nice to understand the Robot you are using but I would outsource high pressure systems at heavyweight level
even though I myself have a good knowledge of those systems and engineering in general, they are highly dangerous
which is why I have stayed clear of them along with the build costs.
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I've been a mechanic since leaving college over 30 years ago and currently work with hydraulics and LPG systems all day in the world of forklifts. A bit of CO2 holds no fear for me. I'm well aware of the precautions you need to take around this kind of stuff, but didn't know if anyone had done a walkthrough of how to build such a system. Yes, the pressures in a CO2 bottle are higher, but at least it's not flammable!
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Slight hiccup when it comes to motors. The pallet truck motors are massive and not suitable (never really clocked their size before).But I've noticed that the steering motor is about the right size and has about 4:1 down gearing. they are however, brushed and not brushless. I've read that brushed motors are, due to their inefficiency, much more tolerant to stalled conditions, so they would possibly make better motors for a robot. they are only 185W @ 24V, but being industrial motors will be massively over engineered so they don't fail over thousands of hours of use. Would I be correct in thinking that the torque increases at a linear rate with the reduction ratio?
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Yes, I believe this is the case. That is why I went with such a high (perhaps too high) a ratio on my axe for my MW, to ensure it'll definitely self right.
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To be honest, it's over three decades since my theory exams, but that's what rings a bell