Wooden Robot Class

[Leonardomayo]

Hopefully I can join the battle aswell if mine gets finished in time!
Bought some of the material today. Walking back with a 2.4m of wood got some odd looks, admittedly.

[typhoon_driver]

Just been reading this thread with interest. Think I might look to make something. It's looking less likely that i'll be at the champs and more likely I'll end up at the yeovil event instead (work permitting of course!)

I'm thinking of using the chainsaw chains from my drag racer and running them around the outside of a wooden chassis bot. Of course the sprockets on each corner will be metal and the chain itself will be metal but the rest of the construction bar a metal box in the middle holding the delicates, will be wooden. Anyone got any issues?

O and the machine will of course be built to FRA rules, Power light, weight limit of 30lb etc

[craig_colliass]

I'm thinking of fitting a sanding disc to the front It won't kill your robot but it should reduce splinters

[Leonardomayo]

I'm thinking of using the chainsaw chains from my drag racer and running them around the outside of a wooden chassis bot. Of course the sprockets on each corner will be metal and the chain itself will be metal but the rest of the construction bar a metal box in the middle holding the delicates, will be wooden. Anyone got any issues?

To keep the parts contained when it gets trashed? :P
Also do you mean flush to the outside of the robot, or a frame a la series 6 grand final Tornado?

[ewan]

If there's a couple of wooden 'bots at Yeovil I wouldn't mind building one. Only if the spinner rules are sorted though, seem to remember earlier in the thread it was sounding as though any spinner would be allowed as long as the frame was wood? Not exactly in the spirit of a cheap fun robot, I reckon US 'Sportsman' rules would be more applicable (with specific spinner limits)

[ewan]

^Further to that I think Jamie's design looks brilliant, but maybe that should be a roundabout limit for spinners (<500g <3000rpm perhaps)

[typhoon_driver]

It will be flush with the chassis. I wouldn't use a metal frame as it's not in the spirit of the class. No idea if I'll time to make one but I would love to.

My opinion on the spinner front would be to limit weapons to wood working tools such as saws etc and for those to be limited to their design rpm. Granted tests will have to take place on what works but with the robochallenge arena there is a good opportunity to do the testing

[PJ-27]

I don't want to limit spinning weapons because it just puts people off.

If someone does make some monster metal spinning weapon then firstly no one will want to fight it, and secondly it won't last 2seconds if it's held together with MDF. It'll just destroy itself.

I've bought my MDF, hopefully get the chassis built in the next few days.

[ewan]

I don't want to limit spinning weapons because it just puts people off.

This is the opposite to how I'd feel.

Also MDF is a silly material to use for anything structural- were you to mount a spinning disc on a bulky plywood frame, perhaps with a couple of metal braces as your concept rules appear to allow, then you could get away with weapons nigh-on as powerful as your standard featherweight, not really in the spirit of a budget knock-around class.

wood working tools such as saws etc and for those to be limited to their design rpm

This however does seem a bit of a restriction. I reckon the middle ground of only permitting low-powered spinners (determined by rpm & mass), irrespective of what they're spinning is a fair compromise

[Bodge Job]

I have been interested in this class for a while, and also what to know about what people think about spinner rules/regulations (if theres any) as its somthing I could easily make with out to much planning... And I have a peice of 2mm steel, which I think I could make a spinning blade out of, and the thinness should keep the Kenetic energy down, would people be ok with that weapon? It would only be going a few thousand rpm?