Hi folks,
(audience participation required further down)

Over the past few weeks I€™ve been toying with the idea of creating a video tutorial of how to build a relatively simple featherweight spinner. This came about when I realised that I had enough spare parts to build a second drum robot, combined with the creation of several new threads on here that were asking the same questions that have been asked numerous times before.
The tutorial would take the form of video €˜chapters€™, covering all aspects of building a featherweight robot, from the design stages through to construction and combat. Essentially it would be a video version of Rex€™s Robot Challenge, but brought in line with current parts, materials and technologies. With any luck, once everything€™s made, all the chapters can be placed in a thread and €˜stickied€™ so that it can serve as a reference to new builders and anyone who has a question regarding the construction of a featherweight robot.

Obviously this wouldn€™t be the one and only way to make a featherweight robot as each roboteer€™s approach and build techniques differ and vary. While the aim is to complete a functional robot with active weapon, it will by no means be the €˜perfect€™ way to create a robot.

As the tutorial will be based around my way of working, I have figured out what a lot of the content will be already. But there are some things that I may take for granted as easy that others could benefit from with a tutorial video.
Two examples which have caught my eye in these threads over the past few weeks are building your own battery pack, and making wheels/inserting nuts. I initially hadn€™t thought about focusing much on them in the video since I€™m used to them, but thinking about it from a beginner€™s viewpoint, I realised a few minutes detailing how to do it would be beneficial.

In case there are any similar things (like these examples) that I may have missed, can I just ask what you would like to see included in such videos? For example, have you ever thought about making your own Deans mount, but don€™t know how to go about it? If so, let me know and I€™ll try and include a section within a chapter covering it (as long as it€™s within my knowledge!)

This is going to take a fair amount of work but I feel something like this is much needed. If all goes well, the completed robot will be ready to compete at the next full combat featherweight event.

Thoughts and suggestions welcomed

P.S. Once the main robot is complete, I hope to add Appendix chapters covering weapon systems for an electric axe and low-pressure flipper, which would be documented as trial-and-error as I progress with the builds for Grond and my flipper respectively, but that€™s a long way off yet!