Not strictly about robots but defiantly linked...

I am now half way through Axminster's 5 Day Engineering course and things are looking good!

They have had us making parts with as many different techniques on them as possible and using as many different tools as possible.

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Right to left: Centre Punch (Untempered), V joint cutter missing its 5 cutting tips (machined them now but no pic), bar with 2mm Left hand thread, 2mm Right hand thread, 2mm double start thread and M16 thread with matching bolt (Very happy with the M16, no back lash what so ever!)

The last 3 parts are for a small grinding tool for finishing shafts and threads.

I have also taken the opportunity to get some help with Binky.

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The front scoops have just been cut off with a band saw but with their supervision I will be making a piece to fill in the gaps, making the front dead flat, which will be welded in before we face of the front with a mill to get a flat surface.

They also have the tools to modify Binky's disc. The 3 inner spikes will be cut off and ground back and then 1-2mm will be taken off the inner spokes on either side. If there is time about 3-44mm will be taken off the inside of the main ring on both sides. The aim is to reduce the weight to 3kg from 3.6kg. The weapon will still retain a very high inertia but will spin up faster and give us the 600g we need elsewhere.

They have also suggested some ways of restoring Binky's teeth. The best one seems to be using something similar to stick welding to build up a hard deposit on the teeth which can then be ground down.