Team Smoothie! Build Diary

[daveimi]

Hello! One and all!

First and foremost thanks for taking a look at this. I've fancied a go at Robot Combat for the last 15 years and have been following it virtually forever. So I've finally decided to have a go just for a laugh (and also at the insistence of my lad) to see if we can get one running.

I've been having a read round the forum and asking the usual nagging noob questions for about a month. I've started to get a good idea as to what goes into putting a basic featherweight together and where we can get all of the basics. We decided that we would like to build a fast and agile featherweight that was mostly a rammer. After sketching a few ideas out this did seem a bit boring, but since I don't really have any fabrication skills its the best I can do for now. Hopefully after attending some events and more thought etc I can build something else in future with an active weapon.

Our basic idea is a shoe box shape that's invert-able. I'm going to make some sort of picture account tonight so I can slap my piccies up here. We ordered some GR01's last night and I'm just trying to find somewhere to buy HDPE. Wheels are getting ordered next week. Our basic spec will be:

- Gimson GR01's (12v) with integral mountings, screws and all that carry on
- Robochallenge 100mm blue wheels with threaded inserts
- Sabertooth / Electronize / Victor / 2x RC Boat ESC's off ebay
- 20mm HDPE / Polycarb bulkheaded chassis (invertible)
- 12v nihm pack and a charger/discharger from somewhere
- bolted and bracketed construction
- Ball transfer units front and back
- Wiring, deans connections, removable link, power LED both sides
- Failsafe if radio or ESC does not contain one
- Giant Cod / Spektrum 2.4Ghz radio

I have a feeling there may be bits that I've missed. I'll leave this for now just to give you an idea, and will get the CAD department to post up their detailed drawings (scanned in sketches lol).

Take it easy and thanks for looking

Dave and Ollie

[Ellis]

Good luck guys! You seem to have all the right ideas. A robot with good drive can win battles, there is no shame in going the rammer-route for a first robot!

May I ask how many motors you intend to use? With 4 motors on the Gimson scale you will need a more powerful battery than a single NiMH pack (they can only discharge around 30 amps). By need I mean you may want, or you'll feel a loss in power. A pack like that is perfectly good for a 2-drive-motor machine.

For ESCs I'd recommend the Botbitz ESCheap85s, they're very good for the money. You will need two, though, one for each side.

For plastics in the UK, I believe most of us use http://www.directplastics.co.uk - lots of choice and a reliable service.

Hope this helps! I await piccies.

Edit: Just read you intend to use ball transfer units, suggesting 2 motors. Never mind! You could use the ESCheap25s by Botbitz to save some dosh, they should handle a single Gimson comfortably.

[maddox10]

Hannibalito 4 drives comfortably on a Scorpion XL. So the ESCheap25's will do as well.

[daveimi]

Hiya

2 GR01's with 2 wheel drive tank type steering. Keeps things simple for now lol

Dangerous Dave

[daveimi]

Pictures fresh from the CAD department lol

[maddox10]

Cardboard Aided Design.

Maybe an idea. But why so boxy?

[Anttazz]

From someone who has both a 10mm Polycarb and an HDPE/Nylon/RG1000 FW, i'd recommend HDPE/Nylon/RG1000 for the bulkheads. Polycarb is very expensive in comparison and RG1000 or Nylon and they are probably better for the bulkheads. Unless you want it to be see through that is

[daveimi]

@#Maddox - It's mostly boxy because that was the easiest to sketch. And the logic carried over to it being easy to build. I'm not that great with fabrication lol, but there are better shapes. I wanted the shape to be as small as poss.

@#Anttazz - I think HDPE is the future lol.

[daveimi]

Motors have arrived!!! Thank you to Gimsons Robotics for awesomeness!!!

[PJ-27]

HDPE is also the cheapest of the plastics commonly used. How can you lose!