Building The Big Bamboo

**maddox10** · 26th January 2016, 06:21

Just the same for welded metal monsters, isn't it? dented and ripped pannels have to smashed back together, grinded out, replaced and rewelded.

If a Mosquito could hold together with glue @ 600kph...

Several sports cars using aluminium and carbonfiber for chassis are glued as well. Not to mention the wings of several large modern airplains. And that's with materials that are less glue friendly than wood.

Just use the right glue and work it according the specs.

I have to admit, I didn't do that yet, as I'm a metalworker by training, and a welder by experience.

**overkill** · 26th January 2016, 06:44

Mario's favourite plane got it's strength from curved plywood rather than a strong internal frame. It wouldn't be possible to get enough strength from gluing bamboo, there just wouldn't be enough surface area in the joints. If you wanted to slice all the bamboo up and make laminated panels, things might be different

.

**maddox10** · 26th January 2016, 07:34

Learn from the past. I myself lean to the battlecruiser approach.

BIG weapon, and just enough armor.

Not the One hit wonder approach as this wannabe historical example gives. Battlecruiser HMS Hood as real life example.

And Nick, if there is a favorite plane in my heart, it's the Vulcan, closely followed by the ugly duckling the XB70 Valkiri and the awe inspiring SR71

26th January 2016, 08:50

I could just imagine me with lengths of bamboo and the thing butchers use to slice ham, when my fiancÃ©e comes in and asks what the hell I'm doing. Although I'd have thought if you were using HMS Hood as an example you may have considered the Bismark? I mean what are the chances of a squadron of Sopwith Camels diving in to the arena and shooting the robot? :P

My philosophy follows from Boxing, which I used to do. "Hit and don't be hit". Really Boxing is the same as fencing. It's not about pure power, it's about landing a strike on your opponent then getting the hell out of there so they can't hit you back. So something that's agile, hard to hit, that's what I'd like to build. The benefit of this bamboo structure is that I should be able to pop parts out and replace them relatively quickly. I don't do welding, never have. But I have drilled holes in wood before.

That said, plywood is fairly strong. I might just make a steam engined bamboo robot with a plywood skin. Proper environmentally friendly!

**overkill** · 26th January 2016, 09:01

Originally Posted by mickburkesnr

I could just imagine me with lengths of bamboo and the thing butchers use to slice ham, when my fiancÃ©e comes in and asks what the hell I'm doing.

She's going to say "Got wood?"

26th January 2016, 09:04

She probably wood knowing her...

**daveimi** · 26th January 2016, 12:09

Bamboo is basically a hardwood (wayhay) so you need to treat it as such. It will be hard to screw together and resist glue, but will be really good for drilling and bolting together.

26th January 2016, 12:45

Yeah that's what I thought daveimi, plus it should withstand some impact. Whether or not it'll be as strong as steel in this situation is anyones guess. But I'll find out!

29th January 2016, 06:35

The way it's meant to work is through an accelerometer, the same as what is in your iPhone to detect the position of the machine. If it's gone 180, then it'll flip after a small delay. You should be able to move it up to 90 degrees and it wouldn't trigger. So if the automatic self right isn't turned on until the machine is at a specific tilt angle.

**overkill** · 29th January 2016, 06:51

Or you could bend some bamboo as shown below and automatically self-right with no power or coding:

If you grow your own bamboo, it is possible to train it into shapes like this with a frame - if you are aiming for an environmentally friendly bot, its the only way to go!

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