RogueTwo Robots

[Mega Masher]

Shiny!!!!

[Eventorizon]

And today I was attacking my shiny Banebots gearbox's with a lyncher!

[RogueTwoRobots]

I attacked mine with a drill and tap today but they still look shiny enough

Update

Got a bit more work done on the chassis today. Finished all the principal milling work, which has been the biggest time consumer so far, and while it's a bit dodgy looking in places, it's not bad for a first attempt and much more accurate than anything I've previously built.

Also got all the holes drilled, including the ones for the drum shaft:



This ended up not being as straightforward as I had expected since the biggest size I could drill it out to with my normal drill bits was 13mm, then it was a jump up to 17mm. Lots of coolant and slow-feeding was required. They look a bit rough but they won't be seen so it's not a problem

To cut out the holes for the Banebots gearboxes, I chain drilled the majority of the material off then cleaned it with the mill. Again there are a couple of bits that are mistakes (mostly me turning the axis handle the wrong way and munching into the corners) but overall they're a pretty snug fit:







Next up was drilling the holes for the bolts that will secure the gearboxes in place. The clearance holes for the tops of the cap head screws are right on the edge of the material so it ate into the sides a little on the way down but they'll be hidden by the wheels (so far making all the mistakes in places where they won't be seen )



And the last order of the day was to strike a Pretend-O-Bot™ pose to see how it was looking:



Doesn't really look like much for the amount of time spent on it but the milling is what takes the time. Now that that's done, it should start to go together more quickly. Tomorrow's aims are to get the chassis bolted together, fit the baseplate and start rebuilding the drum assembly.

[mrsam]

I'm really liking the look of all of these milled aluminium robots, looking very nice

[daveimi]

This is really impressive. Beats my hammer/back step approach. It's really good! Is the milling machine yours and if so are they expensive?

[harry hills]

Milling machines are as expensive as you make them really. Aside from the £500 odd that you get from the bottom of the range. You can spend a huge amount should you want to. Thing is, you really need a solid place to put one. And often you are limited by weight, which then limits the size. I wish I could have a big sod off bridgeport but the things are massive, I'll leave those for when i get a more hardcore build space.
Mine was about £700 and it is around about as small as you can go for featherweight stuff. Nicely made though.
What I find is the killer is not the cost of the machine (which has taken several years of saving for :P) is the cost of tooling and fairly vital accessory. A set of collets is about £100 for the smaller benchtop mills and vices aren't cheap. Endmills and that are also not particularly cheap. Luckily for me I've inherited about 80 or so old imperial sizes from my grandfather. I'm taking the "buy it when I need it" approach atm, meaning I'm currently saving up for a boring head knowing I have a use for it.

[calumco]

Nice work jamie, howa you finding the milling machine? Would you recommend one? Watching your build with interest

[daveimi]

I've been building all sorts for years with a few basic hand tools but am umming and arring about getting a decent drill press.

[Flag Captured]

Are those side panels sloping inwards slightly towards the drum end or is that my eyes? Looks good so far, too - aluminium seems to be the 'in thing' this year!

[RogueTwoRobots]

Is the milling machine yours and if so are they expensive?

Yeah it's my own machine. Got it second-hand last year for £500 but the tooling/clamps necessary for doing basic jobs was another £150 on top of that. Can easily see those costs spiralling as I get more proficient at it and buy fancier cutters.

Nice work jamie, howa you finding the milling machine? Would you recommend one?

Finding it very handy so far, albeit a slow process, partly due to the time to set up the work piece. The travel in each axis is also quite limited in relation to this size of robot - and Drumroll's a small robot at that. But for what I need/will use it for, it's perfectly adequate. And it'll be ideal for making beetles!
As you can see from the pictures, it does help in making higher quality robots and even though I've had a few blips here and there, in the grand scheme of things, they haven't affected the robot in any way. I'd recommend one if you have the cash and space for it. Mine's in a corner of an 8x6 shed so space is tight but workable, however the coolant system is a bit crude (me spraying coolant out a bottle and it running into a drip tray to re-use) because I don't have space to fit a pumped system or the inclination to clean up the workshop every time the coolant sprays everywhere!

I've been building all sorts for years with a few basic hand tools but am umming and arring about getting a decent drill press.

A drill press is a cracking tool, adds that extra bit of accuracy and downforce required to get through some materials while keeping the drill bit properly aligned. I got my drill press from B&Q for £60 and it's served me well. It's not as precise as some higher-end models but that was never really something I was aware of too much. It feels a bit clunky now in comparison to the mill and I was contemplating selling it, but decided to keep hold of it now as it still has its uses.

Are those side panels sloping inwards slightly towards the drum end or is that my eyes?

Just your eyes
Either that or my machining has gone horribly wrong!