Flux [featherweight]

[PJ-27]

Looks good, be nice to see something different and tracked!

Nice Scorpion Enclosure.

[Mouldy]

you got a source of spares for those tracks?

[ewan]

Cheers PJ, can't actually remember there being a tracked feather before (probably for a good reason!)

I've got two pairs Dave and probably getting another pair soon, they're pretty tough rubber but I expect they'll fail one way or another so worth having spares.

Finished cutting all the main bits today, nice weather for it:





The pile of cut bits pictured weighs 5800g, with another 1000g not pictured, this machine will be a majority Hardox by the looks of it!
The weight tally so far is: Tracks 390g, Battery 380g, Wheels 680g, Front shafts 200g, Speed controller 180g, Weapon motor 510g, Drive motors + side rails + weapon shaft 2010g, Total: 4350g leaving 2400g for the weapon transmission, speed controller and accessories.

Lots more grinding and drilling to come tomorrow plus assembling the lifter gearbox.

[RogueTwoRobots]

Looking great Ewan, tracked bots always seem to get the roboteer juices flowing! Would love to see it in the flesh and fighting, but I won't be at the Yeovil event unfortunately. So make sure to get some videos :wink:

I've got two pairs Dave and probably getting another pair soon

Do you have a link to where you get these? Or is it just a case of scouring eBay for those Tonka trucks? Carcinus will probably need re-done after the champs and I think it could possibly suit tracks. Failing that, I quite fancy building an off-road FW-size machine at some point.

[razerdave]

I'll be at yeovil and I am looking forward to seeing this in action

[ewan]

Cheers guys, I hope it does the beetleweight justice, I'm pretty happy with how that one's running.

Looking forward to seeing your axed machine as well Dave, the most recent pictures look awesome (and are making me reconsider the top armour..).

For the tracks Jamie, eBay'ing 'Tonka Bulldozers' (and making sure you get the big 'Mighty' models made around 30-40 years ago) is your best bet (and the only source for the ones I've got so far). Of course watch out for the quality, it's a safe bet the ones which are rusting on the body have been in a climate for rubber degradation too.

[ewan]

Have just spent £35 on drill bits for two holes (14mm). Damn you Hardox

[maddox10]

I learned the hard way that cobalt-enriched HSS ain't the way to drill hardox. The cutting edge chips. TiN coated stuff ain't up to snuff either.

Plain HSS, loads of cutting oil and the slowest speed possible, easy does it. If I have the option, I drill it with my mill, 60 rpm is plenty slow.
Otherwise, heating the drilling spot cherry red, and drill it when cooled seems to help, sometimes. It ruins the strenght localy tough.

Oh, and a Drilldoctor is convenient to resharpen the drillbits.

[ewan]

I can't even afford Cobalt at 14mm, it's a pretty non-standard size so I'm all HSS- the lowest speed of the pillar drill is 500rpm so I'll have to hope that that plus loads of spray coolant will do it! (almost through one hole with three bits, eight more coming..)

[maddox10]

I fear you're going to use up some drillbits.