Beetleweight

[ccy]

Hi everyone,

Previously, I studied in Hong Kong, and my bot dreams cannot be pursued due to the lack of tournaments around. Now that I got into a uni in the uk, I’m excited and wish to start building a 3d-printed beetleweight undercutter. (pictures coming in following posts)
I have a few questions here, and would be grateful for replies:

1. What are the online hardware stores in uk?
2. What are the machine shops that have reasonable pricing around London?
3. Are there beetleweight events around London? Does anyone have an event calendar?
4. Apart from power switch, do I need any additional failsafe?
5. What is the usual shaft diameter for an undercutter (3lb)?
6. Do I print the screw threads or tap them into the plastic chassis?

I’m actually doing mechanical engineering but they won’t let us use the shop in first year. Sigh. Right now, I only have access to basic 3d printing and low-power laser cutting.

Cheers,
Moses

[ccy]

beetle_assembly.jpgHere is what it should look like. (haven't done the internal details yet)