Materials and tools for building a bot from scratch?

Will__S

Well, I've been thinking about trying to build a bot from scratch, and have an idea sketched out for the base of the bot. I'm not sure though what materials I'm going to use in it's construction. My question is, for those of you that have fabricated custom bot parts or designed one from scratch, what materials and tools did you use? Common places to pickup the materials?

Thanks for your help,
Will

Bamse

Try Loews, Home Depot or your local hardware store...

They usually have small pieces of sheet metal and wood boards, brackets, nuts and bolts, wheels, wires, tubes etc...
Or get a cheap radio controlled car from Toys R Us and customize it...

I got the VEX kit from Radio Schack when it was 50% off, but even with 50% off I though it was kind of expensive...

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Living on the planet Earth might be expensive but it includes a free trip around the sun every year...

Experience level:
[noparse][[/noparse] ] Let's connect the motor to pin 1, it's a 6V motor so it should be fine.
[noparse][[/noparse] ] OK, I got my resistors hooked up with the LEDs.
[noparse][[/noparse]X] I got the Motor hooked up with the H-bridge and the 555 is supplying the PWM.
[noparse][[/noparse] ] Now, if I can only program the BOE-BOT to interface with he Flux Capacitor.
[noparse][[/noparse] ] I dream in SX28 assembler...

/Bamse

Kevin Wood

You might want to check out a book called Robot Builder's Bonanza. It has some good info on this subject, and it focuses on the BS2.

Javalin

Hi,

I've spent a lot of time over the last few years building and re-building and my favourate materials are; 9mm MDF wood for a robot "deck" - its strong enough to take punishment and very easy and clean to work. Over here (UK) B&Q have this useful 1mm aluminum square tubing which is about £1 a meter. It can be made into a lightweight frame with a drill and a riveter.

my 5 pence worth - either that or by a generic base with motors etc attached.

My advise is to thoughly consider what you want to do now, where you want to go with it. Then buy the materials and the tools. I'd of saved a lot of money if i'd listened to myself!

James

Catharsis

I recommend using lexan/polycarbonate. It's cheap, strong, available, and very easy to work with. You can use a hacksaw and a hand drill if you have to.

John R.

A couple ideas:

First, check out the following project:

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=552777

As far as other items, check out the hardware, building supply and arts/crafts stores. Also look or "surplus" type shops. In Milwaukee, WI the is a place called "American Science and Surplus". They also have stores in Chicago and Geneva, IL, as well as a web store. Lots of neat stuff. Most metro areas have a place like this, you just have to find it. Their web site is:

www.sciplus.com/index.cfm

If you limit yourself to looking for "robot" parts, you'll find some neat stuff, but it tends to be expensive. Look at the broader scope of "stuff used to make other stuff", and you'll have more luck (and more fun).

In addition to lexan/plexiglas, I like using "Baltic Birch Plywood" (It's more stable than regular plywood) and the MDF mentioned. For lightweight items, the "foam board" like that used for display boards is stronger than you think.

It all depends on what you like to work with. I like plywood and MDF because I have a fairly extensive wood shop, and like the "artistic look" of wooden models. It does not lend itself to "splindly" type shapes. If I didn't have all the tools I have, I'd probabley gravitate toward lexan and metal.

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John R.

8 + 8 = 10

bulkhead

Noone has mentioned tools yet.

I recommend getting the book, Kickin' Bot by Grant Imahara www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764541137/ref=sr_11_1/104-0318091-3583134?ie=UTF8. It gives great information about what type of tools to buy and how to use them effectively. Plus, if you are going to build a combat robot, that book has lists of commonly used motors, controllers, wheels, etc.

Beau Schwabe

Several years ago, I worked for a prosthetic facility in research and development dealing with robotics and artificial arms and legs.

Some of the materials readily on hand were:

polypropylene (plastic milk carton material)
dy-clear (similar to Plexiglas or Lexan... not as brittle)

These materials were usually 1/4 inch thick. The rule was, if you couldn't cut a 12x12 inch square out of the material then it was thrown away.
The cost for recycling was actually more expensive than the material, so it ended up getting tossed. I would ask first, but you might become
friends with your local prosthetic or orthotics department. They would probably give you as much as you wanted.

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Beau Schwabe

IC Layout Engineer
Parallax, Inc.

dbc1218

I have built a few bots out lexan and aluminum and its always worked out good for me. You can get everything from home depot too, lexan sheet, angle or u-shaped aluminum, and all the nuts and bolts to put it together. The also have aluminum flashing which is used for roofing but is really just aluminum sheet. As far as tools you'll need basic hand tools and I would get a small screwdriver set too. If you want to get any power tools your really only need two, a drill and a Dremel. I have a Dremel 400XPR and it is probably one of the most usefull tools I own. With all the attachments and bits they have for it you can from cutting out your base to polishing your aluminum pieces with one tool. Hope this helps.