Boring Brick

[Max]

You can always put the robot in a small bag/suitcase along with your tools/toolbox. Or put it in a cardboard box, or wrap it up like a parcel/ present and no one will know!

[maddox10]

Dave W regulary takes the train, even into the deep dark outback of Vilvoorde. And that with 1 to 3 feathers, or equivalent in parts.

[mrsam]

Right, well i guess if i can get away with it there's no problem, other than the fact that i have no battery as of yet, although a few people have offered so hopefully i'll have SOMETHING to work with.

[mrsam]

I've been on the phone with the train company and to put it bluntly they won't let Hatchet on a train regardless of how well things are protected/strapped down/anything. So at this point it looks like this year was a giant waste of time and money, hope you guys all have fun at the champs

[Niels - Team K.a.L.M.]

You shouldn't have called, you ruined your "I didn't know that" chances.

Here in Holland i've taken my machines on the train on several occasions, even international ones. Everytime my ticket got checked I would get a few question and a lot of positive responses overall.

A simple carry on (I mean a suitcase on wheels if I used the wrong word) will do perfectly to 'hide' the machine.

[mrsam]

Probably was a bit stupid asking but meh what's done is done, the only way i can see me getting it up there is to get a taxi to the train station where Ed Wallace is meeting me and then either leave Hatchet at the event ( in the arena or something) overnight, failing that would anybody be willing to take it with them for the course of the event? i realise that is asking a lot but it would help me out and i would be very grateful.

[overkill]

I would go with sticking the bot in a suitcase - it just worked for me flying half way around the planet . Maybe also wrap some cardboard around the axehead just in case. Unless you absolutely know the bag gets an inspection its going to get on the train just fine - like every other traveler with a suitcase full of clothes.

EDIT: Or you can throw it in the back of my car overnight.

[mrsam]

Thanks Nick, I'm getting a taxi to the train station to meet Ed tomorrow and then if the offer to keep it in your car is there i'd really appreciate that. In terms of Hatchet working hopefully somebody can sort me out with a suitable battery and it can get through the tech check okay.

[geeza]

You can leave your robot at the NEC overnight, I will be. Sam I am happy to pick you up tomorrow morning if it's not too far from me.

[mrsam]

Awesome leave it in the NEC it is then, and i've booked a taxi now so i'll be okay getting up there tomorrow but thanks for the offer Ed, i'll meet you outside the train station like we planned i don't want to put you out too much.

[geeza]

Ok mate, glad it's all sorted. See you in the morning .

[mrsam]

Finally the end of a very long and stressful day, toolbox is all packed, robot's on it's cradle and i'm bringing along the Nimh batteries plus a spare 7.2v for cells as i'm hoping i can get those working, if not i've had plenty of offers from roboteers willing to lend me batteries so thank you to all of you.

See you all tomorrow !!

[mrsam]

Prepare yourselves this will be a long post, i had a blast at the champs and thank you to everyone for making it so enjoyable and being so welcoming and helpful with getting Hatchet going. Hatchet as it stands at the moment needs some major TLC, the chassis is just about still usable for the non spinner events so for the time being ill keep that, the axe, motor and electronize for firing the axe will stay as they at least have performed flawlessly but the chain will be going from 6 to 8mm and the reduction from a 3.5:1 to a 6:1. The Nimh batteries have had it so a 6s lipo will be going in which with the new reduction should see the axe power increase dramatically. The drive Electronize have also had it, they weren't performing well all weekend and during the gladiator the right side drive motor was stuck in full forward so they will be going and either some Tz85's or 30 amp botbits will be going in, also the old scoop from Hardwired which Matt was nice enough to let me use will be staying on the current machine as well as being used on Hatchet 2. That brings me on to the important news that Hatchet 2 is infact already in the pipeline, the idea is to keep what's good ( not much) and improve the rest, so with that in mind here's how it currently stands. The shape will change, ill be keeping roughly the same profile on the front as i like how it looks but the whole body will be longer and shaped like Thor i.e the roundish sides and elongated narrow, sloping back, the baseplate will be 5mm aluminium as i need something tough but still flexible enough that if it takes a hit i can bash it back into shape. The body panels will all be 20mm Hdpe with helicoil inserts to hopefully stop the threads stripping, the new axe bulkheads will be 15mm nylon with bronze bushings for the axe to run in and Harry has said he will machine those for me as i dont want to try and use a jigsaw on nylon, i'm considering smaller wheels as i have some 75mm blue wheels ready to go and the custom ones from Mario i have been using are playing up, i may stick with drill motors but buy some 18v ones to compensate for the increase in battery voltage, the whole outside of the machine will be wrapped in 10mm Hdpe which i will use a heat gun to bend all around to have a single outer piece of sacrificial armour. So if you managed to sit and read through all of that i applaud you, again thank you to everyone for such a great first event, i'm hoping to start upgrading Hatchet/ starting Hatchet 2 within the next couple of months when my wallet isn't suffering so much and i can bear to do any more robot building/fixing, hope to see some of you again soon and look forward to some updates when i get round to it.

[maddox10]

That old scoop, ain't that the one I made earlier?
That thing is ment to be the blastdoor of a nuke shelter.

[Flag Captured]

image.jpg

I'm fairly sure this thing was made for Hatchet, it fits so well it's unbelievable and it makes the whole thing look an absolute monster!

Cracking first machine though, that axe is very powerful when it gets going! You and me are both first-time roboteers, so I guess we'll both be taking notes on how well out machines have performed and make adjustments accordingly... Shame we never got that 1v1 going, but HardWired II 1/2 vs Hatchet 2? That's a winner for next time!