Front Wheel / Slider

[kaideejee]

All,

What do people use as a low profile front wheel on 2WD feathers? Im going to have a wheel at either end of a short and wide shape, but itll need some support at front middle.

At the Manchester social the big nipper guys (I think - tho I never did get the name of the bloke who was talking about it) brought a feather spinner with a cool sort of ball-bearing slider thing on the front - where can you get those from? Or did you make your own?

Thanks

-- Kev

[blazerbotics]

Front Wheel / Slider

get them from RS, http://rswww.comhttp://rswww.com

you could just use abit of nylon or polycarb.

[kaideejee]

Front Wheel / Slider

OK - any hints as to what theyd be listed as on RS?

Cheers

-- Kev

[jim]

Front Wheel / Slider

I think what youre looking for is called a Ball Transfer Unit.

[kaideejee]

Front Wheel / Slider

Cheers all, Ill go and have a dig.

[Guest]

Front Wheel / Slider

The rs ones are a bit fat for a feather. Try http://www.euroballunits.co.uk/http://www.euroballunits.co.uk/

[jdwacken]

Front Wheel / Slider

The RS flange fitting ones arent fat if youve got room inside your bot for the dome. Weve used 687-584 in our feather and the clearance is reasonably small.

[kaideejee]

Front Wheel / Slider

OK thanks for the replies - gives me something to go on - I was looking at the RS flange ones, and I should have space for the dome so I should be ok.

Cheers

-- Kev

[big_nipper]

Front Wheel / Slider

Dont remember talking to you about this but my memory isnt as good as it used to be The ones in that robot came from the scrap yard. They came of a sliding table kind of thingy that was used to manually move BIG blocks of steel around. I think each one can take 1000kg of load! They were a bit big really and since then we replaced them with blocks of Nylon to save on weight.

We did look at the RS ones and they seem very good. We still have a handful left and if your going to Newark Ill bring some.

[wenman]

Front Wheel / Slider

I found that the ball transfer units tended to fill up with dirt and then just stick, it basically became a metal wear pad. You could flush the dirt out but it was a bit of a pain. Thats why this year Im using nylon skids on my robot.

Another option is nylon wheels pointing forwards but they can slide sideways fairly easily. This can help with making your robot go in a straight line.

Richard Wenman
Team Mayhem

[kaideejee]

Front Wheel / Slider

OK cheers for all the replies.

Mark - we didnt actually talk about the slidy things, what I meant was that a bloke was talking about the feather spinner - help me out here - I missed the introductions but I got the impression that you were the bloke to my left after Ian Visser went home, I know your brother was further round near Simon - the one who Ive no idea who he is was the older guy sat on a stool next to James Baker.

Sadly Im not going to Newark tho, my next (planned) event is Wicksteed park, assuming I have the thing built by then.

Richard : The nylon wheel thing is an interesting idea - would a rollerblade wheel be the sort of thing you mean?

Cheers all.

-- Kev

[big_nipper]

Front Wheel / Slider

Yes, I was the smallest there & the old bloke making all the noise was my dad.

[wenman]

Front Wheel / Slider

Roller blade wheels probably would work. But before you go dismantaling someones roller blades other places Ive seen suitable wheels are RS and I think possibly even B&Q.

Richard Wenman
Team Mayhem

[kaideejee]

Front Wheel / Slider

the old bloke making all the noise was my dad.

Hahaha I was trying not to say that

Richard - ok Ill have a peer. Cheers.

-- Kev

[fluppet]

Front Wheel / Slider

Speaking of roller-blade wheels (and otherwise very off-topic, sorry), I have a recollection of a design for Robotica (with a flame thrower, or net flinger, or something else impractical) which had the rear wheels driven forward/back with a differential, and a set of roller blade wheels studded onto a driven rotating cylinder (mounted longitudinally) as a steering mechanism - the wheels rolled forwards and back, but pushed sideways when the cylinder was rotated.

Interesting design, and not one Ive seen duplicated. It might be an option for anyone feeling challenged in the speed controlled department. :-) Other than wasting power on steering (in the same way that Firestorms driven differential does), it didnt seem like such a bad idea.

Just my tuppence of interjection.

--
Fluppet