How to build a feather weight?

[JakeButler]

My friend and I have decided to build a feather weight, we are new comers need guidance on what parts to buy and where to buy them from. How to connect the electronic components together. Have seen tutorials on using cheap cordless drill motors? is this a good option and if so how to? if anyone has links to sites in the UK selling essential parts would be much appreciated and how much we are looking to spend if we build a reasonably competitive bot?

[Liftoff]

Hi there, and welcome to the forum. I'm sure you'll find all the information you'll ever need on here to build your robot. Have a look at the build diaries first as see what most of us use, that will give you a good idea.
Have you decided what type of robot you're building ie weapon type?

[JakeButler]

Thankyou we were mainly thinking of a flipper

[typhoon_driver]

Get yourself along to a local event and ask questions. Best place to go as you will get to see machines in person

[JakeButler]

went to the robot wars in Gloucester yesterday, was great. it was what inspired me to do this build with some spare cash thats been saved up

[Porker]

I'd recommend the Argos value range drills (which are £15 each).

[JakeButler]

okay thanks, is there any specific tutorials on how to use these? found this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_kWYewQmV0

[typhoon_driver]

Oh right, well you are one step ahead of most that ask questions on here! Next thing, read read read. There are several how do i get started threads in the featherweight section and several good build threads in the appropriate section. I'd recommend Jamies rogue robots one

[psychostorm]

www.robowars.org/wikka/BeginnersGuides

[JakeButler]

Thanks typhhon and psycho ill start finding some threads, One problem i seem to be finding is all of these websites to be in the usa and everything is in $ can i still purchase of these sites?

[daveimi]

Hiya! Welcome! There are a few people and sites that make all the hard-to-make bits pre-packaged. I've literally just started entering my first featherweight after a year of building. My advice as a new builder would be get to some events and just keep it simple at first, there's a lot more to it than I first realised.

For motors / wheels

www.gimsonrobotics.co.uk
www.robochallenge.co.uk

Batteries - ebay

Speed controllers -the range is endless and everyone has their fav's, I use these

http://www.technobotsonline.com/moto...ntrollers.html

erm and my transmitter / receiver is these

http://www.giantshark.co.uk/product/...e2-transmitter

This is all uber budget but thought it might help!

Dave

[Flag Captured]

For the parts, it depends on how much spare cash you have... I'd fully reccommend the BotBitz 85A's (just drop that into Google) by way of Speed Controllers, they'll set you back about £110 at most for the pair, but I've heard nothing but praise for them, and they've served me well so far. Motors, Gimsons do some ready-to-mount ones as Dave said above, alternatively there's the drill motors that can be easily modified to be decent enough drive motors - TeamExpat on Youtube (the Tormenta 2 team) have some very informative videos on that, there's numerous others about on there too.

You can get wheels practically anywhere (look for castor wheels of about 100mm diameter) but as Dave says, Robochallenge are pretty good for those too, since they do ones with a threaded insert purposely for mounting onto drill motor shafts.

The more commonly used transmitters from what I've heard are Spektrum DX5s or similar from that range. The budget one above will also do too (I use that one, myself, but I'm looking to upgrade)

As for batteries, it depends on your drill motors, you'd be best going with either a 3000mAh 3s or 4s LiPo, or a 12v NiMh if you get 12v drill motors, step it up to bigger batteries if you get higher voltage ones obviously, but it's a decent enough starting point. You can find those from www.hobbyking.com as you can with plenty of parts these days, they're not bad price-wise but it seems to add up on postage...

Finally, some advice regards putting a flipper on - if you know what you're doing, then by all means go for it, but I'd suggest you stick to making a moving box for now until you get an understanding of how it all works, and then go for the flipper - it's easy to jump ahead of yourself and be a bit ambitious which is what I did/am doing, but it does all come along soon enough. If you really want a flipper though, perhaps you could design a lifting mechanism that incorporates a high torque motor and later adapt it into a flipper? Might be a good idea to create a test platform out of wood or something that you can bolt all your parts to to see if your system works, always a good way to get the ball rolling.

[JakeButler]

what are the different plastics you can use? names?

[razerdave]

HDPE, polycarbonate (sometimes go by the trade names makrolon and lexan) or Nylon.

[Flag Captured]

HDPE is the most commonly used I think, you'll probably want about 15-20mm to make it hard-wearing from what I've seen, but then again I've never worked with it. Directplastics.co.uk are a decent enough place to buy sheets of that.
YOu can always get creative though, make it out of scrap parts, I've heard of a few people making machines out of chopping boards, they're not spinner proof but if you're on a tight budget and you have some available then they could be an option I suppose.