Help with choosing parts for a first robot, please.

[dotDominic]

Ok, so I'm just about to unscrew the reverse threaded screw in the chuck of this drill, but annoyingly the torx attachment for the screwdriver I've just bought is too chunky to fit in the drill! Does any one have any ideas on getting at the reverse thread screw or am I going to need to buy another screwdriver?
Thanks.

REALLY ANNOYING SCREWDRIVER!.jpg

[Garfie489]

Is it the attachment which is to big to get in the hole, or the pole of the screwdriver which is to big to fit inside to unscrew?

[dotDominic]

Sorry, I've just edited that last post with a photo of the problem.
Thanks.

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

Perhaps a little strange, but... take the damn thing to the DIY store and find a decent fitting screwdriver.
Do pay for it though, you'll want to have it at home and not to visit the store each time it needs refastening.

[Garfie489]

Ah Yeh, that's occasionally a problem. Same thing sometimes happens in enclosed spaces (hence I also have a 90 degree one).

You'd probably need a special screwdriver just for that use then. Unless anyone else has ideas, either buy one or go down to a hobby ship and ask to borrow it for a one off thing (individual screwdrivers shouldn't even cosy you a pound though).

Just find a little handyman shop or hobby ship and you should be able to get the individual item and be able to test it.

[dotDominic]

Right, I'll see what I can do. Thanks very much for your quick responses!

Also, this totally unrelated to the screwdriver issue, but I just wanted to ask can stickers or paint be applied to HDPE? Or do they just slide off?

[Garfie489]

Paint can't be applied, but stickers work fine.

Look at either Utopia Mk2 or Defector Mk2. The red, blue and white is entirely black HDPE covered in sticker

[harry hills]

Take the assembly in to a shop, use screwdriver, put it back in packet and go home

If I had £1 for every time someone did this where I work I'd be rich enough not to work there.

Also good luck with the black and decker boxes. I have a set and don't like them much. They are a fair ways different to "normal" drills. Keep the reverse thread screws safe as they are not m5, they are reverse 10-32 I think.

[dotDominic]

@Garfie489 Cool, thanks! Stickers it is, then!

@harry hills

Thanks, I'll try to hunt down some sort of hobby shop round here.

Also, yeah, these drills have easily been the biggest problem for me so far - particularly due to this damned torx screw. Despite being all the same model of drill, the drills all have slightly different plastic casings/labels and have several scuffs and dirt marks. One didn't even have the drill bit which is meant to be included. If I were wanting to use these as 'new condition' drills I'd be rather unimpressed! I'm just hoping the motors inside them are all the same.

[Garfie489]

This is Utopia, everything was done with a sharp knife. I found the best way is to cut a sheet deliberately to big, then just trim it down with the knife.

Any bolt holes just put a compass through them, then cut the excess. Only thing its not great at is going round corners, and going over bumps.

Overall came out quite nicely i think

[dotDominic]

Cool, thanks for the advice. Where did you get the sticker sheets from?

That's a really cool looking robot by the way! Is it new?

[Garfie489]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0088HS52...051_TE_3p_dp_2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0088HR7L...051_TE_3p_dp_1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0088HSOI...986871_TE_item
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0088HRPV...986871_TE_item

You will look at the size and think its far more than you ever need in your lifetime, and it is. But something 5 times smaller is only £2 off, so you might aswell get the stupid roll.

And yes, Utopia Mk2 is new to this year. Its first event was at Ally Pally in Jan. Has some problems relating to self righting atm

[dotDominic]

Haha, thanks very much!

Cool! Well, it certainly looks the business!

[dotDominic]

Ok, so I've just received a bunch of parts from hobbyking. (Yay!) But I'm starting to think I went a bit overkill when I bought XT90 connecters & 12 AWG wire for a featherweight. Not sure why I didn't ask for any advice on here - I was terrified of buying some with too low a rating and having everything blow up. Thankfully I haven't opened anything so it can be returned/refunded, I think.
But anyway, what are recommended wires & connectors for a featherweight? Does it depend on the Motors/ESCs/Batteries used?

[Rapidrory]

I use XT60s generally, and anything with a rating of 30amps or over is fine for drill motor drive. A good rule of thumb is that the connectors you use don't need to be any larger than the one on the battery, as that takes the most current of all of them. If you have the space, there's nothing wrong with using XT90s, they're just a little overkill unless you have a big electric weapon fitted. 12 AWG cable is about right for a feather if I remember correctly.