[Question] Ideas on where to build my robot.

[R9000]

Hi, I'm new to the FRA forums, and this is my first post, so pleased to meet you all. I've been passionate about fighting robots since I was small, but the resurgence of Robot Wars prompted me to search out this site. A friend and I are looking into building a heavyweight to enter a future Robot Wars series (and hopefully other events) but following advice from this forum, we've decided to both have a go at building a featherweight each first, and then pit them against each other. Problem is, I'm a university student living in a flat in Sheffield, and even at home, we don't have any kind of proper tool-shed or garage.

So does anyone have any ideas where I can build my bot? Obviously I can do electronics or minor mechanical work in my flat, but when it comes to any drilling, grinding or cutting of metal, I'd need some kind of workshop. I'm aware of the hackerspaces that are dotted around, but they seem more focused towards electronic and programming work than any kind of resistant materials, and I don't think it's a viable solution for the amount of time I'd need to spend on the robot.
Does anyone have any experience with this kind of problem? I can get hold of power tools myself, I just need somewhere to work.

[elobire]

I'm a student too and currently building my first FW. I dont think it would be too difficult to build one in your student flat if you make it out of plastic such as HDPE, as long as there are no rules against you using stuff like jigsaws or drills in your flat.

[R9000]

That's the problem - I share the house with several other students, and I don't think they'd appreciate the noise. Not to mention I have no proper workbench, just a desk I use for my PC. Thanks for replying though, let me know how yours turns out!

[Ekushiru3]

Hi, I am also a new to here and I have the same problem. I am currently building a beetleweight as my first robot and planing to build a featherweight. I do not own any workshop, so I send the CAD drawing to a workshop which offers a machining services. This is expensive, I am a little regret. I do a little mechanical work in my room, on my bed with some wood sheets on it, it is big enough and space-saving. I found it is better to go to a open place to saw something, especially plastic, scraps will fly everywhere. Tools I use are a wrench set from 1-10, a mini screwdriver set, a saw and a drill as the only power tool. I think a vise is very useful but it is diffifult to install.
Placing some wood sheets on the bed as a simple workbrench is my advise, waiting for experienced builders' advises.

[dotDominic]

Hi R9000, welcome to the forum!

I'm also a student and I agree finding a place to work on robot things can be a problem. Be thankful you aren't in halls of residence though - I definitely can't get away with drills and jigsawing here! Progress on my featherweight has been quite slow and restricted to holidays and the odd weekend. If you ask your flatmates and they are really annoyed by noise that much, or if there is some weird rule about power tools, then perhaps consider just doing that too?

I also don't have a garage or workshop at home, but one of our few D.I.Y tools which wasn't broken or totally rusted was this workmate thing which I strongly recommend thinking about:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Decker...ecker+workmate
I usually just set this thing up on my garden patio, or in the kitchen when it's raining. Then when I'm done it just folds away. Honestly not sure how I would have managed without it! Others may have a different way of doing things, but it's been super useful for me.

Not sure how much research you've done or how experienced you are with electronics and D.I.Y, but I'd recommend taking some time to read build threads and make a list of everything you'll need including power tools and the cost of stuff etc. Check out my build thread if you want a place to start: http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/thre...t-robot-please

If you are totally new to this like me, I'd consider building something super simple first like in the video I posted in my build thread. There are some differences between UK and Australian building rules but I think that's mentioned in the thread too. I started designing and building a featherweight from the ground up right away, and although my design is basic, I would rather that I had done something easier first, just to get some sort of robot up and running.

I hope this helped out and good luck.

[Shakey]

Student roboteer here aswell. I build Nanoweights, FleaWeights, Antweights and Beetleweights at uni since they can be worked much more easily with hand tools. I build heavies and feathers back at my family home which actually has the toolset I can build with.

Feathers can easily be built in a uni situation if you go down the HDPE route. A drill and good saw will go a long way (Though I'd use a jigsaw or panel saw and just keep the noise to sociable hours).

[R9000]

Thanks for all the advice, guys, I really appreciate it.
@dotDominic That workmate thing looks excellent, I think I'll probably end up getting one of those. It'd certainly save me getting a workbench and a vice, at least for now.
I've taken a look at some of the build threads and I've seen that Australian Robot Wars video series. I'm fairly experienced with electronics and DIY (I study Mechatronic Engineering), but the basis of my design at the moment should be fairly easy to create anyway, and then I should be able to attach my lifter mechanism once the main chassis is up and running.

HDPE sounds like the way to go for featherweight armour, at least as a starting point. I assume it's good against impacts, but what's it like against cutters and rotating drums?

[daveimi]

I just use HDPE and wood as build materials and just use a battery jigsaw and cordless drill on a work mate. Fill a medium sized tool box with some cheap screwdrivers, pliers, snips, allen keys, spanners and hammer from ASDA or similar. Your whole tool collection will literally stack up in a neat pile in the corner of the room if you leave the drill and saw in their plastic cases.

[maddox10]

HDPE fairs reasonably well against about everything, if thick enough and well mounted.

Of course, going head on with gruesome machines like Decimator or NST ain't the way to longlivety.

[R9000]

All right, good to hear. I just ordered a DX6i transmitter and receiver today, so I guess I'll try constructing the thing in my room for now, using the workmate, keeping the noise to a minimum. I might make a Build Diaries thread once I get something material to show. Thanks for all your help, everyone.

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

A quick tip as you get started.
Mount everything on a sheet of wood or even a cutting board and test it out.

No transference of electricity, cheap and you can easily view all your components.
Also, don't ever shorten any wires unless you're really almost done.
It's more work adding inches of wire than snipping them off....

[R9000]

Thanks, yeah I'll try that. And yeah, I know full-well about those wires from my Electronic Products GCSE and other work I've done in the past. Short wires are no fun at all.

[R9000]

Ok, just another quick question before I begin designing in earnest (and keeping it in this thread because I might as well). I've been doing plenty of research, and I'm looking at running the classic cannibalized drill gearmotors, but I wanted to go for a tracked robot rather than wheels. I realize this could go varying degrees of wrong, but all the same, I thought I'd give it a try. Though I'll be protecting the outer face of the treads and sprockets with armour, I wanted to go with metal tracks for durability, so I looked at some of the RC tank track designs. I'm an RC modelling newbie, but the Heng Long tracks (especially these type) caught my eye. Does anyone have any advice on tracks, or Heng Long ones specifically? I'm especially hung up on sprocket diameter, because I ideally want something that'll be as wide as the height of my robot (currently I'm thinking 70-90mm). I guess I could make my own sprockets, not sure how much trouble that would be.

So any ideas, or am I making a terrible mistake?

[Shakey]

You'd have to use 4 drill motors with that, 2 on their own with tracks will die.

[R9000]

Ah, is that due to excess weight and tension in the tracks? Would it work with two if I geared them down to a lower speed (although I know this kind of defeats the purpose of drill motors)?
Also, I just thought, can you drive the two motors on one side with just one ESC, provided it can handle the current?