Project Squirrel

[Outlaw]

Honestly Jamie, that would work wonders. Mind you, they don't have to look pretty, they're going to be hidden away haha. I'll send you a PM tomorrow when I can, and maybe work something out?

[Outlaw]

So tomorrow... I crack the dremel out, and start work on cutting pieces out of the axe mechanism so not only would it be a little narrower, so that it'd fit in the middle, but also to try and get the drill motor to come in a little bit more towards the centre and maybe a little bit more even too... if that makes any sense at all haha.

[Outlaw]

Well that was ever so slightly short lived...

The dremel discs that I was using just decided to up and shatter when I got to a point in the plastic... well, time to look for some new dremel cutting discs.

[Ocracoke]

What sort of discs are you using? I use the EZ speedclic discs and am able to cut through 10mm HDPE with a metal cutting disc with little issue.

[Outlaw]

I was using Workzone "cutting" discs... though I highly doubt they were, and I'm more than likely thinking they're sanding discs... well I'm a bit of an idiot. Either way, I still need better cutting discs. And I'm using a Workzone dremel.

[Ocracoke]

Ah, I see. I use a Dremel 3000 that came with the EZ Speedclic adaptor on it, only burnt through one metal cutting disc so far and a couple of grinding bands things. If the discs were brown, then yeah, I would have thought they were grinding discs.

[Outlaw]

Oh man... so using a dremel to cut slots out of HDPE is not only messy but very painful... Not only that, I'm not sure if the entire ensemble would stay together when I put any power behind the motor... so in all honesty, I'm not sure whether or not to bite the bullet and ask if someone could put me together the mechanism in a sturdy metal of some sort... ofc, I'd have to debate on it a little more, but for now... kind of up in the air at the moment. :/

[Ocracoke]

How thick is the HDPE?

[Outlaw]

15mm thick HDPE. I'm using the dremel to cut pieces out so that they slot neatly into the gap between the spines of the robot. It's either that or p*ss my mom off by buying another sheet of thinner hdpe, or as said before, pay someone for them to make some pieces for me.

[maddox10]

High speed "grinding" tools will melt the HDPE. You can offset that fact a bit by using coolant, even using a brush and water will help.

But the best way to work HDPE is to use low speed woodworking tools.

[katch]

I Did some grooves using an electric 7.2v screw driver in a pillar drill clamp and a milling bit. The guide kept it inline and low speed drill meant no melting or hassle

[Outlaw]

Okay, forgot to do a small update.

So I managed to get a nyloc nut into some HDPE with some epoxy resin in a hope that it'd make a linkage that puts together drill motor to axe mechanism. Now I just need to get the drill motor inwards a little bit, so that I can actually secured the bloody thing to the motor, and go from there, fingers crossed. Hopefully by the end of say... next week, we'll actually have a weapons system.

Also maybe thinking about buying a thin sheet of nylon for a skid plate at the bottom. As a just in case thing. Or a sheet of metal from B&Q. Depending on which one's cheaper.

[Outlaw]

Insert very loud sighing noises here.

So about 2 weeks ago, I managed to drill some holes into the spine pieces... only to learn two things;

1) the holes were too small. easy enough fix, just need to drill in with a bigger drill bit, not a big deal.

2) the right hand spine is not exactly lined up properly... Just need to drill another hole into the base and swivel the rib over so that it's in the right place. A little bit of a bodge job, but at least I can use the former hole to attach the skidplate on it.

Least there's a silver lining in every grey cloud... if only that cloud would stop FRIGGIN' RAINING so I can remedy those problems...

[Outlaw]

Great... more sodding problems...

So, my problem is... Ratatoskr refuses to move.

I know I've got power going to the Tz85a ESCs for the locomotion, but instead of the three normal fast and loud beeps, they're replaced by three low volume slow beeps. I know for a fact that that ain't normal, so can anyone tell me the problem?

Also, I think the radio receiver's shot to hell, as the light refuses to appear upon the thing when it's all powered.

One final question, is the LED light mandatory? As I think the ones I replaced them with shorted out... and if that's the case, then I'm going to have to go on the hunt for more LED lights that can handle 18v... or as the battery charger likes to say "21"... not sure if that's the actual voltage, but okay...

[Outlaw]

And I just tried them again, and no sound is coming from the ESCs. No noise, nothing. I think it's either the wiring or the ESCs are bollocksed.

And I just wish to add, I didn't do anything to them since I drove it around to show my grandmother and grandfather, which was Christmas time.