Is it ideal having steel chassis for featherweights thses days?

[Jackpietrzak1]

I'm planning to build a flipper powered by 1 or 2 x electric 12v motors (so I can get into live as soon as I could before the end 2017 as it's easier to put together & possible to repair due to amount the damage it gets).

But I wanted to weld up steel 'L' shape bars into the chassis to screw thick plastic onto & have thick armour on a 1mm mild steel base plate, but decided to have steel 'L' brackets instead & still have thick 10mm HDPE black armour. I know featherweight robots can have steel tube or 'L' shape chassis but I was thinking, is there any point welding up a steel chassis for featherweights like the 2004 featherweight smash tournament competitor?

It seem these day engineers are machining thick aluminium 10mm sheet light enough to allow machined spinning weapons, pneumatic weaponry or hydraulic weaponry etc as well as thin or thick armour.

I'm trying to getting my featherweight built, but I could never find a cheap welding bay for me to do any welding. plus I've keep changing my mind on the weapon power as I wanted to run the flipper on low pressure co2 but then electric motor power came into my mind for simple & quick fits before I start using pneumatics. also I've been getting my antweight finished & out of the way which I nearly have & just waiting for the batteries, as well as getting the beetleweight started for 2018 (because ill forget to start it if I don't).

[maddox10]

For a "classic" Team RCC feather, we apply what we call a "T frame". The weapon is mounted on a steel box section(for flippers) or weapon support plates ( the spine), and the drives are suspended between 2 HDPE leafsprings forming the crossbar on the T.

On welding. £350 and this YouTube channel gives you the power to weld any kind of steel, copper alloy or titanium.

Add £250 and you can weld any weldable material with some creativity.

[typhoon_driver]

or £40 for a stick welder from lidl or aldi when they next come on sale will let you do steel and hardox no bother.

[calumco]

or £40 for a stick welder from lidl or aldi when they next come on sale will let you do steel and hardox no bother.

Wise words! I've had mine since I started in 2008 and it's still going!

[RogueTwoRobots]

Amen to that. I've had Gary's cheap welder second hand for six years and it's still fine. Has even survived being used to weld up all the 10mm Hardox jaw pieces on Coyote.

[maddox10]

Once you tried MIG or TIG, going back to stick welding feels like handing over your electrical handtools and go back to flint.

[typhoon_driver]

I have a TIG / stick welder. The tig is such a pain in the arse to set up each time as it's not used often that I tend to just use the stick function on it.