Ranglebox.com

[Runsler]

the plan (at the moment, still gathering information and planning) is to build a 2wd, so with 4 i would have one spare for each.

or, with shipping not that expansive, but not much money to spend at once maybe just 2 first, get a prototype working, and buy spares before first fight. I'm quiet aware it's destructive and not a cheap hobby, but i can spend money only gradually, not all at once. so i need some calculating on what's the best way to do this^^

[Coolspeedbot]

Hi Ellis
I sent a email about 3 days ago regarding the threaded bars on the site. I guess you haven't seen it yet, but I just wanted to know whether or not you was planning to replenish the stock on the M6 threaded bars?

[Ellis]

Hi Ellis
I sent a email about 3 days ago regarding the threaded bars on the site. I guess you haven't seen it yet, but I just wanted to know whether or not you was planning to replenish the stock on the M6 threaded bars?

Hey James, sorry for the delay. It's my error actually. Someone else emailed with the same question, and I replied to them, and mentally ticked this off the reply list!

Sadly though it isn't great news for your current build. I expect to replenish stock of the threaded bars one day, but it won't be very soon. The demand is too small to make it worthwhile, as in order to keep the retail price reasonable, the manufacturing run has to be substantial (100+ lengths). Having to be really cautious with money after the Robot Wars builds (it's the same small pot) or I'd restock immediately.

Sorry to disappoint - if you have access to a pillar drill/drill press, the square bar can be ordered all over the net, perhaps you could make the bits you need this time?

[Coolspeedbot]

Hey James, sorry for the delay. It's my error actually. Someone else emailed with the same question, and I replied to them, and mentally ticked this off the reply list!

Sadly though it isn't great news for your current build. I expect to replenish stock of the threaded bars one day, but it won't be very soon. The demand is too small to make it worthwhile, as in order to keep the retail price reasonable, the manufacturing run has to be substantial (100+ lengths). Having to be really cautious with money after the Robot Wars builds (it's the same small pot) or I'd restock immediately.

Sorry to disappoint - if you have access to a pillar drill/drill press, the square bar can be ordered all over the net, perhaps you could make the bits you need this time?

Oh ok. I have a pillar drill stand that holds handheld drills so I should be alright there just not sure what I need to add the thread to it.

[lowndsy]

Aldi had a nice threading tap / die kit for £15.99 recently. Does Metric sizes up to M10 or M12.
Went on sale a few weeks ago, but my local Aldi still has a few left.


edit: think they have had it reasonably often, like those tig welders they do - someone was talking about it in 2012: http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/t...die-set.30878/

[Coolspeedbot]

Aldi had a nice threading tap / die kit for £15.99 recently. Does Metric sizes up to M10 or M12.
Went on sale a few weeks ago, but my local Aldi still has a few left.

I see, well there's no rush, Wolf-E doesn't need to be finished any time soon, target is extreme robots in maidstone in november.

[Ellis]

I put a detailed account of how I made the massive threaded bars for series 1 Pulsar on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/teamrang...97292773908393

I wouldn't recommend using a drill to tap the holes (unless you're confident about the risks) - it's rather safer, if slower, to do them traditionally by hand - but otherwise this is exactly what you'd need to do, just at 200% scale!

I would suggest getting some quality taps as well. I don't know what the Aldi set is like, but cheap multi-packs are inevitably going to be quite low quality. A fellow builder was recently caught out by this; the really cheap specimens simply don't work. Some namebrand individual ones (you'll want M6x1.0, straight flute, hand taps) from pretty much anywhere should do nicely.

[Coolspeedbot]

I put a detailed account of how I made the massive threaded bars for series 1 Pulsar on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/teamrang...97292773908393

I wouldn't recommend using a drill to tap the holes (unless you're confident about the risks) - it's rather safer, if slower, to do them traditionally by hand - but otherwise this is exactly what you'd need to do, just at 200% scale!

I would suggest getting some quality taps as well. I don't know what the Aldi set is like, but cheap multi-packs are inevitably going to be quite low quality. A fellow builder was recently caught out by this; the really cheap specimens simply don't work. Some namebrand individual ones (you'll want M6x1.0, straight flute, hand taps) from pretty much anywhere should do nicely.

I give that a look, and thanks for the heads up on taps.

[TechAUmNu]

I wouldn't recommend using a drill to tap the holes (unless you're confident about the risks) - it's rather safer, if slower, to do them traditionally by hand - but otherwise this is exactly what you'd need to do, just at 200% scale!

I would suggest getting some quality taps as well. I don't know what the Aldi set is like, but cheap multi-packs are inevitably going to be quite low quality. A fellow builder was recently caught out by this; the really cheap specimens simply don't work. Some namebrand individual ones (you'll want M6x1.0, straight flute, hand taps) from pretty much anywhere should do nicely.

If you get spiral flute machine taps then they work great with a cordless drill. These are the ones I use: http://www.cutwel.co.uk/threading/ma...1-tb804-series

They are a bit pricey but go in nice and straight and the clutch on the drill makes it almost impossible to break a tap.

[overkill]

Strangely, spiral taps are the ones I break the most often - perhaps its just me . Spiral taps are designed to extract chips out of blind holes; I would suggest using the confusingly named spiral point taps (also called gun taps), they are cheaper and designed for tapping through holes, For aluminium, getting a black oxide coating helps reduce friction and breakage.



The angled section at the tip helps to shear metal with less force and makes tapping a bit easier. you should also use some cutting oil, for aluminium I just use engine oil thinned a bit with kerosene.

When you tap using a machine its best to use a slightly larger drill than usual, the threads will still be strong but the amount of force needed is much lower. For the M4 size nutstrip, use a #29 drill and for the M6 size, use a 5mm or #8

[Ellis]

Forgot to update this with the news that Ranglebox now stocks the "RageBridge 2" ESC from Charles in the US. I have actual UK stock, so delivery is a few days tops. Should save a lot of hassle - no long shipping, then waiting for customs, then customs charges to worry about!

I had 12 in stock 36hrs ago, now only 9, so this first batch won't last long! http://ranglebox.com/product/ragebridge-2-brushed-esc/

[Theo]

I heard people were using them in heavyweights, would they work for them?

[R9000]

Yeah the Rage will work for heavyweights, so long as you don't exceed its max voltage! I don't think it can take 12s. It's good if you're running the right voltage though, because it's a dual channel ESC (just one ESC for both sides of the drive) and it has active current limiting which means it shouldn't blow up from too much current draw.

[Theo]

Are we talking ampflows here? I'm sure they can run wheelchair motors, they seem the least demanding of heavyweight motors. Brilliant! I though they were only for American lightweights, middleweight at most. I saw Tango with one using 4 motors (looked like ampflows), but surely that would be too much for them?

[R9000]

Yeah they won't do crazy amps, so only really one motor a side probably. But I know PP3D used the ragebridge for one, and it's possible to run two ESCs at the same time if you want four motors. It still works out quite cheaply as heavyweight ESCs go.