Wooden Robot Class

[swanaldo]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

MDF is probably the worst wood for dust and breathing it. I have been watching this thread and the sound of a wooden class is great but limiting it to mdf in my opinion is a bad call. Also if your making it out of wood then the only metals that should be used are component metals. Building a metal chassis and just using wood for armour would detract from the wooden class.

[PJ-27]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

Thanks everyone for your input!

This is exactly the short of issue we need t sort out. Unfortunately there are several mixed opinions on some issues, which we should bring to light.

Current consensus is moving towards all wood then?

[Hoppy]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

I agree with PJ-27 that MDF would make the best base for building for a level playing field. I see no problem with ply as an alternative as suggested by Relentless. A rule that allows any wood will simply encourage blocks of Oak and railway sleepers to dominate and that would be little better than an arena full of 'steel box' rambots insofar as excitement is concerned and therefore not in the spirit of this class. However, as said earlier, I feel it is essential not to restrict the use of metal or plastics for the chassis for protection of R/C, drive motors and ESC etc.

Given that its natural to build to the limit of the rules and given that this 'fun class' is intended to attract newcomers, irrespective of what materials are eventually specified, the rules need to ensure that in the build, there is no mechanical strength advantages by simply choosing a harder wood or increasing thickness of armouring to survive a battle. A reasonably level playing field in these areas is IMO essential if this class is to be a success.

As spinners are ruled out, I do not see a real problem with dust, even should slow spinners be allowed.

Hoppy

[swanaldo]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

The threat of dust is more to do with the fabrication of the robot. Harder wood would be ideal for protection of components.

[Hoppy]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

I agree about the threat of dust being more to do with the fabrication. I always use a face mask when cutting MDF.

Maybe a compromise for the chassis would be just to allow the electronics to be protected in a metal enclosure(s) affixed to a plastic or timber base plate. A softwood chassis could then be formed around the base plate to affix armour and provide a anchor for weapons. This would avoid the need to seek out hard woods which even in small amounts are costly nowadays.

Hoppy

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

Jesus, I thought we had sorted out this debate a while back! Why stiffle creation by saying you can only use crap woods?

Make them entirely out of wood, any wood, if you find some scrap oak then good for you, if you can't then layer up the ply or MDF. It weighs bugger all and you could easily have 2 inch armour all around your electronics.

Weapon wise, everything should have come from wood working tools originally. Modify them to suit, use a chisel as the basis for an axe, use chainsaw chains and saw blades.

With these two rules here and the others of the featherweight category it gives the biggest amount of inovation you could have with this class. Stiffle it too much and most won't bother.

[PJ-27]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

Why stop at wood! Let's also allow metal, wouldn't want to stiffle people's innovation.

I've heard Titanium and Hardox are good......

I'm being facetious by the way.

Ok, maybe opening up to all woods is the way to go, but it does create issues with people just opening their wallets and buying the best, strongest and lightest wood they can.
On the other hand I think BOW should be able to run, and I like the idea of people using scrap wood they happen upon (how very Bitza!)

Hopefully their will be a nice even trade off of weight to strength with wood. For instance Oak is strong but heavy....

[Max]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

I think use any wood, using bits of 2 by 4 is an easy way of building it as its pre-cut. And different people have access to different bits of wood, personally I have some some nice thick pieces of wood designed to go above a door.

Also I think there is no harm in a metal interior to protect the electronics as I think the reason to go with wood is so the armour gets ripped up and destroyed which looks amazing, not to have your internals destroyed which is devistateing. That also means you can have it very thick, infact the thicker the better as it will never need replacing so will look really beaten up and means you can put it in with any spinner not just wooden ones.

[Hoppy]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

OK, lets go with all woods with option on metal or plastic baseplate / chassis to protect electronics and drive motors.

Hoppy

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

so what's to stop me strapping some wooden armour to the outside of boner or 540 and entering that?

[Hoppy]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

Having read all this thread, my understanding is that this class is primarily to give newcomers a chance to enter a very cheaply built robot with a weapon(s) that can at the same time entertain the audience by being fairly easy to destruct and inexpensive to repair for the builder. Any existing bot could be timber clad within the weight limit but this rather defeats the purpose and spirit of this class, especially if it has a really powerful weapon that can simply take-out cheaply built timber bots as soon as they move! IMO it would look rather stupid if all its tough metal or plastic under armour was revealed intact after all the wood was ripped-off. A wooden bot reduced to its chassis will look like a defeated bot.

Hoppy

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

The featherweights used to be touted as the best way to start up in the hobby, then the beetleweights were. Both classes have been taken to the extremes. There is no way that you can stop others from entering a weight class with more experience.

lets go with all woods with option on metal or plastic baseplate / chassis

IMO it would look rather stupid if all its tough metal or plastic under armour was revealed intact after all the wood was ripped-off

Contradiction much?

I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm playing devils advocate here to try and weed out the issues with the ruleset that has yet to be agreed. If you make wood the only build material then it's very easy to govern whereas if you specify that part of the robot can be metal then where does that stop? If you want to protect your motors and speed controllers then model RC cars might be a better hobby.

[razerdave]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

I'd be quite happy having all my electronics in a wooden box because it would be far inside the robot.

In terms of any metal, I think we should. Stick with the original idea of metal for weapons only. I am considering a Rex's robot challenge machine but with wooden armour support blocks, but a metal flipper plate and a saw in the back. Objections?

BTW Gary, I maintain ants are the easiest way to get into robots, not feathers or beetles.

[Eventorizon]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

lets go with all woods with option on metal or plastic baseplate / chassis

[quote:lsgurngt]IMO it would look rather stupid if all its tough metal or plastic under armour was revealed intact after all the wood was ripped-off

Contradiction much?
[/quote:lsgurngt]

No contradiction. Hoppy said metal or plastic 'base plate/chassis' not 'armour'. But you have a point there must be a clear destinction between the two.
You could have a metal base plate to mount all your parts on and then everything else as wood. And since a base plate's are normally 12-15mm HDPE or if you are lucky 5mm Ti it will offer no side protection that a dedicated internal metal chassis would.

[Hoppy]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

As Eventorizon points out, I'm talking about an option for just a plastic or metal chassis / baseplate, not a metal framework / superstructure to which is affixed timber armouring, so not a contradiction as I see it. Having a tough and resilient chassis / base plate is helpful with a heavy bot, I cannot see how a quick pre-fight inspection cannot easily establish that a non wooden superstructure / framework is in place.

Hoppy