Re: New season, New tools
 

Actually, now that I think about it, space might be an issue. I know there's a lot of unused room in the shop, but we do have to share it with our schools drama board.

Re: New season, New tools
 

Similar to what David suggested above. I would HIGHLY recommend getting a router. You can make pretty much your entire robot on it.

All the flat plate/bent parts are routered. We used to do tubing on it before we had a CNC mill.

Re: New season, New tools
 

R.C. do you mind sharing what router you have? What was the turn key cost?

Re: New season, New tools
 

In terms of a 3D printer, would you be able to have access to one without needing to own it? You might not need it for a lot of things, but it can be really useful in certain situations.

Re: New season, New tools
 

4607 members seemed to use my welders more than any other tool (maybe the plasma cutter). I don't think that they are always on task, but they are welding.

I don't know if you were able to get a look at our robot at the MSHSL, but our winch was all welded together in my lab - as was the throwing mechanism (the catapult), and the mechanical stop.

You already have much of what you need to complement a welder - outside of a bench grinder. If you are in the market, contact a local gas wholesaler (Oxygen Service Co. out of St Paul...) and they will get you set up for around $450 for a Miller 140 Autoset and the initial tank and the cart.

If you have any other questions on purchasing a welder or would need help, just PM me.

We have access to a 3D printer at one of the teams in our district's school.

Re: New season, New tools
 

We got a Techno LC 3024 (30"x24" cutting area) and we love it. We run it non stop during build season. We got it for 19k but should've bought the Techno LC 4894 for 1.5k more at the time(4'x8' cutting area).

Beyond the CNC itself we bought a computer, endmills and a mister setup. The cost is pretty low to run the router itself. Its mainly power + coolant + endmills + wood screws and a cutting board.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions related to the Techno Routers.

Re: New season, New tools
 

Holy Crap. That is a lot of money. I can't speak for 4536, but $19k is way out of our budget (FRC 4607 CIS - Becker High School). Are there other options?

Re: New season, New tools
 

We also can't afford this on a team budget. We got this through a grant and we also purchased our CNC mill through a grant as well.

There are other options out there such as DIY (FRC973 has a great setup) and cheaper end models that use steppers etc... I don't happen to know off the top of my head but this thread has more info:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ght=cnc+router

Re: New season, New tools
 

Sometimes its better to say you want the expensive stuff so when you only get part way in raising money you can still explore decent options. To fund raise a lot, you must demonstrate your needs.

Last year 3309 tried to get a Haas TM-1 but we ran out of room in our build area and got a tormach instead (whoops). Once we move into our new area in a couple years, we will be sure to try to get the TM-1. Since we had it on our wish list for a few years, it driving our fundraising efforts, so when sponsors ask why we need $35,000 we can say exactly what we want and why. Sometimes, we explain our other options but usually most sponsors are satisfied that we know what we are doing. Having a businesses plan goes a long way. It gives confidence to sponsors that their money is really making a difference in an organization.

Right now i am doing the same thing with Code Orange 3476. The team is asking for a lot of stuff they need: a knee mill, new lathe, cnc router, cnc mill, broaching set, and a lot of extra little tools. So I am throwing everything on a list. It looks like it's well over a $100,000. But if 3476 only got 10 percent of that list, that's still 10,000 dollars.

I am going to take that list to show it to grants, sponsor and even "philanthropists." its rare but sometimes you just meet a person that just wants to help by crossing an item off of your wishlist. Its certainly more rewarding for them than writing a check.

Re: New season, New tools
 

Before deciding what tools you need, think about what problems you want to solve.

Have a lot of shafts that need sizing or drilling, spacers needing to be cut to length, big holes drilled in small things, and such? Get a lathe.

Have robot mechanisms that are several pieces and a royal pain to cut? Maybe a mill.

But do you (like us) have materials all over the place, and find that you are buying things during Build that you later learn you already have? Get a cabinet of bin boxes.

Or tools that never seem to find their way home? Get some nice tool boxes, and make indexes so the tools have a definite home.

So, what problems does your team encounter during build? Whatever they are, buy your tools to address those, rather than buying a tool and then searching for problems it can solve.

Re: New season, New tools
 

That's what Freshman are for :D