Re: What to use for ballast
 

You can sand to extrusion. Fill them up of add a bag of pennies.

Re: What to use for ballast
 

Clamping it, what a great idea!

We just duct-taped it on top of our practice bot.

Re: What to use for ballast
 

This is how we put it together since we didn't know until weigh-in what our weight situation was.

You didn't think it would be a bad idea to bring an (I assume) raw form of known carcinogenic and toxic material into close proximity with people who may or may not have any idea it was there?

Well, I strongly encourage you to review your safety and MSDS practices!

Re: What to use for ballast
 

Attachment 18684
Team 1796 did this at the NYC Regional

Re: What to use for ballast
 

A bag of pennies or anything in a bag is not acceptable if the bag were to open or tear the contents could be strewn about the field. Sand in a length of extrusion unless it has a robust method of keeping it closed would also be frowned upon for the same reason.

Re: What to use for ballast
 

What about putting the pennies inside a double-bagged zip-loc bag, inside a tupperware container, and putting the tupperware container inside a bag with a drawstring/zipper to close it? (Similar to this: http://www.usflash.net/ProductImages...uch500X500.jpg)

This would provide multiple layers of spill-prevention.. The ziploc bags probably won't jostle open, and the tupperware container provides a hard casing to prevent the bags from small puncutres. Then the bag with the drawstring provides an additional layer of containment, if the tupperware breaks open and spill the pennies, they would be contained inside the bigger bag.

You could also just epoxy some shiny pennies to your frame! That will probably look cooler.

Re: What to use for ballast
 

As in any design project, you do your due diligence and go ahead. As an inspector, I would look at your pennies in layers of protection and probably approve it with the stern warning that the Head Ref will not be happy (or your friend) if he/she sees pennies all over the playing field. Nun said!

Re: What to use for ballast
 

Fair enough. (Not that we actually planned on doing that, just offering a hypothetical suggestion if someone wanted to use pennies/coins).

Re: What to use for ballast
 

If you need a triple-redundancy in your ballast you're doing it wrong. I know this was just a hypothetical, but I want to hypothetically discourage teams from opening this can of worms (bag of pennies?)

Besides, pennies are expensive!

Re: What to use for ballast
 

Is a bag of 101 pennies less than $1, BoM wise? :rolleyes:

Re: What to use for ballast
 

You could easily contain pennies in a length of EMT with the ends crimped shut. Plus the metal tubing adds to the weight, which reduces the number of pennies needed.

Re: What to use for ballast
 

And getting much harder to find in Canada!

Re: What to use for ballast
 

Canadian or US? :p

I'd prefer to get some of those coins with holes in them and bolt them down. :cool:

(or... you know... some washers...)

Darn!

Re: What to use for ballast
 

But pennies are cheaper than washers!

(Except in Canada where we no longer have pennies... we'll have to use nickels!)

But a Canadian nickel is worth about an American penny these days, no? :rolleyes:

Re: What to use for ballast
 

You were lucky, these devices (velcro and duct tape) are not considered fasteners for ballast and should not have been allowed.