Re: pic: 1346 - Wood is Good
 

Thank you for saying exactly what I thought the minute I set eyes on that picture! Someone truly took the time and effort to produce a beautiful functional piece! I, for one, enjoy woodworking as a hobby, and while good machinists can do great things with metal, I always love a good woodworking piece.
Excellent work team 1346!
-Chris

Re: pic: 1346 - Wood is Good
 

WOW! All that needs to be said.

Re: pic: 1346 - Wood is Good
 

[quote=dtengineering]Thread created automatically to discuss this image in the Picture Gallery.

[url=http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/pictures.php?&action=single&picid=12791]

just wonder ing will the heat from the belt affect it? It is still cool.

Re: pic: 1346 - Wood is Good
 

what's the chassis made of? ... Cedar? that would be cooler

Wood is Bestest
 

HELLS YEAH!!!!!
I love the use of the parting tool & quarterround combo. Not to mention the subtle turns of a left and right wide gouge.

Yours truly,
Cole Hasson
Co-founder of GHSWG (GHS Woodworkers Guild)

Re: pic: 1346 - Wood is Good
 

That is awesome!!! Are you going to stain or varnish it?

Re: pic: 1346 - Wood is Good
 

Thank you all for your kind comments. Our team had some very unkind comments for the belt system last week as the belt came off every third or fourth ball, but those are solved now, so we are much happier! We were launching balls across the classroom, and should move out to the cafeteria shortly where we'll have the space to more accurately simulate the field.

Wood has played a major role in our designs for the past three years that we have been in FIRST. Last year our wooden arm went a long way to helping us pick up the Xerox Creativity Award in Portland. We made a duplicate of it (it only weighed about three pounds) and placed it on a stand in the pits. When the judges came around we encouraged them to jump on it.... two or three at a time. It flexed maybe a couple of millimetres. Two years ago... as complete rookies who had never even SEEN a FIRST competition, we used 3/4" plywood to form the majority of our chassis.

Speaking from a mentorship point of view we like the students on our team to have experience with a number of different materials. This year, for instance, is the first year that we haven't laid-up our own urethane foam core fibreglass composite sheets. On the other hand, it is the first year that we have done a lot of work with welded aluminum tubing. Wood, however, is just so perfect for working with students. Strong, lightweight, easy to form, join and bond... and not particularly expensive when it needs to be re-worked.

From a practical point of view, the only piece of CNC equipment we have is a CNC router, and while that CAN do aluminum, it is most happy working on wood. Hence the bearing blocks.

I believe the wood in the wheel is a mahogany, but will have to check. The bearing blocks are maple and the plywood is all Baltic Birch. The finish is a simple sanding sealer/laquer natural finish, to let the wood shine through.

Thanks again for your kind comments, and best wishes in the crunch.

Jason