AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Oh so pretty: http://www.andymark.biz/perf-wheel.htm

Looks like Andy and Mark are at it again! These look nice guys. Keep up the good work.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Strangely enough I'm wearing my Shift Happens shirt today. These are some sweet wheels but I still don't see the dual omni wheels yet.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Look very nice, the selection of Hex bore is a little puzzling to me, seems like most teams use the standard bearing in the wheels and then sprocketed. Those these seemed to be designed for more of a 254-type drive system... Look like these will be more robust than the ifi wheels, but may need a little more customization to fit the needs (change the hex bore).

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

I think they look great, only wish we could get them, but we just stick to a traditional boring wheel. They look very robust and will probably exceed what is expected of them. :)

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Look cool, but I can't see the price. All it says is 'Error: Data not available (100)' :ahh: Anyone else have this problem?

EDIT: I looked around the site, and none of the price or weight fields seem to work.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

I don't have a problem.

It's $59 for a wheel, and they are 0.8 pounds (My favorite part about them)

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Everything seems to work now. :)

They are sweet wheels. :D

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Bling BlinG!.

preahaps they can be also ordered with a hole in the center sometime in the future?

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

You can always bore it out for a standard shaft.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Yay! An AndyMark product that non-FIRSTERS will appreciate when you set it on the center of the table.*

*Whenever the families of the core build team go out to eat, we bring along AM products to discuss, since more seem to keep arriving every day. They always end up as the centerpiece, and the waiters/waitresses never understand. :D

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

only if you have the equipment to do it. Namely the proper size drill, reamer ir adjustable boring bar. and then of course the clamping hardware to hold it Dead center for a proper concentric hole.

So in effect Mr. Jimmy on team XXX with No Lathe, Mill Tooling, or Indicator to even be able to center it on a drill press cant just bore it out

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

I think the idea is, for teams with a lathe, that you can just take standard cheap hex stock and turn it down to interface with standard round shaft/key setups, They probably designed it as such to save it from those ugly dead axle applications...:D

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

I saw these (and a number of other products) at Ramp Riot, but these were what I was the most interested in. I'm wondering when more varieties (different diameter and tread sizes) will show up!

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Thanks for all of the input everyone.

We will decide this coming week if there will be variations. Here are the options we are considering:

8" Performance Wheel w/ 1/2" hex hole
6" Performance Wheel w/ 1.1245" bore for 1/2" id bearings (one on each side)
8" Performance Wheel w/ 1.1245" bore for 1/2" id bearings (one on each side)

These would be a MAYBE at this point. Providing an appropriate amount of intentory on all of these parts is our biggest challenge.

Andy B.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Hopefully 4" D X 2" W

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

When I first saw these wheels in Nov. I was amazed at the extreme light weight of them. They also have a really big "coolfactor".

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

[joke]I'd pick whatever Dave's picking, in the hopes that he's figured out how to turn one into a boat propeller.[/joke]

Seriously, though if I were presented with those four options in a game similar to recent years, where we haven't had to climb over a six-inch wall or anything, I'd pick the 6" with a bore for bearings. (That said, I'm being ridiculously cost-conscious as I plot and scheme this year; $59 each inclines me towards mixing them with Skyways as insurance in case my driver pulls a 1902 and flies off the ramp.)

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

I'm thinking a 1/2" round bore would be useful. Some teams like to run 1/2" keyed shaft. You can always go bigger, but not easiy go smaller.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Also just for people FYI you can get 3/8 bearings that have an od of 1.125 so these would be capiable of use with the kit frame.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

I like the 8" Performance Wheel w/ 1/2" hex hole.

We could bore it to 5/8" and key it.

We would run 2 - 8" Trick Wheel (aluminum body) and 2 - 8" Performance Wheel

Hoping for the 8" Performance Wheel w/ 1/2" hex hole.

Thanks for all the good Products Andy and Mark

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

You could do it on a drill press if you were very careful. Even if you weren't all that careful, you could get close enough that it'd still work.

Assuming you have a drillpress--chuck up a length of 1/2" hex shaft. Slide wheel onto shaft, and clamp in place on the table. Unchuck the hex shaft, get out your drill, and have at it.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Ok these wheels are nothing compared to what you can have done if you get help from a machinist who will do work for discount. You can have any pattern on your wheels or even yes we have wanted to try it spinners. I am sorry to say we won't have them this year. Our wheels will be 6 in dia and 2 in wide and only weigh .6 lbs.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

This is true. However, I think you're ignoring the opportunity costs involved. I could get a machinist to do wheels for me, but I could also have them fabricating parts for my Super-Secret Widget of Graciously Professional Doom. If I had the funds to get the AndyMarks and they did what I needed to do, then why not order them and save some time and wear on my machinist? (Just as it's often easier to get a $250 donation than a $25,000 one, it's often easier to get someone to do "just some quick drilling" as opposed to "mill these 42 wheels with this intricate pattern".)

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

I see it like this. With AndyMark, you aren't just buying robot parts, you're buying time. And last time I checked, time is a difficult thing to find more of.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

You're also selling away the experience of doing it for yourself. I guess it depends on what your goals and values are.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

For many teams, it is not a matter of goals or values, but rather resources. They want to compete against teams who have these resources, so we are offering that opportunity.

-----

Update:

1. Give me another day or two to decide if we will do 8" versions of this wheel
2. For the finished product, we are having some deburring issues, so they are being tumbled. Therefore, the final finish is not as shiny. Of course, teams can buff these up as they wish. <edit... this is now not the case... we will not be tumbling these wheels... they will be sent out with a milled shiny surface, but there may be a few sharp corners>

Andy B.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Just playing devil's advocate..

I usually vouch to buy as many off the shelf components as possible, but I know many people who are opposed to this idea and its place in this (what they believe to be educational) program. Many of these people have little to no voice on these forums.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Andy,
I hope you can make the 8" wheels.
For us, it is about saving time. Its true that there is value in building your own, but not at the expense of time for us. There are some parts that we can make but others we just dont have the time and resources for. We have students make a few things and as time runs out, we help them along the way. The goal is to have them build as much as possible.
Our team robots have consistently been about 90% student built and 10% mentor assisted.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Any chance in the more distant future we may see performance wheels with different tread sizes as well?

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

If the distant future means for the 2008 season, then maybe. We are definitely not ready for various widths for 2007. So... no for 2007.

Andy

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Another update on the 8" Performance Wheel:

We will sell an 8" version, but only one style. This will have a 1/2" hex bore and a 1" tread width, just like the 6" version. Our price will be $78 each. These will not be ready until kickoff (Jan. 6th).

Also, we have new direction for the finish of these wheels. We have decided to leave the slightly sharp edges in tact and NOT tumble these. The mindset here is to let the teams clean up the few sharp edges as they wish, and not have to deal with the tumbled finish (unless I can find a way to tumble and polish these at the same time).

So.. in summary, we will do an 8" version of the existing 6" wheel. Both will have the 1/2" hex hole. Teams can add bearing holes if they choose.

I've gotten much input on this product, and we appreciate the feedback. We are trying to respond to what the teams are wanting to have.

Andy B.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

you could always buy 2 wheels and put them next to each other for a 2in option. Or reduce the tread thickness on the wheel, with 2 wheels mounted right to eachother and varying thickness of tread on the wheels you could do any variation of thickness between 0 -2 inches.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

I know, but I was just curious if AM was going to produce actual varying sizes.


As for the 8" wheel, I'm excited. 116 has used 8" wheels each of the past two years, and there's a strong chance that we're going to be using them in 2007, so these look to be a good option for us, especially as previously the only off the shelf 8" wheel that could serve as a high traction wheel was from IFI (not dissing the IFI wheel, but competition is always good).

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Andy,

Any idea when we can expect to see ANSI#25 sprockets and the new gearboxes that you've mentioned elsewhere?

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

The #25 sprockets should be up within a few days. Our web guru has just finished another college semester he is going through some site updates.

Here are our sizes & prices:

36 tooth: $10
42 tooth: $11
48 tooth: $12
54 tooth: $13
60 tooth: $14

These all have a 0.874" bore, with the 6 - 0.2" dia holes on a 1.875" bolt circle (of course!).

These are laser-cut, precision bored, with chamfered teeth.

As for gearboxes, we have nothing else brand new coming out. However, our AM Planetary gearbox has gone through a major overhaul. It got new bearings, new planet gears, a new housing, and a new (more adaptable) cap. Most of these improvements address the jamming issues this gearbox had for teams last year.

Sorry to take the thread off-topic, but I figured you all would want an update on this stuff.

Andy B.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Andy, these new planetaries look great. They've got pretty much every change we wished ours had during the season last year.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

At the risk of taking it further off-topic, is the new gearbox the one on the website now, or is it also in the queue to post?

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

The new version is the one posted on the site. There is a picture of it on the AM Planetary page. This upgraded AM Planetary sells for the same price as the previous version. We don't sell the prior version anymore, due to some of the design-inherent jamming problems it had.

Andy B.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

From the AndyMark Planetary page linked above: "Also, with gear alteration and a spacer added, accepts the Globe Motor and small CIM motor."

Does/will AndyMark produce and market the altered gears and spacers? If not are prints available for tested modifications for using the AM Planetary on a small CIM?

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

The website lists #35 sprockets and the posts mentioned #25 sprockets. Will AM offer both?

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

<offtopic>

Yes--the #25s are here

</offtopic>

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Those are slick! They are also quite affordable as well.

They see me rollin...

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

This seems to be a good place to put updates:

1. Our 1st 8" dia. Performance Wheel was finished yesterday. It is very nice. We will get pictures, prints, and a method to order it next week.

2. We got crazy and decided to blue anodize all of our new AM Planetary housings.

3. Our AM Servo Shifters have a really nice gold-colored plating this year. It is a more consistent coating than the AM Shifter Gen.2.

For 2007, it seems that AndyMark products have embraced the bling.

Andy B.

..ooooh pretty colors

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

The parts that you blue anodized should look very nice.

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Andy,
Please check your email. We will be ordering a bunch of stuff from you.
I sent two emails.

Thanks,
Glenn

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Bummer. Guess this means we'll have to make our own for 2007. j/k :D You got something against red? ;)

In all seriousness, I assume you will still be able to send us unassembled unannodized ones I hope?

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

No, we cannot promise this.

Andy

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

More bling from AndyMark. The 8" Performance Wheels are now available on the AM website: http://www.andymark.biz/perf-wheel-8inch.htm

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Are the holes in the Performance wheels in the right locations for the wheel to be adapted to use the Universal Hub?

Re: AndyMark Performance Wheels
 

Yep--it's all on a 1.875" bolt circle.