Bumpers
 

Does anyone have any advice on where to order bumpers and what type of bumpers to order. Any help would be awesome! :]

Re: Bumpers
 

You need to make the bumpers acording to the plans in the manual.

The pool noodles may be hard to aquire. Search out the local toy and pool supply store and you should get lucky

Re: Bumpers
 

Those are actually "make em yourself"ers. Everything you need is in the instructions right here:
http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles...Robot-RevE.pdf
See pages 9 and 10

Re: Bumpers
 

Swimming noodles are being used commonly.
In the K.I.P., I'm pretty sure there is an advertisement for a website on where to buy the noodles.
It's either that and/or the fabric that you cover the noodles with.:confused:

Re: Bumpers
 

It's for the Cordura fabric used on the bumpers.

http://www.Seattlefabrics.com/

Re: Bumpers
 

it depends on where you are on where you should get the materials from. I would get them online and just make sure they will arrive early enough to put together.

Re: Bumpers
 

yea prob going to order from that seattle site

Re: Bumpers
 

Alright, we've got our bumper materials, etc. and were wondering how everyone else mounts their bumpers (as in, how do you lock the bolt heads to the wood?). Anyone have any suggestions?

Re: Bumpers
 

We epoxy the bolt heads, which are recessed into the oak plywood; that seems to work well.

Re: Bumpers
 

hmmm bumpers...As far as I'm concerned we got our bumpers from FIRST (I think).:confused:

Re: Bumpers
 

Check Q&A--apparently any departure from the design laid out (other than exact attachment), including putting holes in the plywood, is illegal.

You only get the design from FIRST. Other than that, it's make your own.

Re: Bumpers
 

I don't know about your team resources, but last year we used a simple aluminum bracket that was screwed into the wood. The bolts were attached to the bracket, and mounted to the frame through holes in the chassis using wingnuts.

Re: Bumpers
 

We have used Locking T-Nuts for three years running and have never had any trouble mounting the bumpers to our robot. You have to drill a slightly oversized hole through the bumper and put the T-Nut in the hole from the outside of the plywood before you fasten the pool noodles/fabric to it and pound them in with a hammer. Then you through bolt from your frame/mounting bracket on the robot. Just do a search for T-Nut or Locking T-Nut. We buy ours at Lowe's

Re: Bumpers
 

Eric, are you referring to this one?

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=8526

In the past we have made round pockets in the plywood to clear bolt heads on the robot chassis, looks like that is against the rules this year! thanks for spotting that

also we've used T nuts, but they do like to pop loose at the most inopportune times...so we were going to try T bolts this year instead, at least if they get loose you can pull them back in without having to disassemble the bumper. It is a bolt and nut system, but the bolt and nut positions are reversed from the design in the Robot Rules. Probably need to ask on Q&A if it would be legal? too bad I can't seem to get access to ask a question.

Re: Bumpers
 

Just our look. We just built them yesterday and made holes for bolt clearance.
So would spacers on the bolts be allowed?

Re: Bumpers
 

Spacers or standoffs on the bolts should be allowed as it is still a rigid bolt and fastener system. Standard disclaimer of "only Q&A answers are official" applies.