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Shorten the frame. There is no need to make it that tall. Height adds weight. You can take out at least a pound out of the frame by making it shorter.
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Will be done tonight.
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The flanges on the front of the base aren't long enough. Make them 1.5" - 2" long. That frame will bend otherwise on impact.
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Im guessing you just mean the front and back plates. I can do this
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Connect the two side plates. I like to do it by making the outer plate have really long flanges and pop-rivet to the inside plate. This will make the sheet metal tubes holding the wheels very strong. Right now, the plates will easily bend upon impact, potentially dropping your wheel out of the frame. Not pretty. We have used standoffs before, but I really liked making the flanges longer.
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By stand-offs you mean braces, kind of like an axle with no wheel on it? I think i would prefer extending the flanges on the tops and bottoms of the frame. However this makes it hard to get into the frame to do work on the robot of needed. Or am i thinking something different form you?
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On a frame like this, it helps to draw in some sort of electronics base plate, and to use that as a structural member. Bolt your frame to it. This will help keep everything square, and augment the flanges on the front and back. Some teams use a large piece of aluminum plate with holes to keep the weight down. We've used 1/2" baltic birch before to good effect. Your call. We are looking at making that plate out of punched aluminum next year.
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I thought you couldn't put electronics on any metal. I will do this but it will be lexan instead of aluminum.
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While you are at it, how are you going to do bumpers? I like how 971 did it last year, but there are other ways. Now is the time to think it through. We could swap bumpers in O(1min) with ease, and have thoughts on how to make that even faster for next year.
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We already have a bumpers skirt to use for next year. But placement will be done soon.
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Do you have a plan for tensioning the chain?
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I have been thinking about this alot. And i think i know what i should do now, so i will put it on my list to do.