Quote:
Originally Posted by aeniug2
I would love more information on it, thanks for offering.
Specifically, where to buy these fabled "connectors"...
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80/20 is nice for a lot of things, especially quick adjustments and sliding. Their slides are a little heavy, but you can make your own, too. It's heavy, though, and it can be difficult to keep things in place under shear load.
As for the connectors, you can look up distributors on
80/20, Inc, but we get most of our stuff through
Grainger and
MSC.
Short overview:
Most FRC applications I've seen and used employ
10xx profiles (1"), mostly 1010 with some 1020 (1012 is cool, too). For these and other profiles, 80/20 makes fasteners that slide into the T-slot slots or can be tapped into the center axis holes.
Economy nuts are probably the most common and are used in tandem with other connectors. They're slide-able when loose and can be pretty fixed when the bolt is tightened. (You can indent it a little for the bolt tip so it doesn't move.) We also use corner
brackets and
gussets,
end caps,
anchor fasteners and the occasional
joining plate, most of which have various versions (multiple holes, shapes, etc). Their
rollers are also really nice, though you may want to mill your own brackets for them.