View Single Post
  #2   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 03-02-2014, 10:23
Jon Stratis's Avatar
Jon Stratis Jon Stratis is online now
Electrical/Programming Mentor
FRC #2177 (The Robettes)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Rookie Year: 2006
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 3,738
Jon Stratis has a reputation beyond reputeJon Stratis has a reputation beyond reputeJon Stratis has a reputation beyond reputeJon Stratis has a reputation beyond reputeJon Stratis has a reputation beyond reputeJon Stratis has a reputation beyond reputeJon Stratis has a reputation beyond reputeJon Stratis has a reputation beyond reputeJon Stratis has a reputation beyond reputeJon Stratis has a reputation beyond reputeJon Stratis has a reputation beyond repute
Re: What stock to store for mill/lathe work?

For the lathe:
- Material to make spacers (PVC pipe works great!)
- Material to make standoffs

For the mill:
- solid aluminum stock (bar and plate of various thickness)
- Other normal aluminum stock your team normally uses


For our situation, it's really not an issue to stop by a local Discount Steel and get whatever we need... and once we get it, we have plenty left over in stock. We've found for our team that having a mill and lathe isn't about the materials you have for it - just about everything we've used on it is stuff we already had sitting around. It's about the increased capabilities it gives you in shaping those materials perfectly or consistently for the robot (for example, it's a lot easier to make 4 standoffs that are all the same length using a mill or lathe than it is to do so with a band saw).
__________________
2007 - Present: Mentor, 2177 The Robettes
LRI: North Star 2012-2016; Lake Superior 2013-2014; MN State Tournament 2013-2014, 2016; Galileo 2016; Iowa 2017
2015: North Star Regional Volunteer of the Year
2016: Lake Superior WFFA