Quote:
Originally Posted by hooper102
Rookie Mentor here:
What stuff do you stockpile for years to come? I would like to build a program that lasts.
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Most of this is just an elaboration on what's previously been mentioned. Everything else already in this thread is good stuff to keep around.
In terms of things we explicitly stockpile (on 2667 and for GOFIRST), I'd say the first thing on the list is definitely fasteners. It's just such a pain to have to go out and fine what might be the right fastener at a hardware store, plus they're really not too ridiculously expensive if you buy from some place that isn't McMaster-Carr (I like
Copper State, personally). I believe we've spent around $500 on bolts from there, and that got us a full assortment of 8-32 button and socket heads up to 2" (for VEX), and a similar assortment for 10-32 and 1/4-20 bolts for stuff like FRC.
This year GOFIRST bought a full set of gear ratios for the VEX VersaPlanetary line, and that was well worth it during Ri3D. I'd highly recommend gradually building up that kind of stock on your team.
Keep your motors around, and try to build up a stock of the main ones (CIM, MiniCIM, BAG, 775)-- combined with VersaPlanetaries, there's not much you won't be able to make using those.
Stock whatever your team plans to use to make the robot-- this might be an extrusion like 80-20, REV, or Bosch, it might be VersaFrame, or it might be raw materials like aluminum sheet or box tube. It's also a good idea to keep some polycarbonate around for electronics boards-- AndyMark sells some nice stuff with a hole pattern that's pretty great.
Other motion related stuff is also good to stockpile-- like Mechvet said, pulleys, chains, et cetera are great to keep around. Keep all those extra belts from your Kitbot-- HTD is a common profile and it's easy to get pulleys for them. Even if you prefer belts, it's also a good idea to keep some chain around, both #25 and #35, since it's generally easier to prototype with.
Bearings and shaft stock are also great-- 1/2" round and hex are the most common in FRC. May or may not be something you'll immediately need, but as your team starts designing more complicated mechanisms it's great to have on hand.
Motor controllers are a must. Make sure you take advantage of your FIRST Choice selections every year and the vouchers in the KOP to maximize your stock of these. You can get so many for free, it's great.
One of the other things I'd mention is being extremely strategic about how much you buy of things and how you store them. It's a lot easier to build a culture of keeping things organized than it is to try to force a team that's used to being messy to clean up. I love
these for keeping fasteners and small stuff like bearings organized. My old team, 2220 had a bunch of ones inthat style but double sided, which I personally hate because they're generally not as durable and get crazy heavy, but these ones last forever and are generally fantastic. I think we have a dozen-ish of them right now. Highly recommended. Keep an eye out for how you can keep stuff organized as you build inventory, and know where you're going to put stuff before you order it.