Quote:
Originally Posted by lorykzarr
You're definitely on the right track trying to find a cheaper place then McMaster. I would recommend a few things:
- Make sure the soldering iron you get has a stand or you get a stand for it
- The tin snips won't be much help cutting 1/8" sheet. They're designed for much thinner stuff
- You'll probably chew through those 1/8" drill bits really quickly if you ever drill out steel rivets. If you end up getting steel ones, stock up on drill bits.
Also, do you have a tool box/chest to store everything? If not, look into getting one so you can keep all of your stuff reasonably organized. And as far as the bandsaw, try looking for a used one. You might be able to get one for way less then new.
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-I recommended the Hakko FX888D Soldering Station from spark fun though i haven't used it. Any thoughts?
-As far as the snips we plan on raiding the remnant section of our local metal supply store. ~1.59/lb is MUCH cheaper than the cost of new sheet, its actually a 80 mile drive for us to our metal supply store and it is worth it! We can fairly consistently find decent sheet there thin enough to cut yet thick enough to use as gusseting I usually compare it to the thickness of a credit card. we also pick up thicker stuff (about 0.1") that we cut with the jig saw. the thin stuff works really fast but can leave an ugly burr an easy solution is to just wrap the sharp edge with adhesive back neoprene Mcmaster carr # 8694K78 .
-As far as the Drill bits, we've had them through two build seasons and have yet to break one (or even burn one). The advantage is that they are short so it reduces the risk of blowing through the back side of a hole and into something that can bend and snap the bit. It helps we run all aluminum rivets, i don't like the steel because it can make the hole walk.
-pick up a few scrap lengths of aluminum about 3/8 in dia 15-36" in lenght. if you need a super long drill bit just place the desired drill bit size in a vise and put the Al rod into the drill and drill it as straight as you can onto the drill bit. (this keeps the hole parallel on the rod, centered will be up to you) then take the drill bit out of the vise and superglue it into the hole on the rod. Viola long drill bit in any size you need...
-for storage I've found that roll around tool boxes can have a fairly high $/usable storage volume so I prefer Harbor Freights 8 bin plastic cases ( Item#93927). They are cheap, reasonably durable and the bins can be partially or completely removed to store larger items/tools. plus bins can be separated into lighter quantities so you don't end up rolling a 300lb monster into the pits. Also I prefer bins and shelves over tool boxes because it is scale-able. you may have barely one box of hardware your first year but soon enough you'll have several boxes of 1/4-20 and 10-32.
-As a side note I avoid taking hardware out of their original packaging, you never know who may be trying to re-order and being able to look at the part number on the box saves everyone a lot of time.
- Also I totally agree with roboruler and wish I would have known about Versa-planetary gear boxes a long time ago. One thing to consider if you are with a school is; getting vendors added to your schools purchasing system and getting Open PO's (PO is Purchase Order basically an agreement to buy/do business between two companies) in place before build season starts for key vendors i.e. andymark, Vex, Mcmaster. Especially during build season by the time you get a quote, turn it into a requisition and have the school purchasing dept approve and send the PO to the vendor you may find your item is long out of stock. Open PO's basically allow you to spend up to a specific amount and can be fulfilled much faster. Get your stuff in 1 week rather than 3 or not at all