[Andy Brockway]

Best advice is keep it simple. Look for help from machine shops, farmers etc if you need to but past experiences and your old robots should give you plenty of ideas for mechanisms.

We build our robots with a drill press and a band saw. The students do the majority of the work. Only our gearboxes are fabricated by machinists (and myself, a lowly engineer).

This year we may have more help but we have had only myself, a couple parents and the teachers involved in FIRST. The principal is big supporter but the tech dept is not.

We spend only about $1500 on the robot mostly for gears and sprockets. We purchase most items from Motion Industries and McMaster-Carr.

We have no large sponsor, many small ones.
Good Luck, feel free to contact me if you would like more info.

Andy Brockway
Team 716, The Who'sCTEKS