[Andy A.]

Just for clarity- This website is the unoffical discussion forum for the FIRST robotics compeition. It is a highschool level international oganization that seeks to promote science and technology. As such, most of the expertise here centers around that, although you'll also find some very, very smart people here from all fields. People such as your self stumble on this site all the time looking for help on problems not directly related to FIRST, and will at least get pointed in the right direction. Certaintly, during the off season we all welcome a chance to help someone. So, Welcome. I hope you keep coming back.

If that is the case, forget about a weapon. Don't even worry your self about it. Focus all your attention on developing a working and powerful (relatively speaking) drive train and control system. Then consider 'up armoring' it. Keep in mind that any of the weapons likely to be carried will not be terribly powerful. There isn't room or electrical power for a real novice to get anything really destructive working.

Turtle up. Get a drive system that will run all day with out breaking, is easy for you to control and provides you with an agreeable ratio of torque and speed. Armor it to the point that BB gun can't damage it and it will survive you kicking it across the floor. Then practice. The more time you have to run it the more you will know what will break, what it's limitations are and how to best control it. Experience in FIRST has shown time and time again that driver skill is at least important, if not more so, then the features of the actual machine.

If it is legal, I would second the purchase of a Vex starter kit. It is something of an erector set for robotics. It will start you off with some basic hardware, a powerful control system and a basic set of ideas for making moving robots. You can then proceed from there with things like more powerful motors, armor, treads and so on.

If it is not legal, and you really do have to create your own kit, then it sounds like you already know the basics of creating a circuit and are not in so bad a situation. Consider controlling a robot using 'tank' steering by switching power and direction of each side of the robots drive system using simple switches in your hand with a tether to the 'bot. This is the simplest and fastest way of getting something working. You can elaborate on this by including things like potentiometers to introduce some speed control.

I am curious. You said that everything had to be hand made. What sort of manufacturing tools do you have? Do you have simple hand tools? A drill? Drill press? Lathe? What sort of materials are you going to use? What your capabilities, and budget, may have a very large impact on the advice you get here and elsewhere. Make sure you are clear on what you can and are willing to spend on this. Robotics can really burn through your spare cash.

There are a number of excellent books on amateur robotics available at any decent bookstore, and probably libraries. I highly suggest you look into them, as they can go into much more detail then we can here.

-Andy A.