[EricH]

I wouldn't use 1/16" wall in the drive area; 1/8" wall is probably better. It's heavier, yes, but if you've seen old (pre-bumper) robots with 1/8" wall, you'll understand why I'm skeptical of 1/16" in the drive area.

You can swiss-cheese 1" tube; however, if you're going to do it in your drive area, you need to plan how you're going to do it. The drive area is the most critical (read: least failure-tolerant) area. Using a triangle pattern in say 1"x2" is not uncommon, if planned out. 1"x1" is a riskier proposition.

I'm with Akash, if it's 1/16", don't weight reduce at all. I've used that thickness on two robots, once out of contact zones (a shooter frame, using 3/4" and 1" tubes) and once supporting other robots (1", IIRC, and covered in corrugated plastic). It's strong, but not if you put holes in it.