NEW TEAM NEEDS

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by Peter Matteson

10-32 can be used for almost every need. You will need some 1/4-20 and 3/8-16 if you use the kitbot.

If possible use all the same fastener or as much of one as possible because you will spend less time looking for tools if they all need the same allan key and box wrench. You can minimize loose parts by using flange head bolts to eliminate washers also.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#socket-head-cap-screws/=f4o3m4

The kitbot is standardized to take 1/4-20 hardware. The accompanying screws are SHCS. As has been stated, if you make everything SHCS, you won't have to worry about phillips/flathead screwdrivers (students always grab the wrong kind). With the exception of the electronics and drive axles, we exclusively use 1/4-20. We also buy about a dozen allen key sets each year - the tools tend to get rounded or lost. I'd recommend the kind where all keys are connected together like a pocketknife - the individual parts are less likely to get lost. We also get about a dozen 1/4" drill bits - they tend to snap at the most inopportune times. (I know, if used properly, drill bits shouldn't snap - but I also know that teenagers tend to test the boundaries of "should")
IIRC some of the electronics take 8-32 hardware, and axles are 3/8-16; plan accordingly.
Ratcheting gear wrenches are awesome. Especially the kinds with flexing heads.
In addition to the plywood, get some 10' 2X4s. Like 8 or 10 of them. They'll be probably used in the field. It would be a great task for the parents to build the key field elements the first week.

Re: 2 robots: Don't worry about it. One robot is more than enough work. Lots of respectable, competitive teams do it with one robot. That's not to say don't build two - the advantages are numerous - but don't kill yourselves trying to get two. Focus on Number One, make it right and good.