pic: WCD Sheet Metal Hybrid

[Joe G.]

I like the looks of this! We've done a WCD/Sheet metal hybrid the past two years that leans more towards the sheet metal side of things. It uses nested C-channels to form a box structure in place of the long 1x2s, with belts captured between them. This looks to be a good way to squeeze out some of the generous horizontal space this takes up for teams with more milling capabilities than us.

What function do the small flanged pieces near the sprockets serve?

My gut tells me you want more meat on both the bumper supports and battery mount. I'd be worried about the bumper mounts paralellogramming upwards (or worse, downwards) under load, and the battery mount's overhung corners getting bent by a poorly aimed battery, but the overall chassis structure looks great!