Rookie Team Shopping List

[Nemo]

My suggestions:

Pick 2-3 fastener sizes and get a good selection of them including various screw lengths plus plenty of nuts and washers. As you know, I like 1/4-20, 10-32, and 8-32.

A selection of VersaPlanetary stuff is very nice to have. It is pricey to buy a pile of them and figure out what you'll use later, but you could always grab a couple of 1/2" Hex base sets plus a few gearing stages. But it might be wise to wait and see for potential upgrades to those products.

The wire we've used is "Machine Tool Wire" from McMaster. It is very nice, flexible wire. Get one big spool of red and black in 12 gauge and you're set for years. (source: Big Al). Costs something like $100 per 500 ft spool.

Dark Soul Chain Tool: don't forget to order one of these if you're going to use #25 chain.

The raw materials I especially suggest having around would be some 1/8" aluminum plate, 1x1 aluminum square tube, 1x2 aluminum rectangular tube, and a sheet of 1/16" or so polycarbonate. We get our polycarbonate for about $50 per 4'x8' sheet from a local supplier (Cope Plastics), which is much cheaper than buying little chunks at retail prices.

3/4" Plywood for bumpers; fabric for bumpers; pool noodles for bumpers

Be prepared to buy lumber for field elements, but wait and see what the game requires. Just set aside a couple hundred bucks for that expense.

Wired X-Box controllers

Laptop for programming and driver's station

1/2" hex stuff: hex stock, hex bearings, hex spacers, hex hubs, hex collars