pic: Shooter damaged a Boulder

[Chak]

loading photo ...

[wilsonmw04]

The ghosts of Rebound Rumble have returned...

[Anupam Goli]

What tread were you using on the plaction wheels? I'd avoid roughtop and go for a smoother tread.

[SenorZ]

Who'd have thought having a fast moving rough piece of plastic pressed up against a thin plastic coating on a foam ball would do damage?!?

[MrForbes]

After playing with the ball for a few minutes, I have very little interest in trying to shoot it using a spinning wheel. It's not that type of ball.

However, building a medieval siege engine (catapult) looks like a neat plan!

[Nathan Streeter]

IMO, the million dollar question: does the puncture in the outer layer change its squishiness and/or how quickly it returns? It seems like the squishiness is at least partly driven by forcing air in and out through the one little hole in the jacket/coating... I'd think more puncture holes could dramatically change that (and thus how it shoots/flies... particularly in a flywheel/compression shooter).

Originally Posted by MrForbes

After playing with the ball for a few minutes, I have very little interest in trying to shoot it using a spinning wheel. It's not that type of ball.

However, building a medieval siege engine (catapult) looks like a neat plan!

That's what I've been thinking since I first saw their differences from the Basketballs & Poof Balls... without having tried shooting Boulders (worn and unworn) with both catapults and flywheels (and impact launchers, I suppose) it's obviously all just educated guess-work.

[Demonic_]

Originally Posted by MrForbes

After playing with the ball for a few minutes, I have very little interest in trying to shoot it using a spinning wheel. It's not that type of ball.

However, building a medieval siege engine (catapult) looks like a neat plan!

I think that there are good qualities to both methods, but I think I would still rather have a flywheel shooter because it's more accurate. I may be wrong, though. Also, I'm sure that there will be replacement balls available between matches.

[Justin Shelley]

Originally Posted by Demonic_

I think that there are good qualities to both methods, but I think I would still rather have a flywheel shooter because it's more accurate. I may be wrong, though. Also, I'm sure that there will be replacement balls available between matches.

Look at Team 16's catapult from 2012.

[MrForbes]

One thing about using a shooter is that it kind of tears up balls, which is the subject of this thread...and the balls cost a lot. I don't think our team can afford to test and tune a shooter this year!

[falconmaster]

Originally Posted by MrForbes

One thing about using a shooter is that it kind of tears up balls, which is the subject of this thread...and the balls cost a lot. I don't think our team can afford to test and tune a shooter this year!

DITTO

[Ether]

Originally Posted by Chak

We had 2 miniCIMs geared 1-1 to some old 6'' Andymark plaction wheels.

May I ask: were you commanding full voltage to those miniCIMs, or some fraction thereof?

[jwfoss]

We've run a ball through a shooter prototype around 10-15 times with no damage at a few different compression setting. I strongly suggest using a wheel with a smooth surface (Colson, Stealth, etc) if working on a flywheel type shooter.

[philso]

Are you gently pushing the ball towards the spinning wheels and allowing them to grab the ball or are you vigorously pushing the ball into the space between the spinning wheels?

[Ginger Power]

The GreenHorns' wheeled shooter is at the point where we aren't tearing up the ball anymore (initial tests were brutal on that ball!) Thanks to Andymark for the donated game piece!!! Now that it's tuned we're throwing about 15-20 feet and it's very accurate. Our current game piece is beat to heck and the flight path hasn't changed since all the little nicks and cuts developed. We have a new ball and an old ball and they fly the same.

Don't be afraid of wheeled shooters this year. The 1114 style articulating arm is going to be gold this year (it is almost every year...).

[MrForbes]

Thanks for the report!