Will the tetras spin?

[dlavery]

Yes, FIRST has said that the tetra pipes will be glued to the end caps. And in the part drawings, they indicate that the end caps will be attached to the LDPE tetra clovers with a bolt and t-nut (presumably, based on the drawing, a t-nut with spines that will grip the interior of the end cap to prevent rotation).

However, recognize that if you grip them by the lower horizontal edge pipe (as it is positioned when sitting on the floor) and lift it, you will be putting about 10 ft-lbs of torque on the connections at the ends of the pipe assembly. And if you bump into things and transmit shocks, the loading may be considerably higher. Given that the only thing that will prevent the entire end cap-pipe-end cap assembly from spinning around on the bolt will be the little spines on the t-nut, I am willing to put down a small wager (hey Dr. Joe! How about a case of Mt. Dew?!) that by the second weekend of competitions those pipes will be spinning like mad. I would recommend that you do not count on the pipes as rock-solid, we-will-never-spin, don't-play-me-like-a-LP structures. Devise a way to grip them so if the pipes does spin, it will not riun your day.

-dave