make vs. buy wheels

[JVN]

Originally Posted by pythagoras

since we generally have a good idea of what our base is going to look like early on in the design process we know what size and style wheel to use early on, therefore we start machining our wheels and lightening our gearboxes early on in the season while the rest of the robot parts are being designed. that way we are already done with our wheels by the time it is time to get to machining other robot parts. a major part that goes into our decision on whether or not to machine our wheels is if they will be seen or not, b/c they do add an awsomeness to the robot as previously said. unfortunately there seems to be a curse around this decision b/c whenever we machine wheels they seem to be covered up by bumpers or something else, but if we decide to use purchased wheels they are always in plain sight. i guess ive kind of digressed but my main point is that as long as you plan your robot out early, you can machine your wheels without using up time that you could use to machine other parts.

The only time I saw your team's wheels this year was in the pit on a shelf, and they were some of the most beautifully designed wheels in FIRST.

Then again, my definition of beauty may be different than common convention.

-John

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by David Guzman

I think our 2006 wheels were like 0.28 lbs a piece, those are the ones drew posted. They were 5" in diameter and 2" wide.

Our 2007 wheels were 0.18 lbs a piece, 4" OD and 1" wide.

Since 2006 we have been making our own wheels and will probably continue to do so. For us, it is much cheaper to make them then to buy any of the ones that are in the market right now. They are also much lighter.

Overall UHMW worked good, but after some time the bearings began to get a little lose on the counter bores. The wheels were very tough, in fact in my opinion they handle impact better than our new aluminum wheels.

Best picture I could find of our 2007 wheels: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/27927

For 2008 we decided to go with aluminum because we wanted to run them on live axles with a 1/8 key. There aren't any good pictures of them online. I will try to find one and upload it.

You guys and 1538 Holy cows make some cool and top-notch quality products.
Teams that spend some time researching neatness and quality into practicality should be praised.