Additional allowed materials

[kmcclary]

We wish some clarification on which fasteners, bearings and swivels are legal, along with having a couple of other materials questions.

Question #1: The allowable additional materials state: "Fasteners: Unlimited [except ...]" and "Hinges, braces, brackets, (and other similar off-the-shelf support items): any size or amount."

Does the concept of "hinge" and "fastener" include ANY "off-the-shelf" hardware store swivels and/or load bearing JOINTED items that attach two things together with some numbers of degrees of freedom of motion?

If so, then IMHO it would seem that as long as an item attaches two things together, AND it is "off the shelf" at a local hardware store, it SHOULDN'T matter WHICH degrees of freedom of movement it allows. (However, I'd rather ask now during the design stage than find out later it is illegal. :-)

Examples of standard hardware store "N degree of freedom" fastening items we've already found and may wish to consider using which we'd like to clarify as to their legality:
A) A couple dollar Lazy Susan "hinge"
B) A cheap "ball and socket joint"
C) Pillar bearings for drive shafts to help protect the motors from excessive torque loads.
(If [C] is illegal, what ARE allowable or recommended "shaft bearing" constructions to protect the motors? This is our first contest, and want to make sure we don't screw up with something basic in our drivetrain construction... :-)

Question #2: The only adhesives stated in the additional materials list are Epoxy and Hot-Melt glue. Neither are a good choice for applying to sheet rubber, which is an allowed material. Can we use a rubber cement of some kind?

Question #3: The castors are "no mod". Can we buy a similar castor to cut up and use some of its pieces INSTEAD of the supplied one in our robot?
(This way can return the original one intact.)
Can we use additional similar castors?

Thanks!

- Keith McClary, Huron High Team #830