pic: Mecanum Musings

[Tom Line]

I would strongly suggest that you make your rollers out of some non-lubricating plastic, then dip them in a rubberized coating to make them sticky. You can get the coating dirt cheap at any hardware store (it's what you dip tools in to rubberize them).

I say that because machining softer grade rubbers can be a real headache for the machinists. They tend to tear - even the harder durometers. So they end up having to freeze them then rush them to the lathe to get them done before they thaw. Like I said - real pain in the neck.

Plastic would be easier to machine, and in the end probably it would probably be cheaper too.

A step up from that would be to have a machine shop machine a female mold that you could pour your own rollers from. That'd be cool and not too hard - heat plastic in pan till liquid and pour in. A bit like pouring those old lead army men into casts.