Working with Quickframe

[Stephen of REX]

Any advice for a team that has not used quickframe before? Normally we use kitbot chassis, but I believe we intend to use the kitbot parts for our practice bot this year, and something new for the competition bot seems to be in order. Any tips and tricks?

[Chris Fultz]

Originally Posted by Stephen of REX

but I believe we intend to use the kitbot parts for our practice bot this year, and something new for the competition bot seems to be in order. Any tips and tricks?

One of the advantages of making a practice robot is that it can be a great working prototype "build #1" and then lead to an improved competition "build #2" robot. This would mean that you would want to use the same or a very similar chassis system for the two robots.

If you want to use the kitbot parts, you can buy a second kitbot to build robot #2.

[Stephen of REX]

Originally Posted by Chris Fultz

One of the advantages of making a practice robot is that it can be a great working prototype "build #1" and then lead to an improved competition "build #2" robot. This would mean that you would want to use the same or a very similar chassis system for the two robots.

Well if we have enough reasons to do so, we may just go with quick frame for both. It is considerably lighter, right?

[Dale]

Quickframe is almost exactly half the weight of normal 80/20 1010 extrusion. It's harder to change your mind, though, so we like to use the normal 80/20 extrusion for prototypes.

[Trent B]

Short answer C-Base is pretty close to 8020 1x1 extrusion but much lighter than 2x1. Both are twice as heavy as a Quick frame.

.258 lb/feet

4 35" lengths, 2 28" lengths (I realize some of these would have to be shorter given the fact it would make a 40x30 frame but at those contents it would be around.

4.21lbs for the members. Throw in 4 three way corners (so you can build up) at .065 lbs a piece and 4 90 degree connectors (for the internal bars (the 2 extra 38" lengths) 9240 as an example) are .03 lbs a piece

Total 4.59 lbs with a few extra inches of quick frame aluminum that probably aren't needed.

C-Base (4 35" members at 1.25x1.13" are 1.4 lbs each + 2 28" ones about about .8 of the 1.4lbs or 1.12) total 7.84 lbs

8 corners at .24lbs each total being 1.92 lbs

Total for C-Base is 9.76 without fasteners or basically twice the weight. But the Quick frame has 1/16" walls vs C-Base 1/8" walls so it is "warranted" that the C-Base should weigh about twice as much as it has twice the aluminum thickness.