pic: 1346 - Wood is Good

[dtengineering]

Thank you all for your kind comments. Our team had some very unkind comments for the belt system last week as the belt came off every third or fourth ball, but those are solved now, so we are much happier! We were launching balls across the classroom, and should move out to the cafeteria shortly where we'll have the space to more accurately simulate the field.

Wood has played a major role in our designs for the past three years that we have been in FIRST. Last year our wooden arm went a long way to helping us pick up the Xerox Creativity Award in Portland. We made a duplicate of it (it only weighed about three pounds) and placed it on a stand in the pits. When the judges came around we encouraged them to jump on it.... two or three at a time. It flexed maybe a couple of millimetres. Two years ago... as complete rookies who had never even SEEN a FIRST competition, we used 3/4" plywood to form the majority of our chassis.

Speaking from a mentorship point of view we like the students on our team to have experience with a number of different materials. This year, for instance, is the first year that we haven't laid-up our own urethane foam core fibreglass composite sheets. On the other hand, it is the first year that we have done a lot of work with welded aluminum tubing. Wood, however, is just so perfect for working with students. Strong, lightweight, easy to form, join and bond... and not particularly expensive when it needs to be re-worked.

From a practical point of view, the only piece of CNC equipment we have is a CNC router, and while that CAN do aluminum, it is most happy working on wood. Hence the bearing blocks.

I believe the wood in the wheel is a mahogany, but will have to check. The bearing blocks are maple and the plywood is all Baltic Birch. The finish is a simple sanding sealer/laquer natural finish, to let the wood shine through.

Thanks again for your kind comments, and best wishes in the crunch.

Jason