pic: Fun With Extrusion!

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Bill_Hancoc

How do you use it to tension chain???

just curious because sliding the motors is a lil slower

If you're using pillow blocks bolted to the T-slot, and not a through hole in the extrusion, you can slide them in the slots.

[TriggsJr]

Its grown up legos.

[ewankoff]

This was also 1676's first year using the extrusion.

Being on Mechanical and working with stuff i can say that this stuff is very easy to work with.

The only thing we had a problem with was with one of our drill bits for the universal connectors. The vice we had it in span around and broke the small part off. That was the last time we forgot the lube.

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by ewankoff

This was also 1676's first year using the extrusion.

Being on Mechanical and working with stuff i can say that this stuff is very easy to work with.

The only thing we had a problem with was with one of our drill bits for the universal connectors. The vice we had it in span around and broke the small part off. That was the last time we forgot the lube.

Good thing it was a mentor who broke that bit and not some student...;-)

Yes, and we ALL learned something that day.

Don

[Nuttyman54]

Originally Posted by Cory

If you're using pillow blocks bolted to the T-slot, and not a through hole in the extrusion, you can slide them in the slots.

this is exactly what we did. every loop of chain has at least one sliding component. kjhobin of Team 555 alerted me that 80/20 does not recommend this method, as the t-nuts are liable to loosen and slide, but we haven't had this problem yet. Another option would be to add a tensioner sprocket to the t-slot and just slide that.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Nuttyman54

this is exactly what we did. every loop of chain has at least one sliding component. kjhobin of Team 555 alerted me that 80/20 does not recommend this method, as the t-nuts are liable to loosen and slide, but we haven't had this problem yet. Another option would be to add a tensioner sprocket to the t-slot and just slide that.

The nuts will almost definitely loosen themselves, everywhere on the robot (but particularly your wheels). We had this problem quite often in 2003 with all the robot on robot contact.

As long as you check your wheels and other critical structural members somewhat regularly, you should be fine.