Center Goal Hardware

[coastertux]

Is there any way to build the center goal w/ PVC with out spending $125 on the IFI Center Goal Hardware Kit?

[sojouner06]

you can make it your self

[dez250]

Please see the UPDATED Field Elements Material Lists, Team Components [Rev. 9] document. This has a material list on how to make the center goal for about $80 with all the items coming from Home Depot.

[coastertux]

That is out of wood though...

[Katie Reynolds]

As it is now, I haven't seen any way of making the center goal out of PVC without going through IFI.

If making it out of PVC is worth that much to your team, I'd spend the extra cash and buy the materials from IFI. If you're on a budget, go with "Home Depot" wood version.

$0.02

[dlavery]

An alternate technique:

- Get 10 metal (not HDPE) tetra "clovers" used to make the tetras.

- Take six of the clovers and bend one lobe of the clover to approximately 110 degrees. Let's call these the "bent over clovers." With three of these, attach PVC end caps to each lobe, and set them aside.

- For the remaining three bent-over clovers, attach a PVC end cap to the bent lobe. Leave the other two lobes open on each clover. Call these the "left-over bent over clovers."

- Bend the remaining four of the clovers into the standard apex shapes.

- Take three regular clovers and the three left over bent over clovers and pair them up. Put a bolt through the lobe of one bent-over clover, then through the lobe of a regular clover, then into a PVC end cap. Repeat for a second lobe of each. Add PVC end caps to the two open lobes. When you are done, you should have a clover assembly that has four lobes, one of which is bent at a 110 degree angle, with an end cap on each.

- Make a "standard" tetra from 48" lengths of PVC, using the standard metal clover with PVC end caps at the top apex, and the modified 4-lobe clovers at each apex along the base. When you are done, the tetra will stand on the three end caps at the corners, each of which will face down.

- Make another tetra, with 48" lengths of PVC for the three base edges, and 40" lengths of PVC for the rising edges. Do not connect the three rising edges into an apex. Bend the clovers on the base corners of the tetra so the rising edges stick straight up (i.e. do not angle toward each other).

- Lift up the first tetra and plug each of the rising edges of the second tetra into the open end caps on the bottom of the first tetra.

You might have to fiddle with the exact angles of the modified clovers a little to make everything fit, but it is possible to make a center goal out of PVC this way.

-dave

[Tinsky]

If you have the ability to get parts lasercut we have the three different connectors on our site in AutoCAD DWG or DXF formats.

The connectors drawings have perforations on the bend lines making it easy to form them either by hand or in a vice with pliers (depending on the gague material).

[Joe Ross]

Remember that while wood is only an approximation of the goal, so is pvc. The real goals are made out of aluminum.

[dtengineering]

Originally Posted by coastertux

Is there any way to build the center goal w/ PVC with out spending $125 on the IFI Center Goal Hardware Kit?

The centre goal hardware pieces can be manufactured from a piece of wood (even 2x4 should do) using just a band saw and drill. Rather than using a bolt to hold the end caps to the clover, you use a good size (#12 or so) wood screw.

Hopefully this photo will show you what we are using... works great and saves $125 of bent metal. (Sorry IFI...)

Jason
Teacher/Leader Team 1346 "Trobotics"
General Motors Canada and David Thompson Secondary
"The FIRST team from British Columbia."