Snow days are killing us

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by rcmolloy

Talk to your new man Akash, he will help you out a lot.

I really wish there was something I could actually do about this, but I think JJ means the problem is getting into the school to get materials. If it was an issue of needing build space, that would be something we could probably work around.

I feel useless at this point in time that's what I get for joining so late into build.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by staplemonx

Has FRC ever given a team an extension due to snow?

There was one year with an "extension" on the ship date because of widespread snow. FedEx trucks were not able to pick up many robots on the prescribed day. If I'm remembering correctly, this didn't actually give teams permission to continue work longer.

[DtD]

Find out what your school's policy on snow days is. EG: Ours is clubs and activities are canceled unless special permission is given by the district and you can't meet before 11:00 AM.

Or just figure out somewhere else to meet. Our team has met in my (3 car) garage before.

[artdutra04]

It snows every build season, and every year this issue comes up. White frozen precipitation falling from the sky is not the end of the world. The only year build season was ever expanded due to snow was when a major Nor'easter blizzard hit the entire East Coast right before/on Ship Date, and Fedex trucks physically could not get to locations to pick up the robot crates.

When snow is forecasted, plan ahead and delegate tasks out to members that can be completed from home if school is canceled and you cannot meet. For actual robot work, use a CAD modeling software of your choice to fully design your robot in. During the design phase, it's just as easy to work on CAD models from your house as it is in your school. Then when it comes to fabricating all the parts, you can ask team members what kind of tools they have at their homes, and if they have appropriate tools, give them part drawings and have them make parts at home.

They key thing though is to plan ahead for how your locality deals with snow. Whether you're in the South and 3" of snow means the state is closed for a week or you're in the North and 18" of snow might mean a single missed day, if you plan ahead you'll be fine. Engineering projects always tend to expand and fill whatever time is available.

[fox46]

A great investment for any FIRST team are these little guys:
http://www.busybeetools.com/products...N.-X-8IN..html
http://www.busybeetools.com/products...3-CRAFTEX.html
Another of our mentors owns the Mini Lathe and it is absolutely awesome. Great for all kinds of parts and will handle pretty much anything you can fit in its chuck which is likely about 95% of any robot part you might need. Best of all you can throw it in a car and take it wherever you want- including your pit area at the competition! This dynamic duo would make a great investment for any team who is being forced to do work at home. If there's a bunch of snow in the forcast, just throw these guys in the car with all your WIP parts and you can keep working at home with almost all the capability of a full size machine shop. They are also great for teaching students how to use a lathe/mill because if you crash the chuck or royally mess up there is never enough kinetic energy involved to do any catastrophic damage ie: whipping chuck keys/parts/tooling into things, mangling the machine etc.

[Zuelu562]

I can imagine how much it sucks for you guys. Up here in MA we are losing 1 day a week (luckily not our Saturdays), and it's a complete pain.

This year really makes me question the thought of global warming .

[Steve Compton]

We're not too far from you - same problems but more access to a build space. Not much of a space, but we can get in. Be in touch (steve.compton@westtown.edu) if you want to talk through some ideas about assistance. BTW, first started my work in FRC by way of a Philly Charter (Mastery High Team 1394) robotics team I founded.

Originally Posted by staplemonx

We haven't been able to get our stuff since wed. And the city just announced that we are not getting in to the building til monday. And our weather person just announced more snow on monday.

Has FRC ever given a team an extension due to snow?

Philly schools close to easy.