Yes, I know this has been discussed before but I was curious if there were any other ways that teams were able to use the Fairlane wheels. I have seen the Spectrum blog post about using hex shaft collars but they say that at high speeds they would have a lot of vibration.
Are there methods that don’t cause as much vibration? Also, are the bores a press fit or a slip fit?
The specific type of wheel I am curious about is https://www.mcmaster.com/2477k37-2477K351.
As far as material selection with these wheels is concerned, how do you determine when to use the urethane or neoprene wheels?
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Order from fixtureworks.com and get the 1.125" bore wheels, then put nearly any FRC hex hub in them (we used metal versaroller hubs), some are a light press fit, some are more loose. Use retaining compound (green loctite) to secure them.
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I am assuming this is a better solution than using shaft collars, correct? And do you know which specific loctite number?
My question is whether it’s really worth it to use Fairlane wheels anymore. I certainly understand using them pre-2017*, but now AndyMark, Vex, and WCP all have their own compliant wheels. What benefits are there for using them now, considering they’re more difficult to use than any of the wheels in the FRC COTS ecosystem?
* I think AM introduced theirs first in 2017 but my memory may be mistaken
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worth it to use Fairlane wheels anymore
Some Fairlane wheels have a wall down the middle which stiffens the wheel a bit more. This can help with a conforming shooter wheel that needs to spin fast but not over-expand.
The design is thicker/heavier in general, but also more durable for the longer-term. AM green wheel tended to show cracks at the corners of internal conforming walls after just a competition or two. It is less cost to buy several AM wheels and replace as-needed, but sometimes cost isn’t the sole factor (wheels get sold out, extra things to track/maintain, general wastefulness, etc).
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I was thinking more in the line of ball shooters such as used in 2016 and 2017. Especially 2017.
We’ve purchased the 1/2" round bore versions and broached them for hex before. It’s a lot of work/cost for a wheel so I think we’ll stick to a more COTS version.
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We actually make custom hubs for them and the fact that they are thick wheels is why we like them.
How do your custom hubs work?
Honestly, I don’t see why they would be good for anything anymore. AM stealth wheels and a separate inertia disc seems like a much less annoying solution (especially if you already needed a disc), solving basically every problem with fairlane shooters. Anything requiring compliance is covered by several manufacturers.
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We machine press fit hubs. And then broach them to a hex. We never have any problem with them coming off
Fairlane wheels def still have a place. Solid shooter wheels have a uniform surface. The flex/complaint wheels in the market depending on the object may not produce a reliable shot depending where the object makes contact (on the spoke, between the spoke, closer to one spoke than the other etc…).
TL;DR I’m not saying the flex/complaint wouldn’t work but fairlane wheels have a spot for shooting game pieces. Not much use elsewhere.
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I’m not talking about compliants for shooters, but these guys: https://www.andymark.com/products/stealth-wheels-options
Ran them in 2017 and surprised pretty much everybody with our shot consistency.
Stealth wheels are neat. I wonder if they’ll make them in more diameters.
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When we tried them they weren’t as good as the fairlane versions… Our main issue was that they wore down much quicker/weren’t as consistent but they could be a good choice for other objects that aren’t as hard. YMMV.
As far as attaching goes, We pressed ours onto a 1.25 tube and used the wcp roller hubs to put it on a hex shaft.
(Picture context: offseason prototype fuel shooter for new students.)
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Yes
Loctite 680 Retaining Compound is what we used and 7649 primer
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