Posted by Hoitt…just Hoitt of team #187 from Derryfield.
Posted on 3/11/99 4:44 PM MST
I love girl scout cookies…and METAL METAL METAL! My team (you know who you are) lets just make sure we F stuff up in Conn…and “Do it to it”
—Got Metal? Hoitt
Posted by Tom Wible, Coach on team #131, chaos, from central high school manchester and osram-sylvania.
Posted on 3/12/99 10:13 AM MST
In Reply to: METAL! posted by Hoitt…just Hoitt on 3/11/99 4:44 PM MST:
Too much metal will make your robot over weight. We went with some lexan instead but found that it weighs about as much as aluminum. Remember when it comes to metal the trade off is strength versus weight. Are you refering to heavy metal, or speed metal?
LOL
Tom Wible
Posted by Dan, Student on team #10, BSM, from Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Banner Engineering.
Posted on 3/12/99 2:10 PM MST
In Reply to: Too much metal posted by Tom Wible on 3/12/99 10:13 AM MST:
Has anyone bought the fiberglass angle, channel, tube, etc. in Small Parts?
Is it strong? Is it light? When I think of fiberglass the cloth (used on sailboats) I think “strong!”, when I think fiberglass like the poles on the puck I think “weak!”.
I don’t know what to think of the stuff in Small Parts, someone help me out 'ere. :-Dan
: Too much metal will make your robot over weight. We went with some lexan instead but found that it weighs about as much as aluminum. Remember when it comes to metal the trade off is strength versus weight. Are you refering to heavy metal, or speed metal?
: LOL
: Tom Wible
Posted by Joe Johnson, Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 3/12/99 2:32 PM MST
In Reply to: Fiberglass Frame posted by Dan on 3/12/99 2:10 PM MST:
The square tube is awesome stuff. The 1 X 1 X 1/8 angle stinks (it buckles at strong stares 
It has been two years since we used it on a machine, but we use it a lot for prototyping ideas.
I have not weighed it since two years ago, but I seem to recall it being between steel and aluminum.
It is pretty tough stuff. It is easy to cut and glue to (with the proper glue – I don’t know the type we use, but it sticks to it great).
Over all, it has some good potential, but we have not continued to use it, so I guess that it can’t be too fantastic.
It also uses up Small Parts Inc. Bucks pretty fast compared to Al and Fe.
Joe J.
Posted by Bob Weiss, Engineer on team #54 from Hoboken HS and Stevens Institute of Tech.
Posted on 3/13/99 2:17 PM MST
In Reply to: square tubes are great posted by Joe Johnson on 3/12/99 2:32 PM MST:
Last year we used the “I-beam” extrusions as some of our major structural members. We cut down the flanges of the beams to save weight, and drilled a series of 1.5" holes through the main web as well. Even with all this material removed, these things were STRONG! Material is a bit expensive, and heavy unless you do a lot of machining. When machining, carbide tools are needed, unless you want to keep resharpening HSS ones. Keep the material wet to reduce airborne dust, and wear gloves when handling newly-machined parts, as the loose fibers get into your skin very easily. We used nuts and bolts as fasteners, as threading the material resulted in really weak threads, which would strip out very easily.
: The square tube is awesome stuff. The 1 X 1 X 1/8 angle stinks (it buckles at strong stares
: It has been two years since we used it on a machine, but we use it a lot for prototyping ideas.
: I have not weighed it since two years ago, but I seem to recall it being between steel and aluminum.
: It is pretty tough stuff. It is easy to cut and glue to (with the proper glue – I don’t know the type we use, but it sticks to it great).
: Over all, it has some good potential, but we have not continued to use it, so I guess that it can’t be too fantastic.
: It also uses up Small Parts Inc. Bucks pretty fast compared to Al and Fe.
: Joe J.