Shafts for banebots wheels

FIRST General Forum
1

We are looking into the 3-7/8" x .8" banebots wheels, and wanted to know if they had any shafts to go with these wheels. I can’t find any on the website. We are thinking of using either the hex mount or the key mount. We will also need belts and gears to match the size, but that’s aside the point.

Thanks!

2

McMaster always has them, if you need a fast and easy solution:

Hex: http://www.mcmaster.com/#stainless-steel-hex-rods/=e7p7ha
Round (with key option): http://www.mcmaster.com/#stainless-steel-precision-shafts/=e7p8hc

but with speed and ease comes price. Maybe not enough to seem consequential on any one project but it adds up over time, so I’d look around your local area for metal suppliers.

–Ryan

3

If you use keyed shaft this is what we use.


saves a lot of work.
but we have switched to hex shaft. That solves all of the broken key problems.

4

Thanks!

5

I stumbled across this while looking for a cheaper alternative to McMasterCarr:
http://www.reidsupply.com/GrpResults.aspx?pid=10021895&aitm=GLH-3042&apid=10021895&bi=

I dont know if it is reliable or not, but it is nearly 1/3 the price of the axles from McMaster…

Unfortunately they only give you two sizes… 3ft and 6ft, so you will have to find a way to cut it.

We will probably order these for our Banebot wheels.

6

You’re going to have to cut metal sometime in your robotics team’s existence. Might as well learn how to now.

I’d suggest hex.

7

Anyone have any experience with this?

8

I don’t have any experience with the particular products from Reid Supply, however, keyed shafting is a commonly available item, I know we have a couple places locally that we can get it. Look around for places that deal with “power transmission” or “industrial supply”.

I certainly would avoid stainless steel unless there is a compelling reason to need the material properties (and I can’t think of one in a FRC robot, at least not until we finally get the long awaited “water game”). It’s a lot easier to cut 1018 steel.

Here are a couple other places you can get it besides McMaster:

http://www.fastenal.com/web/search/products/metals-materials-fabrication-equipment/bars/keyed-shafts/_/N-gj52ws&Nty=0

http://www1.mscdirect.com/eCommerce/SearchServlet?scrNtt=keyed+shafting&scrNtk=default

And a Google search for “keyed shafting” will turn up a lot more possibilities.

Personally, I hate keys and much prefer to use hex shafting whenever possible. This hatred goes back 20+ years.

9