Hi,
we are looking for lists from different teams of what they bring to FRC competitions - we would like to get a good idea of what kind of tools will be necessary.
(Sorry if this isn’t quite the right thread!)
thank you!
Off the top of my head I came up with this list, I may be missing some things.
In tool cabinet (similar to this one)
General
- Screw driver set
- Vise grip set
- Allen key set
- Combination wrench set
- Adjustable wrench set
- Socket set
- Cordless drills and charging station
- Hammer and mallet
- Pliers set
- Drill bit set
- Driver drill bit set
- Countersink bit
- Assorted files and sand paper
- Utility knives
- [Utility cutter](http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-edge-utility-cutter/p-00937309000P? prdNo=4&blockNo=4&blockType=G4) (great for cutting pneumatic tubing along with other odds and ends)
- Scissors
- Hack saws
- Reciprocating saw
- Hand clamps
- Tape (masking, pneumatic, electrical)
- Keyway Broach set
- Rivets and riveter
- Staple gun
- Work gloves
- Extra allen keys and ratcheting combination wrenches in the size of the standard FRC nuts and bolts
Measurement and Marking
- Dial calipers
- Machinist square
- Adjustable squares
- Rulers
- Tape measures
- Sharpies
- Pencils
- Center Punch
- Scribers
Electrical
- Wire cutter and strippers
- Crimping tools
- Multimeter
- Soldering Iron
Non-essential (things in our work cabinets that don’t need to be brought)
- Level
- Tap and die set
- Heat gun
- Screw extractor set
On work table
- Work vise
- Drill press
- Belt sander
- Arbor press
Parts
- Assorted nuts, washers and bolts
- Set screws and machine keys
- Bearing and collars
- Pneumatic tubing and brass fittings
- Replacement electrical components (wire, motors, motor controllers, crimp wire connectors)
- Sprockets and belts for drive train
- Some aluminum sheet metal, lexan sheet and aluminum 1x1 hollow square tubing
- Zip ties
- Any specialized components that may break (note this counts towards your withholding allowance)
In lockable chest
- Spare driver station laptop and charger
- iPads for scouting (paper and pencil works well too, we may likely switch back to that for the 2015 competition season)
- Extra tee shirts for members who forgot theirs
Miscellaneous
- Robot cart
- Small shop-vac
- Battery charging station or area
- Power strip and extension cord(s)
- Trash bag or bin
- Safety glasses
- Giveaways (completely optional but many teams have them)
- First aid kit (including battery leak kit)
- Foam tiles or rug
- Somewhere to sit (for us it is on the locking chest)
I agree with most of this…beside the heat gun. It is nice to have if your doing any kind of electrical fix or addition. I also believe that for measurement tools, all you need is a tape measure, square, and drill bit/rivet/bolt sizer (ours is all built into one).
I would leave 2-3 tool boxes empty until end of build season. Then I would label each one drive train, arm, etc. Pick a few of each part you would need to repair and put it into its respected bin. This will save time and cut down on what you bring to comp. We also have a few other for our stand rivets, bolts, washers, and self tapers ( these are still only packed with the specific ones we used and a few others we might need).
I find one of our most used tools to be T-handle Allen keys, our pneumatic rivet gun(we use mainly rivets), and a rubber mallet to bend anything back into place. We separate ours into two separate tool boxes. One is mechanical tools and the other has all electrical tools. This helps with clutter and easier to find something.
We don’t bring any bench top tools beside a VISE! Everything else is mostly cordless tools which will work for pretty much anything as long as you remember to bring a vise. Ours is a clamp down version that we can store until we are at comp and then bring it out, makes it nice for travel.
Lastly, your driver station. I would advise against giant, bulky driver stations. Keep it simple and protected. There are many plastic cases you can get with foam inside that will do just fine. However, we use Xbox controllers and a small ultra book so it is easier for us to store away then it would be if you used the larger joysticks. The small package makes it nice to store and takes up little room in your pit…very valuable space!
Make sure you have good zip-ties and small pieces of extra stock, this comes in handy when needing new brackets for arms and extensions.
-Ronnie
I can only dream of being organized enough to have a list…
generally I spend an hour or two consolidating our most used tools from the big rollaway tool chest, into the top box, and we just take that. Along with a bin full of parts that are almost like what we have on the robot, and some extra misc hardware and material stock (angle, strap, sheet aluminum, polycarbonate, etc). And the batteries, battery rack, chargers, cords, and our spare game piece.
The vise, clamps, and hacksaw are always along for the ride, they get a lot of use.
Since each year our team fly’s to at least one event we tend to take less then most teams. Last week some of us were discussing how little we could bring. Things like only bringing wrenches that we have nuts or bolts for. Not including drill and battery charger I would like to see if we could get our tool selection to under 15 pounds. This is just a mental exercise at this time. We will still bring spare parts.
In addition to all of the essentials, I like to go through every mechanical component and think about what I would need to repair it if it broke at the event. Also if you have any space left over, fill it up. Even if you might not need it, another team might.
Way too much but its better to be prepared for anything compared to not having what you need to keep your robot on the field.
Don’t forget the robot, the most important hardware there is!
The problem that 192 has is the cost of flying and shipping things. Also when we fly we walk and use public transit. That means we have to transport our gear from our hotel and any saving in weight and cost is welcome. Since the students design and build the robot they should know what tools are needed. Last years robot could be taken apart and rebuilt with about 15 tools and that includes repairing wiring. With about 5 more tools the students can make about any part that does not require a welder, a lathe, or a milling machine. Those parts will be in our spares except for the welded frames. We also kept our spares within the weight limit. As I said earlier this mental exercise at this time. Also the less you bring the quicker you can set up your pit and get working on the inspection and last year the team was quick.