06/16/02 - FRAME, I'm gonna Live Forever! & Yay for Poland, Kenneth, and Pro/Engineer!:

First things first, Tony Hall (of Team Radicus) has been moved from the "guys who ROCK" shelf to the "HERO" pedestal as promised, for finding a place that can get me the odd-ball M10 x 1.0 LH tap I was looking for. I ordered the tap from www.e-taps.com. The tap is being shipped from Poland and should be here in about a month. Hey, I got plenty of time! :) Yay for Poland!

Another HUGE thank you goes to my bro Kenneth Peek for hooking me up with VI's new weapon bearings, and some EV mounts! Hey, what can I say?! Dude makes ART out of aluminum. Kenneth likes chain saws, too... a LOT. Yay for Kenneth!

I have been working on the frame nearly every day after work, and progress is really starting to show! I LOVE making the frame, after already having designed it with ProE. It is going so much faster than the last build, it is amazing. I didn't apreciate the value of designing the robot completely before making it, until I started welding this frame together. Yay for Pro/Engineer!

Click Thumbnail For Bigger Pic:

1) So, here is where I left off on the frame last time.

2) Clamping in another piece and measuring it up with my nifty new caliper! (Fathers Day RULES!)

3) Piece welded in, and grinded down to purty surface.

4) From the top, the piece appears to be straight. I'm using a 5/8" AL plate to clamp to before welding, when possible.

5) Clamping down the other side of the wedge corner.

6) Welded in!

7) Ahh... The wall of inspiration!

8) Starting to look a *little* like a frame now.

9) Chop-sawed the two pieces that weld to the rear corners of the frame.

10) Clamp em' down after measuring.

11) Then weld them in... MY EYE!

12) Another bead.

13) Grrrrind it!

14) Pic taken before closing that evening. Looking a little more like a frame!

15) Chopping the tops for the front wedge corners.

16) Will it fit?

17) Of course it will fit... I DO measure, you know?!

18) They both fit. Now to glue them onto the frame.

19) First, we need to clamp it down though.

20) Then with it half way welded on...

21) THIS happens!

22) But after a quick trip to Tractor Supply, I'm back in the steel gluing business.

23) Grind on!

24) Blue is purty.

25) Set up the other side.

26) And weld it in.

27) I love my chop saw.

28) Goofy, ain't he folks? Here are two more pieces that get welded into the rear of the frame.

29) Not welded in yet, just setting them in to see how it will look. Cool!

30) Soul-Mate / Cool Better Half That Puts Up With Robot Stuff / SUPER Mom -
Yay for Angie!

31) Clamping and measuring one of the rear pieces before welding.

32) Welded!

33) Repeating the process for the other side.

34) Woohoo! Both sides welded :)

35) Letting it sit to cool, leaving the clamps on.

36) It's looking more and more like a frame.

33) Need to cut some more tubing, but not at a 45 anymore.

34) Now that we have the saw at a 90, lets cut some tube! These long pieces will make the top of the frame.

35) After every trip to the chop saw, I have to visit the table grinder to "clean up" the cut.

36) Measure...

37) ... clamp ...

38) ... and WELD!

39) Now repeat on other side.

40) Braced up, and welding in the rest of the frame for the wedge.

41) Bad lighting, but you can see that it is REALLY starting to look like a frame now!

42) All the steel I have left! I have more on order :)

43) Here's a pic of the AWESOME parts that Kenneth has made for me. Pictured are EV mounts, and the new bearings for the weapon.

44) A same pic with flash :) Yay for Kenneth!

45) Last piece of the steel tubing I have, until my ordered piece from the local metals place comes in. Trimmed for the rear top of the frame.

46) Clamp it down...

47) ... and weld it in!

48) Taking a break, and a sip of refreshing frosty Diet Dew!
(the official drink of Team RV)

48) After some grinding, here's what I have untill I get some more steel.

49) At a different angle.

50) Happy fathers day to me! Steel GOOD!

51) The finished robot should look something like this, only louder.




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