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!
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. |
