SparkFun Forums

[NStone79]

Anyone have some good tricks for the mechanical end of building prototypes?

I've just learned about using plastic tubing for motor to shaft connections which is a cool tip.

I have previously been using plumbers putty epoxy (i.e. Mighty Putty, but u can get better stuff at home depot for cheaper in the plumbing section) for alot of my stuff. It's awesome stuff, dries sandable & rock hard, and is usefull for much more than motor to shaft connections.

Another tip with power transmission is if you can get your motor attached to a hexagonal screwdriver bit, then that opens up a world of possibilities for transmitting power because of all the electric screwdriver/drill bits available U-Joints, flexshafts, set-screw collars (drillbit stop guides), etc. and it can handle lots of power/torque.

My current problem is how can I fab up a gear box. I have a bunch of gears from old RC cars, but Im struggling with how to mount them all & achieve the proper gear alignment & ensure they are all perpendicular. Anyone have any ideas on how to achieve this?

Someone should start a sticky with useful resources for fabing prototypes.

[markaren1]

Buy a "height gage" - do a search on eBay

Buy a drill press and some bits

Buy Hand file and tin snips

Get some 18 ga ali sheet and some F-F 6-32 spacers and screws

Should be all you need to make simple gear box sides

Take a metal shop class - you will be amazed how usefull that will be.

Or maybe a meccanao kit ?

Regards,

Mark

[TheDirty]

I think robot building has kinda died down now, but when I was playing with robosumo and light tracking and small bots, there were a lot of people fabricating gear boxes themselves. For small bots, gears were usually mounted between pieces of sheet plastic, like lexan. I think if you look for the robot mailing lists and the clubs, you mind find something.

[Arachnivore]

If you're really ambitious, you could put together a rep-rap machine. I suppose if you're scavenging gears from old RC cars, you might no be ready to sink $400+ into a fabrication device. Since you are scavenging gears, make sure they have the same pitch or else thy won't thread together very well.