21-24.1.12

I am home getting some school work done (and writing an entry for my engineer's log) after a long 4 days of robotics work alternating locations between the Robolab and the home/shop of our main technical mentor Adam Reif. While I thought I was finalizing designs Sunday, little did I know. I spent all Saturday night, all Sunday, all Monday night, and all Tuesday working on that same set of CAD files (among a little bit of other big-picture CAD work). I ended with a set of files and drawings that I am very happy with. Mr. Reif pushed me to fix every single bug, design flaw, SWX (Solidworks) getaround, screen-blip, and assumption in my design until I had something I can both be proud of having created, and present to potential employers as prior design work. After revision upon revision, and printing half a dozen differently new/updated drawings, I am not only not sick of working with SWX, my passion is newly stoked. I have spent the evening reading, watching videos, learning more about using SWX to its fullest.

Unfortunately, due to the shear amount of time it took to complete the drive-train "Drive Plate" design, I will not be able to machine the actual part. When I left Mr. Reif's house, we had discussed every nuance of the design, and had cut and laid out the material to be machined. Even though two plates are needed (a right and a left), only one needs to be machined because they are identical so the machinist is able to stack the two and machine them at the same time. While this seems completely straightforward, and even obvious, I had not considered the idea until Mr. Reif mentioned that that would be the most efficient way of going about it.

While perusing the interwebs I came across an incredible reference for all things FRC. From how to weld and where to buy tools, all the way to a hyperlinked list of other robotics competitions; it's all on the Hauppauge Robotics Eagles website under files.

The next robotics meeting is Thursday 26.1.12 from the end of school (the team draws students from 6 different schools so the times are not the same for each person) until 8. I will try to remember to export a jpg or two of the weekend's design work.