Tank treads (caterpillar tracks)

[MichaelGoode]

Hi there.
I was wondering if anyone knows how to build tank treads (caterpillar tracks) for a spy bot i was thinking of building.

Thanks
Michael

Note: This isnt for a competition, just for fun at my house

[joey_picus]

Building tank tracks yourself is quite a difficult process and I'd advise against doing it from scratch unless you've got machining or injection moulding or other engineering experience and equipment of some sort.

Using available kits is a different matter, heh...on The Data Fields I use Tamiya model tracks, which Technobots sell (http://www.technobotsonline.com/tamiya- ... l-set.html - although it's unavailable from them atm) with some homemade mounting blocks for the front axle and some superglue to keep the drive sprockets on. They work quite well, I've not had a track come off yet a five minute search for 'model tracks' on most robot component sites or eBay will turn up other things you can use.

[peterwaller]

As Joey says You are better off using commercial tracks but it is possible to make them. My first ever robot a Heavyweight had home made tracks.
I found some heavy duty chain that had hollow pins and bolted an angle bracket on each side of each link. I then bolted a track plate between each pair of brackets. With a small sprocket on the motor you didn't a gearbox. I seem to remember something like 250 links all together and the grip was poor. I went to a setup day the day before the robotwars qaulifier day and found the grip only average so that night I coated every track with silicone rubber. At the trial the rubber picked up a layer of dust and it was like driving on ice. I won the first event when the other robot broke down, but dispite spending a frenzied half hour scrapeing the rubber off, lost the second when I smoked my homemade controller.

[MichaelGoode]

if i was going to make from scratch it would be like this

http://woodgears.ca/tracked_vehicle/plans.html

Hopefully it works the link

[Flippt]

I actually got some plastic tracks here at home, I posted them on the FRA forum:

http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/forum/v ... 166&t=3389

[MichaelGoode]

How about wooden one's, i sent a link out. If you look on his website he has some good ideas. Even though the whole thing isnt wireless it can be modified right?
Michael

[Team Orr]

Just buy some pre-made tracks, alot better than homemade ones and probably cheaper

[MichaelGoode]

Ok, that would be alot better, does anyone have experience fitting them. And anyone know good places to buy, if so put a link on please
Michael