Just peel of the backing and stick the template to your chosen material for making your chassis.
We recommend you drill the holes first then cut out the outline and other cut outs.
Hot
Tip 1:
Use a center punch to mark the center of the holes for accurate
drilling. Take your time, as the more care you take while making the indent, the
more accurate will be the end result.
A center punch is a tool used to make an indent in metal, which will then
be used to guide
the bit accurately into the start of the hole being drilled.
Use the smallest size drill bit (3mm) to drill all the holes first, even the larger ones! On the larger holes this is know as a pilot hole and makes it much easier to drill the larger holes accurately.
Hot
Tip 3:
To deburr the holes after drilling use a much larger drill bit, eg use an
8mm bit to deburr a 3mm hole. Simply position the point of the drill into
the hole and rotate by hand until the burr has been cleared away.
A burr is a rough, usually sharp edge left after machining.
Hot
Tip 4:
Use a tool called a hole cutter (sometimes called a hole saw) to cut the 25mm cutouts for the two
motors. A hole saw is like a circular hacksaw blade with a much smaller
central bit used as a pilot. It makes cutting these large holes a lot
easier. (not many hobbyists have a drilling machine that can handle a 25mm
HSS bit!)
Using a jigsaw cut out the outer profile of the chassis just to the outside of the line. Make sure you're using a jigsaw blade suitable for cutting irregular shapes in non ferrous metals (if you're working with aluminum). Using a flat file, file the outer profile to the line for a smooth finish.
Hot
Tip 5:
When using a hand file, remember that the file only cuts during the
forward stroke, much like a hacksaw. As such applying additional force
during the return stroke will only cause your file to blunt sooner.
Hot
Tip 6:
Use a set of soft jaws in your vice to protect your delicate, soft metal
or plastic work-piece. Or using a piece of paper between the jaws of the
vice and the work-piece works pretty well also!
Use a jigsaw to cut out the
rectangular cutouts for the rear wheels and the switch lever. This time
cut to the inside of the line. Place the blade of the jigsaw into one of
the holes to start the cut. Be careful at the corners not to cut into the
rounded edge of the drill holes. Using a small flat file (needle file), file
the inside cutouts to the line.
Use a rat-tail or small round file to tidy up the curved corners if
necessary.
The circuit board shown is a prototype of the main robot controller board.
From left to right:
Center Punch, not unlike a
nail punch but with a pointed tip to make a guide mark for accurate
drilling on a metal work-piece.
Drill bits, 3mm, 6mm & 8mm HSS (High Speed Steel)
Hole cutter, 25mm for easy cutting of larger holes. Uses a smaller central bit to guide the main cutting blade onto the work-peice.
Needle files, available in a multitude of shapes and sizes. Reaches those parts that other files just can manage!
Bottom:
8" flat file, for
tiding up those rough hewn edges!