TINBENDER

Mpeg of Tinbender terrorizing caricatures (861KB)

This Antweight bot is a result of hanging around Ted Zeiger and Derek Zahn one afternoon and being coerced unmercifully by Chesney Rathburn of MURC (Midwest U.S. Robotics Club). At the Las Vegas Street Fight, I drove an Antweight against it's builder, Jason Bardis and his other identical Antweight, and had a lot of fun (winning). They give you an adrenaline rush just like the big ones. I named Tinbender, not because its going to go out and mangle other bots, but for myself, being a Mechanical Engineer. Tinbender is made entirely out of, well....tin. Actually, galvanized steel, what is used for tin now-a-days in HVAC ducting. A proper pair of tin snips, a good vise for making bends and a cordless drill is that is required. I had to go and buy a 5 lb digital scale just to ensure I was making weight. After doing big iron for the last year and a half, I have the utmost respect for the guys making the little guys. Although using R/C servos, modified for full rotation by Brian at Servo City, is easy to turn into a bot, they are dog-a** slow, but at least I will have something to take to MURC. I should pretty well, as I am also going to be a Judge. :o) (update - I got a 4th in class and a 2nd in the rumble).

The great thing about Antweights, all you need
to take to the competition is a single briefcase!

Building Tinbender