Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #08600
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Timothy Flytcher flytch@hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 25 Dec 1999 12:50:59 -0500
Subject: RE: Carbon fiber, very dangerous and construction overkill + dont
> I just don't get it... whats all the fuss about any one material... all
are
> pretty much the same to work with... just different techniques... Yes I
have
> used carbon fiber... both in model aircraft and full sized... But if you
> want simple and cheap ever tried poly ester resin and a brown paper bag???
> Works just fine and makes compound curves easily...
> Timothy...
>
> > >>you don't
> >build a golden gate or Fourth bridge to cross a stream! or perhaps you
> >would
> >on
> >the grounds that its Aestheticly pleasing.... to your eye.
> >The use of carbon rod is both expensive and not required, from a cosmetic
> >perspective black painted glass rod would be strong enough and cheaper.
> >
> >
> >BS cowboy!
> >
> >The very thin carbon fiber rod is extremely light and strong for it's
> >mass... I feel it a superb frame material and quite easy to work with,
> >regular wire cutters work just fine - remember it's only 1mm diameter.
> >
> >If some of the more bitter sounding individuals out there deem it 'too
> >dangerous' or 'unnecessary overkill', then maybe it is not right for
you...
> >
> >I have had excellent luck with it and use it all the time with great
> >success. Some of the designs would simply not be as efficient without
such
> >a cheap, light, strong material.
> >
> >Expensive? try 4 feet of 1mm rod for $3.75!
> >
> >Please note, it's the ROD that i'm advocating, not the woven mesh - which
> >would be wonderful too, but MUCH more difficult to use.
> >
> >Why for such an interesting and creative hobby as this are there so many
> >people resistant to new ideas? Look how long it took the superior
> >chloroplast circuit to gain acceptance. weird.
> >
> >/Adam
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >NO im not forgetting the A only prioritising the M - Mechanics.
> > the structural mechanics of an object have to take presidence or the
> >thing
> >will
> >be either unreliable or open to breakage in its normal working
environment.
> >Its also a case of the right application of a construction technique, you
> >dont
> >build a golden gate or Fourth bridge to cross a stream! or perhaps you
> >would
> >on
> >the grounds that its Aestheticly pleasing.... to your eye.
> >The use of carbon rod is both expensive and not required, from a cosmetic
> >perspective black painted glass rod would be strong enough and cheaper.
> >If its the woven effect your after on a sheeted area there are car body
> >supliers
> >that do stickers ,
> > and to be honest using a sticker for small areas would be a lot easier
> >than
> >making your own sheet from the fabric or pre fabricating from a purchased
> >sheet.
> >The sticker prints also emphasize the woven effect in the way it is lit
in
> >the
> >print.
> >
> >
> >Rob D
> >AKA "Powerbuilder"
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >"Dane Gardner" on 21/12/99 18:50:10
> >
> >Please respond to beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
> >
> >To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
> >cc: (bcc: Robert Draycott/FS/CPL)
> >Subject: Re: Carbon fiber, very dangerous and construction overkill
> >
> >
> >
> >Do you forget what the A in BEAM stands for. As long as all safety
> >concerns
> >are addressed...I don't see any reason not to use such a beautiful
> >construction material. BTW: I'd recomend a face mask and goggles, along
> >with a cutting fluid...instead of just soap.
> >
> >CYA,
> >
> > Dane the Great
> >
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From:
> >To:
> >Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 1999 3:56 AM
> >Subject: Re: Carbon fiber, very dangerous and construction overkill
> >
> >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > re the recent chat on carbon fibre
> > > as I pointed out before carbon fibre splinters dont tend to be
visible
> >to
> >the
> > > naked eye and once in your skin migrate around your body,
> > > the recomendation is that when handling the raw cloth or strand rubber
> >or
> >latex
> > > gloves are worn,
> > > when cutting the stuff as some have described large coluds of the
stuff
> >become
> > > airborne so when cutting rod lubricate with washing up liquid (soap)
> >that
> >way
> > > you will keep down the stuff , NEVER NEVER NEVER sand the stuff
> >without
> >a
> > > wetting medium.
> > >
> > > The use of carbon in our context is downright stupid since its just
> >overkill for
> > > the task, I remember the chaps that made a walker in 1/8 th carbon
sheet
> >!!
> > > they dont even use stuff that sort of sheet dimension often aircraft
let
> >alone a
> > > mincing little bot. These fools apparently sanded the stuff to shape
> >!!!!!!
> > >
> > > This stuff is only of any value if you use it in the correct places
for
> >the
> > > right reason rather than for the sake of using it !!!!!
> > > Remember that Carbon Fibre is stiff but britle and in rod form the
resin
> >that
> > > surrounds the inividual fibres will delaminate from the fibres long
> >before
> >the
> > > actual fibre snaps.
> > > I recomend that beamers stick to safer alternatives that are plenty
> >strong
> > > enough for our task unless you know the PROS and CONS of Carbon,
> > > have a valid reason to use it ,
> > > and intent to use it in sensible construction techniques.
> > >
> > >
> > > Rob D
> > > AKA " Powerbuilder"
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> ______________________________________________________
>
8601 Sun, 26 Dec 1999 00:33:00 EST [alt-beam] AC beam@corp.sgi.com Bumper314@aol.com does anyone know of a DC to AC circuit...im looking to turn 3V or 5V into
~100V AC...very low current...but this doesnt need to be solar...any wall
wart set up is fine (and i do know what it is 120v out of the wall, but im
looking for something that will eventually run off batteries)
Thanks
Steve
8602 Sun, 26 Dec 1999 01:21:06 EST [alt-beam] Re: New to list alt-beam@egroups.com TurtleTek@aol.com In a message dated 12/25/99 1:02:43 AM Central Standard Time, nat@lumiere.net
writes:
> Just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Nathaniel Martin, I'm a 17 year
> old senior in high school, here in San Francisco, California.
Hey, nice to meet you. Just so you don't feel intimidated, many of us BEAMers
are as young or younger than you are. I'm a sophmore in high school.
> I've been looking around the 'net trying to find some good beginning
> information. Unfortunately, it looks like the FAQ at beamtek is down. Can
> anyone recommend another FAQ, or beginner's site?
Yep, BEAM Tek does that in the beginning and ending of each month. Check back
in a week. Oh, and here's an excellent site you should check out:
www.beam-online.com
It's not updated as often as it used to be (Ian?) but it's got loads of stuff
and good tutorials.
> Two more questions:
>
> 1) How does feedback from the motors affect the microcore? I understand the
> basics of the microcore, but I don't see how the microcore "knows" that a
> leg is stuck, etc.
I really have no idea. I believe there has been some discussion that suggests
that actual "feedback" is a myth. I don't find microcores all that
interesting and so I understand very little about them. I prefer solar
engines and even bicores.
> I have been doing a lot of work with electric vehicles lately, so I know a
> good amount about (big) motors, batteries, and motor control. Maybe I can
> use this knowledge to answer someone else's questions, and I won't be only
> asking them!
Great! Previous experience is always a plus.
> Sorry for the newbie questions, I look forward to the answers!
Don't be too worried about asking newbie questions, the "small gods" are (in
most cases..) generous to the beginners. The most they'll do is ignore you...
> Thank you,
> Nathaniel Martin
> nat@lumiere.net
-Brien the TurtleTek
8603 Sat, 25 Dec 1999 22:52:03 -0800 (PST) [alt-beam] Re: Head circuits beam@sgiblab.sgi.com Daniel Grace I've been away for a while, and my head has just been
filled with 200+ posts from while I was away (I still
have at least 100 left). Anyway, becuase of this, all
the ideas are still fresh in my head, and I just got
the strangest picture. Maybe it's too late.
How about making the different coloured bots, so as to
make an attraction, but have onboard magnets provide
repelant. I am not sure how interesting this would
look with slow moving bots, but with fast bots it
would look very strange indeed. Does anyone have a bot
that moves fast enough that repeling onboard magnets
would create enough of a stir? I can see it now, the
bots speeding towards eachother until they sort-of
'bounce' off of eachother a few centimeters away, only
to re-orient themselves a little while later. Sorta
reminds me of Saturday morning cartoons and the
super-heroes force fields.
~Daniel
--- Senior wrote:
> And using dennison's idea, paint the main bot
> white/cover with mirrory
> stuff.
>
> Phillip A. Ryals wrote:
> >
> > I know this makes it terribly complicated, but how
> about...
> >
> > We just had a post about taking the IR
> transmitter/detector from a mouse to use in
> > obstacle/cliff avoidance.
> >
> > Why not use the same on these? Maybe a central
> bot that has a main long-range
> > becon for the others to home in on from far away.
> Then once they get close
> > enough, they would see the small IR source above a
> connector of some sort. The
> > rouge bot could then have a basic head circuit
> made of IR detectors so that it
> > could center itself at the plug. But the head
> itself would definitely need to
> > swivel and be non-guiding because the bots'
> locomotion would need to stay in the
> > same general direction.
> >
> > If one robot could walk up beside the other and do
> this though, you could probably
> > make it do some crazy stuff. Might be really hard
> to manage it all though.
> >
> > Thomas Pilgaard Nielsen wrote:
> >
> > > "Phillip A. Ryals" wrote:
> > >
> > > > Quite right Thomas!
> > > >
> > > > Maybe it's me, but I want my robot to do
> *something* else. It just seems
> > > > like going toward the light has been done to
> the point of ironing out any
> > > > wrinkles. Now maybe we should go on to more
> advanced behavior.
> > >
> > > I agree. Though there I find theres a beauty to
> the photovore by thinking of it
> > > as autopoietic. It is completely selfcontained
> and self-sufficient. It's only
> > > purpose is to optimize it's conditions according
> to the environment in order to
> > > optimize it's conditions according to it's
> environment etc. etc.
> > >
> > > I find your suggestion very interesting though.
> One thing I found interesting
> > > were Tildens hexapods - the ones that vere able
> to join up. The idea of "cells"
> > > that join up to a larger organism with emergent
> properties and behaviour seems
> > > neat. Would it be possible to make up some
> mechanism that would join the
> > > individuals - not just by linking them together
> by magnets - but to make them
> > > share their individual capacity - sorta like a
> joining of brains or the likes.
> > >
> > > Cheers and merry christmas
> > >
> > > Thomas
> > >
> > > > Even if it's just seeking out a different
> target...
> > > >
> > > > I'm thinking of a robot that is maybe
> attracted to a becon on another bot.
> > > > That way, it's always moving. Maybe one bot
> is attracted to the other, and
> > > > the other is repelled? Anyway, the whole time
> one could be chasing the
> > > > other, and the other is always running away.
> That seems like a neat little
> > > > project. But then put the light seeking solar
> cells on each one for power.
> > > > Now they have even more to do.
> > > >
> > > > That seems like a lot more fun to watch than
> just an ordinary photovore.
> > > >
> > > > Or am I alone?
> > > >
> > > > Phillip
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: Thomas Pilgaard Nielsen
>
> > > > To:
> > > > Sent: Saturday, December 18, 1999 7:35 PM
> > > > Subject: Re: Head circuits
> > > >
> > > > Wasn't Phillips point to make a robot that
> would be able to do something
> > > > !else!
> > > > than walking towards the light? Isn't that
> what you are suggesting?
> > > >
> > > > Cheers + goodnight (it's 2:34 here in Denmark)
> > > >
> > > > - Thomas
> > >
> > > --
> > > ---
> > > "Stjålne tusser skriver bedst."
> > > Yvonne Miller
>
8604 Sun, 26 Dec 1999 12:19:52 EST [alt-beam] NPNs beam@sgiblab.sgi.com Blumojo13@aol.com what effect will switching the 3904 for a 2N2222 have in an SE witha 1381L?
Thanks
Blumojo13
8605 Sun, 26 Dec 1999 12:28:35 EST [alt-beam] Re: NPNs beam@sgiblab.sgi.com JVernonM@aol.com In a message dated 12/26/99 12:22:13 PM Eastern Standard Time,
Blumojo13@aol.com writes:
> what effect will switching the 3904 for a 2N2222 have in an SE witha 1381L?
> Thanks
None. It will just allow higher currents to be used. The two are
interchangeable.
See ya,
Jim
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/8281/beamart.html
ICQ# 55657870
8606 Sun, 26 Dec 1999 20:44:50 GMT [alt-beam] Re: New to list beam@sgiblab.sgi.com "Mike Kulesza"
>a microcore, and I'm waiting to get some small gear motors to start
>building (does anyone know where to get some good cheap gear motors?)
goto www.lego.com and order the part#5119 micromotor - doesnt get any better
- tilden class motor (ie efficient and small --> 1cm x 1cm x 1cm) Here in
Canada, its $17 with shipping + handling included already. I heard that in
the States its $11.
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