Quick Notebook PC Robot Base

Step 2 Building The Base

The base was very easy to make. We assembled the Wheel and Motor Kits and decided to use them with the motors above the axle for the best clearance. So we needed some standoffs to clear the motors. To do this, we used a 4" piece of 1x3 pine with two 1/4" holes drilled 2" apart to match the mounting holes on the Wheel and Motor Kits. We used a drill press to make those holes straight, so if you only have a hand drill, you can mark and drill from both sides to meet in the middle, or drill a larger hole to allow for some wiggle room.

The flat part of the base was made from 1/2" plywood - we used 12" wide and 10" long to fit our mini-notebooks, but the size can really be anything here. We drilled the 1/4" holes to match the standoff and Wheel Kits - 1/2" from the side and 2" apart as before. The leading edge matched the standoff, so the tires stick out just a bit. We did that to have them hit the wall before the base, but that's not too big a deal. On the top of the board, we used a counter-sink bit to make room for the flat head of the 1/4"x20 bolts (2.5" long).

The bolts need to be actually a bit shorter than 2.5" to fit just right, so we just cut about 1/4" off the ends with a Dremel tool. If you use 3/4" plywood, they might fit without being cut off.

Once that was complete, we bolted the Wheel and Motor Kits to the base.

Comments

[wareneutron]

such a great idea haa!