Because numerous people have been asking questions about the puncher from our early season reveal, we made a step-by-step guide for new teams to help construct a basic linear puncher.
very nice.
What was being sanded on the plastic rail?
As the linear slide moves from rear slide truck onto the front slide truck, sometimes it can catch if the trucks aren’t perfectly aligned. Sanding down the area where they meet reduces friction and prevents jams.
thanks!
Nice, this will be a great resource for new teams
Where do you get grease?
this is what we’ve used in the past.
One tube should last years, I am fairly certain we have the same tube from when I was competeing in 2011.
It’s all at Lowes or any of those places. Then even sell WD40 in non-aerosol form now. I think the White Lithium Grease is the standard from the other threads I’ve read.
What kind of motor did you use? High torque?
Follow up: How do you apply grease? (I never used grease so pardon me if i’m asking a stupid question)
As the resident team of applying grease in 574, our team has come up with very good strategies. First of all, use an allen wrench that is designated for this job. Find a really stripped out one, and never use it for anything else. Ever. Put the end of the allen in a tube, bucket, or other container full of lithium grease, and apply it liberally with the allen itself. Really your puncher should not need greased that much.
@Droideka to follow up what jack said, you can also apply lithium grease with a Q-tip, or just use your fingers, just make sure there is a layer of grease on the contact area between the metal slide rail and the plastic slide trucks. It shouldn’t take much to see an improvement, but its often easiest to apply a lot of grease then wipe away the excess with a paper towel.
So what type of motor would you recommend?
@JD6 I recommend using a 100rpm motor (aka torque motor) regardless of weather you are using v5 or cortex, you want as much power as possible to pull back your rubber bands without stalling.
Is the puncher able to shoot far with only 1 motor and no gear ratio?
@Naman The puncher shoots quite far assuming the slide trucks are aligned properly, the slide rail is greased, and the angle of the puncher is at the right angle. Your mileage may vary depending on build quality, but our puncher can shoot the high flag from both starting tiles very consistently.
Do you guys have any pitures of the ratchet mechanism?