standoffs at 90 degrees can make great supports, and are very useful in classroom challenges and to make parts that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. The current method is to use a collet (shaft collar) and attach a screw through the axle hole into a standoff, and a coupler in through the setscrew hole, which goes into the standoff. However, this cannot be used to make a T, +, etc. Also, the shaft collar is extra weight. The solution to this problem would be to make a + shaped standoff coupler, but to extend this, it could be a + from the side and top (like a jack, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacks_(game) ), giving more possible positions. In the middle there could be something to stop the standoff from going all the way down the shaft and making the standoffs touch each other. (this could be a cube in the middle, or it could be simplified down to not threading the inside .288" (the diameter of a standoff point to point). Another extension of this design (a separate part) would be to have a collet with 4 holes perpendicular to each other. Or the inverse of the 6 way male coupler
Wouldn’t it be easier to machine a .5 inch aluminum cube with a threaded hole on each face. You could add your own couplers so there would not have screws pointing out in all directions.
But that’s not vex legal, and not everyone can machine aluminum.
You can build your own. Stick a screw into a collar and secure it with a coupler. There you have it. 90 degree standoff coupler.
This is the new VEX products ideas area. You had an idea and I offered an opinion on how it could be better implemented. I know it is not competition legal.
oh, I see what you’re saying, sorry, I misunderstood
Structural and anti tip device using standoffs I really like building with them!
If you want to make a T shape, you can use the shaft collar method. Put an ordinary standoff coupler, or a screw with its head cut off, through the shaft hole and put a standoff on either end, then have the 3rd standoff in the setscrew hole.
For a + made of standoffs, you can bend a Plus Gusset into a cube with one side missing, and bolt a standoff to each side of that.
This is a cool idea. We have a variety of gusset components which can be used to accomplish these types of attachment, but nothing specifically like you’re describing. We will consider adding these to the VEX product line in the future.
-John