What is the downside of being able to cut the Thin Plastic Sheets into smaller segments? I know that IQ is predicated on “just the parts”. Part of the no cutting has to do with special tools needed and the safety issues around using power tools.
OTOH, the sheets are cuttable with scissors, and I tested with using the blunt tip ones.
But as all things with humans, what could be considered a good thing can be turned into a bad. Based on that, is what is the downside of allowing the plastic sheets to be cut? I know it’s a slippery slope, but they do allow cutting axles into smaller parts.
I’m on the fence about “more holes” so add that to the pro/con discussion. Thanks!
I feel that allowing Vex IQ students to customize plastic sheets opens the door to counterfeit sheets, since it is not hard to sand off the pattern from the existing ones, which would be legal. At that point, you can just use basically any plastic of the right size and type and claim you took off the pattern.
Let me just visualize a 3rd grade kid with some scissors and plastic sheets…pretty soon every plastic sheet the team supply bin is cut to pieces… Maybe that’s better than “hey look, I can bend steel” as a young robeteer bends a brand new drive shaft ($2.50 a piece) into some shape just for fun…
Missed where sanding off the pattern is legal, can you help me out with a VIQ reference?
Pfft, amateur hour. I had a roboteer with their brand new “I can use the metal saw” certificate create an large stack of 5x long aluminum C channel from an entire order of full length ones. We had a lifetime supply of the short Cs, and a new rule that cutting any aluminum parts required mentor signoffs.
And I’ll save the story of the roboteer that stitched 2 bags of zipties into a place mat.
The sanding wouldnt be legal until cutting plastic sheets became legal. What is the distinction between a huge amount of small cuts (sanding) and big cuts? Will the cuts need to be measured? Orientation enforced? Heck, from my experimentation, a razor blade can be used to remove the white lining pattern if you are willing to work long enough.
