Bioloid Assembly Tip

[Bushwhackr]

I apologize if this is stating the obvious, but being a newbie to robotics, I don't know what is obvious and what isn't.

I find that I have a pretty hard time assembling the Bioloid kits sometimes. The small bolts and nuts just have a habit of jumping out of my fat fingers and onto the rug, where they promptly employ a cloaking device and are never seen again.

I dug out a small 6" magnetic parts dish and dumped the bolts and nuts in there. I can pull them out as needed and they aren't going to go anywhere. As an added benefit, my son can also amuse himself by creating tower sculptures of nuts and bolts while I work.

I have also found it very useful to have a magnetic screwdriver for picking up and placing those little parts. I just held a regular screwdriver against the magnetic dish and it picked up enough magnetisn to do the trick.

Mike

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000FKKAU0.01-A2OORSH60SY0YY._AA200_SCLZZZZZZZ_V51597820_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000FKKAU0/ref=dp_image_0/105-0384825-0776468?ie=UTF8&n=15684181&s=automotive)

[Matt]

Along that same line of thought, we heard about people using standard Japanese screwdrivers when assembling robots from the east and that it makes life much easier. So we hunted down a set to offer to people. So far we have sold a lot of them and apparently they are a big help. (we really don't make any profit on these, it's just a value add to the customers)
link (http://www.trossenrobotics.com/store/p/5073-Genuine-Japanese-Industrial-Standard-Screwdriver-Set.aspx)

[HarryBotter]

It's funny, I've got the set of JIS screwdrivers but they're not magnetized. What I find myself doing now is working with two sets, the magnetized driver to seat the screws and the JIS set to tighten them.

Lem from Robots-Dreams has a battery powered driver with JIS interchangeable tips that only seems to be available in Japan. That may really be the ticket in building these Japanese robots.

[Matt]

Magnetizing a screw driver is a piece of cake. Just find a strong magnet and run it along the screwdriver. You go in one direction starting at the handle and stroking down off the tip. (Like sharpening a knife)

Just do that motion 30-40 times and bam! You have a magnetized screwdriver. I just did it to the Japanese set as a test. Worked like a charm.

[HarryBotter]

Thanks Matt, great tip, works like a charm. After reading this a lightbulb went on, I remember doing this about 50 years ago. :)

Harry