This is the assembly instructions for the Tiny Tank from Rocket Brand Studios. This is a great little robot kit, and can be purchased as a complete kit or as a rolling chassis, ready for the micro controller of your choice –Arudino Uno, Duemilanove and Nano, Picaxe 28 board, or Gadget Gangster Propeller Board. The Tiny Tank comes in lots of super-duper colors (and colours!) so be sure to stop by the website to see what is available.
Step 1: Prepare
Alright there, Skippy –Unwrap everything and get ready to get going.
You will need:
Little screwdrivers
X-acto knife
Soldering iron and small solder
Now, lets go ahead and talk about the elephant in the room… The laser-cut acrylic has a distinctive smell. The good news is that most of that funky goodness is in the paper backing of the plexi and not the actual plexiglass. Unwrap all the pieces by peeling off the paper plastic and get it out of the house. The smell will go with it, I promise.
Step 2: Assembly 1
- Start by soldering a capacitor and one red/black wire to your motor (see photo)
- Attaching the 2 motor mounts to the motors themselves with (2) 2-56 x 1″ screws and nuts.
- Place the motor’s cross member between the 2 motor mounts and place this assembly on the bottom plate
- Secure this assembly with (2) 2-56 x 3/8″ screws and nuts
Step 3: Assembly 2
- Attach the 2 rear wheel supports to the rear cross member (note: this is similar to the motors)
- Place this assembly on the bottom plate
- Attach this assembly to the bottom plate with (2) 2-56 x 3/8 screws through the bottom plate
Step 4: Assembly 3
- Find the top deck and note the fact that there is one hole off-center (I am pointing to it in the picture). This hole is for the battery wires and must be on the left side when looking at the top of the deck
- Install the servo using (2) 2-56 x 3/8 screws
- Install the (4) 20mm stand-offs
- Route the servo wire through the front cross-member, then through the center hole of the top deck
- Route the motor wires through the center hole of the top deck
- Secure the top deck to the bottom assembly –Note the little needle nose pliers to help you sneak the nuts into where they need to go
Step 5: Assembly 4
- Prepare the battery pack. Find the (2) 2-pin leads and connect the 2 black wires to the black wire coming out of the battery pack –solder it and tape or shrink tube it. The red wire from the battery pack and the (2) red wires from the leads will be left disconnected for now, until we install the battery holder.
- Feed the battery wires through the battery wire hole in the top deck.
- Secure the battery pack to the top deck with (2) 2-56 x 1/4 flat head screws (they are the black ones)
- Install the 2 switches on the switch plate. You can place them so they switch vertically or horizontally
- Solder a small jumper between the two switches (see picture)
- Place the switch plate on to the top deck
- Solder the rest of the battery wires to the switches. The red wire from the battery pack gets added to the short jumper connecting the switches. This will send power from the battery to both switches.
- Of the two 2-conductor wires, one red wire of each will go to each switch (see picture)
Step 6: Assembly 5
- We need to decide what kinda brain we plan on using. If you did not purchase the full kit and/or are not using the Nano and Nano UnderShield, you need to use the rectangular plate. Place your microcontroller board onto this plate and determine which holes you will need to use to mount your board. Install any stand-offs or spacers you will need.
- If you purchased the full kit and/or are using the Nano and Nano UnderShield, use the funny-shaped plate. Install the (3) 10mm spacers.
- Pull the servo wire and the motor wires through the plate
- Mount the plate you have chosen to the robot on top of the (4) 20mm stand-offs
Step 7: Assembly 6
- Locate the (4) small circles and note that there are (2) biggies and (2) littles
- Place the axle bolt through the center hole of the rear wheels (the rear wheels have round holes –no “flat”) –Also note that the “teeth” on the wheel point outward
- Place the metal washer on the axle bolt
- Place a small circle on the axle bolt
- Place a big circle on the axle bolt
- Attach this assembly to the robot and secure with the nut
- Repeat on the other side
- Press the front wheels on. Be very careful here, support the motor when pressing the motors on. Slide them on until they are “in line” with the rear wheels
- Stretch the tracks on.
For more detail: Rocket Brand Studios Tiny Tank
