Week 42, 2026: the plan

This week

One job, in a shorter week than usual: weld the rover frame.

The frame

The rover is designed and the steel for the frame is cut.

The rover frame rendered from the OpenSCAD model, steel only: a rectangular ring of angle with an upright at each corner, a hold-down bar across the top on two threaded rods, and the plate for the pole socket

The whole rover in the model, with the pole drawn short to fit the picture:

The whole rover rendered from the OpenSCAD model: the battery module in the steel tub between two hoverboard wheels with mudguards, a clear lid, the controller boards at one end, and a phone on a pole

The saw

The steel was cut on a Meec Tools ME-W HOME 300 metal band saw from Jula. It works better than the angle grinder: the cuts are cleaner and it makes far less mess. It is a hobby-grade saw and costs 2,399 NOK.

The Meec Tools band saw on the workbench, with its vice and black base

The gas

The welder is an ESAB HandyArc MIG 160i, which has so far run gasless flux-core wire. For less spatter it is moving to solid wire under shielding gas: an 8 l MiniBertha bottle of Argonblanding (82 % argon, 18 % CO2) from Jula, which has the regulator built into the cap. I have not welded with it yet; the rover frame will be the first job for it this week.

The MiniBertha bottle of Argonmix 82/18 on the bench, with the regulator gauges inside its protective cap

Last week

Last week’s plan had two jobs:

  1. Design the rover frame. ✅
  2. Upgrade the workshop tools: get shielding gas for the welder, and find a better way to cut steel tube than the angle grinder. ✅