Painted GraviTrack

Solar botics
March 5, 2018

We always enjoy seeing our products being modified, revamped and DIY-ed, as well as the results of these transformations.

Our customer Vera Kark provided us with some thoughtful feedback on adding mechanical tweaks to improve our Solar GraviTrack build and documentation. She also painted the brown MDF of the machine. She used tempera paint on the wood components still in panelized form, and the GraviTrack's performance seemed to be unaffected. 

The GraviTrack looks great in vibrant jewel tone colours, however, we do not recommend applying paint to the hand mechanism itself. You can paint the base and the rails, avoiding the hand mechanism completely. The moisture and the thickness of the paint might affect the precise tolerances of the moving parts, and will interfere with its proper functioning. Another relatively safe option might be felt tip marker since the moisture from alcohol evaporates quickly.

 

Photos & video by Vera Kark

P.S. Also, a particularly bad idea is painting your GraviTrack after the assembly is completed. Even though we were using a very watered down acrylic paint, the mechanism seized up the moment the paint became sticky. Don't be like us. Take care of your GraviTrack.

A portrait of a sad stuck GraviTrack

MORE POSTS

April 24, 2019
We will be at the Calgary Comic Expo!

The Calgary Comic Expo starts this week! If you have not bought your tickets yet, you can do so by clicking here.   Keep updated on our Facebook and Instagram for live streams and media coverage of the event! Our booth is #1113.

December 15, 2000
Frogbots! Solar-powered, at that!

I missed the full segment of this story last weeks on "Discovery Channel's @discovery.ca" program, but fortunately, the've put the segment online at their website. I seems that JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratories - NASA essentially) is working on a solar-powered, single-footed robot frog. This seems like a GREAT idea for extra-terrestrial planet-surface locomotion. Check out […]

November 10, 2014
Project Monday: The Story of SharkBot

Not every product we design is destined to make it to the consumer. Sometimes a great idea gets taken to completion before we realize that one factor or another dooms it to an existence in our failed project bin. One such project that now lives a watery grave is the Sharkbot. Akin to our much […]

March 8, 2007
GM19 Gearmotors in action!

We've had a great email come in from "Team Wazio", who are using our GM19 gear motors in their ant/fairyweight battlebots. Neat construction details - worth a look-see! (Yes, we know they're using the RW2 wheels and we're sold out, but we're taking care of that...)

1 67 68 69 70 71 254
Solarbotics Ltd Logo
Solarbotics has been operating for more than 25 years, bringing electronics know-how and supplies to both the electronics professional and hobbyist. We'll be happy to help you too!

Solarbotics, Ltd. is not responsible for misprints or errors on product prices or information. For more information, please see our Terms and Conditions.

Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information. This item was manufactured prior to August 31, 2018.