"Roll Bar" Lifting Handle for GoPiGo3?

GoPiGo
1

Dave needs a lifting handle. It needs to attach to the “Lego” holes on each side of a GoPiGo3 top plate somehow, be around 5" high and not cut fingers when lifting the bot.

  ___
 |   |     <-- Lifting Handle
 |   |
 =====
 |   |
 =====
[]   []

Ideas how to build/attach such a thing, and from what?

  • I looked at brass rod stock, but doesn’t brass turn green?
  • There is stainless rod stock, but I doubt I can make a 90 deg bend in it.
  • I haven’t a clue how to attach the ends of a rod to the top plate.
1 Like
2

Brass can turn green. If that’s a concern, you can coat it with varnish or polyurethane.

Stainless can be bent, you just have to go slow and careful. Rebending can cause it to crack and break.

Does the handle need to be removable?

Brass can be soldered or brazed to a small bottom plate on each side, drilled to accommodate fasteners through the holes.

Stainless must be MIG welded using special stainless welding wire.

Or, you could 3D print something.

3

GoBilda parts would be one way.
The holes on either side of the top plate are 96 mm apart. GoBilda parts have an 8 mm pattern.

For esthetic consistency I think I’d make a handle all out of square beams:
https://www.gobilda.com/1106-series-square-beams/
The 104 mm beam has holes 96 mm apart (https://www.gobilda.com/1106-series-square-beam-13-hole-104mm-length/) for the cross piece if you wanted to place it on top. Or you could use the 88 mm if you wanted to mount it in between the verticals. You could use whatever vertical height you wanted. You might want to take a fine file to smooth corners, but I don’t think the edges would be that bothersome.

They also have round standoffs or hex shafting you could use for the verticals if you mounted the cross-beam on top.

Just a thought. And the beams would provide mounting points for other things if you ever needed such.

/K

2 Likes
4

I ordered some 5 mm aluminum rod and shaft collars. We’ll see how successful I can be opening up the 4.8mm holes to 5.1mm.

Hoping the addition of som washers next to the plexiglass for stress relief will hold the handle upright and prevent cracking the top plate.

I should be able to make smooth arc across the top with aluminum.

2 Likes
5

Good luck - I look forward to seeing pics
/K

2 Likes