Build Instructions

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• 1

  Step 1

  The original build instructions can be found here: https://rheingoldheavy.com/snowbot-assembly-guide/

• 2

  Step 2

  When you receive the PCB, it should look something like this (assuming you used OSHPark). The arms will still be attached to the body of Snowbot by the little 3-drill mousebites at the bicep and forearm areas of the arm. It’s up to you if you want to detach them and solder them in place, it’s purely cosmetic.

  Please note that I have added polarity markings to the PCB that don’t appear in the image above. The following render shows the corrected silk screen that is associated with the gerber files and OSHPark project.
  

  
  

• 3

  Step 3

  Mounting The Arms

  I don’t recommend soldering the arms into the slots until all the rest of the board is done, because they make laying the board down on your work surface impossible. If you do want to snap the arms off, it’s best to give them a snip with your side cutters or diagonal cutters. There should be enough room to get the tip in to make the snip. I just worried each arm off by gently pressing back and forth until they stressed enough to break easily. You’ll want to sand or file the edge down smooth, but you’re sanding / filing fiberglass (the FR4 insulating material of the PCB sandwich), so make sure you don’t breath any of the dust.

  The arms are mounted into the slots using something called Sheadel Joints (named after all around awesome OSHPark guy @tekdemo). The idea is to slide the arms into their slots and then solder them in place by flooding the area where the surface pad and the through hole drill intersect. No need to be fancy about it, just feed the solder in until it starts to bead up. Super easy, and super strong.
  

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