Top Shelf Plastic Ant Build Along

Ready to build the Top Shelf Gen2 plastic antweight kit?  Video and written assembly guide inside.  Get started in combat robots today!

Below you will find a full video assembly guide as well as written instructions to guide you thru your combat robotics journey.  

Purchase the kit here: Plastic Poison Robot Kit. 

Video Guide - Top Shelf

Step 1) Wheels. 

• Insert square nuts (Item 4) into wheels.  Press them all the way in.  Pressing them on a flat surface helps.
• Insert 8-32 x 3/16” set screws (item 4) into wheels.  Just start it, you will tighten later.  (5/64 Hex Wrench)
• Stretch tire over the wheel.  Push it all the way over from one side, then work it into place.
• Press the wheel on until the motor shaft is flush with the other side of the wheel.  That leaves a small gap on the motor side and centers the wheel in its space in the chassis.  
• Slide 5/64” hex wrench past the tire and into set screw in the wheel.  
• The drive motor uses a “D Shaft”.  Tighten set screw onto the flat part of the motor shaft. 
  

 

 

Step 2) Servo Arm (Servo Horn) Alignment

  **Before installing the servo we need to power it up and put it at “zero” on the remote so we can install the arm in the correct place.    

• Place the red power wires from charge jack, XT30 pigtail and servo into one lever clamp (item 1).
  • The servo red wire will be cut and stripped for you when the kit arrives.  
• Do the same for the black ground wires into the other lever clamp for the charge jack and XT30.  
• Connect yellow XT30 pigtail to drive ESC
• Connect the ESCs to the receiver as shown to the right. 
  • Yellow single wire in channel 1 (corresponding pin to 
    where the white wire is from the other two plugs.)
  • 3 wire from drive ESC to channel 2
  • Servo into channel 3
• Connect the battery to the charge jack with the red JST connector.
• Power on bot by removing the headphone plug from the charge jack.
• Turn on radio, place lefthand stick at the bottom.  
• Place servo horn onto servo as shown and tighten with the included
  Phillips head screw. (item 9)
• Turn off radio, place headphone plug back into charge jack to turn off bot. 
• Disconnect everything and proceed to step 3.
• Connect lifter linkage into the last hole on the end of the servo arm using an M2x8mm self tap (item 9)
  

     

Step 3) Body Standoffs & Charge Jack  

• Insert (4) hex standoffs (item 2) into the body.  Do them one at a time so you can hold the standoff in place with your free hand.   Attach from bottom with (4) 6-32 x ¼” screws (item 3).  
• Insert (2) 4-40 x 3/4” hex standoffs for the servo. Attach from bottom with (2) 4-40 x 1/4” screws.  (item 6)
• Install Charge Jack
  • Unplug and remove jacknut from charge jack (small circle item in pic below)
  • Insert charge jack into chassis.  Hand tighten with jacknut.
  • Tighten until snug with needlenose pliers.  Do not overtighten.
  • Place male part of charge jack aside until later
  • **Pro Tip: The charge jack is your power switch.  When it’s plugged in the bot is off.  When removed, the bot is on.

 Step 4) Install Scoop & Servo

• **Note:  The video instructions are a great companion for this step.
• Install servo into chassis using the servo hold down (item 11) & (2) 4-40 x 1/4” screws (item 6)
• Route the servo wires thru the hoop in the middle over to the right side of the chassis.
• Using (1) round standoff (item 7), pass it thru the lifter linkage (item 10) and attach to lifter scoop using (2) 6-32 x 1/2” screws (item 7)
• Using (1) round standoff, screw one 6-32x1/4” screw and washer into one end. (item 8)
• Attach the scoop to the hoop by sliding the standoff thru the hoop and scoop.  This is your hinge for the scoop to rotate on.  Fasten with remaining 6-32x1/4” screw and washer (item 8)
  

Step 5) Drive Mounts & Motor Install

• Pull the drive ESC wires thru the black drive mounts and attach as shown in the pics below.  
  **Left/Right motor wiring are specified in the image. 
• To insure the wires will not come off the motors in combat the opening on the rear of the mount is a specific size/orientation.  Push the wires thru carefully so they slide thru smooth.  They will slide back into the rear cylinder while sliding the motor in.
• After connecting wires and sliding motors into their housing place cap on rear, routing wires out the slot towards the bottom. 
• Do the LEFT motor first, pull the wires/esc thru to the hoop to the right side as you install it.  
• Now, install the wiring and motor for the RIGHT side and pop into place.  Drop it in at an angle and it will pop in.   
  
• Install into chassis using (4) M2x8mm Self Taps (item 5)
  

Step 6) Wiring

• Place the red power wires from the charge jack, yellow XT30 pigtail and weapon ESC into one lever clamp (item 1).  
• Do the same for the black ground wires into the other lever clamp for the charge jack and XT30.
• Connect yellow XT30 pigtail to drive ESC
• **Make sure the male plug of the charge jack is plugged in.
• Connect the battery to the charge jack with the red JST connector and place it to the left of the servo as shown.  
  
• Connect the ESCs to the receiver as shown below.  
  • Yellow single wire in channel 1 (corresponding pin to where the white wire is from the other two plugs. 
  • 3 wire from drive ESC to channel 2
  • Weapon esc into channel 3
• The lever clamps tuck away on the cavity on the right.
• The receiver lays sideways next to the servo arm.
• The drive ESC and wires tuck in between the receiver & lever clamps.
  

Step 7) Lid

• Attach lid using (4) 6-32 x 1/4” screws (item 3) using the 5/64” hex wrench. 
  

Safety Notes

• Lipo batteries can be volatile.  Always charge in a lipo bag.  We sell one large enough to hold the entire robot if you want to use the charge jack port instead of removing the battery. 

Startup Instructions: 
Make sure your weapon throttle is turned all the way down before powering the robot.  With the throttle all the way down, pull out the plug from your charge jack.

You’re All Set!!  Go Have Fun!!!

 

FS-I4 Mixing Instructions: For reference only, they’re already mixed when they ship.  
*First switch up, all other switches down.