We plan to offer chassis kits as the starting point.
I have often thought about adding vac formed bodies, but never got beyond the thought process.
Arghh, we decide to start ordering black anodizing AND clear anodizing and now everyone wants no anodizing as an option. Uggg. 
Well, the existing SES stuff is black anodized or brushed, so you can’t blame folks… 
I want the black ano, so I’m a happy camper in any case.
The clear anodizing would be fine since I’d only polish the top surface. Keeping unprotected aluminum shiny is a nightmare.
Let’s forget the vacuum forming for the time being. . . but imagine instead. . . carbon fiber body panels!
I dont like the looks of carbon fiber. Painted is fine but seeing the fiber cross hatch is yucky looking. 
lots of information for building vacuum forming boxes and techniques on the net if you go looking. It’s not that difficult to do and in my experience it is a lot harder to make the plugs then doing the actual forming process.
I LOVE CARBON FIBRE!!!
Guys, let’s just try to be thankful that Jim is moving to ano aluminum parts… this is a very, very happy development.
I AGREE!!! ROUND OF APPLUASE
I wanted red, and I won’t buy any untill they are red! 
He he just kidding, they look great. 
One more thing[size=200] HOW DO YOU NOT LIKE CARBON FIBER!!![/size]
I like it but I dislike the burlap look. If you paint the material, then it is strong and light.
If it’s not painted then it just looks like spacejunk… 
JK
[size=150]LMAO![/size]
If you paint carbon it just gets heavy, and that look you don’t like is from the generalized use of 2 by 2 twill weave. To truly optimize the composite part you would end up with a very different finish. Many times to achieve the “carbon” look the final layer is the twill with the rest some other weave.
+1 to carbon SES though
excuse the hijack
nick_a
-1 to carbon, it is a fantastic material for it’s strength to weight ratio, but its looks is enough to make me want to launch my lunch. Its a great material, but you wont catch me using it on my bots. I want my bot to look like a bot and not like he’s wearing plad pants from the 70’s
I’m also sorry about the hijack. 
your telling me this looks ugly??
http://f1store.formula1.com/catalog/images/2006MOUSEMATSTDCARBON-1.jpg
Sorry bout the Hijack
EeewwwWW ! what the heck are all those spots! Unless you want a poka-doted robot…
I’m just messing with ya, although I still dislike the cross hatches of the fibers.
Ok, so it took roughly 8 weeks to get these in. Oh by the way, the aluminum Hexapod 3-R chassis panels are in stock! Whoo hooo! This is the first of many more aluminum parts that are being made for us. Keep checking what’s new on the website.
The AH3-R kits are now shipping with the clear anodized parts. The BH3-R will remain yellow lexan. The CH3-R kits are now shipping with black anodized parts. The bare chassis are available in the Servo Erector Sets Chassis and Accessories section of the website for customers who want to upgrade their existing kits.
SHINY!!!
Sweet!
It looks like the C leg ends are still plastic for now, correct? If so, I’ll probably wait for the legs and just make one big order.
Thanks!
The aluminum legs for the CH3 will remain lexan in the kit. We will offer an upgrade as soon as we get the parts in. The chassis parts were affordable enough we could swap them for lexan at the same price, but the leg parts were too expensive, pluss the light kits will not work with them. So the aluminum CH3 leg parts will be available as an upgrade, or available separately. We should have them shortly.
Thanks for the info. I was going buy separate parts anyway because I already have some of the servos and electronics.
Bummer about the light kits, but I’d rather have black aluminum all around. 8)
My son is gonna go bananas when he sees this thing!
