Solid carbide bits in a router mounted of a router table, belt/disk sander, drill press are the biggest tools I have. The rest is done by hand with files and sand paper.

Seriously you could make some chassis and sell them on the side for some extra cash or just because you enjoy making them. I know I would love a Mistercrash chassis

I would be interested in a Mc Chassis myself, if you decide to make a few of them...let me know....

OUT OF THE QUESTION! :lol:

Let's get one thing straight, this is a Kershaw Design chassis. Not a MC chassis. No matter what I did to it to make it better for my truck, it is still a Kershaw chassis. I didn't think of anything new, I took Dan's idea and design and made it better.... Well I think I did anyway. :mdr: But the design and ideas that make this chassis have not changed, it is Dan's design and ideas, not mine.

If I put together the time I spent just making the chassis braces and bottom plate, I would say I spent a full working day on them. And I didn't make the top plate which would be the longest and hardest to fabricate. This would take a lot of time not to mention the cost of the materials needed. In order to sell a chassis at a reasonable price that no one would bitch about, I would be left with a net profit of maybe $25/$30 for a full days work. I ask you, would you be willing to work for $30 a day? Nah! Not gonna happen sorry.

I said before that the chassis was overpriced, well after doing what I did and thinking about how much time and money was involved, I think that Dan is reasonable about the price. And I seriously think he does it for a very small profit for himself. I like his design, it's simple, elegant and it works. But I still think that the chassis braces should be stronger. And that he should buy a new counter sinking bit. :mdr:

A little 5S fun in the snow.

- Bashing through the snow
- With a brushless ERevo

I ran until my fingers couldn't take the cold anymore. And Traxxas plastic doesn't like the cold. I cracked a front bulkhead. It's fun to bash in the snow but it freaked me out to see the truck when I took the body off. Especially since I didn't do anything to water proof. I should at least use some love balloons over the lipos.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...o/th_snow1.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...o/th_snow2.jpg

I wasn't saying to copy his design. I was actually saying it as a compliment more than anything.

Very nice Mistercrash

And I thank you :smile: But if I were to make chassis' like the one I have, it would be copying Kershaw's design.

I got a call from the hobby shop this morning, my bodies are in. They are both trimmed and I really like the way they fit. These Proline Ford F650 bodies are wide and long. I use extended rear arms on both ERBEs and the wheel wells almost align with the wheels. If I were to run the stock rear arms, the wheel wells would align perfectly with the wheels. In the pics, the body posts are at their lowest setting and I like how it looks. The body is so long that it almost fits over the stock bumpers so I removed them. I want something I can fabricate that will fit inside the front grill and the rear bumper of the body to give it some support in case of impact with a tree or something.
One shell will be metallic red and the other will be metallic blue. I will try this Alclad chrome for Lexan for the first time. I'll use it for the front and rear bumpers, the front grill and the rear tool box. The truck beds will be black and I want to have the windshield trim black. And I have some silver to back everything up. I hate to paint bodies but these two have to be as perfect as I can make them.
Here's a few pics of one of the unpainted bodies on my son's GERBE.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...ord_f650_1.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...ord_f650_2.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...ord_f650_3.jpg

My Dad absolutely loves the Bug body on your son's E-Revo, and wants one for his E-Revo, he just has to come up with a paint-scheme for it so I can paint it.

Anyway, you got it looking great, MC!

I am an idiot
 

Well not always but sometimes, the things I do are just plain stupid. I wanted to give this ESC waterproofing thing a try so I started coating the ESC board with this liquid electrical tape stuff. I was going well but once it dryed, it was not stuck that well on the board and I was thinking that if it gets unstuck a little bit along the heat sink for example, then there would be a place for water to get in and it would get trapped in there and never dry off. Plus I was not convinced that it was that water tight, especially behind the caps where it is a very tight spot and I couldn't positively verify that the stuff got in there to seal the whole board properly. So I ripped the whole thing off the board and started thinking of what else I could try. I had this tube of white silicon for outdoor windows and doors. I put a small tip on it to squeeze silicon in tight spots and started working on sealing the board. I thought white is great because I could really see where the silicon was going and really check that it was finding its way everywhere. It went well and once I was done, it looked like the board was completely sealed. Then I glanced at the tube and saw:

LATEX WATER BASED :surprised:

I couldn't believe what I just did. I just coated everything with a water based paste :oops: So I thought to just let it dry and once the water is out then it'll be fine. Three days later, the thing is still not dry. I decided to clean this stuff off the board but how? I did something radical. I let the board soak in warm soapy water for 9/10 hours and that dissolved the latex based silicon and I was able to clean the residue with an old tooth brush. I got everything off, the board was really clean. Too clean! That protective coating from the factory was off also. So after cleaning everything to like new condition, drying it with compressed air and letting sit on a furnace register for two days, I plugged the board back on the truck with a couple Turnigys and flicked the switch on. The ESC was working like nothing happened :yipi:

But I wanted to get a protective coating back on the board so Tremclad Urethane Clear Coat to the rescue. I used this stuff on many surfaces and it sticks to just about anything, dries quickly and is really though once dried. I gave the board three coats. I actually think that it is practically waterproof now but I'm too scared to dip the ESC in water to test it. :mdr:

I am not going to try it, I don't want to come here again and write another lengthy post explaining how much of an idiot I am again :sarcastic:
Water ''resistant'' is enough for me.

I thought I'd try this clear coat stuff on my steering servo. It is supposed to be water proof but it has proven other wise in the past so I gave the servo three thick coats of this stuff. I plan on running my ERBE in the snow again tomorrow and I will see if water will stay out of this servo from now on.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...aterproof1.jpg

I also got a shower cap to try out. I read about this trick to keep water off the electronics. I was disappointed that there were no pink ones with pretty flowers. The results are not that encouraging. Although it kept most of the snow, slush and water off the center of the truck where the ESC, motor and tranny are, it did let in some moisture. So I would say that this does help making the truck water resistant but not waterproof. But I did run through very slushy stuff and through deep puddles. Also, the cap didn't last very long, it got ripped in a couple places.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...hower_cap1.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...hower_cap3.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...hower_cap2.jpg

I wrapped my Turnigys in urathane gloves. I cut the tip of the index and ran the wires through it and zip tied both ends of the glove as tight as I could. Surprisingly, water got inside. Is it water or just condensation from the heat of the battery with snow stuck right outside the glove? From the amount of water, I would say it just got in.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...hower_cap4.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...hower_cap5.jpg

One last thing about the shower cap, although it is only 30 degrees outside, the motor and ESC were much warmer then when I run without the cap. A thirty degree difference.

I also broke my Baja bug body :cry:

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...e10_damage.jpg

I took my New E-Revo out yesterday and it was full of snow and no problems to report.Allthough I only drove it for 1 minute.I did soak mine with WD40 prior to running.I have 2 2S turnegy 5200 40c hardpack lipos.These batteries are awesome for the price

Well phatmonk mentioned the word Turnigy so I ordered a couple more Turnigys :lol:

http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...C_LiFePo4_Pack

I can't wait to try those out. I suspect they will be awesome like the 2S2P I got a few weeks ago for my son's GERBE.

Disappointing to hear about the waterproofing not being all that effective, though partially effective is better than nothing I suppose.

Next time, I will get some large party balloons for the lipos and I will put some vaseline where the wires stick out of the balloons. I think that will work. As for the shower cap, I won't use one and will truly test the effectiveness of the polyurethane coating I put on the ESC's circuit boards and the servo. I hope I don't fry anything and that no one from CC is reading this :lol:

Looks like Dan from kershaw Design reads my thread :lol:

Here's a new description of his chassis. Still the same picture but a different description.

''- Now with receiver box mouting tabs, improved tolerances and clearance, stiffer chassis braces and all for $10 less!
- Only 0.5 oz heavier than the stock plastic E-Revo chassis and worlds stiffer.''

I paid $10 too much :sarcastic:

Nothing like being a beta tester :lol:

If I'm a beta tester then I'm doin' it wrong 'cause I don't get free stuff to test. :whistle:

Speaking of the Kershaw chassis, I should give an update regarding the total weight of the ''revised Kershaw'' chassis I am using. You know with the new carbon fiber chassis braces I made and the thicker carbon fiber bottom plate I made.

So here goes with the weights of the stock ERBE chassis, the Kershaw chassis and the modified kershaw chassis. That would be the truck with no wheels, body or batteries in it.

Stock:
weight at the front: 1599 grams
weight at the rear: 1714 grams
total weight: 3313 grams

Kershaw Design:
weight at the front: 1629 grams
weight at the rear: 1714 grams
total weight: 3343 grams
30 grams heavier than stock

Modified Kershaw Design:
weight at the front: 1653 grams
weight at the rear: 1741.5 grams
total weight: 3394.5 grams
81.5 grams heavier than stock. Very well worth the extra weight for the added stiffness, durability, more battery choices and it looks cool.

So what exactly is Kershaw saying?Will the 2.2 version be machined properly no crooked countersinking etc....

No it doesn't say anything about the counter sinks but Dan mentions tighter tolerances.

Snow testing continues today. I wrapped the lipos in 12'' party balloons and zip tied the opening around the wires making sure to stuff some petroleum gelly in there first. Then after I recharged the packs I smeared some petroleum gelly on the balancing tabs. No shower cap this time as I wanted to test the polyurethane coating I put on the ESC circuit boards and the servo casing.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...o/th_snow3.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...o/th_snow4.jpg

yesterday night I sprayed the whole truck with a generous coat of silicon lube spray and let dry over night. This is just an attempt to protect the metal parts and screws from rusting too much. I ran the truck in the woods in 1 to 2 inches of snow, jumped some small snow banks, went through deep slushy puddles, the works. This is how it looked when the LVC kicked in.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...o/th_snow5.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...o/th_snow6.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...o/th_snow7.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...o/th_snow8.jpg

Plastic doesn't like the cold. But this is the only damage after the test. I broke one of my old MT rims with Bowties mounted to them.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...o/th_snow9.jpg

The balloons worked very well in keeping the lipos dry. One had a little rip probably due to the lipo moving and rubbing on the battery strap. But since the balloon fit very tight on the lipo, no water got in the small opening. maybe it would be better to have two balloons over each lipo. Or have battery straps that are less abrasive.
The ESC and servo performed flawlessly, even though there was a lot of packed snow, slush and water around them. After I blew the moisture off with compressed air, everything still worked perfectly, the ESC didn't seem to mind having some moisture left inside it and the servo did not behave erratically like it once did before. I'm glad it worked because I was quite nervous to head out in the snow again with nothing over the ESC, I was afraid to fry something. The temps were way down with all the liquid cooling provided by the snow. Barely warm to the touch.

Excellent!

Another fun testing of the water proofness of my ERBE. I say water proof now even though I said it was water resistant before because I really think that it is actually water proof. 2'' of fluffy powdery snow fell and after I wrapped my lipos with two layers of party balloons, I went out and had some fun. When I brought the truck back in, the body was packed full of snow underneath. I couldn't see the ESC or lipos, only a portion of the motor but nothing was affected by all that snow and water. Not the ESC, the servo or lipos. When I carefully took off the balloons, there was no trace of any moisture on the lipos. They were bone dry.
This Tremclad clear coat stuff I put on the MMM's circuit boards and the servo really seems to work very well. I put three thick coats and will probably put a couple more as added protection. I will also do my son's GERBE in the same manner. If anyone wants to try this stuff, here's a couple pics of the can.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w..._tremclad1.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w..._tremclad2.jpg

Mistercrash why are your rear driveshafts in backwards?Flex-joint at the top instead of the flex-joint closer to the tire side.

I think he took the shafts apart, and flipped the shaft around, so the boot was toward the diffs, this sorta protects the sliding point, I believe......I'm actually considering doing this, once my new shafts come in the mail....

I started doing this before I made mud flaps. A trick I learned from ''WUDS'' on Revo-World. When the rubber boots are on the inside close to the bulkheads, there's less debris hitting them coming from the front tires. Especially running with a CD when the tranny unloads to the front wheels, they kick up dirt and rocks and throw them at the back of the truck at very high speeds. If you run mud flaps then it's not really necessary but I do it anyway because I'm just me :smile:

I think I need to make me some mud flaps... also MC, on the mount I'm fitting to my Erevo, there has been a slight issue with the way I mounted it, check the thread...just a FYI for you

So it would switch the leverage to the Diff side of the drivetrain putting more presure on the wheel bearings.I have RPM True track with larger bearings on the rear so I will try this out today.Besides it -12 deg F outside and I am board.

MC, I'm going to be picking up a set of these from hobbyking... http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...dProduct=10285, and my question for you is, what kind of tap plug is on the end, is it like the hyperion, how and what do you use to balance you lipo's, I'm going to be using a lba10, that has hyperion plugs for the taps.... any suggestions.
Thanks

yeah, shes a cold one today

:rofl:

The description says JST-XH balance tabs. I have no idea what Hyperion plugs look like, to tell you the truth, I don't know what any plug looks like, I always have to ask someone :mdr: I charge and balance my lipos with a CellPro 10S. What's a lba10? No suggestions :lol:

MC, I figured it out, and thanks for the reply, I learned that a hyperion/polyquest plugs are the same.... so by looking on the hobbyking site, I found a ext. that has the JST-XH tabs on one end and the hyperion/polyquest on the other end, so they will just plug right into my existing tap plugs on my balancer...... oh, here is a lba10, hooked up to my mrc 989 charger as well....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...s/DSCF0264.jpg

Hyperion and Polyquest are the same.... Ok MC try to remember this time :lol: I'll probably forget in five minutes. Whadawe talkin' 'bout? :oh:

JST/XH is also known as Align

Hyperion is also known as Polyquest

this info is taken from here...
http://www.rctech.net/forum/r-c-item...-adapters.html

Wow! Nice build!

Have got ALOT of inspiration from you ;-)
- Thanks!

Tested my e revo today for some speed runs and my POS TRX am radio glitches like crazy.I have a MMM and Neu 1512 2x2s 5200 30c.The throttle cuts out under full throttle 80 ft away.Doesnt do it at short range.Also lost all control at about 120 ft.Do I need a servo spliter to run 2 servos off of 1 number 2 channel I will try my MX3 fm radio?

For dual steering servos you mean? Yeah, just a regular Y-splitter will be fine- I used to do the same but then I discovered the joys of channel mixing with a 6 channel radio & 8 channel rx! :mdr:

Brown Boy brought me a big box today and I received another smaller box from Japan also. I have two new Lifepo4 3S 4500 mah Turnigys, 8 Proline 40 series Mashers, 8 Axial 40 series chrome wheels and tomorrow I will pick up some Parma liquid mask at the LHS to start painting the two Proline Ford F650 bodies I have. Soon I will post some cool pics of the two ERBEs with the new bodies and wheels and I will post some graphs of the Turnigys and of course I will try them out in the snow.