I use a diamond cutting blade for straight cuts on a home made mini table saw. I duplicate parts with a router mounted on a small router table (bought at a yard sale real cheap) with carbide cutters, or Tungsten Carbide Dremel bits that I can put on the router with a modified adapter from another power tool.

I made a 6 mm CF motor plate.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...tor_plate1.jpg

Here's the tranny and motor all complete. You'll see what the stuff on the rear of the motor is for in the next pics.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w..._complete1.jpg

I made this part out of a piece of aluminum angle.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...r_bracket1.jpg

It goes here and that threaded rod on the motor slides in the slot. With a couple washer and a couple nuts, the rear of the motor is supported very well.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...r_bracket2.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...r_bracket3.jpg http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...r_bracket4.jpg

As always, AWESOME build, man! One of the big RC Companies should hire you to design & build new vehicles, redesign old vehicles, design & build conversion kits, etc., etc...you would be awesome at that, not to mention make a boat-load of money, and even buy a nice boat to keep the money in!

I'm stuck waiting for that 2.5 mm sheet of CF to make the top plate. Once I get it and the top plate is done, I will be able to assemble the truck and finish up the build. So I did a couple things in preparation for it's arrival. I topped up my shocks with shock oil, I rebuilt my diffs with proper silicon diff lube, I balanced my wheels and I also did something to make them look nicer. Dish wheels are great but they're boring. They look ok but boring. Someone on the LST Forums used a washer as a guide to make holes in the rims. Cool trick but I had to complicate things so I made this thingamajigger.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...th_wheels1.jpg

It slips in the cavities of the rims.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...th_wheels2.jpg

And serves as a guide to make pilot holes perfectly.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...th_wheels3.jpg

Then I used a step drill to enlarge the pilot holes to 5/8''.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...th_wheels4.jpg

I like it! COOL!

Wow! Love it! I'm surprised no one has made a price like that before? How did you make it? I would love to do that too, but I'm not sure how you measured and made that piece?it's genius! U should sell that idea to Pro-line!! How about an RCM only buy?

Ray... You are awesome! I think I have a cyber bromance brewing with you! Ha! I'm blown away ( and envious) of your work, and that u have the ability to do all of this. I would do anything to be able to this stuff for fun.

J

It's just a scrap piece of Plexi. I just trimmed it down to approximately the shape I needed and held it over the rim's cavity to trace the shape. Then I just sanded the edges bit by bit until the piece fit in there loosely. It has to drop in there without being to loose. Finally, a hole in the center. I just eyeballed it because if you put the piece the same way in each cavity then the holes will be evenly spaced all around.

Looks good, mistercrash. Just a thought, what about using a motor clamp (like the kind Fine Designs uses in their LST conversion) on the rear of the motor (instead of a hose clamp and screw). I have one from a Savage Flux mount you can have, if it'll fit that motor.

-JB

I would love to use something better looking than that hose clamp :lol: It does look awful I know.

Do you have a pic of that motor clamp or a link to where I could see one? That NEU 1521 is 40 mm in diameter.

So, If I wanted to dabble in making parts out of alum or CF, what should I be looking to buy? You have a "home made" mini table saw, and a router mouted on a small router table... plus a "modified" adapter. What would a regular joe like myself need to look for... say at HarborFrieght.com or eBay.... to be able to do this?

I don't have CAD, nor am I a tool and dye maker. My NEIGHBOR is, and my bro in law has CAD. But I hate having to rely on other people to do work for me. They'd be happy to teach me though.

So I'm asking... is this biting off way more than I can chew? Is it kinda like I can play guitar no problem... but it's a tall order to hand one to someone who doesn't play guitar, and say, "Gimmie and hour of songs in front of all these people please!".

I'm so interested in doing this though... but have limited finances... that I'd like to know just how realistic it would be for me to buy a used Mini-Mill or Mini-Metal Lathe...or WHATEVER, so that I can cut my own Chassis out of Graphite, or skids, or motor mounts, whatever!?

Here are a couple of things I've seen at Harbour Freight...
7" x 10" Mini-Lathe

First of all... is this too small? I'm so unfamiliar with what I would need, that I don't even know how to SHOP for one!

Plus, even if I had access to CAD... it would do me no good unless I had a CNC machine to load the program into right? And I know those are expensive!

Two Speed Mill/Drill Press

I have a 5-speed drill press... but it's not a "Mill".

Benchtop Shaper/Router

Full Size Router

Bench Top Router

Table Saw

I actually have a full sized saw like that one above...It's for cutting wood. But I'm sure I could get different blades for it. It's for straight cuts though. I've never used it!! I got it on sale at Lowes once.

Benchtop Band saw

I don't even know if it's possible with these types of tools or not. But as I said, I'd love to be able to buy some 7075 or 6061, some 3mm or greater CF, plus I have access to scraps of alum like this, thru my bro in law, CHEAP. That way I could trace and make my own XXL chassis, or my own esc plates, or battery boxes, etc. I would have to wait around on friends who are getting it done, and are at the mercy of the shop doing it. Plus, I think it would be fun and something new to learn. Anyway... I'm man enough to accept that if this stuff is not for "everyone", and that you really have to know what you're doing to pull it off... then I can accept that and just be happy with buying aftermarket parts, or waiting for my buddies to make the stuff.

Thanks!
Jason

Here is the Savage flux one I have.

http://www.hpiracing.com/products/en/100903/

The Fine Design one is in the first post here. (get rid of the block on the bottom and use the upper part).


http://www.rc-monster.com/forum/showthread.php?p=118536

The Flux mount is for a 40mm can. My CC1515 slides right in.

-JB

jpoprock

You worry too much! I am an average Joe, I'm a city bus driver. I don't own CAD software and even if I did I don't know how to use it. I don't own any of the tools you linked, no mill or lathe. I have a small belt/disk sander, a small and a big drill press plus the things I made and mentioned above. I have lots of hand tools, files, sanding blocks, drill bits, a few end mills. I make everything by hand. I just do it. I try and do my best and if it works and looks decent then I'm happy. A lot of things I do don't work and I trash it. Trial and error. If you have access to people who can help you fabricate or to teach you how to fabricate what you need, if you can access or buy the tools you linked then you have a lot more than me. So what are you waiting for? Git er done! Talk to those people you know and have knowledge and tools they can share. Just dive in man and stop worrying too much but remember, whatever you do, you're first priority is safety. Don't be loosing fingers or an eye.

JAILBIRD

Those motor clamps look really nice, much nicer than a hose clamp :lol:

That HPI clamp looks perfect for what I need. Is it for sale? PM me with a price, I want it if you have no use for it. Thanks.

This is what came in yesterday, a nice sheet of 2.5 mm T6 6061 aluminum from onlinemetals.com.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...steering10.jpg

And this is what I made this morning. The plate that goes on the bottom front skid to support the Muggy steering bellcrank.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...steering11.jpg

I think those Flux mounts would work for you - you are using a non-finned version, right? If so, your golden.

MC... You would think that I was a nervous nelly. But really.. I'm not AT ALL. I'm insanely curious and a sponge to know all kinds of crap. I grilled a client of mine for an hour on how to dig wells and septic systems! Will I ever do that? Nope, but I know three times more about it now, than I did when I woke up today! LOL!

Man.. I can't believe you do all that fine work that you do.... and you don't have any fancy tools! AMAZING!!!! Very impressive actually. I think you probably have a lot of what I don't have though.. and that is TIME. I'm 40yrs old with a working wife and two young boys... So time is something I don't have any of. I have no business having a hobby right now... but hey... a man has to have SOME fun huh?

Here is my favorite part about what you said...

"Jason, I don't have any of the fancy tools you listed. I'm an average Joe who drives a city bus. I just have a passion and patience for doing this stuff. Oh and one more thing... I'm also a lottery winner and worth about 6.5 million dollars. Oh, and I have a 12" penis. So life is really good."

Well played sir. Well played.

All true, except for the 6.5 million dollar part :lol:

Since I have the T6 6061 alu sheet, I thought I would make a template of the final top plate that will help cutting the 2.5 mm CF plate that finally came in this morning. The CF plate is almost finished. I will post pics when it's done and then I should be able to start assembling the truck.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...plate_alu1.jpg

JAILBIRD

So what's the word on the HPI motor clamp?