Pass it on... Post a tip or a trick you know about for what ever it is.
 

I had started a thread in the buggy forum to post some tips and tricks about buggies and thier setups. There doesn't seem to be a lot of sharing in the forum. It all take take take. JK. Well I realized not everyone goes to the buggy forum so I am starting one in the general forum in the form of a pass it on.

Most of the threads already contain a tip on how to do something. It's great when you stumble onto it and think that was great idea. So if you found a new way to do something during your build or a break down you can put it in here.

Usually when I find an easier way to do something I will post it in the build thread. I don't always have a build thread and there some the may not either.

At one time someone gave me a tip on how to remove the permanent ink from a sharpie. Now if it was in a thread like this I would be able to find the answer. Now I need to go search a couple forums to find it.

So if you got a trick on how you glue tires, cut body posts, clean you rc, tie your shoe, get out of class, reove the smell from the garbage disposal, uses for wd40 (grease stain remover from carpet) or how to get your kids to brush thier teeth. Pass it on to the rest of us.

I know this is RCM but a little reminder doesn't hurt. If you think you have a better way or idea. Post it up as "Another tip to accomplish the same thing" but don't use this thread to argue which way is the best or only way to do it. If someones tip works leave it at that. Don't need a bunch of post with "I do it this way..... This isn't a poll to see if you brush up and down or side to side thread. Leave that outside the door. Just because 7 out of 10 dentist were paid to say that. Doesn't mean it is the best for me. There is no one correct way if the same results are produced. We are all here to enjoy ourselves. There some great people here at RCM and I bet there some great tips to be passed on. Take a tip and make it better. But if you take one, leave one.

You new guys get in here and share some with us. We know you are out there looking in. We all were at one time. No worries there's no open flames here at RCM. They do it with PMs.

Here's the buggy thread that hasn't gotten a lot of input. I thought the buggy guys had to have some good tricks. If they do they aren't sharing them.
http://www.rc-monster.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17073

Oh, yeah it okay to "steal" a tip from another forum or you read in extreme rc and put it here. We'll make sure it used for the good of the people.

Man this is getting long. One more idea.

How about jigs, something you created to help you do something. I bet there are some good one's thought up.

Here's a tip to start us off.

Reuse your Rite Dye.

When using the packets of Rite Dye. When you are done dying your parts. Just leave the dye in the pan and let the water evoporate. The dye return s to a crystal form again. When you are ready to do some more parts just add water and boil. I bought a large pan form the thrift store for only a couple bucks to do this with.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...emp/DyeTip.jpg

Just to clarify that this is not purple. It is plum-black at 2mins. It gets darker, but it's not purple. :)

I love these kind of threads. They're so helpful...

I don't really know many tips, but make sure to have all the proper tools/supplies. Always try to use sockets over pliers, Invest on a quality charger, Always have CA glue on hand, and get yourself a dremel. You better have a drill too.:wink:

Wish I had thought of this before the bash in Sept but when racing in muddy conditions....spray your truck down with wd-40 BEFORE the race, a lot less mud sticks! I realized this when I got home and tore my truck apart to clean it and then sprayed it down to keep screws from rusting. Hindsight is always 20/20

Use shoegoo on the inside of your bodies to make them last the whole season, just get a popcicle stick or use a piece of lexan to smooth a nice coat over the entire inside except for the windows and besure to put it a little thicker around where anything can rub such as the bodymount holes, mudguards, shocktowers on some, and around wheel well lips to keep them from cracking and keep your paint looking nice.

The wheels/tires effect gearing. If you put on bigger tires and don't change anything else, it will make the car faster. It is like adding teeth to the pinion gear. Same thing is true for smaller tires. Using this tip is especially important if you are running a direct drive outrunner setup.

Next time you tell her it's 12mm. Tell her with some confidence. Measure it first by creating this handy little jig. Just drop the bad boy in the right spot and now you know for sure.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...easuremnt4.jpg

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...measuremnt.jpg

Just take a ruler make a photo copy or two to cut out. A short piece of corner molding. I put an indent in it where you put the head to measure it from. I had some extra time LOL so I also drilled a couple holes and put a screw in the size I was sure or then added the photocopy of the ruler to it. All the measurements start the bottom of the head. She will feel so much better knowing that when she asks for a 12mm cap head. That is exactly what you are going to be giving her.

Warning side effects range from hot dog finger to severe vomiting. Use at your own risk. Vitalis.....

When using a LVC or a similar device, they have lights on them to tell you if the battery is low, but with a body on, it is hard to see. Take some acetone (Nail polish) and put it on a cotton pad, then rub off the paint on the body on the section next to the light. So when you are in a run, you can still see the light.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...g?t=1229896587

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...g?t=1229896964

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...g?t=1229896989

I couldn't ask for it to work any better.

1. Always have a spare battery for just testing things and fooling around. I use a 4AA rx pack with the plastic part of the JST plug taken off. The JST plug can easily go back on.

2. Gell cell or lead acid batteries are great for charging batteries away from power. Your charger can probably hook up to them with alligator clips. I have two from an old electric scooter. These batteries have tons of uses.

3. chairs or stools are good for sitting on, but also make a good PVC dremeling location.

A small addition to the shoe goo on the body idea. Use some aluminum duct tape (most hardware stores will have this) around the body post locations under the body. This will stop the posts or body clips under the body from rubbing the paint off. Plus you can use this anywhere else anything touches the body. Can also be used as a heat sheild for the tuned pipe (not that anyone here runs nitro:tongue:) It is like 5-8 bucks a roll and will last forever for our uses. Also makes good headlight buckets for leds. Many other uses too.

More useful supplies - threadlock, dremel cutting wheels, foam tape, heat shrink, lubricant, electric motor cleaner, a TV, a TV remote, and something to shrink your heatshrink with.

The tools you should have - multimeter, razor blade/utility knife, Ruler/tape measure, various hex wrenches, various screwdrivers, a drill, a dremel, various clamps, vice grips, a vice, drill bits, a socket set, scissors, and a drill. I wish I had a drill press too.

AND if you happen to be into spud guns, your workspace should always have teflon tape, PVC cleaner/primer/cement, a PVC stockpile, cans of propane (7), masking tape, and an air compressor.:yipi:

When you're taking something apart that has lots of small hardware, put a large white towel underneath it. This makes it really easy to find the small bits, and they stay where you put them.

Another tip for the small hardware, especially when assembling a kit, is to use an egg carton or a box that assorted Jelly Beans come in. It allows you to quickly separate all the pieces in their own little compartments.

Also, if your keys ever fall into a pit of molten lava, just let 'em go ... cause man, they're gone. (Jack Handey)

When your brushed motor bites the dust save the can and use it to magnitize the tips of your hex wrenches. This helps from getting that screw that dropped into the little spaces of your rig and for keeeping the screw on the hex tip when your lowering it into position when you are putting the screw back into its place.

This is why I have kept the Novak HV rotor that I snapped the shaft on! Very strong magnet. I have the tube that the replacement came in and thats what I store it in. With it in the tube I set it on my workbench when I'm working with small parts, such as 1/18 scale ball diffs. If I drop any of the pieces there's a good chance of the magnet pulling them in and it's easy to get them off with the tube covering the magnet.

That would be a Neodymium magnet. It is probably something around N32 grade. You can get neodymium magnets at www.kjmagnetics.com. They're surprisingly cheap.... I have a 130lb magnet that is a beast.

The hardest tip in the world for most people - Keep your workbench clean. I know I can't do that...:lol:

IF you bite your fingernails, make sure all your parts storage bins and parts storage cases have 1 curved edge on them so you can slide the washer or nut out easily, instead of licking your finger and poking it over and over or figting it with a small screwdriver. :intello:

LOL. I stopped licking my finger to get that c clip out (but had done it in desperation once or twice). I keep little magnets next to all the small screws and parts bins that don't have the slope to them. Frustrating getting one out some times. In addition to that for the shims that don't stick to the magnet I use a unbent paper click to do my fishing with.

do not trust her, even if she says she's on birth control pull out man, pull out:yes:

1. c clips, a nail biters worst enemy !
2. Only pull out if shes ugly, can't cook and is a gold digger. Trifecta

Ummm, shouldn't those 3 things clue you in to not "insert" in the first place?

Thats how I used to do it, but maybe I missed out on a few good times....

no, those things clue me in to closing my eyes, using my imagination and pulling out! ...

rofl you can take it how you want, but 5 years in Manhattan I would have been real lonely without the "pull out" girls

That reminds me about "Bare" tools. Say you already have yourself an 18v cordless drill. They usually come with two batteries and a charger. The batteries were actually what cost the most in your purchase. You don't need more batteries. You can start building up your tool cabnet a lot cheaper by buying bare tools now. Cordless tools that are sold by themselves without batteries and charges. Add a 18v cordless jigsaw or flashlight. Do a search for Bare tools and look at the price difference with the tools sold at the LHS with batteries.

At least you did not resort to men....

I did that with the milwauke v28 stuff. I already had a battery from a trade, bought a charger for 35 and the drill for 150, the combo with batt costs 360 new, I also picked up a 6.5" circular saw too, only 95 for that. The 28v stuff has some power, and the cells are 3000mah so long runtimes too.

this is all i got , but , it has worked for me for years:yes:




clean and inspect for damage before you put it away, even if you didnt run it in the MUD :rofl:, it works in every part of your life:whistle:

Milwauke makes some nice tools, not cheap either. You probably give them a pretty good work out your shop. Bare tool are the way to go. I never heard of them up until a while back.

Thanks entjoles. A good tip and thanks for leaving one. Looking at the replies vs the views on this thread. There have been people sneaking in and taking tips and not leaving any. Unbelievable.

I found the tip about the Sharpie permanent ink removal. This is a tip from Jhautz. He told me about it when I was painting my Losi Baja Bug body. I marked outlines and drew on the outside while I was painting it. When I was done. I went to peal off the plastic from the outside. There was no plastic coating on this one. Funny looking back at it now. At the time I wasn't laughing though.

"I used to work in new product development for the company that makes Sharpie. Here is the easiest way to remove the Sharpie from a smooth, non-porous surface. Trace over the area that you used the Sharpie on with a dry erase white board marker. Let it dry (15 seconds or so is all it really takes) and then wipe the Sharpie off like it was a dry erase marker. Its that easy. Works great on Lexan bodies"

Great tip from Jhautz.

a few tips...
1. if you're going to run in mud, check the puddles for depth before hand, so you dont end up submerging your entire r/c
2. if you have the extra hex wrenches, cut off the short end, put the long end in the chuck of screwgun or power driver, it makes life alot easier. just remember to set the clutch low...
3. if your dremel gets hot, stop using it for a while instead of just continuing with a glove on
4. dont paint your body in the cold
5. mark drilling holes with everything assembled on your r/c... that way you dont drill a hole, then realize that the bolt has to go somewhere where it cant...
6. before making something extravagant for your chassis, make sure the body will still fit on
7. only use a lipo charges that you can set for your battery manually, and have it check for mistakes. dont let it automatically choose!
8. keep your wires going from your motor to your esc short to avoid radio interference(not a problem with 2.4GHz)
9. Make sure you have proper spur/pinion gear mesh... for steel its easy enough- push as close as you can so they an spin without binding, and u still hear little "tinks" if you rattle one of the gears. for steel to plastic fold a piece of paper in half, smush it inbetween as much as u can, roll the gears a bit so the paper is crimped... then tighten.
10. especially with steel to plastic make sure you're motor screws are really tight, but that you dont drive into the windings of the motor
11. for connectors, females always go on the batteries. males on the charger/esc/rx
12. unless your rx strictly specifies, the darkest color of the PWM cables(black, brown, etc) go on the outside side
13. invest in a temp gun and check temperatures immediatly after each run.
14. Make sure that if your r/c flips, it wont land right on your expensive electronics
15. put zipties on the end of your bodyclips, or get those ones that mount to your body so you dont lose them
16. when designing, KISS(keep it simple stupid!)

I can realate to #6...

On #15 when you put the ziptie one, fold the ziptie over, cut off the extra, and put fuel tubing over it.

-Always look for cars (1:1) before doing a pass. Don't get too close to cars when racing them.:lol:

I was racing a car with my evader and got too close and while it didn't get run over, it flipped and tumbled and in the process it banged against the side of the car and the people got out. they weren't all that mad, but just think if they were....:tongue:

i do the same with my zipties, only heatshrink instead
i can relate to every single one of them since, i learned all of them from a bad experience! :lol:

I had to sneak in and steal this from a different thread, but I knew eventually we'd get a tip from Lincpimp that didn't have something do with midgets or donkeys. LOL

Painting aluminum

Get to know the owner of your local hobby shop, especiallyif the lhs isn't far away. Most hobby shops can get things for the same price or cheaper then online stores, and you don't have to pay shipping. If it is out of stock, they can usually get things in in a few days.

lhs owners are also great sources of information. They know about the local racing and flying. They also have experience and own a few kits. Theres a good chance they take em out and drive them around or fly them to show you how they perform if he/she has the time.

My stance on lhs's is that I personally prefer dealing with a real person that you can talk to and joke around with then 18 inches of lifeless changing colors.:yes:

I prefer just cutting a head of a ziptie off, and just zipping it into the original ziptie, with the fuel tubing.
The fuel tubing doesn't come off. :yipi:

You're lucky, my LHS is waaaay behind the times, I teach them brushless!

that was you looking in my window!

same here...some still tell me theyre tmaxx will woop my emaxx anyday

I'm on a first name basis with everyone at my LHS! Of course I'm only 10 minutes away so I'm there all the time! I have tought them some stuff there but when I have a problem they are more than willing to help. Lately they've been offering me help with helicopters and encouraging me, esspecially with my CP. I race on their carpet track almost every week. Best thing about a lhs is getting parts! If I was to break an A-arm on my Revo I can have a new one on and be running again within 1/2 hour! It def pays to make friends with them! They often give me deals just because I'm there all the time

Well, my lhs know a little about brushless... They stock em. They have a few quark esc's and flightpower lipos. Nothing 8th scale though. I showed my owner the outruner for my crt .5 and he was impressed. It sounds like he knows something about the power of brushless... I will say he doesn't tell me anything I already don't know about bl.:tongue:

Paralized, I like hoppin over to your house and peekin a bit. You know, it really makes the day more exciting. I just wont tell anyone about that... "time"....:lol:

off topic, but I was actually going to go to minneapolis tomorrow, but I just blew some money tonight on a movie, so I don't think I'll go.:angel:

For a tip: Although RTR on the traxxas website may be defined as ready to race, they've been bullcrappin ya. RTR means ready to run, no matter what.:rules:

I'm in between SD and minny apples, if it happens in the future lemme know

To shine up your shell and remove some of the "small" scratches. Use furnitiure polish like Lemon Pledge. Just wax on wax off. It takes out some of the small scratches and shines it up a bit. Until the shell reaches the no return stage and nothings gonna help it then. Works pretty well on the platic windows for you Jeeps soft top too.


Bring backs memories of pushing around the Kirby Vacum and polishing all the furniture on Satuarday mornings during Scooby Doo. Mom loved to have her wood furniture to shine. Our Sat mourning chores. So if the place smelled like Lemon Pledge and there were Kirby tracks in the carpet when she got home from work on Satuarday. Us five boys were free to terrorize the neighborhood. If nothing gotten broke during the choas of doing the chores that is. I know Shaun and a few others remember the old Kirby.

I remember the old kirby,,,

When soldering a most connecters onto batterys, put the shrink on the wires before you solder anything. And on top of all, don't let the wires touch.

Adapter to connect 3.5 bullet to a 5.5mm bullet or vice verca
 

I bypassed the short piece of wire that I use to use betweem such connectors. I just soldered two connectors together to fit what I could use them for.

Adapter(s) for your bulllet connectors for those times you don't have the right bullet connectos handy.


http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...connectors.jpg

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...letgrinded.jpg

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...rsonamotor.jpg

Protect lipo balance connectors
 

If running lipos, you can get dirt/debris in your balance connectors. To prevent that from happening, I just take an extra male connector, remove the wires and maybe pins, and hot-glue the any openings. So, before I go out, I just snap one of these over the balance plug on the pack and it keeps it clean.

A picture of a Hyperion on the left and some other type (don't remember which) on the right.

http://scriptasylum.com/forumpics/ba...protectors.jpg

You can't see it, but both have hotglue in the back where the wires originally were.

The one on the left has all the pins removed since the casing has the latching mechanism.

The smaller one on the right has just a couple pins removed just so it's not so hard to put on/take off, yet stays on firmly. Should be snug enough to stay on during running, but not so bad that it takes a Kung-Fu grip to remove it. I also wrapped heatshrink around it to help seal various other openings, and also filled the back with hotglue to give me something for my fat fingers to grip.