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Converting a RadioShack Enclosure Project Box to a Battery Tray
Thanks to Finnster for his tips and recommendations.
I picked up a RadioShack Enclosure/Project box, dimensions - 6x3x2" Plastic ABS box. It cost me about $3.79, so a total of $4. But I bought two, thinking I'd cut up 75% of one, and 75% of the other, but figured, why not try taking one, and cutting it in half. The boxes come with 4 binder screws (I think they're binding, they look like self-tapping), a plastic cover, so it's a rounded box, instead of straight edges, the edges are kind of curved. Not only does it come with a plastic cover, it comes with a aluminum lid. I think this should be going OVER the plastic lid, or without the plastic lid, it will go into the box, leaving excess plastic over the sides. Here's some pictures from when you buy em, still new....:yes: http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3376.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3378.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3379.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3380.jpg Dimensions.. http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3387.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3388.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3390.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3391.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3396.jpg Insides and Outside: http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3397.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3398.jpg Then you cut them into two halves... Well, I didn't get two pictures of it completely split, so I'll just put my final pictures with the massive hotglue in. Excuse the hotglue mess! :whip: :oh: No dremel, and a crooked hacksaw later... http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3399.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3400.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3401.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3402.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3403.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3404.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3407.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3408.jpg As you can see, the top is quite crooked, because the hacksaw is probably older than me... No joke, it probably is :oops: And I'm 14 =/ The saw is crooked, and I didn't feel like taking a day to fix it or however long, since my dad wasn't gonna help me fix it, don't know why. He had a bad day :neutral: Anyways, you can see I went a little overboard with the hotglue, so I'm gonna take out a few razors and get it into neat little shapes whenever I feel like it. :na: The hotglue will help hold the sides up, hopefully, it won't split in half. As you can see, I also had to snip the screw on one side in half, and had to hotglue the screw in, as most of the screw was on the floor :mdr: I made a little notch on the side. This probably GREATLY decreases the durability on the lid box, but, eh, it works.. for now. I like it, it seems pretty solid, and I'm waiting for my new screws to come in so I can counter-sink and mount them up on my TVPs! Anyways, any questions, feel free to ask em here. Had to use direct links because of the 10image limit... :no: I'll keep you guys updated!! --- BTW, does anyone know how to countersink without buying a countersinking kit? |
nice, now put it in your savage tvp and dive it into a tree, or a curb, etc. to see if itll survive the real bashing world! Also, you might want to dremel off those little standoffs on the bottom of the box...
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Oh.....
Didn't I tell ya, I don't have a dremel! Thats why it looks so messy! Wanna donate me a dremel? :lol::whistle: |
Hmm, I would be a little leary about strength. The walls on Mike's trays are pretty thick (1/8" IIRC), and those have been known to break. Those RS boxes are much thinner. I would definitely use velcro on the bottom to reduce lateral movement...
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Yeah, I forgot to mention that, I'll be hotgluing the velcro plus the adhesive, that's why I haven't been getting many updates, because I'm waiting to pick up some velcro off eBay!
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No self-respecting hobbyist wouldn't be caught dead without one! Now go out and mow some lawns or something and get one ASAP. That's an order! :mdr: |
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
Chris just IM'd me saying the same thing! I wish I could mow lawns, around here, people can afford more than one gardener :yes: :oh: :neutral: |
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WAH!?
I dunno, no one wants to hire a 14 year old to mow their lawn when they already have gardeners doing it.. |
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And your battery box looks wack. You need some kydex, a bench vise, and a heat gun... |
Hahahahahaha
Man I wish... If only I got allowance, sigh. |
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LOL, come on Linc, that was a little weak... :lol: |
Probably.....
Hey, It was $4 for two trays! We'll see how it goes! I'm gonna go wrapping it in duct tape once I find some... :D |
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:lol::lol:
Random!?:party: |
You don't get it?
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I do...
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i got a dremel at harbor fleight for like $10 bucks. check them out
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I saw that..
I was thinking about it, but my main problem is the parents. They think I'm wasting money, on a non-fulfilling hobby.. I tell them, it helps me with mechanics, and gets me by for the day. They haven't yelled at me for a while now, hmm.. |
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Silly green guys.
:lol: That's right! IM COLORIST TO GREEN FOLKS :party: |
On the upside, it only cost $4. :)
Ok ok.. not sure I want to take credit for inspiring that. :lol: Its a good first attempt, but a bit crude. But you do things to learn. :)
Hot glue will never work. It isn't a strong bond. You have to use proper ABS cement (sparingly!) I would cutout all those extra posts as well. A drill works well for this, as does a chisel. Again, make sure there is plenty of overlap in the joints, use cement, take your time, mount with screws to chassis, and the box comes out looking good and is very very durable. I have yet to break one in any my vehicles with a great deal of bashing and track abuse over a couple years I've been making these. Here is what it's supposed to look like: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...x/battbox4.jpg The underside, with a recess for truggy mudguards. Bottom is ~1/4". http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...x/battbox6.jpg Finally a layer of foam covers the recessed screw holes: http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...x/battbox9.jpg |
Doubling up the ends like that makes me feel a lot better. And I will agree on the hot glue statement; you can remove it with your bare fingers, so it definitely is not a strong bond.
Seeing all these tray designs makes me want to make a fiberglass version. Strong, yet somewhat flexible, and easy (if messy) to make. |
I made one without using a dremel also :(. I'm going to look into one from harbor freight though.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...6/DSC00585.jpg http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...6/DSC00509.jpg |
I'll see if I can find some ABS cement to use...
But how exactly do I secure the screw bottom lid side? I guess we'll see how this one works out.. For $4, I'm pretty satisfied. I have some foam I removed from my Harbor Freight Tool Case for all my lipos, TXs (1 so far :]), Charger, and nonsense, so I'll pull some out and try and use that. I was thinking of putting down the velcro first, then screw drilling.. I guess we'll see when my stuff comes! :D |
Reviving a dead thread here....
But... Here they are mounted! They look really nice with the gray duct tape trim. Seriously. It's almost impossible to get them out becuase all of the velcro I have in there, on the bottom, sides, and then a wrapping around the actual lipo to the case. Piratically impossible to toss my Turnigy's in, because I had to put velcro on the top and bottom, so it's hard as hell to get it in without getting it to stick, and stay stuck... Absolutely stable. Anyways, on to the pictures right!? http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3449.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3450.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3451.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3452.jpg http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...4/IMG_3454.jpg |
Yeah, the velcro straps should really keep them in. I don't think they will go anywhere. Nice job mounting the trays.
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Thanks, the yellow is fuel line for nitro, I bought like 3 feet of it, in different colors about 6 months ago, I use them for my body clips, and had extras, and I needed standoffs...
I'm debating whether or not I should put em between the TVP and the nut. One tray is only held on by 3 bolts and nuts because the tranny got in the way of the fourth, so I had to keep the tray on by three. The other tray barely made the fourth though, so I'm pretty happy. |
Good work on the trays! The hellfire tires look funny on the esav though- a bit big. :lol:
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Nah, those are the HPI Agressors on HPI Hellfires..
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They're still big though...
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:D
Kind of.... The ESavage's stock tires is like a couple cm's more then 2.2 tires... |
Put some TC tires on it! :lol:
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TC Tires?
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touring car
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i always thought about getting one of the project boxes to use as a battery tray! Nice job! |
Yup, I have about 5 ft left from a big ol order.
I use em for my shocks (inside, between the ball end, and the shock body), use em for spacers, and use em for just color... They look really nice too! and thanks. |
Yea they do! rubber is very usefull!
oh oops, i meant rubber in my last post. lol |
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