What welding projects are you working on? Are you proud of something you built?
How about posting some pics so other welders can get some ideas?
home made RC monster truck
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werner sline
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    Wed Dec 27, 2017 9:56 pm

Hello everybody,

I thought i would share my built and ask you for advice at the same time !

i started welding for fun a couple of years ago. i welded a few tables and working bench for my house and here is the RC truck i built:
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it weight 6kg, wheelbase is 400mm, tires are 170mm diam.
it uses RC parts coming from 1/8 buggies and rc monster trucks like the transmission, the shocks, the body
its run on a common lithium polymer battery used in 1/8 th scale buggies
i built the chassis with aluminium from the hardware store and welded the axles + arms myself

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steering knuckles to replace the aluminium fragile ones ( left )
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why build a monster truck myself ? well the isn't any real durable / solid axles / scale looking monster truck on the market that money can buy !
so i built it myself : actually this truck is the 4th generation of truck i built so i made it better !

here some video of this thing in action :

https://youtu.be/QnyKhxF08Rg
https://youtu.be/SAOMhouGzv8

more videos on my chanel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtL8N5 ... lymer=true

ok so my question is : i use 5mm piano wire rods to built the arms of my truck. there is a lot of stress in this area and just like the real monster trucks, it sometimes bends or break. but i'm actually quite satisfied so far. the thing is i need new steel rod for a similar project and my local supplier doesn't exist anymore !

so i found this : http://www.mcmaster.com diameter 1/4"
would this steel be durable enough for my kind of use ?
i noted that the piano wire breaks right after my welding under high stress or crashes : what did i do wrong ? is it because of the heat of the welding ? ( i use an inverter stick welder with 2mm stick @ 50 amps approx )

thank you for your help !
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clavius
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Wow, that is a serious project, very nice!

As to your question, I am no metallurgist, but piano wire is hardened and springy. It is likely that the heat of welding it altered the properties at that area created a brittle spot that breaks rather than flexes like the rest of the wire.

The Mcmaster link is bringing me to a search page rather than your specific product. But I'd guess a plain old steel rod may be less subject to breaking here as it will not harden so readily after welding.
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werner sline
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thank you for your reply
this little monster truck was a fun project but did indeed require much working hours ! which is ok because
this RC car does stunts like no other one !

the mac master rod i choose ( sorry for the previous bad link ) :
Ultra-Strength Easy-to-Machine 1144 Carbon Steel Rods

Yield Strength: 125,000 psi
Hardness: Rockwell C30 (Hard)
Heat Treatable: Yes
Max. Hardness after Heat Treatment: Not Rated
Containing more carbon and manganese than 1117, 1144 carbon steel offers higher yield strength and hardness, even without further heat treatment. Use it to fabricate parts that require stress resistance. Also known as Fatigueproof, these rods have enhanced strength and resistance to breaking from repeated impact compared to High-Strength Easy-to-Machine 1144 Carbon Steel Rods.
Ultra-Strength, 1/4" Diameter
https://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-steel-rods/=1awwg1b

previously i used piano wire rods ( plain rods ) but i never saw their specification.

to make it simple : are the rods i choose the best rods from mc master for my use and arc welding ?

by the way, you can see me weld @ 3min45sec in this video ( showing the previous monster truck i built )

https://youtu.be/WpAlaTrpNa0

HAPPY NEW YEAR !! :mrgreen:

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Nice project Werner, and even better finger control on those flips. :) The last time I tried that I landed one of buggies on it's roof, to heavy on the brakes lol. The last truck I did was a 5th scale Losi5ive, didn't do any welding on it but had a custom chassis made to set the motor back a couple of inchs and turned it 90 degrees, the front end is Losi the rear is Baja, everything else is custom. Two wheel drive instead of four, and sports a 71cc ALX Reed motor.. It's a 50lb handful.. Pic before it was quite finished without the cage on it.
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Pete



Esab SVI 300, Mig 4HD wire feeder, 30A spool gun, Miller Passport, Dynasty 300 DX, Coolmate 4, Spectrum 2050, C&K Cold Wire feeder WF-3, Black Gold Tungsten Sharperner, Prime Weld 225
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werner sline
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pgk wrote:Nice project Werner, and even better finger control on those flips. :) The last time I tried that I landed one of buggies on it's roof, to heavy on the brakes lol. The last truck I did was a 5th scale Losi5ive, didn't do any welding on it but had a custom chassis made to set the motor back a couple of inchs and turned it 90 degrees, the front end is Losi the rear is Baja, everything else is custom. Two wheel drive instead of four, and sports a 71cc ALX Reed motor.. It's a 50lb handful.. Pic before it was quite finished without the cage on it.
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now that's a BIG rc car ! people don't realize how big 1/5 scales are !

imagine a 1/5 scale rigid axles monster truck !! tires could be like 12" diameter !! that would crush things !

anyway i ordered this at mac master :
6628K23 select lenght 1 ft , QTY 20
Easy-to-Machine 1144 Carbon Steel Rod, Ultra-Strength, 1/4" Diameter

rc cars mostly use plastic and aluminium for their lighter weight
but i sometime build part for rc with steel : you can make complex shapes, it can be quiet thin yet durable. of course it will always be haevier than a professionnal CNC machined aluminium piece...
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Yah no doubt, looks like yours is pretty robust with some of those landings you were doing with it. I have since switched over to 1/4 scale wheels and tires, kept blowing the 1/5th scale tires off the rims. the rear control arms are made from 1/2" thick aluminum. This car would be destroyed if I tried doing some of the ariel stunts you do lol. It's more at home on soccer field where it can flex it's 20 HP!! What foams are you running?
Pete



Esab SVI 300, Mig 4HD wire feeder, 30A spool gun, Miller Passport, Dynasty 300 DX, Coolmate 4, Spectrum 2050, C&K Cold Wire feeder WF-3, Black Gold Tungsten Sharperner, Prime Weld 225
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werner sline
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i use the foams supplied with the team associated mgt tires : regular cheap foams
it can be seen here : https://www.rctech.net/forum/monster-tr ... ion-9.html

monster truck tires and rims that look good are really hard to find. the rim is often too big in diameter and the tires are often too narrow.
i was ready to build my own rims until i found the hong nor ones ! and they are surprisingly durable ! i didn't break any !
the tires i use are actually shaved to look good


my next project is a stretched hobao hyper mt to mimic a 1/5 buggy ; the hobao hyper mt is a great durable basis. i can't wait to see if i can do freestyle jumps with a kind of 1/5 scale ( i say kind of because it wil have the size but not the weight )

i didn't buy a real 1/5 scale because those are so heavy that i would need 8s lipo and esc to move the thing properly...
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werner sline
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pgk wrote:Yah no doubt, looks like yours is pretty robust with some of those landings you were doing with it. I have since switched over to 1/4 scale wheels and tires, kept blowing the 1/5th scale tires off the rims. the rear control arms are made from 1/2" thick aluminum. This car would be destroyed if I tried doing some of the ariel stunts you do lol. It's more at home on soccer field where it can flex it's 20 HP!! What foams are you running?
by the way what 1/4 scale tires and rims do you use ?
20 hp is some serious power !
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I use this guys tires: http://www.bishopracingproducts.com/ the motor is made in Italy, I took a chance and bought the first one that was sold in the US. turned out to be a beast of a engine. The guy also makes 100 cc twins!, 78, 71, and 48. Here's a video of one his 78cc power rating is about the same but has more torque.. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk8IUAyx6pk This was back in 2015, he has since made plenty of improvements in performance, I believe back then he was using Athena cylinders, I believe he's using Malossi racing cylinders now and has also improved pipe designs. Everyone that runs his motors are also running wheelie bars for a good reason. LOl
Pete



Esab SVI 300, Mig 4HD wire feeder, 30A spool gun, Miller Passport, Dynasty 300 DX, Coolmate 4, Spectrum 2050, C&K Cold Wire feeder WF-3, Black Gold Tungsten Sharperner, Prime Weld 225
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werner sline
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holy nipple ! now that is some serious sh*t !
the video show a gound destroyer machine !

i'm not into nitro but i understand the excitement of sound and smell !
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Two stroke 110 octane and Motul 800 oil :) And it is loud even with a silencer on it, and don't even think about running on your yard as it will destroy it with a set of super spikes on the back. lol I'm actually thinking about selling it, because it's hard to find a larger enough place to run and it destroys any turf that it comes in contact with. I have a couple of old Kyosho MP9 buggies I bought back in the 90's, both were Nitro. I converted one of them to Tekin 1350KV 6S and it absolutely blows the nitro version into the weeds. Plus it's quiet and has full power as soon as you pull the trigger. I thought about putting in one of MGM's electric setups https://www.mgm-controllers.com/cars/lo ... n-kit.html in this 1/5th scale they run up to 15S and around 20hp crazy fast but Iv'e heard of a few melt downs and they get expensive. I'll probably go back to 1/8th electric, I love the instant power and being to run it most anywhere, like you, looks like your running in your back yard? This one from 6 years ago is only 13hp and it's crazy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtjOcGdc85A
Pete



Esab SVI 300, Mig 4HD wire feeder, 30A spool gun, Miller Passport, Dynasty 300 DX, Coolmate 4, Spectrum 2050, C&K Cold Wire feeder WF-3, Black Gold Tungsten Sharperner, Prime Weld 225
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werner sline
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indeed ! your truck is a grass killer !

brushless has a lot of advantages , and you're right, it allows me to run in this garden without too much noise

regarding 1/5 scale brushless, my all time favorite vid is this one : https://youtu.be/ahuRlZc4n80
the sheer power and the reaction of the guys around always brings a smile on my face !

did you check my chanel and videos about 1/8 buggies ? i run 4s lipos with a long gearing. i just finished to shoot my next video : 5 flips with a 1/8th buggy on 5s ! crazy flipping !

https://imgur.com/ChfopfV
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My Gawd! That is crazy! How many feet in the air was that 1/8th scale? Can't wait to see the video:) I wish I could drive half as good as that 1/5th driver... ;) Love how he was crossing up that Losi!
Pete



Esab SVI 300, Mig 4HD wire feeder, 30A spool gun, Miller Passport, Dynasty 300 DX, Coolmate 4, Spectrum 2050, C&K Cold Wire feeder WF-3, Black Gold Tungsten Sharperner, Prime Weld 225
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werner sline
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when you own creation tries to kill you :

https://youtu.be/n01cY5Db_XU

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n01cY5Db_XU" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Ouch! Your lucky you weren't driving a 1/5th scale! LOL
Pete



Esab SVI 300, Mig 4HD wire feeder, 30A spool gun, Miller Passport, Dynasty 300 DX, Coolmate 4, Spectrum 2050, C&K Cold Wire feeder WF-3, Black Gold Tungsten Sharperner, Prime Weld 225
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