Comp tuber

[lukedaemon]

Great looking build!!

[Texas_TJ]

Originally Posted by Metal Masher

I had limited time so I pretty much winged the whole thing and didn't take the time to get pics along the way.

Originally Posted by Da Hermit

A very well thought out and methodical build.

[Metal Masher]

Thanks for the comments guys. Sorry I heven't posted up on the panels, i've been real busy this week.

Originally Posted by FULLTHROTTLE

Nice truck it looks great did you braise or tac weld that chassis

Yes the chassis is fully MIG welded. I started to TIG the main frame but I need more practice before I'm confident to fully TIG a chassis.

Originally Posted by rbgerrish

Sweet work, and the aluminum panels are outstanding! What thickness are they? Did I miss it in the thread?

I think they are .062 thick, they are basically disposable cooking sheets. I anneal them to make them soft so they can be molded easier.

I Promise I'll do a complete write-up on the panels. Hopefully by the end of the weekend.

I have a comp this Sunday so I'm really excited to run the finished product!

[Metal Masher]

Ran in the comp today, What a blast! I pointed out in the first course but after borrowing some rock claws, and being showed that i had 3 positions on my Magnum to run my dig , I aced the next 2 courses and ended up going from a 40 to a 15 and placing 5th! Woot! the best I've done so far!

Here are the pics of the damage a lot of this came from the first course, it was brutal!, But I did play around after the comp and since the body was already mangled I just beat on it more. So for a whole day of wailing on it it's really not that bad . the roof took most of the punishment. Time for another body!

[CowboysYJLT1]

Another body, now it looks like a real 1:1 crawler . Keep up the good work.

[Texas_TJ]

that thing looks frickin sweet with the body damage,

TELL US HOW YOU DID THE PANELS!!

[AxelRod]

holy friggin realistic damage!! What do you do with the beat-up pannels?

Subscribed!

[vipxj]

Dont replace that body, it looks great.

[O.C.D.]

Don't know what planet I was on when this was being posted? Must have been when I didn't have a life back in college this spring. Anyway, my first comment would be why no tires during all of that trial and error? But, in your last comp you used Claws. Maybe you will stay away from the lizards.

Cool ass build all the way. You have any way to make the bodies stronger. I know you made them and thicker material is harder, but if you could make them a bit thicker than you would not waste so much time replacing them. Then again, it really isn't a waste cause they do look so cool all beat up.

[BigSki]

Blake, it was so much fun to watch you run the truck on Sunday. The best part about it is how you don't get upset at all when the body panels get mangled!

I was asking you a lot of questions about your dig on sunday, I'm really inspired to build one on my own. Would it be possible to shoot me a pic or 2 of your setup?

I'm going to use North West Shortline to supply gears, I just need a better idea of what I need to buy.

Thanks! See you at Lock 12?

[Timmahh]

you just give that unit some character, and you want to give it a makeover? i say leave it.

[85toycrawler]

yes! please do a write up on the panels, i really want to get some.

[Jason S]

that thing is sick... is it T.I.G , M.I.G, or braze?

[Texas_TJ]

i just wanna saa again how damn bad ass this rig looks with all the beat up panles, i love it man ,great work

[Metal Masher]

Thanks again everyone!

Originally Posted by Texas_TJ

that thing looks frickin sweet with the body damage,

TELL US HOW YOU DID THE PANELS!!

LOL! I'm getting there. Family takes priority so i'll need to set aside some time to do the write-up

Originally Posted by AxelRod

holy friggin realistic damage!! What do you do with the beat-up pannels?

Subscribed!

I keep everything. I have boxes of smashed up bodies. This isn't the only RC I have that uses an aluminum body

Originally Posted by Doc J33P

Don't know what planet I was on when this was being posted? Must have been when I didn't have a life back in college this spring. Anyway, my first comment would be why no tires during all of that trial and error? But, in your last comp you used Claws. Maybe you will stay away from the lizards.

Cool ass build all the way. You have any way to make the bodies stronger. I know you made them and thicker material is harder, but if you could make them a bit thicker than you would not waste so much time replacing them. Then again, it really isn't a waste cause they do look so cool all beat up.

Tires were the last thing on my mind during the build. I wanted to get the mechanics and body dialed in first. I have experimented with different weights, different sets of moabs, the kit tires and the claws. mainly borrowing other peoples tires to get a feel for what I want. Honestly I ran out of funds and can't afford to buy a set right now.

I've been asked many times why I don't go to thicker metal and you got it right, the scale realism is dead on so i wouldn't want it dented any less and for me making another body isn't that big of a deal. I got it down to a science.

Originally Posted by BigSki

Blake, it was so much fun to watch you run the truck on Sunday. The best part about it is how you don't get upset at all when the body panels get mangled!

I was asking you a lot of questions about your dig on sunday, I'm really inspired to build one on my own. Would it be possible to shoot me a pic or 2 of your setup?

I'm going to use North West Shortline to supply gears, I just need a better idea of what I need to buy.

Thanks! See you at Lock 12?

Thanks man! Yah I replied to you're message in the shout box on SVSC but it got buried pretty quick. you can see the full writ-up on here:

Digging outside the box

What is North West Shortline? I've never heard of them. you posted on SVSC about getting a 2 speed R2 rebuild kit but you would need to buy 3 of them to make the dig. It takes 3 gears to make one. you'll see in the build-up

Originally Posted by Jason S

that thing is sick... is it T.I.G , M.I.G, or braze?

As said before it's fully MIG welded

[stampedeproject]

Outstanding metal work and engineering.

I am with the other guys the smashed up body looks awesome.

[TwistedXT]

you should post up a how to on how to make your own aluminum body for carnage! that would be a sticky for sure! ill see to it.

[BigSki]

North West Short Line is a Seattle based manufacturer of micro sized gears, shafts, bearings, metric hardware, motors, ect.. I wouldn't be at all suprised if RC4WD uses them as their gear supplier.

I found them years ago when I got into regearing model trains for realistic scale speeds. Once you check them out, your brain will start working overtime with the new ideas that will pop into your head!

[701 Technique]

awesome tube work

I like your choice of speed control, Rebel 2's are awesome. I've had mine in 3 different rigs now.

your scratched up body and ghost flames also kick ass

[Metal Masher]

Originally Posted by BigSki

North West Short Line is a Seattle based manufacturer of micro sized gears, shafts, bearings, metric hardware, motors, ect.. I wouldn't be at all suprised if RC4WD uses them as their gear supplier.

I found them years ago when I got into regearing model trains for realistic scale speeds. Once you check them out, your brain will start working overtime with the new ideas that will pop into your head!

Cool! I gotta check them out

Originally Posted by 701 Technique

awesome tube work

I like your choice of speed control, Rebel 2's are awesome. I've had mine in 3 different rigs now.

your scratched up body and ghost flames also kick ass

The rebel was only temporary. It's gotta Mamba Max in it now. Te rebel is in my Flatty and it works great but I need to get a fan on it. it gets kinda hot under the hood.

All right guys here is the quicky version on how I did the molds.

first I take the body that i want to copy and I add cardboard to surround the section I want to duplicate





Then I fill it with plaster and when I pull it apart I have a negative



Then I add more cardboard around the sides and then fill the whole thing with bondo. Yep like you use on cars



Then I pull it apart to reveal an exact duplicate of the original body and in this case I cut it into sections



Here is the rear fender as it came out of the mold



For this truck I wanted a bobbed bed so I made another set of rear fenders and cut about 3/4" out of the back




then I bondoed the pieces back together



and sanded it down



I did the same for the tailgate



the full size gate started like this out of the plaster mold



this was the first mold I made so I had to test it with the aluminum



then I cut it into it's respective sections



and made another test panel



I'm terrible at documenting my work in progress. I like to just get it done so this really isn't' the complete process but just the basic concept.

I'm going to do a proper write-up when I do my next body, an F250 Hi-lift!