Anyone with a lathe please read

[NeoSlayer888]

I need some cantilever step bolts for my X-TXT. Tamiya sells replacements but bundles it with stuff I don’t need. Here is an AutoCAD file of what it looks like with dimensions (in mm):

Is there anyone that could turn 4 of these for about $5 plus the cost of material? I just need them turned down and I can handle making the hexes.

[JasonInAugusta]

try www.emachineshop.com

VERY expensive for onesies and twosies (typical with any machine shop...set-up and etc...), but if you are absolutely sure of the dimensions, they can make'm for cheap if you buy in bulk. 100 or so...

Then you sell'm and profit.

[Reflection]

I would think it would be cheaper to buy the bundle/pack of parts to get the bolts and keep the extras for spare parts. Might use them for another project or something. None the less,even if you don't use them it would probly still be cheaper.

I've figured out that sometimes,even if you can build things cheap,it's easier and better to just buy. Even if it cost a few extra bucks.

Just my opinion.

[kevinlongisland]

yeh raptor, i agree. you can spend allot more time messing around trying to make parts, or shortcuts, or whatever. when you could have spent a couple bucks more and been working on the next part of the project.

[NeoSlayer888]

Thanks for the replies and I agree with the buying is better mentality but I will disagree in this situation. The only Tamiya TXT-1 stuff on my crawler is her frame and cantilevers. From towerhobbies the step bolts are $22.79 with some stuff I will never use. I think I will pay the $0.46 aluminum + %*#!$*(+&(%~!% $8.34 shipping from onlinemetal instead. If I order more aluminum that shipping won’t be such a big deal. The step bolts will use less than half the foot of aluminum so I have lots of test material. I most likely will try to make a jig for my disk sander or dad’s wood lathe. If it doesn’t work than I would have learned something and will give Tamiya and towerhobbies some money .

[Mnster]

Hmm I have a lathe I'll try to make one tomorrow. I need to see how it will work my lathe needs adjustment.

[Ace]

Well, I have a lathe and make a bunch of parts for fun but 23 bucks for 4 parts sounds cheap!

That's at least an hour for a machine shop, and they usually charge $60 an hour...

Are these the cantilever pivot bolts? Why aluminum? Is there a separate bearing? I'd run steel if the cantilever rubs directly on the screw.

For some reason your pic doesn't show right on my browser here at work(I see arrows but no dims) at home it worked. So from memory, it looks like a shoulder bolt... Maybe you could sleeve a regular bolt with a piece of tube and "make" your shoulder bolt that way?

Good luck!

Edit:
Also, if you wind up making the part, look into getting some hex shaped material. Then you won't have to make the bolt head.

[BigSmokinGun]

Neo, I wouldnt even waste your time on trying to do them on the disk sander or wood lathe. I agree with Ace that $23 bucks is cheap for those four parts.

[Reflection]

I wouldn't say not to try on the disc sander or wood lathe. It could be done but would be time consuming and you'd need a real steady hand.

I'm using 1/4" 1:1 scale heim joints for my links. I used my drill press and a file to make misalignment spacers for them to acheive more misalignment and step down from 1/4" bolts to #10 bolts. It was very time consuming but they work. Theres a few of them that I goofed on but used them anyway to set my rig up and finish it. Someday I will take my time and make some new ones.