RCCrawler Forums

fwilly · 03-19-2006, 12:36 PM

http://mfeuilly.rchomepage.com/crawlers.htm

For some reason I can't attatch pics here, so I put them on my website.

I hacked up my ZZMT that I posted a video of here: ZipZaps MT and used the front end and three servos to build a new machine. For steering, I used a Bluebird 3.6g servo and for power, I used two Blue Arrow 4.7 g servos with the potentiometers removed. One is fairly easy to spot in the pictures. It replaces the rear axle. The other is part of the frame. I replaced the drive shaft with a 2mm shaft from a mabuchi s300 and used one of the brass bushings to make it fit. I drilled the servo output shaft out to 2mm and shoved the new drive shaft directly into it. Its stupid simple and it works really well. The rear axle is mounted with a 4 link made from carbon rod with heatshrink for the joints. The heat shrink is really flexible and allows for some side to side play, but its not too bad when its crawling. The battery is a 145 kokam lipo single cell, and with the low gearing of the servos, lasts a really long time.

I still need a body for it and will be keeping an eye out for plastic models.

I'll have video soon

Mike

PS I know some of the tires are on backwards and will get around to fixing them one of these days.

fwilly · 03-19-2006, 06:26 PM

http://mfeuilly.rchomepage.com/microcrawler.WMV

video's up

I'm driving and filming in the first part, so its a little shakey and towards the end, the steering servo breaks loose and I could only turn one direction.

ColquittCustom405 · 03-19-2006, 08:43 PM

Too small for me, looks pretty cool. If we have a Comp here in ABQ, bring it!

fwilly · 03-19-2006, 08:48 PM

LMK when it is. I'd really like to see some bigger crawlers in person.

Stoovey2004 · 03-19-2006, 10:32 PM

That's pretty cool! I love seeing micro-sized crawlers like that. Much more challenging to do. I'd love to see something that size with 4-link front and rear. It would be really amazing if someone did a mini-Clod in 1:43 or 1:64...totally insane!!

armedtotheteeth · 03-19-2006, 10:38 PM

That thing is exceptionally capable for something that weighs less than the speed control in my truck. Cool to see it crawl around the house like that, looks like a blast on rainy days.

FFRCJosh · 03-19-2006, 10:40 PM

That's cool, I'm going for the bigger stuff. more like a TLT. It is nice though, I like the articulation level of it

K_B · 03-20-2006, 01:44 AM

That is probably one of the most creative uses of micro servos I've seen.

kortam · 03-20-2006, 07:37 AM

that looks awesome. extra credit points for using clutch in the vid.

redrustbucket · 03-20-2006, 08:58 PM

thin piece of sheetmetal and some 1/16" alum. tubing

redrustbucket · 03-20-2006, 09:01 PM

sick build by the way, love the 4 link... might have to poach that idea

LIKES2CRAWL · 03-20-2006, 11:29 PM

Where can I get one of them and what did you use for your 4-link setup?
Never mind I read it again and noticed you posted it already......

Xtremekrawler8 · 03-21-2006, 07:34 PM

what did you use for your rod ends,
i wanna make some links but can find any that are small enough to look scale on my ZZMT jeeper im building

nate

fwilly · 03-21-2006, 08:51 PM

The links aren't even close to scale looking. They are 1mm (I think) carbon rod with insulation from some good wire that I use for making lipo batteries for my indoor planes. Its really soft and is about the only thing that will flex enough for full travel. I'll have some pics of how I set it up soon. I also tried some small heat shrink tubing, and it was a little stiff, but if you don't need max travel, then it might work for you. The stuff I had was black and stuck out less than the light blue wire insulation.

Your Jeep looks like a cool project. I saw 1/35 flatfender model at Hobby Lobby the other day, and was thinking about getting it for mine.

I noticed you are using a transfercase and drive shafts on yours. On the first version of my crawler, it used the servo I'm now using for the rear axle as a transfer case. The torque from the drive shafts was so bad that it would lift a tire off the ground just driving forward. I Think its because the gear ratio in the axle is 1:1, so the drive shafts are seeing as much torque as the axles, and also because the axles don't really weigh much. Maybe yours will have enough weight with all the scale goodies that it will be able to keep the tires on the ground, but its something to keep in mind.

Before I decided on seperate motors, I was thinking of changing the miter gears to a worm gear and small spur. I figured that would give more reduction in a small space.

fwilly · 03-22-2006, 04:13 PM

build pics are up http://mfeuilly.rchomepage.com/crawlers.htm

hot4teach · 03-23-2006, 08:19 AM

That's awesome. I'm all about the micro.

rambo282 · 03-23-2006, 06:09 PM

Hey fwilly,

Would you be interested in building one of those micro crawlers? If so what would you charge? I can also do trades. Saw on your site that you have a helicopter, I have a Piccolo FP w/electronics and a brand new Hornet FP w/electronics. If you are interested in any of the two for a micro crawler let me know. I also have other R/C stuff if you are interested.

Thank You,

fwilly · 03-23-2006, 09:41 PM

I'm a little hesitant to build one for somone else, because its very high maintenance. The other day it basically tore it self apart when the steering servos went nuts and I had to rebuild it (thats where the build pics came from). The suspension joints also require work every once and a while. My big worry here is that somone might expect me to fix it for free if it broke, or blame me or something, when its just the nature of little stuff like this to be a little delicate. I definetly did everything in my power to make mine as good as it could be, but it still breaks when I don't expect it to.

I'm not even sure what I would charge for one. On one hand, its a tiny bit of plastic and carbon fiber, but on the other its a lot of work

I think the best thing is the make one from scratch, that way when it breaks, you'll know exactly how to fix it.

Still got my piccolo, just need some new blades, and I've also got most of a Hornet FP and a CP head.

davemud · 03-24-2006, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoovey2004

That's pretty cool! I love seeing micro-sized crawlers like that. Much more challenging to do. I'd love to see something that size with 4-link front and rear. It would be really amazing if someone did a mini-Clod in 1:43 or 1:64...totally insane!!

While this isn't a Clod 4 link style it is or was a 1/43 SSMT. The body in this pic is a Tyco Canned Heat Dodge Ram about 1/35 scale I think. I'm using th stock 3 pivot design because it works so well. This truck is stretched with Iwaver PCB, Mini-T servo, Iwaver battery holders and New Bright 4xFour tires and cut wheels.

DM

fwilly · 03-24-2006, 08:51 AM

very cool!!

What axles did you use?

03-19-2006, 12:36 PM	#1
fwilly Pebble Pounder Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Farmington NM Posts: 103	ZZMT major rebuild with 4 link http://mfeuilly.rchomepage.com/crawlers.htm For some reason I can't attatch pics here, so I put them on my website. I hacked up my ZZMT that I posted a video of here: ZipZaps MT and used the front end and three servos to build a new machine. For steering, I used a Bluebird 3.6g servo and for power, I used two Blue Arrow 4.7 g servos with the potentiometers removed. One is fairly easy to spot in the pictures. It replaces the rear axle. The other is part of the frame. I replaced the drive shaft with a 2mm shaft from a mabuchi s300 and used one of the brass bushings to make it fit. I drilled the servo output shaft out to 2mm and shoved the new drive shaft directly into it. Its stupid simple and it works really well. The rear axle is mounted with a 4 link made from carbon rod with heatshrink for the joints. The heat shrink is really flexible and allows for some side to side play, but its not too bad when its crawling. The battery is a 145 kokam lipo single cell, and with the low gearing of the servos, lasts a really long time. I still need a body for it and will be keeping an eye out for plastic models. I'll have video soon Mike PS I know some of the tires are on backwards and will get around to fixing them one of these days.

03-19-2006, 08:43 PM	#3
ColquittCustom405 I wanna be Dave Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Orlando Posts: 7,420	Tiny Tim Too small for me, looks pretty cool. If we have a Comp here in ABQ, bring it!

03-20-2006, 08:58 PM	#10
redrustbucket Rock Crawler Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: sunny acres Posts: 621	make your own body thin piece of sheetmetal and some 1/16" alum. tubing Attached Images

03-20-2006, 11:29 PM	#12
LIKES2CRAWL I wanna be Dave Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: KENNEWICK, WA Posts: 2,513	Where can I get one of them and what did you use for your 4-link setup? Never mind I read it again and noticed you posted it already...... Last edited by LIKES2CRAWL; 03-20-2006 at 11:32 PM.

03-23-2006, 06:09 PM	#17
rambo282 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Fairfield (Cordelia Hills) Posts: 47	BadAss MicroCrawler Hey fwilly, Would you be interested in building one of those micro crawlers? If so what would you charge? I can also do trades. Saw on your site that you have a helicopter, I have a Piccolo FP w/electronics and a brand new Hornet FP w/electronics. If you are interested in any of the two for a micro crawler let me know. I also have other R/C stuff if you are interested. Thank You,

03-19-2006, 06:26 PM	#2
fwilly Pebble Pounder Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Farmington NM Posts: 103	http://mfeuilly.rchomepage.com/microcrawler.WMV video's up I'm driving and filming in the first part, so its a little shakey and towards the end, the steering servo breaks loose and I could only turn one direction.

03-19-2006, 08:48 PM	#4
fwilly Pebble Pounder Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Farmington NM Posts: 103	LMK when it is. I'd really like to see some bigger crawlers in person.

03-19-2006, 10:32 PM	#5
Stoovey2004 Quarry Creeper Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Louisville Posts: 269	That's pretty cool! I love seeing micro-sized crawlers like that. Much more challenging to do. I'd love to see something that size with 4-link front and rear. It would be really amazing if someone did a mini-Clod in 1:43 or 1:64...totally insane!!

03-19-2006, 10:38 PM	#6
armedtotheteeth Rock Stacker Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: East Bay, CA Posts: 79	That thing is exceptionally capable for something that weighs less than the speed control in my truck. Cool to see it crawl around the house like that, looks like a blast on rainy days.

03-19-2006, 10:40 PM	#7
FFRCJosh Quarry Creeper Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: over there Posts: 264	That's cool, I'm going for the bigger stuff. more like a TLT. It is nice though, I like the articulation level of it

03-20-2006, 01:44 AM	#8
K_B I wanna be Dave Join Date: May 2005 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 2,048	That is probably one of the most creative uses of micro servos I've seen.

03-20-2006, 07:37 AM	#9
kortam Newbie Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ocean county Posts: 27	that looks awesome. extra credit points for using clutch in the vid.

03-20-2006, 09:01 PM	#11
redrustbucket Rock Crawler Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: sunny acres Posts: 621	sick build by the way, love the 4 link... might have to poach that idea

03-21-2006, 07:34 PM	#13
Xtremekrawler8 Pebble Pounder Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Paradise City Where The Girls Are Pretty Posts: 179	what did you use for your rod ends, i wanna make some links but can find any that are small enough to look scale on my ZZMT jeeper im building nate

03-21-2006, 08:51 PM	#14
fwilly Pebble Pounder Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Farmington NM Posts: 103	The links aren't even close to scale looking. They are 1mm (I think) carbon rod with insulation from some good wire that I use for making lipo batteries for my indoor planes. Its really soft and is about the only thing that will flex enough for full travel. I'll have some pics of how I set it up soon. I also tried some small heat shrink tubing, and it was a little stiff, but if you don't need max travel, then it might work for you. The stuff I had was black and stuck out less than the light blue wire insulation. Your Jeep looks like a cool project. I saw 1/35 flatfender model at Hobby Lobby the other day, and was thinking about getting it for mine. I noticed you are using a transfercase and drive shafts on yours. On the first version of my crawler, it used the servo I'm now using for the rear axle as a transfer case. The torque from the drive shafts was so bad that it would lift a tire off the ground just driving forward. I Think its because the gear ratio in the axle is 1:1, so the drive shafts are seeing as much torque as the axles, and also because the axles don't really weigh much. Maybe yours will have enough weight with all the scale goodies that it will be able to keep the tires on the ground, but its something to keep in mind. Before I decided on seperate motors, I was thinking of changing the miter gears to a worm gear and small spur. I figured that would give more reduction in a small space.

Sponsored Links

03-22-2006, 04:13 PM	#15
fwilly Pebble Pounder Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Farmington NM Posts: 103	build pics are up http://mfeuilly.rchomepage.com/crawlers.htm

03-23-2006, 08:19 AM	#16
hot4teach Newbie Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Grants Pass Posts: 31	That's awesome. I'm all about the micro.

03-23-2006, 09:41 PM	#18
fwilly Pebble Pounder Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Farmington NM Posts: 103	I'm a little hesitant to build one for somone else, because its very high maintenance. The other day it basically tore it self apart when the steering servos went nuts and I had to rebuild it (thats where the build pics came from). The suspension joints also require work every once and a while. My big worry here is that somone might expect me to fix it for free if it broke, or blame me or something, when its just the nature of little stuff like this to be a little delicate. I definetly did everything in my power to make mine as good as it could be, but it still breaks when I don't expect it to. I'm not even sure what I would charge for one. On one hand, its a tiny bit of plastic and carbon fiber, but on the other its a lot of work I think the best thing is the make one from scratch, that way when it breaks, you'll know exactly how to fix it. Still got my piccolo, just need some new blades, and I've also got most of a Hornet FP and a CP head.

03-24-2006, 08:51 AM	#20
fwilly Pebble Pounder Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Farmington NM Posts: 103	very cool!! What axles did you use?

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