Just pulled the trigger on a Dragon

[twissted]

I will stick with my 100 dollar Harbor freight bench top bandsaw and T6 Aluminum to make my chassis.

[kgb424]

Good luck with that

Cause I made my chassis rails match the Dragon Chassis profile

I made cardboard templates, one of each side for my lay out

And there are a few raduis that you can not be, cut out on a band saw

That's why, it would take me forever, to write the correct program for CNC Plasma cutter and still not sure, if the machine likes to do radius, I know the CNC Mill, will not do radius

Cause of the raduis, and its a completely different software and programming from the CNC Mill, that I learned the basic's on and the G codes and M codes are different and do different things

They were cut out, with a Plasma cutter freehand, cause I could not, do it on a band saw, the college sold the dinasour band saw they had

And because of the radius's a band saw will not work, and my jigsaw is a pain in the ass cause, it has to be forced to cut the metal, and there no way it will cut a tight raduis either

I thought about a scroll saw, cause my nieghbor has one, but they don't make metal blades, cause there not made to cut metal, let alone cut a radius in metal

And this is with 1/8'' steel plate, any thing thicker is not going to happen either

And it did not cost me anything except for 1/8'' plate and the die grinder and the Carbide bit

The instructor tried to give me the plate, But I had already bought it before I went to college and asked for help

The Welding Instructor, is one that suggested, I buy the Die Grinder and buy a quaility Carbide wrasp tip

Like I said there not pretty, but there better, than cut out on my jigsaw

[kgb424]

I just looked at Harbor Frieght, they have a 9'' and 14'' bandsaw

They don't mention cutting metal with the bandsaws, but they do sell bimetal blades

They have a band saw in Welding shop, but its for cutting big stock, and not made to make freehand cuts like

Like the band saw I used in woodshop back in high school, you could make a bunch of different cuts with out problems

but not in metal, it only makes straight cuts

So the Plasma cutter was the easiest way to cut out my rails

[Mike Flea]

Depending on the thickness of the metal, they will cut, but have to have a 24 or 28 tooth/inch blade, and if you prepare ahead of time you can cut out a set of frame rails, just need to drill some holes bigger than the width of the blade, so when you get to them, you have room to turn within the hole, to make your next straight cut.

[kgb424]

I do not think you can cut a raduis no matter how many holes you drill it,

Cause the 9'' and the 14'' bandsaw don't have much power, that's ok if working with wood

but with metal, your forcing the blade, to make circular cuts, and if you, use too much pressure it binds and not enough pressure, it takes forever to cut

I looked at 3/16'' aluminuim material and it was too exspensive to screw up, and too hard to clean up with out buying more tools and it had to be ordered, the steel is available in stock at a few places locally to me

The 1/8' plate for 4 Jeep rails was $13.76, the 1/8'' plate for the 1/6 scale Humvee was $20.00 cause I made the rails twice

The second set had rear shock loops and a better design

and did them with a jigsaw and it took forever to them clean up and sqaure up and make matching

The plasma cut rails, need cleaned up also, but nothing like the Humvee rails needed

I got a die grinder and Carbide bit, should be easier than a 4'' grinder and hand files

I tried to make the top of my chassis rails to match the top of Dragron chassis rails

So the Dragon Jeep body fits right, not sure, if that going to happen once, the rails are cleaned up and made even

Cause the rails for the Jeep Mutt are not as critial and the Dragon Jeep rails are

I'm going to start cleaning the rail up maybe tommorrow, just been feeling shitty lately

and not sleeping good or at all

so its hard to stay focused on my attenion right now

I'm taking the Welding Instructor word, that they can't be cut on a band saw

He know what he is talking about.

Spent most of his life doing custom fabricated and welding

So I take him at his word

[kgb424]

Since I did not pay to take the Welding class, but did buy my own material, I have limited access to the equipment

Plus I have never used a plasma cutter, its been years. since I have used a cutting torch, it would be way too hot for 1/8'' plate

So the Instructor had the TA cut the rails, cause not everybody gets too use the plamsa cutter at first

I'm thinking about taking the practice class, so I can use the equipment and run some beads with the wire feed welders and not have to take the specific wire feed welding class

And not be able to use the other equipment, cause you are suposed to be welding and practicing your beads and doing simple welding projects

If you take the practice class there is no projects,no grades and you can use the equipment

I only have the 2 1/6 scale frames to finish

So I'm not sure, if I want to take the class

[STRAT]

It is going to be a heavy Jeep in the end. Im using 5mm steel chassis rails and the willys with the dragon body weighs at 14,7 pounds 6.7 kg. Reason I used the 5mm steel plate was I needed 3mm holes with thread on the chasis rails to mount the body exactly the same way as the original dragon chassis. Not that it cant be mounted with other ways like angle plate etc..
As for the grinder you have I just think you will need a bigger conventional grinder the ones that use a disk. By the way I like your builds.

[kgb424]

The instructor suggested the Die Grinder

He also suggested I buy one of those 360 grit wheel for my 4'' grinder

I'm going to Home Deopt and look, I got 4'' grinding wheels

But not the thin flexable sanding disk

I'm glad at least one person on here likes my builds

Ok maybe 2 or 3 but not 4 that's pushing it

[kgb424]

I bought 2 of these 4 1/2'' Flap disks in 36 and 60 grit for $10 at Wally World

Home Depot has the 4 1/2'' thin flexable sanding disks, in different grits

But you need the rubber backing pad, for the sanding disks to work, I didn't want to spend the money

Cause the Flap disks drops on the spindle like a grinding disk , no pad needed

I know Home Depot has the disks and the pad if needed

I'm going use the die grinder and flap disks and see how they work

And get the rails cleaned up and squared up and even

[twissted]

Well you have. learning curve that you will need to work through and the more you build the more you learn.
This Jeep even has a frame mounted roll cage.

[kgb424]

I also want to make some motor forward plates similiar to the one in the picture

But instead of aluminium that is drilled and tapped, cause I don't have a drill press to do it right, I'm going to use some of my scrap 1/8'' plate

And use the plate I got, as a template to make the the holes for the transmission and motor and slots for the gear mesh, and drill lighting holes and cut some areas out

And make some tabs, then bend the tabs, so I can bolt the bottom of the motorplate to the chassis, cause if I tack it, I won't be able too take it part

then need to figure how to mount the top or middle of the motor plate, and the shocks and need to make shock loops or mounts

And weld the shock loops or mounts to the chassis rails but be able to tie the shocks and chassis and motor plate together but still be able to take it apart

Its not all figured out, but I'm going in the right direction

[kgb424]

Look what I found in my parts stash

I got my stock Wraith c-hubs and knuckles and lock outs

Not paying $45 to $50 axle, for tubes or $100 for 2 axles

looking for cheaper tubes to widen my SCX10 axles

I also found my SCX10 transmission halves

And some old output shafts, that don't have holes for the pins

[kgb424]

Any body here, know how to make your own long or wide Axle tubes

Cause I want to do the XR mod, but not paying $45 to $50 dollars per axle

I can go up the college and ask, if I can use the lathe and use a mill as drill press

I'm thinking with the right size end mill, I can cut the bearing races at the end of tubes

They just won't be splined like the ones you can buy

Need to look online and see if I can find some dimensions

And look for material

[kgb424]

Yeah Baby

Looky what I got for free, no bullshit, there are still some decent people out there in the World

When I was at Home Depot, there was Vender there from Dewalt in the tool area

And I got to bullshitting with the Vendor about why I wanted a 3mm tap and the correct bit

Too put some 3mm screws in the axle tubes too secure them

They don't carry just a 3mm tap and bit, but they carry the 4 mm tap and bit

So he handed me this 17 piece Metric Tap and Die Kit, right off the rack

And said take it, cause they didn't care the tap and bit, I needed and the Kits are $30

I scored, just happened to be at the right place at the right time

And can bullshit my ass off

Love free stuff

Yeah Baby

[kgb424]

Yeah baby

I figured out my own version of an XR Mod

And I going to use 1/8'' pipe for my axle tubes

I found some pipe fittings, the 3/8 nut acts like a lock rings too keep the axle housing closed tightly together

And the other fitting screws on the 1/8'' pipe on one end then the C-hubs and rear lockouts thread on the the fitting on the other side

The axles are now 10'' wide thread to thread and 11'' wide with wheels and tires

Going to drill and tap screws to secure the axle tubes and C-hubs and lockouts

[kgb424]

I needed wider axles for the Jeep Mutt, cause Stock SCX10 are not wide enough

They might be too wide for the Dragon Jeep, need to check the axle widths once the chassis are fourlinked

Going to do one set of axles for now, and then the second set maybe

I'm still looking for front and rear axles, It might be cheaper to buy Wraith axles and cut them to length

And use the front stock dog bone and coupler, and not buy the universal front shafts

Which are too exspensive too me, when the dog bone and cup

Works fine until they break

And cut the one fitting so the dog bone has a bearing like the AR60's due before the c-hubs go on

There is still alot work to do, but I got axles figured out

Now I need to figure out the axles

[kgb424]

Yeah Baby

I got one set axles almost done, I need to cut off a little from the front axle, on each side for the bearing, the front Universal rides in at the end of axle and c-hub

Need to make new steering linkages, cause I put the steering linkage from my Wraith, and used shorter rod ends, the link needs to be shortened or shorter rods to center the axle shafts, right now there cocked and not straight

So I'm thinking a simple curved link, with out the extra bends would work and a short link from the servo to the steering knuckle

Made out of allthread and brake line or maybe a cheap one off the net, I might find something, will look

Need more 3mm X 6mm button head screws to start the other set of axles and secure the axle tubes

Will need the longer Wraith axles and universals

Unless some one, is kind enough to loan me a set of XR rear axles and front universal

For mock up purposes only and will return them unused

Just want to check the axle lenght

Cause the Wraith long axle is 160 mm long, they will need cut down

Just want check my options before pulling the trigger on axles

[kgb424]

Wow

Who knew that Home Depot online,sold packs of 25 stainless steel button head screws that are 3 mm-0.5 X 8 MM for $7.50 with free shipping, cause its being shipped to the store 5 miles from my house

I have been buying my metric hardware locally at Ace Hardware and Home Dept and Lowe's, you have to buy it by the piece, its great if you need small amounts, and Ace carry's a lot of cool shit

For bulk, I buy from MC Masters-Carr and now Home Depot online

8 mm is way to long, I have been trying to keep the screws short enough, so that the screws come thru the axle tubes a tiny bit, and the axles won't hit them

So I will have to cut them down and 25 is perfect amount cause there is 12 screws per axle

I don't mind the extra work of cutting the screws down

Its makes the axles custom

[kgb424]

I screwed up 1 rear axle housing, cause I cut the flange down that SCX10 locks outs secure too and trimmed out the bearing race for the tubes , thinking I was going to make 2 sets of XR modded axles

I got too screwing around and its looks like for Dragon Jeep the XR modded axles, would be too wide and wheels would stick out too far and only a little of the tire

Would actually be in the wheel well, I can always try wheel wideners or different wheels with a different offset , if the stock SCX10 axles are not wide enough

I going to make some normal length SCX10 axle tubes, that fit between the bearing race and the differential

Not the the XR lenght ones that extend passed the housing, like the XR modded axles, I made do

Going too put tubes in all 3 sets of axles, just waiting on the 3 mm screws, I ordered

The waiting sucks

Guess I could start cleaning up the chassis rails

[kgb424]

Yeah Baby

I figured it out, how to fix my Honcho with AR60 axles, the upper links were binding on the driveshafts,which where MIPS for a 12.3'' wheelbase Honcho

I used Axial Wild Bore drive shafts instead and was thinking about making or buying Link Risers, then I came up with this

I don't need no stinking, Link Risers, I made 2 rods, using a 1/8'' rod and 3 mm die and cut my own threads

Then pushed the 1/8'' rod thru some small 3 mm links, that were drilled with a 1/8'' drill bit, were filed with a small round needle file, so they slide freely onto the 1/8'' rod

And slide my spacers and drilled ball ends in place and tightened the nuts on the threaded rod and tightened the skid plate, the frame had to be spread open to get my upper link mounts in place

I like how it came out, cause now the driveshafts spin freely and no longer bind, and it was simple fix, once I figured out a plan

Like the angle of front and rear axle, there clocked a little and the shafts are behind the links so the should be alright

Just had to be smarter than your average Dumb-ass, and wait for it