How to form cage underneath the body?

[redhatman]

Hey guys and gals, just a quick procedure question. I see a lot of tubers fit the cage under the body. I am just wondering how you do it as far as getting the angles exact and the fit great. Any Tips, pictures, or videos would be awesome. Thanks a lot fellow builders!
-Pat

[WOODS]

i do not have any pictures but we use to make cages for nitro trucks. we usually started by using the body as a template,it was kinda like a trial by error type deal. if you go by the body lines you should do ok. i just made my first tube chassis by this method,hope to get some pics up soon!

[curdogexpress]

Please do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[redhatman]

Originally Posted by WOODS

i do not have any pictures but we use to make cages for nitro trucks. we usually started by using the body as a template,it was kinda like a trial by error type deal. if you go by the body lines you should do ok. i just made my first tube chassis by this method,hope to get some pics up soon!

I can understand what your saying, but thats more of a guessing and checking game. There must be an easier way...

[Double J]

You can measure the inside deminsions and build it that way or use the body as a template I don't see how it'd be a guessing game when you use the body as a template though.

[mrpink]

Is this what you are talking about?



If it is... DoubleJ's got it right on. No guessing when you have the body in front of you; either it fits, or it does not. I usually leave the body clear and draw my lines on the outside where I want the tubing to go, then when you are done... remove the overspray shield and the lines are gone.

[redhatman]

Yes mrpink, that is what I am talking about.

I understand how you decide where you want it, but I am asking how you keep the angles right from the time that you hold the tubing to your drawing and the time that the tubing is fully brazed and held together... Surely the plastic would melt if you brazed or welded it right on the body.

[furnik]

hey redhatman there is a easy way of doinng it. all what you do is get a coulpe of ice cream sticks cut them in half then drill into the curved end
and put a small hobby bolt and nut a tighten it until you can adjust it to
the angle you need to transfer to a nail template. ill post some photos of
my project. I purchased a corvette body way back i wanted to build a
hi speed rc car. its a hack car for a future car build.

[mrpink]

Originally Posted by redhatman

Yes mrpink, that is what I am talking about.

I understand how you decide where you want it, but I am asking how you keep the angles right from the time that you hold the tubing to your drawing and the time that the tubing is fully brazed and held together... Surely the plastic would melt if you brazed or welded it right on the body.

No, you do not braze while the body is on. You will literally burn though a bunch of bodies that way. The way I do it is, measure, check, recheck, measure again, recheck again, do a final check... then braze it. After all that there are still little tweaks you need to make to get it just right. Building a tuber is all in where you start. Start in a good, solid place, rest is pie. On my scalers, I usually start with the windshield hoop and take it all the way to the bottom of the chassis (some people call this the A pillar) Build out from there is pretty easy.

Originally Posted by furnik

hey redhatman there is a easy way of doinng it. all what you do is get a coulpe of ice cream sticks cut them in half then drill into the curved end
and put a small hobby bolt and nut a tighten it until you can adjust it to
the angle you need to transfer to a nail template. ill post some photos of
my project. I purchased a corvette body way back i wanted to build a
hi speed rc car. its a hack car for a future car build.

what he is describing is a homemade angle finder... any hardware store will have them for under $5 (I had to read it twice to get what he was saying)

[Crawln Coles]

I use an adjustable protractor similiar to the above method, but the angles are all there for you.I also use a square and alot of test fitting and grinding before I actually braze.



It also helps if you make your pieces in pairs so you can match them up to make sure everything is square. And if it's a clear lexan body that makes it even easier. Just look at alot of pics, draw some sketches and mock it up before you cut or braze anything. I use my sons' magnetics toys all the time to mock stuff up.

[Mike Poulson]

I would use pipe cleaners to build sections of the chassis, then duplicate out of tubing.

Mike