How to Build a 1/87 Scale RC truck a.k.a.TTTT

[Canadian Bit]

Thorsten: It doesn't really matter what size it is as long as it is 1/87 scale for me. I'll probably start with an International truck without a trailer and then do a Hummer with a trailer, because I've never made a 1/87 scale rc car.

[Thorsten]

Hi,
to start with a 1/87 Truck, it a very good idea to use a 2-axle truck like the ROCO-MAN. Only powered the rear axle and steering the front axle.

Overlander has a very good intruction to do so.

So you have a good working truck in a short time. Maybee you second truck is a smaller one with a long time to build.


best regards

Thorsten

www.mikromodell.de

[Canadian Bit]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking about doing. The International I saw was the biggest 1/87 scale vehicle I've ever seen. It will probably be easy to convert that into an RC car, except getting the parts will be a challenge.

[killer]

:ö: Thorsten,
what are the other sources of a good gearcase? i'm having difficulty in making my own gearcase, model trains is not that popular here and local Hobby Shop don't stock them as well, thanks man! -æ

[Thorsten]

Hi,
there are different sources for gears.

I catch the demage toys of my son. Sometimes there are very intersting gears inside.
Old watches also a wonderfull "gearsource".
Some cameras have also interesting parts.

To get a small motor dissasemble a photocamera or a cellphone (the vibration alert is using a fine motor, also the winder of a camera).

Servos also use fine gears.

Some electronic stores have a own repair service. Just ask here to have a look in their box with the finaly demage parts.

But only disasemble the demage parts. To disassemble the new camera or cellphone of your sweethart maybee a mistake ;-)))

best regards

Thorsten

www.mikromodell.de

[killer]

:ö: thanks thorsten,
i was able to lower the gear ratio of my truck last night, i got more than enough torque to climb fingers! , this things are so cool!!!! , three thumbs up for you sir, YOU'RE THE MAN!!!

one more thing Thorsten, this is quite a long story but here goes; i'am using a GWS micro RX rated 4-6 volts and a Pico standard 5.4grams servo rated 4-6volts, and my ESC or automatic speed controller is a modified Pico PC-9 servo electronic board rated at 4-6volts, early this morning i charge my 4pcs 50MaH battery, that should be 4.6 volts right?, then i plug it to my truck (which i've already done before, when i test all the electronics before installing it on the truck) to my surprise there's a smoke coming out of the servo!!! , i immediately remove d the battery and i thought it was a short circuit, so i open the servo to inspect for some loose wires, but there was none , the only burned thing was a tiny black chip near where the positive wire of the servo is soldered, i attached the battery, again, and this chip emits some smoke and almost turned red hot , have you encountered the same thing before?, what modification have you done on your servo to deal with this situation?. thanks man! -æ

[Overlander]

Killer,
I know you know what you are doing, because I have seen pictures of your other projects.

I am just guessing, But is sounds to me that you have connected the + and - backwards on that servo.

I actually cooked a reciever that way when I was re-soldering the connections. A rookie mistake, but it happens.

-Todd

[Overlander]

Killer,

It is also possible that some of your solder has spread onto another part next to your connection and caused a short.

My soldering iron is too big for this kind of work. Sometimes, when I solder on the small boards, I take a powerfull loupe (a magnifying glass that jewlers use) to look at the mess I just made on the small board. Sometimes I can see how the solder flowed onto the part next to it. I just take an xacto knife and scrape a little line between the components that are touched by the over flowed solder.

Also,
little flakes of brass shavings or wire pieces that you generate as you are building your truck can "contaminate" the small circuit board. Make sure you inspect with a magnifying glass and blow the board off with electronics cleaner, or compressed air before you power it up.

Also,
I had a servo-speed control just stop working. It did not smoke or explode, it just stopped. I suspect it touched the brass frame and short circuited, because I had it stuffed under the bonnet of the UNIMOG.

-Todd

[Overlander]

1. You will accidentally burn your fingers with the soldering iron.

2. You will accidentally touch part of your Roco plastic body with the soldering iron and melt it beyong recognition.

3. You will drop incredibly small parts, that took you a lot of time to make, onto the floor.

4. You will spend a lot of time on your hands and knees searching for the incredibly small parts that took you a lot of time to make.

5. You will not find the part you droped and you will make another one.

6. You will bump your head on the workbench as you get up from searching for the incredibly small part that you did not find.

7. You will ask yourself, "why am I doing this?" then you will look at Thorsten's webpage and remember why http://www.mikromodell.de/.

[killer]

Originally posted by Overlander
1. You will accidentally burn your fingers with the soldering iron.

:ö: lesson learned the hard way!, i am now trying to learn how to use a tweezer when soldering small items!


2. You will accidentally touch part of your Roco plastic body with the soldering iron and melt it beyong recognition.

:ö:been there! LOL!!!

3. You will drop incredibly small parts, that took you a lot of time to make, onto the floor.

:ö:sometimes i brought snacks.

4. You will spend a lot of time on your hands and knees searching for the incredibly small parts that took you a lot of time to make.

:ö: hahaha, my wife just add a wax on the floor and i'll take care of the polishing!!!, but one time she made me a white cloth, i thought it was for my hands and knees!, but the cloth attached to both end of the workbench that catches those tiny things that rolls down the table! believe me.. this will make your life easier!

5. You will not find the part you droped and you will make another one.

:ö:hahahaha i thought it was just me!

6. You will bump your head on the workbench as you get up from searching for the incredibly small part that you did not find.

:ö: always have a Hardhat and a Bedpad ready underneath that work bench!

7. You will ask yourself, "why am I doing this?" then you will look at Thorsten's webpage and remember why
http://www.mikromodell.de/.

:ö: can you change the title to.. The Do's and Dont's when building a 1/87 micro truck!!! LOL!

[dabigpig]

5. You will not find the part you droped and you will make another one.

THEN after 3 hours or remaking it you will find the part you droped on the floor the first time.

[killer]

Originally posted by Overlander
Killer,
I know you know what you are doing, because I have seen pictures of your other projects.

I am just guessing, But is sounds to me that you have connected the + and - backwards on that servo.

I actually cooked a reciever that way when I was re-soldering the connections. A rookie mistake, but it happens.

-Todd

:ö: thanks Todd,

yup!, it's just that i'm not familiar using rc plane electronics! , then realised that the whole thing works the same! duh!

-æ

[killer]

Originally posted by Overlander
Killer,
I know you know what you are doing, because I have seen pictures of your other projects.

I am just guessing, But is sounds to me that you have connected the + and - backwards on that servo.

I actually cooked a reciever that way when I was re-soldering the connections. A rookie mistake, but it happens.

-Todd

:ö: thanks Todd,

Yup!, it's just that i'm not familiar with rc plane electronics, but then i realised, they work just the same! duh?!

-æ

[killer]

Originally posted by dabigpig
THEN after 3 hours or remaking it you will find the part you droped on the floor the first time.

:ö: LOL!!! i hate when those things happen!!! -æ

[JTM]

is somethign like this suitable for a project like this?? im thinking with a regular chassis (would look lifted) its HO scale (not sure how big that is i know its small tho)