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nicherotors

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Everything posted by nicherotors

  1. Progress continues with the WR-03 chassis; in its basic form it is just two 3D parts, a) a turtle shell that bolts onto a sawn-off WR-02 chassis (cuts painted yellow) and b) a pair of front body mounts. The pictures here show how a pair of 3D printed side exhausts can be fitted with some polished aluminium tips - the same diameter as used on the Wheeler. I like the way they infer a big engine up front. This combination means a modified Wild Willy 2 body can simply slot into place. The 7.2v hump pack sits transversely and nestles in the faux fuel cell as per the vintage model. This allows for the body to sit much lower without cutting the body - in fact there is even space to fill in the drivers footwell with a part previously designed for an earlier project. Still some little tweaks to process before the designs can go up on Shapeways.
  2. Progress with the WR-03 chassis continues; just received the first Shapeways items and they fit like a glove. The main 3d printed item nicely covers up the hacksaw marks and any rough edges I might have left behind on the original Tamiya parts. The first picture shows how @Jamesssb took my original card templates and transposed the design and got a pretty good version printed in grey at home. Effort will now be spent on detailing a replica V8 engine which will incorporate the front body posts.
  3. Yes @Dan1891, I’d say that’s normal. Tamiya offer a shim set that can eliminate it - 53587 5mm Shim Set (3 Types/ 10 Pcs. Each).
  4. Thought it would be a fun little distraction to cut up a WR-02 chassis in an attempt to lower the Wild Willy 2 body on the chassis without just reducing damper throw and eating into valuable ground clearance. This experiment, called WR-03, is a standard rear wheel drive WR-02 chassis with the battery tray cut off. I started with a combination of cardboard templates, sheets of plastic, old 3d printed body mounts, glue and some imagination. The design accommodates a 7.2v hump pack mounted transversely over the rear axle with the hump nestled within the faux fuel cell of the Wild Willy 2 body as per the original 1980’s model. I got the development chassis running quite well on the standard Wild Willy 2 tyres. My collaboration with @Jamesssb continues who has modelled both the chassis and body in Fusion 360. We settled on getting the front grill only 2mm above the front of the hard WR-02 plastic. The rear section of the Wild Willy 2 body is level (parallel to the suspension mounting points). An advantage of this design is that all the aluminium suspension upgrades on the market for the WR-02 will still be compatible. Also, there is lots of space in the engine bay and our imagination is extending to build out a big (comical) Ford V8 with side exhausts that can sit within the bonnet/ hood (without the front fenders) - just like the yellow Bobcat I posted on Jan 18 on the previous page. The first version of the WR-03 chassis add-on has just been sent to Shapeways - the renders are just showing current progress.
  5. Reputation matters to everyone but because @simensays has chosen to open a new thread I feel compelled to provide a robust rebuttal. We have to agree to disagree and I take offence that you suggest your ideas and designs have been copied. I’ve just looked in your Shapeways store - and there are only three areas of overlap. a) jerrycan insert b) GF-01 spacers c) wheels a) Jerrycan insert - who knows who thought of the idea first? Who didn’t look at that void back in the 80’s and want it filled - back in the day I saw lots of things used from card to Plaster of Paris. Who owns that idea? What I do know is that today there are three such items on Shapeways. Each with slightly different characteristics. As conveyed to you some time ago, the fact remains that on the @simensays version I bought two years ago the X motif was not the same as the Tamiya pattern (different depth, different gradient with different width of the legs). I elected to design my own given I wanted a closer fit with extra material to prevent it from being pushed in too far with the bracket wrapped around the bottom so that it locked firmly in place to stop it rotating. Even in the 80’s catalogue picture the jerrycan was nudged off vertical which so often happens after a wheelie. If you correct your X motif are you now copying me or Tamiya? Either way I suspect most folks buying such a thing would probably (as I did) automatically assume the pattern would be the same. I can’t be guilty of copying your design, I wanted an accurate rendition that doesn’t rotate despite half of it being hidden behind the tailgate. Unless you think you were the first person in 1983 who came up with the idea. b) Because the 1940s Jeep was four wheel drive I too wanted to find a way to employ the GF-01 (similar gears to WW2) - this has been done many times with no 3d printed parts (to be helpful I posted a How To guide on TC two years ago using only Tamiya parts). However, given the different wheelbases of the platforms there is a compromise to be made. I bought your GF-01 10mm+ spacers (before you shortened them to 10mm) as a cheap experiment. It was operational but the fact is that the new location of the body was neither correctly over the front nor the rear axle when compared to my SWB. I decided to take a different approach - that of moving the body back only ~3 mm to sit correctly over the front axle and then design a new rear upright to shorten the wheelbase by ~2mm (by measuring an actual SWB* and comparing to actual and official GF-01 dimensions there is only a couple of mm difference). This is a more convoluted route with new body posts (front and rear), new battery tray, new receiver switch and new rear upright. Again, I can’t be guilty of copying your single file design given my desire for improved accuracy. Unless you thought you were the first person to want to match a 4x4 platform with a Wild Willy body. * I don’t think Tamiya ever published an official wheelbase for their SWB - I’ve found internet sources vary and differ from my own collection. Tamiya have published dimensions on newer models including the GF-01. c) I’ve never bought your wheels but with confidence I would say that they share a couple of identical characteristics. Firstly, they are round. Secondly, the bead lock will be the same given we both like the reproduction Blazer/ WW tyres and want to use them on our models. But apart from those two facts the designs diverge. A complete set of my rims use no less than 16 x 3d printed parts, 24 x magnets and 25 x scale screws that when built conceal the M4 nut. I’ve still not got the design quite right but they will be up on Shapeways later this year. They have been inspired by the prototype steel items with an eye on full size blueprints used on the full-size military vehicles. Mine also faithfully replicate the track front and rear of the 1980’s model (which may still require a new front upright with the ball joint brought in). Not sure if or how you solved this problem at the front. So, I really can’t be guilty of copying your design on this one either. Unless you believe no one else is entitled to design scale wheels for the reproduction tires. I reiterate, the only thing I’m guilty of, for which I’ve apologised, is putting two colons “::” in my original thread title. I’m sure you’ll let me know if I’ve missed something but suggest it helpful if you uphold your accusations with facts rather than frustration and/ or apologise and redact your comments. Otherwise, I remain disappointed and confused.
  6. Awe - this is really sad and disappointing to read. But having just found this thread and being named I feel a duty to reply. Firstly, I’ve always admired @simensays talent (‘designer and an art director’ with 20 years+ WW experience) and his wonderful Tamiya collection and the pinnacle, for me, being the winter camo SWB Wild Willy he had professionally painted - a great illustration of a team effort. Secondly, I felt coming to this subsection of the forum, focussed on 3d design, I would be amongst kindred spirits to made the community stronger - just as @simensays has provided much inspiration and encouragement. But, the only mistake I made, for which I wholeheartedly take responsibility for, is that I used double colons “::” in the title of my thread for which I am sorry. By the way @simensays - I don’t mind you leaving sarcastic comments on my thread (knowing I’m the OP who gets an instant email copy) but do find it curious that within minutes you go back and edit or delete your posts so that no one else can see what you were thinking - last week on my thread was not the first time! So, despite having already apologised on my own thread, and knowing that it continues to cause offence (which I obviously never set out to cause) I have changed my title to “Wild Willy’s 3d printing adventure - by NicheRotors” in an attempt to disassociate myself as far as possible and draw a line under the matter.
  7. Maybe this is a better way of illustrating how the battery bay and switch are sandwiched between the two chassis halves (lots better than my pictures!).
  8. Thanks @Willy iine, yes, the standard GF01 is the donor chassis - I prefer the 1/12 Toyota Land Cruiser 40 pick-up (58589) kit because the chassis halves don’t come with the extra pylons on the front found on the Comical series. (I’ve found that when ordering the GF02 chassis halves (10008265) as spare parts you get the Comical version but that might just be here in the U.K.) It is a one-way conversion because both posts that retain the battery cover on the GF01 need to be snipped off (only right one circled in red in pic below). Also, the rear body posts are cut off to allow the Wild Willy 2 chassis rails to be used. Finally, Willy’s right heal needs to be cut (about 5mm) but this is a small price for what has turned out to be a family favourite. The Shapeways parts fit snugly into the Tamiya plastic and are screwed in place with four 3x10mm self tapping screws - no glue. I like it so much I’ve just ordered a complete set for myself to keep my nephew company! More pictures can be found here: https://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=139543&id=18923
  9. Am finally happy with all the parts that make up what I’ve called the GF-02 chassis. Best bit for me is that the straight 7.2v battery can be swapped out and replaced without taking the body off making it quick and easy and reduces hangar rash around the body posts with the snap pins. The parts, with no premium, can be ordered here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/nicherotors?section=GF-02+M38+Chassis+Parts&sort=
  10. Am enjoying having the receiver switch in the ‘correct’ place on the new custom chassis designs so thought it would be helpful to have the same feature on a standard WR-02 chassis. This part has been designed to provide good surface area for the thin double sided tape to hold it in place. The part, with no premium, can be ordered here: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/nicherotors?section=WR-02&sort=
  11. Thanks @Willy iine for the mention. I too have nephews of similar age and quite frankly the best ‘upgrade’ I can recommend to start with costs nothing - reducing the EPA on the throttle down to about 60%! From there, if interest survives, then bearings and a Sport Tuned motor with a 20t pinion and the EPA eased up to 100% seems sensible but tumbles will be expected so no need to go to town decorating the body. Here is a ‘how to’ converting a Wild Willy 2 to sit atop a standard GF-01 - think the Avante has wider suspension arms which will help with handling and should look cool: https://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=137457&id=18923 (Note, my experience with the Comical Avante tyres and the Wild Willy 2 body is not favourable on tarmac - the block design of the tyres digs in at the front exacerbating the chance to rollover. The Comical Frog/ Hornet front wheels understeer with this body so have found wheel/ tyre combos to have a big influence on the performance with this body - your mileage may vary but my favourite for all round fun and speed are the standard GF-01 wheels/ tyres.) We are in the process (near completion) of enhancing the standard GF-01 to allow the body to sit a bit lower as per the 1980’s original. @Willy iine has upgraded to a chassis whereby the two halves have been 3d printed to shorten the wheelbase and lower the centre of mass (7.2 hump pack is upside down) with some tweaks to the camber which all help with stability. The trials and tribulations of designing such things can be found here: While 3d printing is uber cool it is often criticised for being expensive and some of these items can easily double the cost of the Tamiya chassis and might not stand up well to bashing with a brushless - great for your 3rd or 4th model (or 27th in @Willy iine’s case!!) but not necessarily ideal as your only daily basher (partly due to time delay in getting spares printed). Experience has taught me that starting out by reducing the EPA on the throttle is possibly the best ‘upgrade’ to get some trigger happy fingers used to driving a body that is heavier than lexan about. Sorry for the long post but the experience of teaching 9 year olds is fresh in my mind - we are zooming about later today with this - GF-01, Sport Tuned motor with 20t pinion and 100% EPA on the throttle 😃. Will be fun and educational what ever route you choose with a Wild Willy 2 - please come back with an update on how you get on (and pictures).
  12. @photomic, if you want to get the inside portion of the signal lights to be black you might want to try adding a drop of Tamiya panel line accent into the little moat after applying the orange. Or, fill the moat with a drop or two of clean water and use a toothpick or similar to break the surface tension and ensure that the water is only in the moat - then dip in some water soluble black paint with the tip of a paint brush and repeat until you see the water slowly change colour - then wait for the water to evaporate. Both have worked well for me on the front signal lights and the rear brake lights to tidy up any masking snafu’s.
  13. The boxart Willy was a diesel. https://wavianusa.com/blogs/news/gas-can-color-designations
  14. My nephews Wild Willy 2, which has turned into my 4x4 development mule, has started to look nicely weathered and battered - but the windscreen remained broadly clean. So, I thought it would be a good experiment to design a 3d printed paint mask that faithfully replicates the sweep of the wiper. The paint mask was printed in the detailed smooth plastic which is clear - painted white to show up in the pictures. Both the base and the paint mask have been designed to accommodate four pairs of little magnets that have proven strong enough to keep the paint mask located in the correct position. A light dusting of TS-80 is all that was required. Once dry it accepted a bit of weathering around the edges. The final step was to sweep a 3d printed wiper wrapped in fine sandpaper to leave a light smear.
  15. Painting the miniature K&N air filter didn’t take too long and was a fun little project.
  16. Some new prototype parts for my GF-02 chassis have arrived in black PA12 - the black makes it hard for me to photograph. They are close but still a couple of aspects need to be tweaked. With normal suspension travel the chassis sits about 6/8mm too high when compared to the original 1980’s model (but still lower than the WR-02) - this can be reduced by restricting the damper throws but then you start to eat into ground clearance. With my custom wheels - painted orange here - the track front and rear replicates that of the original 1980’s model which was narrower at the front than the rear.
  17. Thanks - also looks good behind a vintage grill but just noticed that the winch was mounted higher on the old design. On the military M38 the fan is behind the radiator and unseen from the front - but drawing inspiration from the community that race these vehicles it’s clear that in some hot locations cooling is of paramount importance.
  18. Drawing inspiration from a modified 1949 Willy Jeep, albeit with a lightweight fibreglass body, I wanted to replicate the air filter sticking out of the bonnet/ hood. Sometimes I think the Tamiya designers used this fibreglass upgrade, which was popular in the 70’s, as their inspiration for the original 1983 model that also lacked surface detail. Note the use of Sand Tires Unlimited front and back on this yellow example. My first obstacle was getting a clean, perfectly round hole cut that was in the centre. This was solved with a 3d printed tool we designed that can be bolted from above and below on the bonnet (locked in place through the body mounting holes and the leading edge of the bonnet). In the first instance it allowed for a line to be drawn for an initial rough cut with the Dremel. Then finer grades of sandpaper wrapped around a custom 3d printed sanding stick of the same radius (accommodating the thickness of the sandpaper) was used to get a really clean edge. Again, I’ve practiced on my nephews basher.
  19. A little while ago I posted a ‘how to’ on opening up the Wild Willy 2 grill so as to utilise the radiator - a leftover on the sprue from the original 1980’s model but not used on the latest release (guide can be found here). The two holes at the bottom allow for access to the screws holding the winch in place (can’t be seen once the grill has been glued in place). A couple of parts have just arrived from Shapeways that can be sandwiched behind the opened up grill to add a bit more detail/ interest. The fan loosely rotates on a 2mm screw. They have just been added to my nephews basher for a test fit.
  20. Shapeways recently offered a discount on PA12 (MJF) so went ahead and got a few prototype items printed in gray. Here are a couple of items with some tweaks - best bit is that the battery can still be changed without taking the Wild Willy body off. Only minor adjustments are now required and one final test print before they can be offered via Shapeways.
  21. Good luck @GeeWings - every mm seems to help to reduce tyre contact with the body. I see Shapeways extended their sale - just after I placed a big order the week before and am now on holiday and don’t need anything else! Will remember to improve my timing next year.
  22. ... plenty of space for all the electronics to sit above the battery.
  23. Have been distracted with a new little project - that of augmenting the GF-01 chassis to accommodate Wild Willy but with a smaller number of 3d printed parts - albeit with some compromises. I’m calling it GF-02 given it feels like a Stage 2 set of modifications - leaving the completely redesigned chassis to be called GF-03. Seems appropriate to think of my original conversion using only Tamiya parts as a Stage 1 modification (https://www.tamiyaclub.com/showroom_model.asp?cid=137457&id=18923). Here are a few pictures of some prototype Shapeways parts (shown in white to help identification): - four body posts that push the body back 3mm so that the front axle is correctly positioned under the body - two rear uprights that shorten the wheelbase by 2mm and place the rear axle in the correct location under the body (as per the original SWB) - two parts that allow for a straight battery pack to be used (in conjunction with WR-01 e parts to retain the battery) I’m pleased that the straight battery pack can be removed while keeping the Wild Willy body on which will reduce hangar rash and speed up changeovers. Not too many compromises: - the footwell can’t be sealed off like the original and the GF-03 - 5mm of the bottom right boot needs to be trimmed off - the chassis sits 4mm too high (which can be lowered by reducing the damper throw but that then eats into ground clearance) The original two battery retaining posts need to be cut off and due to a preference for the chassis rails then the rear two body posts are also removed - this conversion is a one-way trip. A few tweaks still required - with the addition of a box that sits on top of the battery to hold the ESC and receiver while concealing many of the wires.
  24. The Bullhead interior is starting to take shape. The seat is already hollowed out to accommodate a servo to animate the head. With the success of the illuminated dashboard on the Wild Willy we will copy that idea across for this project too. Onwards with the design of a rollcage.
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