[Say what you will about Traxxas as a company...]

Nice! I'm working on a bitsa Hawk/Sledgehammer hybrid right now, with some custom-made parts.

[Traxxas vs Horizon]

Trademarks, not patents. Patents expire - as they should.

And I don't know; would the world be better off without trademark lawyers, or without venture capitslists? Would you rather be attacked by a bear or by a lion? I'm not sure it matters much, if the end result is the same.

[Traxxas vs Horizon]

The way I see it:

Traxxas = Apple. Started out as the underdog, but hit on a packaging/marketing formula to make its products stand out, and still tries to be a universe/ecosystem unto itself. Gets tetchy about "infringement" by other companies over things it didn't invent in the first place. Graphic design department is really annoying and has little taste. But its engineering is second to none, and the products really do work as intended - mostly.

Horizon = Disney. Buys up everything it can get its hands on, but hasn't created much of anything itself in a long time. Most "original" products are just derivatives of someone else's work. Every time you turn around, it has bought up another "property" and added it to its roster. (Kinda like the Borg in Star Trek, actually, now that I think of it.) Tends to bring out something awesome, then gatekeep it by discontinuing it quickly and never offering it again.

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of either business model. As to which is more or less damaging to the hobby? I don't think it matters. I think the cheap Chinese garbage flooding eBay and Amazon are probably worse than either one.

[Say what you will about Traxxas as a company...]

...but the good old 2WD Stampede is everything a fun RC truck should be. It's tough, cheap, easy to drive, and doesn't need a lot of extra parts or a huge motor to be a hoot. In fact, it's everything I always wished my Blackfoot would have been back in the day.

I still won't give them any money for new stuff, but this old beast will always have a home among my regular runners.

[My new side-yard track - Snake Hollow RC Raceway]

Got in a good session yesterday with a couple of cars. First up, the Raider, which has acquired full bearings and gold shocks since it arrived.

It did great, though it needs a set of "runner" tires. These are the originals, and they're rock-hard, and impossible to find, so I'll save them for the shelf. Sadly, it fell victim to the Raider's one Achilles heel - a broken dogbone. Found a pair of old Optima dogbones in my parts stash; problem solved.

I wanted to try something else with big wheels, so out came the Monster Hornet. Basically a stock Hornet built from leftovers and powered by a Trinity Green Machine stock motor with a Lunchbox pinion. This car is mostly a way to beat the stuffing out of a set of 3D-printed wheels to see if they'll break; so far they have not.

It's fun, but man is it hard work to keep this thing pointed in a straight line. It's looking like I will have "track" cars and "the rest of the yard" cars. This will be one of the latter.

[Connector conundrum]

Yesterday it happened again: a Molex connector failed on an old battery pack. Pulled right off the wires while I was unplugging it after a charge. Luckily the bare wire ends didn't touch; that could have been a serious disaster.

I think I'm finally done with the old "Tamiya plugs." I've kept them around on some vintage cars for the look, but much like an old 1:1 car with drum brakes instead of retrofitted discs, it's a matter of practicality - do you want the thing to look original but be unsafe, or have one little anachronism and be able to enjoy it? I think it's finally time for the latter.

The logical choice for a replacement might seem to be Deans Ultra Plugs; they're what I have on my lipo packs and most of my 1060 ESCs. But I have never had good luck soldering the stupid things. And they're really hard to unplug, even with the old O-ring over the male pins trick. Not to mention that genuine Deans plugs are expensive, and the knockoffs are wretched quality.

This leads me to the other up-and-coming standard: XT60. Supposedly robust, easier to solder than Deans, and a far better connection than Molex. Larger form factor, but I don't think that will be a problem with most of my cars, and if it is, I'll figure something out. And you can get a lot of them for cheap, but not suspiciously cheap, if you know what I mean.

But is there an "original" brand I should be shopping for? More importantly, are there knockoffs I should avoid? I have to buy quite a lot of them; I have 6 or 7 old NiCd/NiMH packs that are still in use, three 2S lipo packs, and around 50 cars to convert. Anyone have any insight on which ones to buy, or not buy?

[One of those days...]

As it so happens, I just had "one of those days." Or should I say, one of those hours, because I didn't even get through a full 3000MAH battery pack.

First up was my recently-acquired MRC MT-10M. It was a bargain, and I had to have it just for the paint scheme. I had always heard that these had some gearbox issues, and now I understand. The slipper was set so loose that it sounded like a car with a bad clutch driving off. I tightened it up, and the diff started slipping. These have a plastic diff nut that is prone to failure, so I backed off the slipper and only drive a few careful laps. I'll need to figure out a solution for the diff, though, because the suspension on this thing is amazing. It just floats over stuff.

All right, if I can't drive that one, how about the Raider that I just got? Nope, the LeMans Stock 05 motor that came with it is DOA, and changing the motor in a Raider is a half-hour affair. I'll just run something else.

Hey, how about that FX-10 that I just put back together? Whoops, the motor is plugged in backwards. Let me just pull the bullet plugs and swap them around - oh look, that bullet pulled right off the wire. Guess I didn't crimp it tight enough.

OK, restomodded Mud Blaster. Here we go. Ugh, there's something wrong with this motor too (an old Speedworks Monter Mash). It has no acceleration and is really sluggish. Runs fine if you pick the back end up, but has no torque with the wheels on the ground. So that's no good.

How about the old Cox Bandido? It has never let me down.

Yeah! There we go! Woohoo! Except I can't really take photos of it, because it uses an old Cadet two-stick radio, and I can't drive one-handed. OK, fine, I'll just drive it around a bit and - aw, nuts. The kid next door is outside, and I just don't feel like dealing with that. Guess I'm done for the day.

At least I have stuff to keep me busy, right?

 

[motor questions for blackfoot (edit: I used a dirt tuned)]

Honestly, I'd try it with the stock 540 first. The Blackfoot is geared pretty low, and it always seemed to go through grass just fine.

[The "Postman Brought Me" Thread]

Two weeks late, after a wild ride through the US Postal system, this little gem finally arrived today.

[Which Legendary for a runner]

I just use a basic Futaba S3004 (3003 plus ball bearings on the output shaft) in my Scorpion. It's plenty.

[How do you cut decals?]

How do I cut decals? Poorly.

[Which Legendary for a runner]

I have both a standard Scorpion and a Turbo Optima (basically the Javelin's mechanical twin), and they're both brilliant. The Scorpion would probably be better on the beach, because it's rear-heavy and 2WD, both of which seem to help on sand. And it's enclosed, as Saito2 mentioned.

The Javelin might be a better all-rounder for other places, because it uses standard 12mm hex hubs on all four corners, so changing to virtually any wheels/tires is easy.

Both are absolute gems on the workbench, extremely satisfying to build, and the parts fit and finish will amaze you if you're used to Tamiya wobbliness.

[My new side-yard track - Snake Hollow RC Raceway]

3 hours ago, TurnipJF said:

Ambassador Noodle approves of the track name. 

 

When I was moving the sticks around, I uncovered a teeny-tiny brown snake, maybe eight inches long, with a head no bigger than a pencil eraser. I don't know if he was a baby, or just really small, but the thought that immediately came to mind was "holy cr*p, a 1/10 scale snake!" He reared up and bared his fangs at me, just like a big snake. It was adorable, and I named the track on the spot.

[My new side-yard track - Snake Hollow RC Raceway]

Did a little more "testing" today. First up was the Turbo Optima, which as you would expect went around with no drama whatsoever, and simply went where I pointed it - and looked fantastic doing it. Man, I love this car.

(The airborne shot is clearer because it's after I remembered to put my camera in high-speed mode)

Then, for a little more challenge, I switched to my newly-built "Junkyard Frog." It ran better than anything built from worn-out spares and leftovers has any right to. But nearly-bald Grasshopper rear tires aren't exactly the hot ticket for traction; it was almost impossible to keep this thing pointed in a straight line. Maybe I'll actually spring for some good rear spike tires for it.

I might give up on the jump; all it seems to do is cause bad landings. Maybe I'll just make some dirt moguls in that area instead. Once I finalize the layout, I'm going to go ahead and get the black corrugated pipe for the edges. Nothing else is as easily obtainable or any cheaper, so I guess I'll just go with what works.

[My new side-yard track - Snake Hollow RC Raceway]

Now that I finally have some space to play with, I decided it was time to set up a dedicated, permanent place to play. My wife allocated me a spot in the side yard, alongside our secondary driveway, with plenty of room for a decent little track. I can't dig down very far because of tree roots, but that's OK. Got some work done clearing the ground and adding temporary edges made from whatever was lying around on the property:

I'll need to do some better, more permanent edging, but I'm not sure what yet. I don't really like the look of the typical black PVC drain pipe. Maybe bricks, if I can get them cheap?

Anyway, I only had time for one quick run yesterday, with a Grasshopper II, but it seems to be a pretty good layout:

 

[Loisirs Creations RC - Manx TT - 1/8]

I love this! And it gives me all sorts of ideas...

[When your collection is too big.]

So since this thread has popped up again, I might as well come clean: Remember when I said I had enough, and wasn't going to buy anything else? Since then, my collection has shrunk by one... and grown by three, soon to be four.

I went looking for Futaba FX10 parts to finally complete an old project. Basically I just needed a set of good front wheels. I found an FX10 with a parts lot on eBay for cheap ($110) that looked like it included an extra pair of new front wheels. Well, no; it included one new front wheel, one broken one, and two reasonably good but painted silver ones on the car. And the rest of the car is way too nice to be a parts car. So now I have two FX10 projects, and still not enough front wheels.

While browsing, I found two other cars, a tatty and completely incorrect Traxxas Hawk, and an actually really nice MRC/Academy MT-10M, that both had cool '90s paint jobs. Had to have them. No buyer's remorse over either one, because they're both really cool and the Hawk is going to be an interesting project, but they do take up space.

And when I say "take up space," I don't necessarily mean just physical space. I'm finding I have a limit to how many models I can care about at one time, how many projects I can keep straight. I've put some stuff away again, and for the most part out of sight is out of mind, but I still have a lot of cars that need my attention. It's hard, sometimes, to focus on one project when I'm out in my workshop. I'll tinker with this car for a while, then catch something else out of the corner of my eye that I want to do to another car, and move over to that one, then very nearly get the parts mixed up between the two projects and have to spend time separating them again. I have to keep reminding myself that there's no rush or pressure to get any of this done; it's supposed to be fun and relaxing (and it is), and I literally have the rest of my life to do it.

But eventually, you start to think, "No, I really don't have space, on the shelf or in my head, for anything else. It's time to put a cap on it." And then you get an offer from a seller for a Kyosho Raider that you looked at a while back, and it's a good price for a pretty nice example, and you really did want another Raider.

It's supposed to arrive Saturday. N+1, right? I really should just stop looking.

[RC10 colors]

I forgot about that burgundy one in RCCA! What a sharp-looking car. That was probably an old Pactra color; I'm not sure what would be the closest match. Maybe check Vallejo and other airbrush acrylics? They have a pretty good range of metallics.

Can't wait to see what you come up with for the others.

[Javelin Belt Tension]

You don't actually want any tension on it, just take up the slack. Tensioning the belt will add drag, and it's hard on the bearings. As long as it doesn't skip under acceleration, it's fine.

The adjustment slots are a holdover from the chain drive days, which tended to stretch and require a little adjustment (or taking out a link).

[Ever built a kit without buying a kit?]

3 hours ago, El Gecko said:

I haven't had a look around at how available parts are, but that could be a tall order unless you manage to find a junker Sledge with the parts you need.

There's a lot of overlap (gearbox casings/internals, driveshafts, suspension arms/c-hubs/axle carriers, front bulkhead and bumper) but a lot more that you'd need to source such as the chassis tub, front upper bulkhead and upper shock mountings, rear upper bulkhead/shock mountings, body mounts etc. That's not to mention the aluminum parts such as the two skid plates and two gearbox plates, which are different than the Hawk's motor plate (extended to bolt onto the Sledge tub a different way, and the second one is necessary to hold the rear bumper/body mount section). There's also the small pieces like the little adaptors that let you run dual shocks on the rear suspension arms. And if you have the Hawk 2 or one of the revisions, it might have a completely different gearbox altogether which might not work with the Sledge chassis.

Also most of the Hawk/Sledge (and Radicator) drivetrain and suspension stuff has been discontinued for a long time, and the nylon was very weak and susceptible to sun damage (as well as just regular damage), so it can be tough to find things like diff yokes or rear axle carriers in good shape still, even NOS in the package. I had to "creatively adapt" some Slash/Rustler parts to get mine running again.

The Hawk is actually a pretty rare beast since it was only made for a few years prior to the Rustler taking over, so IMHO it should stay a Hawk, but it's your car so feel free to ignore all of this!

It's a Hawk 1, but it's barely a Hawk at all. It's on some sort of aluminum chassis (Eagle? Nitro Hawk? No idea) that's all bent out of shape and trashed, and someone made their own cheesy servo mounts and shock towers for it. It is a cool-looking parts truck with a great aftermarket period-correct body on it.

And I have no intention of finding a stock tub. I found the two aluminum braces for cheap, and I'm going to make a flat-plate chassis for it, along with new shock towers, and basically make it a full custom build. It's a good excuse to finally pull the trigger on one of those 3018 CNC machines I've been eyeing forever.

[Ever built a kit without buying a kit?]

Many times, usually because I have 80% of what I need already. All three of my current RC10s came into being this way, as did these two:

Camaro (left) is a Frog, Charger is a Grasshopper 2. I only had to buy a few parts (and the RJ Speed bodies) to complete both. And I have most of another Grasshopper and a Lunchbox that I'll do something similar with eventually.

I've also bought two or three wrecks/parts cars and built one good one from them, many times. I currently have a beat-up Traxxas Hawk that I'm going to try to convert to a Sledgehammer by hunting down the necessary parts (or making appropriate substitutes).

These have all been fairly easy, but a tank kit? That might take some time to find everything. Sounds like an interesting challenge, though.

[part identification help please!]

The flat and the E-clip groove have me wondering if it might actually be a gearbox shaft for something. Flat-sided shafts usually mean they're intended to be driven by a gear. Could be an intermediate shaft of some kind? But if so, I have no idea what car it's from.

[Where have all the knobby tires gone?]

Nah, those are mini-pins. I want these.

[Where have all the knobby tires gone?]

We all know the RC aftermarket is fad-driven. When it was all Grasshoppers, Hornets, and Frogs, you could find all sorts of stuff to fit them. Then when the Balckfoot ushered in the truck scene, everyone rushed to sell 2.2" tires and conversion kits to turn buggies into trucks. Touring cars? Suddenly everyone sold 190mm wide bodies and TC-sized wheels and tires. And in each case, companies discontinued the old stuff to make room for the latest and greatest.

I've just been looking around for some tires to fit two early stadium-style trucks, a spare-parts RC10T and a really rough Traxxas Hawk that I intend to restore. Both take the once-common 2.2" "Blackfoot" size tires, now referred to as stadium truck tires. And yes, people still race stadium trucks, but if you search for "2.2 tires," you get mostly crawler tires or 2.2/3.0 Slash-style tires. The few stadium-sized tires that come up are nearly all slicks or near-slicks made for racing on clay or carpet - virtually useless for my yard terrain, and completely wrong for the style of trucks.

Where are the chunky knobs in nice long-wearing hard compounds? Pro-Line used to make ten different styles that would have worked perfectly. IMEX is basically out of business as far as I can tell. AJs, gone. Even Duratrax had some good ones back in the day; they sell only completely wrong tires pre-glued to hideous all-black wheels these days, as far as I can tell. Schumacher seems to make a couple of possibilities, but they're just not quite right.

Hey, Pro-Line: With the 10T reissue, and the popularity of the Blackfoot/Monster Beetle reissues, the time has come for a re-re of some good old knobbies. Bring back Trac-ta-gators or Dirt Paws, in the original compound, and I'll buy a bunch of sets so I have them for the future.

[How cheap is cheap enough?]

That Wild One you had was mighty tempting, but the timing was never right. Still isn't, unless you want a box of on-road chassis in trade...?

I know what you mean. I absolutely hate selling stuff. Between the lowball offers, the interested nibbles and then complete slience, and the hassles or shipping and all that (or worse, on CL or FBMP, picking a meeting palce and then having to wait around for them to show up) it never seems worth it. It's gotten to the point now where I'd rather just not buy the thing in the first place than have to deal with getting rid of it if it turns out I don't want it. I've got a few more things I was considering selling, but I really hate to even list them.

I'm afraid I'm not much help, but I can commiserate.