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Everything posted by Ferruz
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RC gallery (absolutely No words-pics only)
Ferruz replied to Nicadraus's topic in General discussions
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@BuggyDad fantastic work on your home brew buggy, wow!! il looks so clean and sleek ππ I have finished the C11 chassis, now waiting for the stars to align to start the masking process.
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Mercedes C11 Kenwood (47484): first time building a Group C chassis
Ferruz replied to Ferruz's topic in The Builds
This is the C11 as it stands now... ...and this is the very underwhelming decal sheet I chose for it Hopefully I'll be able to turn it into something good. Hope is always an important ingredient! Next thing is masking, hopefully next weekend will be sunny as I really want natural light to do that. -
Mercedes C11 Kenwood (47484): first time building a Group C chassis
Ferruz replied to Ferruz's topic in The Builds
Chassis is now fully done. Adding the wheels to it felt so good, I enjoyed every turn of each locknut. Must be the tire smell ahah I think that the kit's brass bushings look really cool. Too bad they gotta be replaced by "plain" looking bearings, it would have been a nice color accent to keep. But functionality comes before aesthetics! Bench tested and, later on, livingroom test complete with a few close calls in terms of avoided collisions with furniture π. Everything works well. -
I second that. On my Manta Ray I did two-three light layers of fluorescent yellow and backed it with white. One mistake I did was spraying the metallic blue after instead of before. It showed through a couple pinholes in the white here and there, and wasn't easy to fix. Always spray darker colors first! The yellow itself is fantastic, its brightness has no match. Looking good there @Re-Bugged π
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Which of these 4wd would you choose, and why?
Ferruz replied to Sillyoldfox's topic in General discussions
I voted Super Sabre just because it looks awesome -
I've owned a brushed Mad Van since last September and have loved it since day one. I run it a lot, at least once a week, and had absolutely no issues so far. Only thing that happened, a pesky little rock got stuck in the embedded motor fan, chopping off all the blades and resulting in no fan anymore. That was easily addressed by adding a heat sink + actual fan on the motor. I've actually disinstalled it for now, as it's winter here and overheating is a non issue. The car is so.much.fun. To drive, to behold, to just have nearby. I would even like more Mad Vans The only limit is that the body is way too gorgeous to get destroyed, and this does put a limit to how hard I drive it. You can still do plenty of stunts with little risk though, so it's all good. These photos are from two hours ago
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RC gallery (absolutely No words-pics only)
Ferruz replied to Nicadraus's topic in General discussions
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RC gallery (absolutely No words-pics only)
Ferruz replied to Nicadraus's topic in General discussions
- 2425 replies
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In other news, I went for a quick but enjoyable snow splash with the Mad Van today. Snow too fluffy right now for big moves, but if it drops just a few degrees it will get crusty on top and that's when the take off and flying happens... so crossing fingers, and tires for next daysπ
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RC gallery (absolutely No words-pics only)
Ferruz replied to Nicadraus's topic in General discussions
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Mercedes C11 Kenwood (47484): first time building a Group C chassis
Ferruz replied to Ferruz's topic in The Builds
From now on, the build has been smooth sailing. Not that it wasn't before, but at this point there's no more waiting for parts and I finally get to use all those red bling nuts! Here you can see the steering completed and installed, with the beefier rods and the servo mounted at the back of its posts to preserve Ackermann. Front end now attached to the chassis And a different shade of bling for a change! By now the chassis is almost complete, missing only body posts, some details and oh, the wheels- 52 replies
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Wishing you all the hope needed for the re-caulking @Willy iine π And about that... I bit my tongue before as I didn't wanna start things or derail off topic too much π , but when I read that you use a tube, I felt like advising you to think of a caulking gun + cartridge instead... you may think it adds variables, which to some extent is true, but really if you take the time to practice on some mock surfaces you'll likely get the hang of it soon, and then it'll be so much easier to get what you want it terms of flow, extrusion and everything, it's just so much more control overall leading to a better finish. It's basically one of those cases of grabbing the bull by the horns... you'll be able to master it with a bit of practice π that being said, I totally understand if you want to stick to what's more comfortable for you. But these are my two cents ( I wouldn't call myself a professional caulker, but caulking at a pro level is what I must often do as part of my job so, to some extent... π ) EDIT: don't forget a good set of spatulas! The finger always works, but not to the standards you are used to. @Pylon80 Congratulations for the new baby!!!! πππ woohooo!! πππ§ As for me, I finally started my blabber-heavy Mercedes C11 Kenwood build thread
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Mercedes C11 Kenwood (47484): first time building a Group C chassis
Ferruz replied to Ferruz's topic in The Builds
Thank you mate! Yeah I am very excited about carrying out the Kenwood livery, hopefully I won't make a mess of it π€£ there will be some light features too to back it up! I am a pretty slow builder, but this is kind of a post-build thread so that's why it seems quick π the body is still as shown above, but the chassis is almost done just need to get there with the description... -
Mercedes C11 Kenwood (47484): first time building a Group C chassis
Ferruz replied to Ferruz's topic in The Builds
At this point I took a quick look at the electronics. Nothing to declare exept for the ESC needing a connector. A little soldering job later we have a brand new old school Tamiya on it (I've been wanting to start a thread on the Tamiya connectors alone, but this will be for another day). Next I thought I'd do the tires, better get them on the rims before I sniff them all up π This process took me back some good 30 years, but I still remember it well. As a kid, I was an avid Mini4WD racer, and back then Tamiya came up with an extremely sticky compound for their foam tires. If memory serves me well, it was called Reston -I kid you not- and it was the thing to have. It worked, the little cars could basically drive up a wall with those tires, but installing them with the double sided tape as showed on the C11 manual (step 20) was hard as badword! I remeber so many kids freaking out impatiently, and me too I hated doing that. As an adult, fortunately, there was no sweat and no issues. But I feel the small version of back then was way less forgiving, especially the tape. No way you could peel and stick again, ahah. Having momentarily steered away from the chassis, I decided to tackle the first steps of the body shell. By doing so, it will be ready for masking when I feel up to the task later. This is the body as it stands now: cut, trimmed, filed and washed. The masking's gotta wait for the right stars to align.- 52 replies
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Mercedes C11 Kenwood (47484): first time building a Group C chassis
Ferruz replied to Ferruz's topic in The Builds
Thank you! Sorry for mentioning you so many times throughout the build, but the least I can do is give you the credit you deserve! The build was amongst the most enjoyable ever so thank you again for all the valuable tips ππ -
Mercedes C11 Kenwood (47484): first time building a Group C chassis
Ferruz replied to Ferruz's topic in The Builds
Speaking of bearings, they showed up just in time for me to keep going with the ball diff. I didn't want to build it (step 11) before getting the three 1280 bearings to replace the kit's plastic bushings, so it was good timing. Along with them came the rest of the parts I needed, too bad I didn't take a pic of the bearing package as it was by far the nicest βΊ The stock cheddar pinion was replaced by a hardened one, as usual with our favourite brand. I went for a set that offers from 13t to 17t, stock pinion is 14t so that'll allow me to play around with gear ratio if I feel the need to. Stock pinion to the left, hardened replacement to the right The F1 front spring set (PN 50509) is another tip from @TurnipJF that I decided to fully embrace. The stock ones feel way too stiff, to the point that if this set didn't exist, I'd be probably butchering up all the ball pens in the house to try and devise some ghetto solutions for it. Fortunately, no need! For now I decided to go with the medium springs amongst the set's three offerings. Here it is placed on the front uprights ready to be installed. Here's another modification that I went for, which is 100% inspired by Turnip's previous work: replacing the Hornet-esque skinny steering rods and respective 4mm ball studs with beefier M3 threaded tie rods and proper 5mm balls +ball connectors. Oh, and the HT servo saver (how many did I buy in the past year?? I lost count!) in place of the equally Hornet-esque servo saver. Hey, this also means a spare servo for my main fighter! She'll be glad to knowπ In order to make the above happen, the ball connectors need to be mounted in front of the servo, instead of in the back like the manual would tell you to, or else they would foul the servo saver at full extension. This is why, in order to preserve Ackermann, the servo needs to be mounted in the back of the servo posts rather than in the front as per the manual, so that it can compensate the different position of the connectors. By doing this, Ackermann is preserved. Easy! And great job @TurnipJF for coming up with such simple, seamless solution. The 5mm ball stud installed on the upright and secured with a locknut and some threadlock Servo saver and front 5mm balls Servo now completed with the 3mm threaded tie rods and 5mm ball connectors. Looking a little... industrial? compared to some turnbuckles, but me likes. -
Mercedes C11 Kenwood (47484): first time building a Group C chassis
Ferruz replied to Ferruz's topic in The Builds
Once recovered from the ground breaking T bar flex discovery, it was time to install the rear shock. Curious to see the rear suspension come to life. Those little O rings sandwitched on the T bar to adjust the chassis roll(step 8, and further set up section on page 16) do bear a lot of responsibility! The instructions would now have you insert a brass tube in the upper shock eyelet, and install it on the frame with a shaft going through it secured by a pin (step 14). As Turnip pointed out in his thread, the brass pipe doesn't feel quite right for a shock eyelet made to sit on a ball connector, and it could be a recipe for slop. So I decided to do a similar mod to it, using what I had in my spares stash. I went with a beefy M3 screw long enough to go through both holes in place of the pin and shaft, and found a threaded ball connector to pair with it, some blue bling leftover from my Manta Ray turnbuckles conversion. These are the parts, to the right the kit's components, to the left what they were replaced with. Here is the rear end with the shock mounted, free from slop. The yellow and blue parts will have to be the "off-scheme" accents on the otherwise black and red car! I was never too fond of the yellow of the CVAs as I think it makes them look a bit toyish, but performance wise I think they are great at their job. Here with the motor and rear shaft installed, both by the manual using the bearings supplied with the kit. I was a bit surprised to see that there's only one per side, so that the rear axle sits on two bearings instead of four.- 52 replies
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Mercedes C11 Kenwood (47484): first time building a Group C chassis
Ferruz replied to Ferruz's topic in The Builds
Time to start. The first thing I did was treating the edges of the FRP plates/T bar. I gave them a light sanding and sealed them with cyanoacrylate glue. Not required, but I prefer it this way for both looks and durability. I didn't receive all the extra parts in time, so I had to start the build with the rear end (step 7) while waiting for bearings and softer front springs to show up. Since this is the gearcase/motor mount and I have no upgraded parts planned for it, I decided to heat up the self tapping screws carefully and thoroughly before driving them in an effort to make more solid, less crack-prone threads. I set up a candle and took my time to tap each thread with a nice and warm screw. I don't know if it will make a difference really, but the result feels good and I'm glad I did it. The Sport Tuned motor included in the kit was another little treat I was unaware of, and it feels just perfect for getting acquainted with this new-to-me chassis. While building, I did some mild brake-in of the brushes using an old, half charged battery (my usual home brewed method that I'm sure I share with many). The low buzzing of a Tamiya motor is a great soundtrack for a build, by the way π Building the infamously yellow rear CVA shock was the only part in common with other kits I've previously built. I used the stock components including the shock oil, along with generous amounts of Green Slime to seal up everything (I find Green Slime to be quite the game changer when trying to get leak-free shocks, it's not just snake oil in my experience). It felt odd not having to repeat the damper build four times in a row! This one is indeed a mono shock. It's at this point that I took a closer look at how the rear suspension actually works, and I was literally blown away by what I finally realized. That little, 1mm thick FRP T bar is FIXED, and the rear shock works with the FLEXING of it I just couldn't believe this. I thought that the rear end of the car would be pivoting on an axle, or work with some sort of links anyway, I would have never imagined such a blunt hardcore setup -again, loving all of this- which does show how little I knew about pan cars and the Group C chassis altogether. At first I even though I did something wrong or skipped a step on the manual! A good web research followed, and now I am a little less ignorant about pan cars Beside the basic stuff, I even learned that "links vs fixed T bar" is a thing amongst pan cars enthusiasts and quite a debate. Ha. It was fun to learn about that. Again, a very exotic building experience for somebody that has seen little more than just buggies so far.- 52 replies
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I had the pleasure to find this beautiful kit under the tree this past Christmas. Thank you Santa, aka Mrs. Ferruz! The build brought me so much novelty that it almost felt like rediscovering RC altogether. It might be because it is my first pan car (with the exception of a TT02, I have only built offroaders so far) and in fact I expected it to be different, but I didn't know I was in for such a treat. Given how stimulating this build has been and how much I feel I have learned in the process, I thought I'd do a build thread. A thread specifically from the point of view of a newbie to this family of cars, including first impressions and all, so that hopefully future Group C builders will find it useful, and good enough to answer some basic questions. Before I start, it's fair to point out that I took huge inspiration from @TurnipJF's build: Pretty much everything I've done that differs from the instruction manual is based on his work and knowledge. Thank you Turnip for the advice, and last but not least for encouraging me to do a build thread. Upon opening the box and investigating its contents, these were my first impressions: -the body shell is BIG. Cool! π -there are a few FRP parts, very appreciated extras as I thought this kit was going to be strictly plastic fantastic in stock form -no grease to be applied, one lone shock and a chassis with no trailing arms: indeed a different type of build compared to what I'm used to -the foam tires smell heavenly good. I'm a bit uncomfortable by the degree to which I like them ahahah -I got an overall feel of being about to build a spartan chassis, one conceived for performance with no room for bells and whistles. A pure speed machine (or so I hope), love it! Now about the livery. I put some thinking into the color scheme. While there's certainly nothing wrong with the box art silver (very Mercedes!), I felt like treating the sleek silhouette of the C11 to something a bit more elaborate, and possibly less seen around on the internet. A few Group C liveries were selected, and it proved hard to eventually pick one amongst the ones shortlisted. In the end, this is my choice: -Posche 962 Kenwood - And so, black and red car it is! ...plus some white. It will probably be a bit challenging, but definitely possible to adapt this color scheme from the Porsche 962. The shape is not that far off. I was able to find an MCI repro decal sheet for this livery, because Kyosho used to produce the 962 in these colors back in the day. It's very underwhelming to look at if compared to others (just a lot of Kenwood white decals in different size on whiteish background), but it will hopefully work with the plan I have in mind. The car will remain a Mercedes, so both decal sheets will be partially used. I am comfortable with a Kenwood sponsored C11 that never happened: being pretty much period correct, it doesn't bother me that in a parallel universe Kremer could have cheated on Porsche for a one night stand with a C11... π ...but slapping a Porsche emblem on a Mercedes body would feel a bit too much, so I'll just have some fun adapting the 962's livery on the C11. As usual with my builds, the body shell will be worked on later, so I will face the painting challenge later on. Meanwhile, since the color scheme is now figured out, I have ordered some red locknuts to reinforce the black/red theme throughout the chassis. I have noticed that quite a few visible nuts are employed in this build, so hopefully this will be a cheap and effective way to ramp up the looks a bit. About the electronics, a red servo was selected for the above reason, and luckily Hobbywing's 1060, my brushed ESC of choice lately, is already sporting the right colors β Now, after this long intro, let's go on with the build.
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Modelling skills help a lot with caulking @Willy iine, I'm sure you'll do a great job That being said, wishing you heaps of hope!
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@Tamiyastef congrats on your build thread, I'll go read it later, and both cars are looking sharp! Great job on both, especially the NSU is a lookerπ
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@Nick-W cool, I'm right there as well just finished cutting and filing the body yesterday, now on we go with the masking... I just haven't been saying much about it yet, as my intention is still to do a build thread on my first Group C chassis experience (very enjoyable by the way!). Good luck with the painting... For what concerns me, it won't be warm or dry for at least 5 months around here so I'll have to figure something out indoors. Fortunately I can count on a huge communal garage area, it's dusty but doable if I'm careful.
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@BuggyDad great work on this Super Falcon mate! π And stunning results. I love car and the attention to details, the yellow and mostly all that research and development you are doing. Well done!
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RC gallery (absolutely No words-pics only)
Ferruz replied to Nicadraus's topic in General discussions
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