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JD's Bruiser build

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Well it's been sitting in the cupboard for seven months now and I couldn't keep myself from building it any longer.

While I know that there are a lot of Bruiser builds on this forum (many that are far better that this will be), this is more to just document and have a record for myself of this truck. I don't plan on doing any modifications really (just will add the slipper clutch) and want to make it true box art. Like all my other builds, it'll be fast! Once I start I'm addicted and have to keep building!

Besides... who doesn't like seeing people build Bruisers ;)

Like many on here, this truck is one of my Holy Grails so to speak. I never had just that one model that I always wanted (although the 959 Porsche and this were close!) but I suspect like all of us that are of a certain ilk, seeing this in a hobby store in the 80s high up on a shelf for a price that was inconceivable, made it truly out of touch. Also this fascination with how a three speed transmission like this would even work blew my mind!

I don't think it should also ever go without saying for anyone who stumbles across this thread outside of forum members that this kit is literally the best quality Tamiya kit I have ever (and I am sure most would agree) have ever built.

The quality of parts, the all metal (literally most of the kit is metal) and the fitment of it all is a thing of beauty. Anyone who has even a mild mechanical or engineering leaning would wet themselves over how awesome this truck it.

The stunning Tamiya cardboard box ;)

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*Insert biblical sound when box opens*
 
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It's a big box!

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JUST LOOK AT IT!!!!
 
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The parts bags weigh about 32kgs.
 
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And so it begins...
 
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Nearly forgot the bearings on the diff...
 
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Didn't like the play on the Bruiser diff when assembled - too much side to side play for my liking (these obsessions with tight fits started when I was building cars in the 80s) so I shimmed each side. Ended up with two shims per side on the rear and front. makes a difference, but it's still not as "perfect" as I would have liked.
 
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I still can't really describe to everyone how serious the diff is. The gears (nearly all metal) are just beautiful. Brings a tear to my eye...
 
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The big question for me now is what motor should I put in her? I am thinking of using the Tekin 35T with the FXr I had in my Tundra... Any thoughts from the community on that one?
 
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And if anyone needs any more motivation to load up the credit card please see below ;)

More to come soon! Am making a coffee and building all day today so will update soon!

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Something tells me you are going to properly enjoy and appreciate this build. I love seeing Bruiser builds, I just can't get enough of them, I can't tell you how it drives outside of the kitchen yet lol, but the engineering side of me just loves the way it goes together and feels in the hand.

No comment on the motor, I went with the stock unit. It seems spritely enough with the 3 speed box, on high it's pretty nippy around the kitchen and with low range I don't think you need more torque.

Btw, there is a video somewhere of 14? Bruisers from memory pulling along a real Hilux! On you tube somewhere.

Cheers

Nito

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Almost, it was indeed 14, but the original Hilux 3 speeder...

Enjoy ;)

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Almost, it was indeed 14, but the original Hilux 3 speeder...

Enjoy ;)

HOW GOOD ARE THOSE VIDEOS!

They don't make ads like they used to, at least we get all the info in those ads and they actually sell the car to me!

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Well today got through the rest of the truck. What a great day.

Of course I forgot that I even had the slipper clutch as it was purchased eight months ago! So had to pull apart the planetary gears again, which is a fiddly job but what the heck, this build is pure pleasure!

Nice bit of kit this Hop-Up - highly recommend.

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Well diff went together like a charm and felt good (little stiff to be honest, but am hoping it loosens up after some running)

It slips into the frame so nicely it's incredible. Just a joy.

Onto the electronics bag now!

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First time I have ever seen metal servo savers, very nice:

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Well, I'll skip the arms and box install, pretty straightforward.

So got to the wheels and the rear are beautiful with no play, however, the fronts have a lot of play, the kind of play that makes me sad.

So after looking and looking and thinking about shimming (which wouldn't work I don't think), the solution was to go back to the installation on step 15, which is putting the plastic housing into the casting that you screw the rims onto. I (like most people I assume) pushed the black plastic housing for the bearing all the way into the casting. If you want a play free experience on the front wheels you need to not push it in all the way as this is what causes the play. However once you have pushed them all the way in they are a pain to try to pull out even a little bit, the fit is incredibly tight, so it was gently and slowly with good leverage!

We need videos for this to make sense...

Before:

After: (mmmmmm nice)

See how the black plastic is all the way down -

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Then I've pryed it out a little:

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Bearing back in:
 
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The result:

During all this I made the 4-piece hop up wheels... However to be honest, I am not sure I like them as much as the stock... while seeing the nut is somewhat appealing, I'm just not sure...

Please discuss:

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Ok so here is the bench test with the Tekin 35t HD and the Tekin FXr running dual 2S Lipo's... Messy (taped stuff to the frame!) as need to do a lot of soldering again if I want to run this but this was the fastest way to check that my mechanical acumen is what it used to be ;)

All working, but was very stiff to get into Low to start off with. So hard in fact I thought a pull down might need to happen which wasn't making me feel happy... However after some running and a lot of reverse / forward / Low / Mid / High again and again it seemed to loosen...

The next logical thing was to run her around the carpet... I mean Bruisers see more carpet time that any other Tamiya models in history right?

Feels good with this motor / esc / batt setup to be honest! Haven't used a stick radio since the 80s! Still got it!

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Final test / play was to show the 2WD Vs 4WD. The changing still is getting a bit stuck, not sure if that's normal...

Decided to try and just put in the Torque Tuned / Tamiya TEU-104BK and a Nimh to make it look stock...

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The speed controller only has 50% reverse, and it's not as responsive, also the power and speed is down due to the Nimh Vs Lipo clearly... I think I will go back to the Tekin setup - it's the rolls royce so may as well give it the best electronics and engine I can!

Well that's it for the weekend, next is the body and that is going to be a VERY slow process compared to the wrenching. Always is!

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Great job.

It shifts better on the fly, I don't know if you spent any time figuring out how the cogs works and the gears engage before putting it in the casing, but really the front wheels need to be turning so the dogs can align at which point it shifts. The servo saver takes up the resistance until the dogs are lined up and it's clear then to shift.

Also did you set up the end points on the gear shift servo so that the servo isn't buzzing all the time and trying to push past the shift points?

With regards to the wheels, I didn't like the centre bolt being visible, so initially I preferred the stock rim, then I modified some gmade hubs to fit the hop up rims and they look the nuts and fit perfectly (pics in my bruiser or mountain rider threads) There are something like 5 different models and three different colours to choose from. Also, I need to take my hop up rims apart again because I didn't spray the inside black where the unpopulated circular holes are by the attaching screw holes. So it looks odd seeing the silver poking through there. So with a bit of work, the hop up rims can be made to look much more realistic.

Cheers

Nito

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I put two of the black plastic spacers in the wrong way in the hub's ended up popping them in a cup of hot water for a minute then used a Allen key to prize the little guys out came out really easy. My fault in the first place for not paying attention to the distructons.

I also have put the slipper clutch in mine and it's recommended to use the 4 piece wheels with it for me they look better also with the deep dish. I've started painting the cockpit today.

My inspiration for buying a bruiser was watching matteo's video on YouTube called bruiser in the mountains go watch it for me it's the best video I've seen in RC terms.

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Great job.

It shifts better on the fly, I don't know if you spent any time figuring out how the cogs works and the gears engage before putting it in the casing, but really the front wheels need to be turning so the dogs can align at which point it shifts. The servo saver takes up the resistance until the dogs are lined up and it's clear then to shift.

Also did you set up the end points on the gear shift servo so that the servo isn't buzzing all the time and trying to push past the shift points?

With regards to the wheels, I didn't like the centre bolt being visible, so initially I preferred the stock rim, then I modified some gmade hubs to fit the hop up rims and they look the nuts and fit perfectly (pics in my bruiser or mountain rider threads) There are something like 5 different models and three different colours to choose from. Also, I need to take my hop up rims apart again because I didn't spray the inside black where the unpopulated circular holes are by the attaching screw holes. So it looks odd seeing the silver poking through there. So with a bit of work, the hop up rims can be made to look much more realistic.

Cheers

Nito

Yep learnt about the 3-speeds on the Tundra and spent time again on this one, there's definitely a low gear challenge here. Pulled the plugs and put in on the bench and nothing 'seems' to be wrong but gut feel is the servo saver is a little weak. I think the servo should be strong enough, it's a Traxxas 2056 80oz (2.26kg) servo which I would have though would be plenty of pull for a tranny.

I have spent much time in your thread Nito ;) this is party why I'm not documenting it as full on as there's literally no point ;)

Your painting process gives me nightmares, it was such a full on build with such care! My painting's going to rattle cans and can only hope to get it half as good.

Today I want to buy the paint, but the big question for you would probably be what do you (or anyone else) feel will give the best representation of the box art? Specifically:

• Should I use white or grey surface primer? Assume it should be the fine one as well? Which I think in Tamiya is white anyway... (what would give the blue the best result?

• What will give the maximum fleck look in the paint / sparkle. Is there a specific blue that does that?

• How many clear coats? Is it advisable to clear over the stickers as I want to...

Thanks guys.

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I put two of the black plastic spacers in the wrong way in the hub's ended up popping them in a cup of hot water for a minute then used a Allen key to prize the little guys out came out really easy. My fault in the first place for not paying attention to the distructons.

I also have put the slipper clutch in mine and it's recommended to use the 4 piece wheels with it for me they look better also with the deep dish. I've started painting the cockpit today.

My inspiration for buying a bruiser was watching matteo's video on YouTube called bruiser in the mountains go watch it for me it's the best video I've seen in RC terms.

Yeah how tight are they!

I love Matteo's vids, they're really some of the best on the web and his music always suites the vibe!

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Read my post #20 on this thread;

http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=76967

That servo isn't man enough in my opinion, I had a similar 2.5-3kg to begin with, with a similar issue. I also incresed the pre tension on the servo spring for the shifter by pinching it a little tighter. A decent servo is a must really imho. I'm running a 7kg Futaba servo.

Paint; If you're going rattle can and box art, the Tamiya fine primer is good stuff. I can't comment on which Tamiya blue to use, obviously it's in the manual but there may be a nicer one, you'll need to decide if you want the bed colour coded, I used an Auto Air sparkelescent paint but it's airbrush jobbie. I haven't fitted the decals yet, I've lacquered over decals on my Son's mad bull to good effect but I'm not sure on the bruiser due to the size of the decals! I'd highly recommend you fill the redundant holes on the body with Milliput. Worked great on my Mountain Rider shell (which isn't painted yet just in prep stage) but it's good stuff and easy to use.

If you filled the box with oil, you'd have to seal the output shafts too (and poss shift rods?) i wouldn't bother. The grease will be fine.

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Ahhhh that's right, a path well trodden I see! I also remember your Mad Bull job, very nice. I will definitely fill the redundant holes - I had practise on the Tundra and they weren't even redundant!

God that's a lot of servo!

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After getting concerned that I was about to break the gearbox when accidentally shifting down from 2nd gear to 1st gear (took me three times of it seizing!) it was time to work out how to decipher the Da Vinci Code and program the 9ch transmitter so that the 3-way switch controls the gear changes. All I can say is wow it's better to drive it like this. Nito I went back to your thread and saw you did it as well (note to self look at your thread more and stop learning the hard way!)
 
I would recommend to anyone who can, to use a 3-way switch. Driving around in 2nd or 3rd gear without worrying about slipping to low is great, using low for only the toughest terrain means you can be confident with the switch firmly in position and being able to focus on driving only.
 

Anyhow... I keep forgetting how expensive paint it! This little bunch cost me $132!!!! Hopefully, that's all that I will require.

 
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Nito I also looked at your thread and noticed the moulding lines, they are quite prominent. You're causing me OCD so off to the sander
 
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Filled in the holes:
 
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That driver is just awesome, on another level. Just wow.

The 3 speed switch is a must in my book for reliability and performance.

Good old OCD, you'll be thankful you did it though, there's something about the Bruiser that makes you raise your game!

Enjoy the painting!!

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Some progress, as with al builds it's the body that takes all the time!

Sanded the holes and got them nice and flush and light sanded the body, laid down two coats of white fine primer wet sanding in between and then onto the first few passes of light misting to cover most of the body.

Will leave overnight then wet sand tomorrow again then get down a mist layer and the a final (hopefully!) wet layer.

Must admit, the amount of spray particles / dust that comes off the cans and stays in the air if freaking me out a bit. It leaves a layer on the body which is not giving me the ideal results I think. I need an extraction fan!

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Then onto the Tamiya Driver Figure - do we call him Calvin?
 
Well he's a pretty terrible moulding, that's for sure, and after watching tutorials like this one:
 

It makes me want to be at another level entirely!

So I started modifying him a bit so far, took the pants back to a less raised / bumpy look as they just didn't look realistic.

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I have also worked on the hands a lot and knocked back the arms a bit and jacket. Also played with the collar. I need to get out the milliput and fix the seams on the neck and arms now but wow to get him looking good would take some time and skill...

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For some reason, I seem to forget (selective) how long and hard it is to get good results when finishing a build. The mechanical side of things is (well I find) so easy. But the painting, masking, multiple layers, polishing, etc, etc, etc seems to take far longer than the build ever does. It's probably a case of the fact that painting and details is an art form, unlike the mechanical build, there can be almost no end time to the amount of time and effort you put into the paint, it's almost more a case of you run out of patience and that's the cue that it's time to finish it all up!

Anyhow, musings over.

Firstly this is a fiddly piece to mask!

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Wet sanded with 2000 grit and got her as good as I could.

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Then washed the body under hot water, dried and laid down the final coats.
 
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The big question is do I clear coat? I was about to (much like with the Tundra build but the difference is this is blue and less forgiving so my gut feel was to not clear and spend the time polishing out the orange peel on the actual paint as that will get it to a glaze better. If I laid down the clear on this paint (recommended 15 mins after final blue) then I wouldn't have had a chance to correct any of the actual blue, so decision made.
 
I am feeling this is about an 8/10 from a paint perspective, there is always an issue or two, but all in all I'm really happy with it. The Tamiya spray cans can give sensation results when you use them right.
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Looks pretty good on my screen - flatting out the blue before clear will help, and prevent multiple coats and flatting of the clear. At least you went with a solid colour; metallics are another story on that body, the size and the micro porosity of the plastic creates all sorts of inconsistencies in metallic flake laydown, not visible on some colours but a nightmare on others if you are trying for a concours finish.

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Looks like a job well done. I have no experience with the Tamiya hard body paints or how they respond to polishing. The colour looks really good though, is that the manual colour?

I've spent over 100 hours on mine (stopped counting after that for sanity reasons), I can't argue or justify in any way that it was worth it, some of it I really enjoyed, some I didn't, I learnt a lot and I sincerely hope the next one will take an awful lot less time!!

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Thanks for the comments guys, I actually wish I had a pearlescent colour to be honest, but to stick to the manual I used TS-15... So the only thing to do it so get it as deep and "wet" as possible. You've motivated me to take some higher quality photos with the real camera in the sun outside just now, it's a good coating, but when you get the 70mm lens onto it you can see the 'peel' on it.

I've had a bit of experience with 1:1 cars and polishing with Meznars polish and a DA polisher. I feel that the process is the same and after reading this tutorial: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/perfect-paint/ I'm convinced that I can work the paint to get it really deep and wet looking.

Question is though, how long to wait before I start cutting?

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Gee, it highlights how bad the silver brushing is, ;)however, doesn't matter, lights go over so please be gentle in your judgements ;)
 
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P.S. CAN'T BELIEVE you have to hand cut the stickers out...
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Most bodyshops say not to wax for a month after paint! Although of course they are clear coated. I'd leave it for a while and probably test it on the inside first. With mine I left it a week just between clear coats to let it off gas and also you could almost smell when it had finished off gassing as the shell no longer smelt as strong. That said I'm using a completely different system, hopefully others will chip in with experience of Tamiya spray.

The decals aren't so bad when you get im to them, as long as they are printed to the right side!! It is definitely a detergent/water and hair dryer (sparingly) operation.

The silver looks great. If you can get a bit more shine out of it that'll be the icing on the cake. I think it looks great and at least the solid colour is period correct, which pearl paints aren't!

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I left mine about a week before wet sanding and a polish with menzerna 2400/4000

I didn't go overboard, only spending perhaps two hours maximum on the finishing, it will be an occasional runner, I used BMW Mini rattle cans ..

F4F39FAC-E5BA-4E4F-84D0-4AFA79F27DD6_zps

By no means perfect but good enough for me, if I'd spent another 20 hours on it I'm not sure it would have be hugely better.

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better than all my attempts Percymon, but then, none of mine are slated for shelf work.... that said my lowride pumpkin is just sitting around on a shelf gathering dust...

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