Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
nowinaminute

Interesting way to cheaply introduce fiberglass parts to your RC...

Recommended Posts

I saw that earlier and had to check I wasn’t seeing things!

Hacked up old circuit boards repurposed for servo & shock mounts, I think I might have at least sprayed them black to try & hide them even if I was trying to ignore the fact each piece is full of holes & the material isn’t very durable 😂

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 minute ago, max69vk said:

I saw that earlier and had to check I wasn’t seeing things!

Hacked up old circuit boards repurposed for servo & shock mounts, I think I might have at least sprayed them black to try & hide them even if I was trying to ignore the fact each piece is full of holes & the material isn’t very durable 😂

Ahhh, thats what were looking at. Didnt spot that.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
23 hours ago, nowinaminute said:

Might give that go actually, maybe not in a place so highly visible though unless I was making some kind of sci-fi/cyberpunk themed vehicle!

PCBs are an oldskool source of fibreglass board back when resources weren't as easy to google on the interwebs :) & not everybody lived in cities with lots of aircraft maintenance/repair work where you might be able to score offcuts of carbonfibre board.

Some etch off the copper but I never bothered... helps shield stray RF interference I say.

DSC_8018s-640.jpg

 

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
12 minutes ago, WillyChang said:

Some etch off the copper but I never bothered... helps shield stray RF interference I say.

This is awesome! I've never even considered such a use for old PCB's but wow, people have apparently been doing it for years righ under my radar. I wouldn't both etching off the copper either. In fact I can envision an entire chassis made up of green, blue, red, or whatever other board colors you can scratch up. A harlequin chassis anyone?

Hmmm, I live in the silicon valley. Just imagine how much gorgeous surplus PCB board is stacked in warehouses just looking for a buyer. :blink:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
30 minutes ago, OCD said:

Hmmm, I live in the silicon valley. Just imagine how much gorgeous surplus PCB board is stacked in warehouses just looking for a buyer. :blink:

Not much ;) they'd all be long shipped off to China or India for recycling aka recovery of gold & other plating elements.

Back at PC warehouse I once found the techies de psoldering components with a heatgun off fullsize motherboards (this was 486 era or AMD K5). The big boards were nice and the 1000s of little holes didn't weaken them... but they were tinned and all that solder does weigh a bit!

 

Cali huh... you'll be in same state as Associated? :) 

Along with fibreglass boards they also loved to use Kydex. 

Kydex is another great material for DIYing in our RC hobby, not as stiff as fibreglass but a lot more resilient & easier to work. You can carve it with a knife and not make a duststorm by cutting it.

 

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I wish I had been into RC when my dad was still around now! He used to get tons of spare and scrap pieces of board from work for fixing random stuff at home and in the car etc. In fact, I think there's still a specially cut piece above the gas fireplace in mums living room, like a cosmetic finishing panel, sprayed to match the colour of the fire.

I remember back in the first gulf war the company got a lot of MOD work, much of it was very hush hush type stuff. I think some of it was related to adding new capabilities to the Tornado GR1 or ADV at short notice. He worked on replacement parts for Concorde too I believe, something relating to the window wipers.

Drifting off topic now but alas, I could have had a cool all green chassis with copper tracks all over it!

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
30 minutes ago, WillyChang said:

Not much ;) they'd all be long shipped off to China or India for recycling aka recovery of gold & other plating elements

Well that's good news for the blanks then... I bet they ain't shipping those things anywhere :lol:

Yeah live in Cali, but in the northern half where Silicon Valley is. AE headquarters it about 8 hours south of me. I don't visit Southern California often and even then it's for work-related stuff. I did visit Tamiya's USA headquarters years ago when they still hosted Tamiya Con, but they discontinued the event and I haven't been back since. I hear now days they only have the warehouse operation in Irvine and no showroom at all. :(

30 minutes ago, WillyChang said:

Along with fibreglass boards they also loved to use Kydex

I think many aftermarket manufacturers of the era loved Kydex too. A good number of bumpers and "nerf" plates are still floating around eBay and the like. ;)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Aftermarket got nothing on this :P

chopped a chassis out of Kydex sheet

DSC01816.jpg

bolted bits to it

DSC02438-1.jpg

was easiest way to join up rear gearbox & bulkhead of a TB EvoIV to empty front end of a TA05 with a centrally mounted motor mount - from EvoIV but now mounted 1 dogbone forward. 

Kydex is flexy but once clamped down with top plate it's plenty stiff.

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...