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FatherDagon

What inexpensive "Quality of Life" item you have purchased (or made) recently?

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I just recently got started in the hobby, and picked up a cheap magnetic parts tray from Harbor Freight on a whim. It got me thinking, wow, this was such a helpful item, but very inexpensive. So I started to wonder what else you guys have found that just makes life easier? I know how I have read how the official Tamiya tool set was a big quality of life item for some people. But what else is there? So let's see them! Do you have any "value" items that have just made life easier? I would love to see your "quality of life" items and get some ideas. Here is my first - 6 In. Magnetic Parts Holder from Harbor Freight for $3.99:

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A couple of weeks ago I posted my modified re-purposed spent spray can cap as a cradle to hold a screw driver vertically (tip pointing up).

What that does is it allows me to place a screw on the tip of the driver (magnetized) while holding my RC car in my other hand.  I use it quite often.. and basically free because it's all re-purposed material.

IMG_Mar272021at123845PM.thumb.jpg.503892a0e8280d678cb2bb7cfbeae56e.jpg

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I did make a tool to remove the eyelets on shocks from the mounts with scrap aluminum and also made some aluminum disks from similar scrap to make it very easy to use my MST drift tire removal tool. Hand pressure wasn't doing the trick so aluminum plates and big C clamp worked wonders.

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I started to use mini zip ties on body clips as tags/ pulls. I had some colourful ones lying about & it helps with removing them and helps find the dropped ones. Once tight on the clip I trim them down to a sensible length., works great! 

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1 hour ago, J@mes said:

I started to use mini zip ties on body clips as tags/ pulls. I had some colourful ones lying about & it helps with removing them and helps find the dropped ones. Once tight on the clip I trim them down to a sensible length., works great! 

Put a mini zip-tie around your pinion boss and trim it so it doesn't catch on the chassis and it sounds like a turbo spooling up :) 

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Body hole reamer. Few quid off ebay and makes sorting post holes in new bodies so easy and quick, less error, less stress. Mine was about 6 quid. 

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Probably the , Fastrax Pit Stand , for just over a tenner.

It's got foam pads on the top, that stop the car slipping about when you're working on it, a magnetic strip to stick the tools you're using too, and also holes for putting the shocks into ,when filling with oil.

 

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Not a purchase as such , but I use a lump of expanded polystyrene ( old packaging ) to hold my dampers whilst filling them etc , make a hole with a thin srewdriver and stand the damper in rod first , and also another lump for spraying small items like screws or bolts to tidy them up , just push them in and spray.

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6 hours ago, Wooders28 said:

Probably the , Fastrax Pit Stand , for just over a tenner.

It's got foam pads on the top, that stop the car slipping about when you're working on it, a magnetic strip to stick the tools you're using too, and also holes for putting the shocks into ,when filling with oil.

 

Been thinking about getting something like this. I don't know if we have that brand in the US though.

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7 hours ago, Wooders28 said:

Probably the , Fastrax Pit Stand , for just over a tenner.

It's got foam pads on the top, that stop the car slipping about when you're working on it, a magnetic strip to stick the tools you're using too, and also holes for putting the shocks into ,when filling with oil.

 

I bought something like this which rotates . It isn't an RC related product but it works fine . I think it was a cake stand

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2 hours ago, FatherDagon said:

Been thinking about getting something like this. I don't know if we have that brand in the US though.

This is the one I have, it'll give you an idea what it looks like, and a part number- 

 

https://www.modelsport.co.uk/fastrax-aluminium-pit-stand-with-magnetic-strip-black/rc-car-products/405580

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Now being 55yrs old, I bought my first pair of comfy jeans, non designer . Does this qualify?

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Plug soldering jig. When I decided to convert to XT60 plugs/sockets on all my cars apart from the rtr’s it was a godsend.

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On 4/5/2021 at 4:27 AM, ThunderDragonCy said:

Body hole reamer. Few quid off ebay and makes sorting post holes in new bodies so easy and quick, less error, less stress. Mine was about 6 quid. 

The fist time I used one of these instead of  hand drill bits and twirling hobb knife blades I had a “where have I been all my life “ moment 

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