I need sources for, and parts made for one of my RC projects...

[Draconious]

I need various parts for one of my RC projects I am working on... a universal mini-micro car chassis... about 1:28 scale, the Mini-Z size. I eventualy hope to sell the design to some one else to manufacture, or sell a few kits myself... but for now I just want to make a few prototypes to test the design out... since all it is right now is a 3D file, in AutoCAD solids. Over a 100 parts... counting screws etc... I will update this thread with part requests as I need them, or finalize the part file or 2D drawing. Hopefuly some one will poke their head out and volenteer to make a part or two for a low fee... since I need to keep the cost down, eventualy If I make kits I will need enough for upto 500 kits... LOTS of parts. I do all my projects in Metric... I just like it better, so I hope for someone who will also work in metric and not continualy convert it with the 25.4 value.

I may also toss in a few parts here from other projects...

I will start by requesting a source for micro screws... I have found places that make the sizes and type I want, but none reply to emails and I wish to purchase online...

I need:

M1.6 Socket Heads, 4mm 6mm 8mm 10mm and 12mm lengths, something other then aluminum screws... stainless steel maybe.

M1.2 Flat Head, 4mm Length, Brass is fine since they are so small.

M2 x 2.5 Cone and Flat Grub/Set Screws SS

M1 x 6mm Machine Screw with a matching M1 nut...

1.5mm E-clips, with a max of 4mm outer diameter... if I can find it, or ill just use the standard 4.5mm I've seen.

And to start off with the first CNC parts, I need some one to make me the parts shown in this image on a lathe... they are basicly a 2mm pin with 2 slots for eclips at each end... 6 different lengths, need 2 of each. They need to be made out of something that will not flex/bend easily, hardend steel or stainless steel or something... the red dimension is the most important... the rest are basicly clearance.

Edit: I changed the pins... I need: Ax2 Bx2 Cx4 Dx4 qty.

[Roger N]

Hello Draconious,
I work in a small company that makes parts for several RC companies as well as our own line of RC parts. Most of the screws and other items you need are available from http://minibolt.com/ Don't be fooled by their web site they will do their best to get you the bolts you need. You should expect to order a box of each size you need. (50 or 100ea) We buy most of our fasteners in 5 to 10 K numbers and get them from ndufast's Victoria, BC store. Gerry, the manager is very helpful and when we were only buy a few hundred at a time he still treated us like valued customers. http://indufast.com
As for making the parts, prototypes are more expensive than production runs so you should look for as many parts as you can find from production RCs. We always look hard at other manufacturers parts list first before we think about making our own parts. Even with a good shop and cheap labour (read FREE labour) from the owners it costs more to make your own than buy a ready made part for your prototype.
That said, we would like to quote on any aluminium parts you need, especially milled parts. If you need formed or cast parts try to redesign your prototype to use bolt together assemblies. Once you have your design down you can spend the money on more complicated programing and molds.

[Draconious]

There are no parts that I can use from other RC cars, this is a whole new type of chassis, sort of never been done before... a few patents in the works etc.

I will look into the screw sites... will have more cnc parts later, right now I need the pin I posted quoted first... it is very simple so I expect it to be cheap... possibly a place that will just do the first few I need then later do a few 1000... for the kits.

Anyone have the ability to make a Solid Model of a standard M5 thread? AutoCAD 2k does not do threads, it twists the item while extruding along a spiral... I need an EXACT solid model of the threads for a part so I can send the actual model right to a rapid prototype machine if I have too, its not a screw, but I need to copy and slice the threads into the part...

Anyone know a place that will sinter some metal parts at a low cost? Micro Size...

[Draconious]

The next part is a custom ball link, I could not find a way to use one that existed... so I need a custom one... I need 16 of these for prototypes, and about 4000 later. I can always ebay the extras for others to use in micro helicopters and stuff

I need this part to be STRONG, titanium strong, however I was told some steels are stronger than titanium... weight is not an issue so I would rather use a strong hardened stainless steel on this sucker.

It being able to thread itself into plastic or nylon would be a plus, but I think it would do it fine with a standard M2 thread on it...

[NC Cams]

Dubro or Rocket Products (the actual maker of them) makes/made a spherical rod end with a metal ball. Aaluminum in kit, steel ball by special order. These could easily be turned into your "custom ball link". Still have a bunch of them some place.

Use it along with either a 2.5mm screw or 4-40 screw and you have your "custom" ball link with what are/were off the shelf parts. They even have them in 2-56 or a whatever's close in metric.

Hardly patentable as Moore, Mugen and goodness knows who else who'd out of business was using similar stuff in the halcyon days of RC racing in the late 80's/early 90's. You'd be amazed at what the RC-10 and the Losi cars did to the industry when they first came out way back when...

Your shafting as pictured in the earlier post might be made from prototype stock from Stock Drive Products.

[Draconious]

I have to use the ball link I designed there is no room for a standard screw in it any were... the area surrounding it is filled with other parts.

I do not yet have any CNC equipment or access to one, I post these in hopes some one will make and mail me a few just for a prototype (no I dont expect it to be free)... and or, a place to make me 500 to 4000 of any given part I post, should I not need to make any changes, I have already made 1000's of changes in the last year... so im sure theres another 1000 or so waiting .

I do plan on taking CnC classes soon.. so I will know how to do it myself. Its supose to be a certificut program with potential degree... but seems to be lots of silly things getting in my way of signing up for the classes... sigh. lol.

[NC Cams]

If you plan to sell the kit in the USA, you'd be farther ahead to use English fasteners.

You have no idea how hard it can be to find an odd ball metric fastener on a Saturday afternoon when you're at a race with a car. We saw that time and time again when the poor kids came around the hobby shop looking for some odd (in USA) metric fastener for their Tamiya cars. Then, to get it, they had to buy a huge fastener kit to get one lame screw. Many times, the parent got tired of being hose on parts and had the kid find a new/cheaper hobby.

Losi and Associated really helped the RC market take off country wide in the USA.

How??

Use of off the shelf 4-40 and 6-32 machine screw fasteners everywhere. Swivel pins were 1/8". "Heim" joints were Rockets. Based on the volatility of the market/designs, the use of standard fasteners is only smart - in as little as 3-4 months, a hard core design can go obsolete and your tooling right along with it. Best of all, virtually ANY part could be bought in onesy/twosy batches. Even the gas car boys used Associated heims because they were already tooled and "good enough".
1/8 or 1/10 gas was strong on west coast but rare in our neck of the woods.

Keep in mind something else - an RC car built with a micrometer, feeler gage and hand tools is NOT going to be easy to maintain - especially if you race it serviously. At the time we were racing 2 nights a week - we were maintaining 4 nights. Total disassembly to clean, test, check for bends, etc. And we were NOT necessarily the fastest racers on the block (raced in "back yard" of a note RC car maker who did his development at our club track)

At the time, there were attempts to bring over Schumacker and PB, Yokomo other "hi tech" cars over from Europe & Japan. The comparatively simple Losi and Associated cars ultimately ruled in off road electric. The complexity that rapidly overtook the sport during it's meteoric rise days was both good and bad.

Good if you were a hard core, techno geek. Bad if you were on a shoestring budget. Worse yet for the fact that it priced the hobby out of the reach of many people who looked at it as a place to race inexpensively. Sorry to say that I was part of the crowd who wrecked it as I had more money than brains and common sense at the time.

Racing will make you a millionaire - you'd better start off with three or four however.

e: your ultra special ball pivot - the ball of a Rocket link in concert with a 2-56 x 0.5" or 3/4" screw would/should readily work for your proto. A 4-40 would be a bit bigger and almost bullet proof.

HINT: look at the SIZE of the screw and availability, not whether it's metric or english, especialy for low run prototypes.

[Draconious]

The rocket links are too big to fit.

[tobyaxis]

Draconious,

English !!!
Custom Parts no matter what they are for are going to cost some $$$. But if you want I'll give you a quote for your parts.

NC CAMS is right, you want to use english fastners. I do my own custom RC parts in the garage (Lathe and Mill). Two days ago I gave someone a quote on some shock brackets for his RockCrawler and he couldn't believe how much it would cost to make them.

Make your prototype as cheap as possible and for your own good use easy to find hardware to put it together. Go to Sears Hardware and get English fasteners.


tobyaxis

[Draconious]

Umm there is no hardware store on earth that would sell the small size I need, bearing in mind this is a MICRO chassis... very very small parts... M1.6mm screws are itty bitty.... I even have an M1 screw (thats 1mm diameter). This is not a large racing 1:10 scale car.. this is a nitch limited editin hobby type thing... sort of an expensive novelty lol.. and I mostly just wnat to build one to see it done... if I can then produce more from the prototype then I want too sell them...

I am going to stick with Metric, all of the chassis that it is a cuzin too all use metric... and it will pay off when I find out I have to be a cheap arse and source from china.. wich I DO NOT WANT TO DO AT ALL ... but I have made NO progress at all getting any quotes for parts.. the ball links I got a quote for about $1.80 each... in Titanium...

[dammachines]

Have you tried using the rfqwork.com site? It's a spin off of CNC Zone. It was created just for what you are looking for...

Dave

[widgitmaster]

I have found all the small screws in McMaster Carr http://www.mcmaster.com/

Lokk there for clips and pins!
Eric