TrailFinder 2 tips for first timer

[ad456m]

So I have been chipping away at this and have nearly enough to post. I grabbed an AliExpress alloy fuel cell for a look. It's fine enough but the logo isn't the best, slightly rough threads but otherwise does the job. I swapped out the servo cable for some black cable

 

I also rearranged the electronics and printed a bracket for a 10 pin pogo connector to save unplugging the connector for the light kit. It's not the most elegant but the lights stay on no matter how much I rattle the body and i can remove the body without knackering the light kit. I"m gonna run the bracket and see if it holds up before i do any tidying up on it. Now I'm left with a rats nest in the body to tidy up🤢. Gotta do some soldering on that as the front cables are all too short with the control box all the way at the back. 

 

 

I aslo grabbed some coloured hose to see if it was better for plug wires. It's not entirely to my taste but I have a roll of 22awg Kanthal wire that's got no purpose so I think I'll run that inside it to give shape to it and see what I think. It is a close colour match to the body.

 

[Stormbringer]

good idea on the plug but could dirt ingress interfere with its function ?

[ad456m]

There's definitely a chance it could, when the two parts are together there is not much gap at all so it would be limited. The gap between the two parts is 0.1mm or thereabouts. I've not sealed up the holes I'm running the cables through yet incase this doesn't really work as it's not a design I was really happy with but it does seem to work.

 

I did think of closing the gap a bit with some aquarium sealant in the same way I did on sliding doors when I was making gecko enclosures years ago. Tape up one piece as a mask and then cover the other in sealant, join the two and remove tape when dry. It's a cool trick to get a tight fit on stuff and keeps tiny baby geckos inside the enclosures and not all over the  house.

 

Water ingress was another thought but with the V8 in there I don't plan on going "swimming" with it as I don't think the V8 would drain if it got wet inside. 

Edited April 13 by ad456m

[steephill]

Looking amazing! Good job👍

[Stormbringer]

It does seem youve thought it out well 

[ad456m]

I have thought a lot on the design but boxed myself in a lot with the layout. I’m convinced there’s a better design but it’s all I could muster to get it going. The 3 main things in my mind were

To keep the catches angled in case of water so that they will have some change it’ll shake down.
Body slides forward to protect the distributor on the V8 from getting bent. 

Finally that the top bracket holds the body-side part of the controller. 

I figure if it does perform ok then I can make it look like a fuel tank on the bottom and maybe put some covers on the sides to be like inner fenders.
 

I really need to stop thinking of more stuff to do to this thing😂

[Stormbringer]

You never really finish a scale model as your forever adding cool looking things to them or removing things you got bored with 

[wolfie1]

What about putting solder inside the blue pipe, it would be very easy to bend and would stay how you left it

[ad456m]

@Stormbringer thats the best and worst part, and I'm constantly having more ideas than I have the time and money for😂 

 

@wolfie1 thats a good shout, the kanthal should stay shiny but if it proves too stiff I'll find my lead free solder.

 

So I sucked it up and spent a few hours over the last few days doing the wiring. swapped out the magnet wires that I had on the spotlights as It was already looking like a weak point. I grabbed the Gorilla tape and strapped up the leads and got the rear lights glued in. I'm really glad i did the rear clusters as they just look so much better than the standard ones.

 

Chuffed thats over as I can actually drive the flipping thing now!!