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There are pros and cons to building a kit, rather than going the easy way and buying an RTR. The main pros being that one can choose electronics, the main cons being that one has to choose electronics. Some people might also add that it is a disadvantage that the body of a kit doesn’t come painted, but for me [...]
I came out of the Dark Ages in 2017, by buying an Arrma Furious BLX short course truck. At the time, it had been more than twenty-five years since my Kyosho Ferrari F40 was retired, due to most of the electronics having been cannibalized for a friend’s scratch built RC. The chassis then lived a quiet life in my parent’s [...]
After showing off Massimiliamo’s work in my last column, and still suffering nightmares from my own recent debacles, I have felt a need to redeem myself in regards to my hobby skills. No, I am not a great drifter, and yes, I am better with words than with wires, but I am enthusiastic and actually do have some skills that [...]
Where do you find great wine, great food, great cars, great coffee and great soccer and great painters? Barolo and Amarone wines, pizza and pasta, Ferrari and Lamborghini, Illy and Lavazza, Milan and Juventus, Leonardo and Michelangelo? And no, that’s not the ninja turtles, but the painters behind Mona Lisa and the Sistine Chapel. Italy of course. Also from Italy is [...]
Today, rather than showing off the beginnings of a well painted body, I will lament my use of liquid mask. I have used liquid mask for all my bodies so far, and have been very happy with the result, but, alas, not today. Previously I have applied the mask using a brush, three layers brushed on in alternating directions. Bitty [...]
Most things I read in forums, I soon forget, but a post at rccrawler from a couple of years ago still resides somewhere inside me. Reading Jeremy’s last column, I came to think of it, and I think there is a pattern forming. First, let me quote our dear scale guy, commenting on his hauler build last week:This build helped me [...]
If you ask me, the best door is the outdoors, especially now with spring well on its way. The wood anemones have started to bloom where I live, and the birches have started to bud . Lots of reasons to go for walks with the dog. Except that I don’t have a dog. I do, however, have a wife and kids and [...]
G’day folks! Last column I was a bit unlucky with the timing, Yokomo managing to release a new RTR when I had written most of the column, but had to take a break before I could finish it off. Well, it’s difficult to stay on top of the game at all times. But now the news are well and comfortably [...]
Whereas all the big brands in bashing and crawling are American, the big names in drifting all stem from the Far East. Yokomo hailing from Tokyo, MST from a nearby country but I am not sure which, and Weld Overdose also from Japan. Now, the Far East was named the Far East back when Europe was the center of the [...]
I recently told Boss Man Brian that I was about to adjust the brakes on my Mamba X ESC so that my rock bouncers neither would roll away when standing on a steep slope, nor do a front flip when the throttle is released from full speed ahead. For testing drag brake strength, and climbing abilitiy, I have a nice, [...]
A couple of days ago it was, in theory, spring outside, so one of my squidlings and I decided to do some crawling on the rocks just outside. A Yeti, a Bomber, and a grey, barren post-apocalyptic landscape just about to wake up. Also, recently adjusted break settings on the Bomber, to prevent it from doing a front flip whenever [...]
Long time, no write. Luckily, and as expected, the hobby has moved on regardless. While the drifting world hasn’t seen much exciting happening in the past six months, Axial has released the Ryft, Traxxas has teased a no prep drag Slash, Losi has released the LMT solid axle monster, Arrma has updated ther 6S line up, Team Corally is gaining [...]
After two weeks of digging deep into the rear setup of a car and how angle and length of the upper link affects camber, it’s time to relax (for me!) with an unpretentious look at miscellaneous things going on out there. For a starter, MST surprised me a little while ago, by announcing a release that actually fits into the general [...]
Today I’ll continue my endeavour to explain rear geometry, an enterprise that is quite the challenger, but the effort luckily rewards me with one geometric discovery after the other. Ha! Hands up if you saw what I just did? Two missing, true, but since they are verbs rather than nouns, I consider myself excused. But I digress. It happens. Well, as [...]
Today I am going straight to the topic: why are upper and lower A-arms never parallell? Previously, I have written about how camber gain when the car squats, depending on upper arm angle and upper arm length. The short story is that a short upper arm means more camber gain with squat (acceleration), a long upper arm less. More upper [...]
