Custom RC car for my 4yo neice

Custom RC car for my 4yo neice

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Discussion

Ambleton

Original Poster:

6,668 posts

193 months

Thursday 14th January 2021
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My neice is great. My brother and his wife live on the west coast of the ROI and I rarely get to see them.

My neice is 4 and its her birthday in June and has requested an RC Blaze from Monster Machines.



The only one available online is really st tbh. Its a very basic forward and reverse turn with plastic wheels etc.

We hatched a plan whereby we would buy and modify something. I'm a CAD designer by trade so a nice little project.

We looked around and decided the best option was something that could be used inside and outside, so not huge, and not that fast. She is only 4, but something that they could take to the park/woods and not halt at any and every obstacle.


I saw these 1:16 scale rock crawlers on amazon for about £25 and thought they were great, with lots of potential.. so my brother purchased one and had it delivered to me.



I've tested it out to make sure it works. I'm simply amazed by its capabilities. Its not hugely fast, but its a lot of fun and has great climbing abilities


Strip down commences....





Next job. Measure up and making a start in CAD. Who's along for the ride?

ETA - I have a 3D printer and plan on printing the body in RED PETG

cml24

1,415 posts

148 months

Thursday 14th January 2021
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This topic interests me as I’ve a three year old who’d love a remote control car.

I have briefly thought about it and had similar thoughts that the rock crawlers have a good combination of slow speed and reasonable ability to not get stuck on the first small pebble they hit.

Do you have a link to the one you bought or are they all much of a muchness at this price point?

(I’ve had an hpi savage and a cheap brushless stadium truck type thing previously so some knowledge from a while back!)

Ambleton

Original Poster:

6,668 posts

193 months

Thursday 14th January 2021
quotequote all
Its this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B088LMJ5DM/ref=cm_sw_r...

Benefit is that it comes with two rechargeable battery packs.

Its so much fun that for the price I'm half tempted to get one for myself...

wolfie1978

452 posts

165 months

Friday 15th January 2021
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My mum and stepdad got these for my younger boys for xmas, they are perfect for them. They're not fast but they just keep going, battery seems to last fairly well too

Ambleton

Original Poster:

6,668 posts

193 months

Saturday 19th June 2021
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With my neices birthday only 2 weeks away my brother reminded me about my promise and asked if it was ready yet...

They live on the west coast of ROI so I need to ship it there, which takes about 5 days reliably.

in a bit of a panic I spent the last week CADing up the rest of the model. I made a start back in Feb but was only really a rough scheme.

4 (long) evenings later and these are the results.

I did intend to re use the interior injection moulding but the size, scaling and shape didn't suit so it was actually more expedient and a nicer solution to quickly model up a new one.

14 parts in total which will be 3d printed. The main body is already off and running and is a 27hr print.

10days and counting...














Ambleton

Original Poster:

6,668 posts

193 months

Monday 21st June 2021
quotequote all
Main body came off the print bed okay. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good.









Made some eye stickers etc too.

Next up all the other smaller bits.

Interior will take about 4hrs. Body bracket about an hour. Top hoops about 3hrs, exhausts and grill about 2hrs.

Ambleton

Original Poster:

6,668 posts

193 months

Monday 21st June 2021
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Pretty much done.

Need to do a final bit of bonding. My brother is printing some side stickers, otherwise it's nearly ready to box up and ship off to the ROI.

pidsy

8,010 posts

158 months

Monday 21st June 2021
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Well done. That’s a great job and a great present.

Ambleton

Original Poster:

6,668 posts

193 months

Monday 21st June 2021
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Thanks, hope she likes it.

It was a fair bit of work and I'm not sure I'll make such promises again, but I haven't seen them in ages so I don't mind too much.

The only RC Blaze available as far as I could find was this one that goes fwd and turns when going in reverse. Bit crap really.


miniman

25,021 posts

263 months

Monday 21st June 2021
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You have won Uncling. Lovely job.

Ambleton

Original Poster:

6,668 posts

193 months

Monday 21st June 2021
quotequote all
There was a fair bit of artistic license going on too.

Mainly because in a cartoon you don't really have to worry too much about the reality of shapes and proportion etc and there were lots of angles missing from images it looks flat but in reality needs to be curved. Also lots of stuff that either looked crap or just wouldn't work.




CubanPete

3,630 posts

189 months

Tuesday 22nd June 2021
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That is really cool.

I would love to do something like this with one of the models I have, but free time and a young family aren't lining up at the moment!



(Toylander is making some progress Miniman!).

miniman

25,021 posts

263 months

Tuesday 22nd June 2021
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CubanPete said:
(Toylander is making some progress Miniman!).
ears nice one, would love to see an update!