Build Thread The most interesting Team Associated SC10 in the world

[Spksh]

My post in the "What did you buy today?" thread is a spoiler for what comes next.

I still haven't resolved the design for the bullet connector boots, but I want to make progress. I figure I can solder and sleeve them up and mold or attach the boot later.

These ones go all the way to the PCB, so I can have very clean ends.

Nice stable base for the bullets. Again with the very biological clamping.

And look at that. Some slack I in the A channel (blue) that I'll take out.

You'll also notice that the B channel (yellow) is a lot shorter than the other two. That's because I could not for the life of me get solder to stick to it where it had been embedded in the RTV rubber during those test casts above. Flux, super high temperature, burning the rubber off, none of that worked. I had to cut off the end and tin it fresh.

So the yellow is already just barely long enough, and then I used it as the guide for the length of the blue one.

And now the newly shortened blue wire is too short. It's not just a cosmetic issue, I can't even lay the ESC flat in the chassis. This is what you get for not taking your time and thinking about each step.

So...

Do I just replace the blue one with black? Or do I do them all for an even cleaner look, and take care of the capacitor at the same time?

 

[Spksh]

this one is about to start coming together quickly; I feel like..

I'm going to hit a speed bump with the shell - I don't have a personal livery worked out yet, and I have no paints! I will for sure procrastinate by filling up my hard drive with thousands of pictures of Baja trophy trucks for inspo...

 

[Littlemotor]

Of COURSE ya have to have several of THE Ironman in there.. Timeless, but also unfortunately played out-ironically enough; due to NON-SCT RC’s..

 

[Spksh]

Of COURSE ya have to have several of THE Ironman in there.. Timeless, but also unfortunately played out-ironically enough; due to NON-SCT RC’s..

Always imitated, never duplicated.

 

[Littlemotor]

Always imitated, never duplicated.

Absolutely SUPER Iconic.. Never seen another scheme that could be pulled off on 1/8 buggies, truggies, and monster trucks like that one..

The infamous Gulf Oil orange & blue Le Mans livery would have to be a close 2nd imo..

 

[Spksh]

Absolutely SUPER Iconic.. Never seen another scheme that could be pulled off on 1/8 buggies, truggies, and monster trucks like that one..

The infamous Gulf Oil orange & blue Le Mans livery would have to be a close 2nd imo..

I have a patriotic soft spot for the Britten bike.

 

[Littlemotor]

I have a patriotic soft spot for the Britten bike.

View attachment 261856

Can’t fault ya for that..

 

[Spksh]

Before I started messing with motor wires again, I did connect everything up and we got steering and throttle, so that's great news. But my servo lead spiral interferes with the battery strap. I can't win with this part We'll deal with it later.

 

[Spksh]

Have I said today how much I hate lead-free solder? Had to dump so much heat into this.

While we're here, may was well do the rest...

Solder braid to suck up as much of the lead-free solder as I can. I'm a little concerned now at the amount of heat it's taken to get here - I ended up clamping an aluminum bar across the heat sink because it was getting so hot.

And re-tinned with real solder.

I knew going in that the cable jacket wasn't silicone. Melty. Also, no one should have to look at their own solder joints this close up

Capacitors soldered back on the underside.

The original wire was 14 AWG, I think. 12 AWG means that sleeving is a very tight fit.

Some shielding before the heat gun. This didn't really do anything in the end - the copper traces to the input/output terminals just soak the heat right in anyway. I have a bunch of these purple anodized aluminum business cards, makes me think I should laser up a name plate to hide somewhere in this build

Relatively happy with this, even though the heat shrink pulled away from the PCB a little. Next time I'll cut the heat shrink all to the same length in a batch though

I've now got plenty of length to route the motor wires where I want them.

 

[Spksh]

Rather than show you the same process as before (this time with feeling), here's a technique I started using to get the braid sealed and cut to the right length.

Wrap the cable assembly in some painter's tape right where you want the sleeve and wire jacket to stop. Hit it with a torch to melt through the braid. Chop off the excess, then strip and tin as normal. The braid holds long enough to faff around with routing and connector alignment.

Cut little stubby bit left over.

Maybe I don't need cable boots?

I'm liking this a whole lot more now, even if it was fiddly and took forever. The result is worth it, I think.

 

[Littlemotor]

Rather than show you the same process as before (this time with feeling), here's a technique I started using to get the braid sealed and cut to the right length.

Wrap the cable assembly in some painter's tape right where you want the sleeve and wire jacket to stop. Hit it with a torch to melt through the braid. Chop off the excess, then strip and tin as normal. The braid holds long enough to faff around with routing and connector alignment.
View attachment 261944

Cut little stubby bit left over.
View attachment 261945

Maybe I don't need cable boots?
View attachment 261946

I'm liking this a whole lot more now, even if it was fiddly and took forever. The result is worth it, I think.
View attachment 261947

I feel like you’d be hard pressed to end up with a more professional result than that right there..

 

[Spksh]

Another spacing problem caused by increasing the cable size: the fan's JR connector won't fit now.

Post-surgery.

 

[Spksh]

Some glamour shots after applying 3M VHB and a battery strap. Pretty happy with the ESC wiring now.

So pretty.

But you always see something you could improve, right? I might re-route and shorten the battery cable so it goes out the back of the ESC rather than the front. I'd intended to just use a velcro strap to stop the battery leads flapping around, maybe shortening them is the answer.

 

[Spksh]

The final real problem to solve, before the body shell.

Hello darkness, my old friend.

Open to suggestions on this one, even if it's "stop caring so damn much" .

 

[Littlemotor]

Some glamour shots after applying 3M VHB and a battery strap. Pretty happy with the ESC wiring now.
View attachment 261961
View attachment 261962
View attachment 261963

So pretty.

But you always see something you could improve, right? I might re-route and shorten the battery cable so it goes out the back of the ESC rather than the front. I'd intended to just use a velcro strap to stop the battery leads flapping around, maybe shortening them is the answer.

Looking good sir! Definitely “make shorten”!

If it were mine-I’d chuck the balance connector “protector” in the trash, and find an appropriate spot to glue a male JST housing. That way you can secure the balance lead from flopping around, and it’ll look tits.. -If ya really wanna be a badass; dye that dude black while you’re at it..

 

[Littlemotor]

The final real problem to solve, before the body shell.
View attachment 261964

Hello darkness, my old friend.
View attachment 261965

Open to suggestions on this one, even if it's "stop caring so damn much" .

Now that song is on repeat in my domepiece for the duration-so thanks for that.. Also; keep caring!

 

[Spksh]

Looking good sir! Definitely “make shorten”!

If it were mine-I’d chuck the balance connector “protector” in the trash, and find an appropriate spot to glue a male JST housing. That way you can secure the balance lead from flopping around, and it’ll look tits..

Ohhh that's a neat idea. A little holster. I like that a lot.

Not a fan of balance lead protectors?

 

[Littlemotor]

Ohhh that's a neat idea. A little holster. I like that a lot.

Not a fan of balance lead protectors?

They’re the RC equivalent of when Mid-life Crisis Dodge Hellcat guys leave the yellow splitter protectors on after they’ve taken ownership of the vehicle.. Or having clear plastic over your couch..

 

[Spksh]

They’re the RC equivalent of when Mid-life Crisis Dodge Hellcat guys leave the yellow splitter protectors on after they’ve taken ownership of the vehicle.. Or having clear plastic over your couch..

View attachment 261967

View attachment 261968

I can hear that second photo

 

[Spksh]

If ya really wanna be a badass; dye that dude black while you’re at it..

Oh of course, they’ll just be nylon. I just bought some black Rit dye too.