TOPIC:

Mine makes too time to heat and doesn't enough heat to work. I prefer electrical type. At my work I have a WELLER station; it is very fast heating. I am waiting for an other one.

stingray-63 wrote:

Mine makes too time to heat and doesn't enough heat to work. I prefer electrical type. At my work I have a WELLER station; it is very fast heating. I am waiting for an other one.

Yes we have a couple of Weller stations in the workshop @ work, I'm on site/s most of the time so having the gas 1 is perfect

I've got a Weller 25w general purpose iron, which I've had for years & although it's just a basic model, the heat is just absolutely perfect for anything I need to do with it, with the exception of battery packs & welder PCBs, for which I use either my Poundland "25w" (Er, yeah, more like 250w, you can nearly braze with it!) or my Antex Gascat 60.
The gas iron is handy for aggressive or outdoor jobs, or those that I just can't be bothered to untangle the electric string for, but in reality, the heat just isn't controllable enough for "everyday" jobs - it's either too cold or setting fire to stuff, akin to electronics with a welder...

Hey Martin any progress with this? I'm really keen to see this one come to life

Patience is a virtue, Andy

I bought some Plasticard yesterday to repair the body. Suprisingly difficult to get hold of without resorting to ebay.

I also need to work out a way to fit Tamiya wheels to the Mardave suspension. The stub axles are the right diameter, but about 10mm too long. I also don't like the circlip for holding the wheels on.
So, I reckon I either need to fit Tamiya steering blocks to the Mardave suspension or Tamiya stub axles to the Mardave steering blocks. I think I've got some Hornet axles somewhere.

I need to find some dampers from my recent job lot purchase. I think there are a couple of TL-01 ones in there.

Another job is to redrill the chassis for the front suspension because the ones I made when I was 15 are neither central nor perpendicular This may involve another chassis.

I think I am going to go for a satin black theme on the chassis to match the front suspension. I am going to cut one of the spare gearbox halves to match the old "modified" one. I wish I hadn't sold the RS540 Black motor I had as it would have looked great in a black, cut away gearbox. Hey ho.

What are the Mardave stub axles made of? If they're soft enough to rework, you could cut a bit off the end (including the circlip groove) & cut a thread on the end for a nyloc nut

Jonny wrote:

What are the Mardave stub axles made of?

Girders, probably

Jonny wrote:

If they're soft enough to rework, you could cut a bit off the end (including the circlip groove) & cut a thread on the end for a nyloc nut

I'll have a look. I guess they're 5mm, so would an M5 die do the job?

Some work on the bodywork:
Plasticard inside to strengthen it




Repair to the rear:


Fill in the holes:

The Mardave stuff I've encountered has all been plain unhardened steel (EN8?), so it should be easy enough to hack the axles shorter with a hacksaw & hand-thread them (I recommend using HSS die, not poxy tungsten rubbish supplied with threading "kits"). Downside will be you'll be stuck with a thread the same size as the shaft. You could try filing it down to a smaller diameter, but you're unlikely to get it accurate enough & round enough to avoid problems with jammed dies.

How are the stub axles held into the Mardave blocks? - Their V12 series are just pressed in, it's only the kingpin that stops them twisting or falling out - give them a yank/twist with pliers or mole grips to see if they'll budge, but use cloth etc on the jaws so you don't mark the shaft.
If they move easily, this can work against you for threading purposes, or for you if you go the other route & replace just the axles in the block (Gimme a shout if you want some custom axles, I owe you a favour).

I can tell you Tamiya Holiday Buggy, Grasshopper etc stub axles can be removed from their nylon knuckles, just use pliers to twist/yank them out.

I'm lucky, I know at least 2x shops near me that stock Plastruct & Plasticard (Ely Cycle centre & Norfolk street DIY in Lynn) & most arty-crafty & model shops can get it for you if you ask them nicely.
Failing that, CD cases are handy for small amounts (& clear) material, as they're made of styrene, which bonds well to ABS with normal model-making glue (Styrene cement).
70s-80s HiFi covers are also a good source for material...

Just had another, easier idea for the Mardave stub axles - IF they'll move in their blocks, & IF they're held in place by the kingpins (A'la V12), press them through until the protruding bit is the right length for Tamiya wheels, then just re-drill the hole for the kingpin (Using the hole in the block to start/guide the drill bit).
Again the drill wants to a be an HSS one. Use a drop of oil to keep the metal cool. Drill 0.5-1mm undersize first (If you go straight in with the right size, you're likely to end up with an oversize hole). Don't spin the drill too fast either - it needs to be spinning just fast enough to cut without juddering.
It does mean you'll still be stuck with circlips, but it also means you won't have to be waiting around or messing about with other parts that might not fit

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