xxx
In this Lexan project I will walk you step by grulling step in how to use lexan as a Chassis matterial! This project is for Rustlers and Pedes, but the info can be used in any project using POLYCARBONATE plastic.
Let's talk TOOLS! Now you can get away with using the basic hand tools like Jig saws, hand held drills, and circler saws. If you go this route your work will look weeellllll not so nice and not work as well! Now if you really want this project to turn out RIGHT! Then the proper power tools to have on hand is: Hand held Drill, Jig Saw, Table saw, Scroll Saw, Table Top drill press and heat gun. These tools most people don't have, but if you look around you may find someone who has one or alll the tools you need and may be willing to let you borrow them. Please follow all safty rules and use safty equipment when working with power tools.
Let's talk POLYCARBONATE! Most common question is How thick to use and where to get it! Now Polly comes in may thickness, sizes, colors, and prices! Just look in your yellow pages under plastics or sign shops or try the inter net. under Polycarbonate! You should find many places that sell Polly! Now, how thick? that's really up to you but i like to work with .220 or 1/4" thick matterial. and I get a piece over 2'x2' For your first chassis that should give you enough matterial to play with and leave enough for misstakes. As you get better you will use less and less matterial when making chassis.
WORKING WITH POLLY! Now Polly is a soft matterial that has a low melting point! So Drilling and cutting the stuff takes CARE! Cut and drill slow taking out a little matterial at a time. Example, If your drilling a 1/8" hole through a 1/4" thick material 2" deep, and you start drilling with out backing the bit all the way out every 1/4" to 1/2" to let the bit and plastic cool this is what will happen! Your bit and plastic will heat up causing the plastic to start to melt then the plastic for some odd reason cools quick durring the drilling. Then the drill bit becomes fused with the plastic and drill bit and plastic becomes one! and the plastic gets riped from your hands causing injury to your equipment and YOU! Remember to watch the plastic's temp. The plastic shavings are a good indecator durring the drilling and sawing of the polly! Are shavings are soft and hot! Just cut and drill slow!
PLANNING! Design, Design, and Design. Plan what your going to do first! Measure twice or three times before Cutting! This saves Money!
Now we are ready to make our first chassis! The next in stallment will do the Lower chassis! Any Questions Before we continue?

No, no questions.

Due to a horrable accident involving one of my family members I will start the next step in our project between 12/27 through 12/31. I'm sorry for the hold up but I have to tend to my wife and son as they morn our loss! But I promise plenty of info on this project! So for now I'll post all current pic's I have on my sons rig here

Whats the last pic

Sorry, I broke it! I had to clear some room in my photobucket account! some times they stay posted and some times not! I'll be starting back on this thread if God is willin 12/26 I cleared some time to get stuff done! My house has been a crazy place lately! Some more photos my vanish but that's a clue to me getting to work! Chris

I have some 6mm lexan, and have ordered some 4mm lexan, which I plan to use to create a chassis, shock towers etc for my RC10T2. Which type of saw did you use to do all the outside cutting on your chassis parts? Right now I have only a dremel, jicksaw, hand saw, and a hand drill. Do you think I would get better cuts with a scroll saw? Yours look very tidy, when I've worked with 3mm lexan before it came out pretty tidy in the end, but I have my doubts about cutting 6mm stuff with a dremel..

I plan to do my chassis similar to yours - the lower chassis will be 4mm, the upper 6mm, with 6mm shock towers & braces. Its sorta a hybrid of several trucks, I plan to extend the chassis around 40mm and allow upto 12 cells (but mostly run 8-10 cells with option to move battery forward/backward).

Also whats the best way you've found to countersink the holes? Once I made a chassis for an MRC/Academy SB Sport out of 3mm lexan, but it came out rubbish because I countersinked the holes with my dremel and they all came out odd.

Good luck finishing your project! So far looks brilliant.

rtsbasic, if you can get your hands on a drill press thats best way. if your using the same size screws you can use a countersinking bit and set the depth to the correct depth. so then when you get all the parts cut out you can go throught and do the drilling quickly since you have the depth set. they have depth tools for hand drills too, but its hard to make the hole straight.

what did you use to cutout the triangles in the rear arms?

Awesome Work!

-mokas-

MIKEMOKAS, unfortunately I have no access to a drill press Can you get similar countersinking bits for a dremel? A drill press would make it quite a bit easier but I can't justify the cost of one, as its not something I'd use very often. Same with a scroll saw, but I could see myself actually using a scroll saw for a few things outside RC.

ill checkout dremels website about the bits. woat is a scroll saw, can someone expliain about it.

-mokas-