Life Hacks (RC)

[ebpwu]

If you like to protect your RX wire lines from getting bent/damaged and keep them in pristine condition, find some unused fuel lines or unused RX plastic tubes and slide them in before installing them into your model. They mitigates the RX wires from being distorted physically and prolongs the longevity of your RX wires. If your fuseleage is carbon fiber, it helps isolates the contact between the rx wires and the fuseleage and prevent radio glitches.

[ebpwu]

If the strips of balsa wood in your model plane ever got damaged during flight or transportation and you don't want to invest in any expensive balsa wood, use disposable chopsticks, ice cream sticks and toothpick easily found in your kitchen to help in your quick fix repair. You can probably also get lucky and find some light bamboo pieces from your old bamboo broom. They are equally strong, rigid, fairly light and comes in round or squared shaped ones which you can play around. Repair costs can be minimised in this way.

[ebpwu]

Lighting accessories too expensive for your model plane or cars? Find those handy party lights from neighbourhood toy shops and they costs less than $2 with mutiple lights which you can mount them easily on your RC buggy (white for front lights & red for rear) or wingtips (red and green) for orientation during flying. Runs on cheap button batteries with on/off switch, it is easy to mount with double side tape or the band supplied. You will not feel a pinch if you lose them during bashing or flight.

[ebpwu]

If you ever need to join your control push rods or metal Z-bend rods togther by solely using glue or epoxy the bond may not last a strong bond. Without any fiber cloth for reinforcement? You can simply find a long strand of sewing strings from your mum's sewing kit and wound them multiple times before applying glue or epoxy. After which if you want to top it off, use a heat shrink to cover it up. You can easily acheive a superior adhesion that is durable and strong without any worry of the links letting go. To bind thicker rods you can use piano wires instead depending on the application.

[ebpwu]

Finding it a hassle to bring your screwdriver to the field to screw in your nylon screwdriver into the plane at the field? Cut out a portion of your used credit cards or used phone cards and epoxied them into the groove of the nylon screw head. You can now conveniently turn the screw in effortlessly without the use of any tool.

[mave]

candles holder from ikea, can be used for mixing epoxy for a quick fix either in the field or at home

[ebpwu]

Nice mini bowls you got there Mave!
To add, you can also use disposable container lids, mini saucers from the fast food restaurant, and disposbale chopsticks and stirrers for your mixes.

[ebpwu]

RC Switch Harness does not comes cheap. $3-$12 depending on the brand. It is too mainstream and for a touch of uniqueness and fun, why not get the rocker switch instead? They come in an assortment of sizes, colours and different configurations. They are fairly light weighted too! Some even has light indicators once power is switched on. You can even modify to turn it on or off remotely using an aux servo. A rocker switch from Sim Lim can be a switch for your esc, lights, siren sounds, etc and will only cost you $1-$1.50 at best. It only takes a few soldering to make it work. If you are interested to make a rocker switch work, see the link provided.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQpQWFYX524

[ebpwu]

If you are thinking of gluing your control rod to your clevis and ran out of epoxy you can use soldering as a quick fix. Soldering not only create a strong permanent bond it yields a surprisingly tough and assuring linkage. I find the method works unusually well on metal clevis with metal wires and rods. The best part is that you can reheat it again for adjustment.

[joe yap]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]132870[/ATTACH] candles holder from ikea, can be used for mixing epoxy for a quick fix either in the field or at home

Hi Charles,

Personally, I don't think that's a good idea. Adhesives and wax don't mix. In fact, any containers that has wax coating like some paper cups are not recommended for epoxy mixing as well.
Not worth compromising the quality of the epoxy by saving on the mixing containers.

[mave]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for the advice!
By the way, since we are on the topic of epoxy, may I ask what is the right epoxy to use for skinning carbon fiber? I saw some zap finishing epoxy. Is this the right one?

Hi Charles,

Personally, I don't think that's a good idea. Adhesives and wax don't mix. In fact, any containers that has wax coating like some paper cups are not recommended for epoxy mixing as well.
Not worth compromising the quality of the epoxy by saving on the mixing containers.

[mave]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for the advice!
By the way, since we are on the topic of epoxy, may I ask what is the right epoxy to use for skinning carbon fiber? I saw some zap finishing epoxy. Is this the right one?

Hi Charles,

Personally, I don't think that's a good idea. Adhesives and wax don't mix. In fact, any containers that has wax coating like some paper cups are not recommended for epoxy mixing as well.
Not worth compromising the quality of the epoxy by saving on the mixing containers.

[joe yap]

Hi Joe,

Thanks for the advice!
By the way, since we are on the topic of epoxy, may I ask what is the right epoxy to use for skinning carbon fiber? I saw some zap finishing epoxy. Is this the right one?

Yes, Charles. You can use Zap finishing resin or some epoxies labelled as "laminating resin". These adhesives have low viscosity and longer pot life that allows it wick through the composite fabrics easily.

[mave]

Hi Joe,

Thank you. Will try it. If you have a "link" on good method of doing carbon fiber, can you kindly PM me? I don't want to OT on this thread too much. Thank you.

Yes, Charles. You can use Zap finishing resin or some epoxies labelled as "laminating resin". These adhesives have low viscosity and longer pot life that allows it wick through the composite fabrics easily.

[alaskafox]

Here's one for receivers with short wire antennas, take some small drinking straws and slot them over the wires.
This helps to keep them straight for better reception. Some receivers have cases which allow the straws to slot
over the wires without any tape or glue. This can work for some satellite receivers too.


Sorry for the blur photo.