305 - It's Christmas Time!

My RC things are going slow in this last days of the year. My neurotic search for a tidy set up with my BBX's cabling isn't an interesting subject for some posts here on the blog and, for sure, would be a little boring. Just for the cronicles: I'm at its four versione without any satisfaction.

I've made some minor adjustements placing the neoprene in the battery's tray and I'have only to bind the new receiver (my last of seven KO for my EX-5) and to made the ESC set up and all will be ready for the shakedown, in the first days of 2024 i guess.

So, Merry Christmas to whom enjoy this blog silently and to the google robots that increase the number of the visit mortifying my ego.

304 - Forming Charge

It's the time to give to the two new Team Orion Rocket Pack 2 the first charge, the forming charge tha will determine their future life... hope it will go well.

The first one have been charged until 4200 mah and than manually stopped because it was late in the night... or early in the morning.

The second one is now charging from this morning and I hope to discharge it on my BBX during the week end.

303 - Coundermand!

 

Gosh! Yesterday have been a strange day, I've planned to spend at most half an hour to quickly make the charging lead adaptor I need to forming charge my new Team Orion power packs.

Unfortunately, and without a logic explanation, I haven't been able to firmly crimp the Tamiya plugs to the cables that slipped away only appling a small traction, so... countermand!

I swapped the power packs's Tamiya plugs with my usual stuff: 3,5mm bullet connectors and heatshrink, soon I will update also the ESC to finally do the shakedown of my BBX.

302 - Tamiya BBX, Complete!

301 - Tamiya BBX: World Worst Driver Figure

 

Yesterday I've finally finished my BBX's driver's figure. Not tidy as my Wild One's one, disappointing as a toy grade one... better times will come!

300 - Cars That I'm Going to Sell

 

Restored and modified 58097 Tamiya Super Astute.

Modified 58405 Tamiya Land Cruiser 40 CR01.

Modified 58384 Tamiya Subaru Brat re release.

Refurbed 58086 Tamiya Toyota Hi-lux Monster Racer+original dampers.

 Hopped up 58467 Tamiya Castrol Honda

299 - To the Big Names of the Hobby

Make a claim as I made yesterday without having an idea to solve the problem equals to screaming to the wind so, concerning my deep dislike for chinese brushed motors that are polluting the market, I have a request adressed to the big names of RC cars hobby: a tiny serie of quality brushed motors, machine wound, rebuildable and no matters if ballraced or not. Is it so impossible?

Car makers do re-releases, why force enthusiast to put chinese crap in their expansive little cars instead of a name that made the history of the hobby?

298 - Wasting Moneys

I'm astonished because I see people putting crap in their cars.

I'm talking about the horrible brushed motors (of course) made in China you can find around the Web for low bucks.

Just to clear out I'm not rich, I'm an employed with an average pay but, precisely because my pay is an average pay, I strive to give value to every single Euro I gain.

I can't understand why people prefer that pieces of coarse manufacture: they look assembled with cheesy parts, mediocrely efficient and roughly finished with decal that mimic Tamiya motor labels.Why? For the price?

I fell for it only once, years ago: horrifying, nevermore.

Buy once but buy well and where possible refurb and refresh.

297 - Time to Look for a New Radio

From a while I'm considering to retire my KO Propo EX5 radio because it starts to show the weight of its age (I've just realized that I bought it in 2011) and because I don't feel much confident with it since I roughly fixed an issue with its batteries stand.

Unfortunately findig something from KO without spending a fortune seems to be hard as finding an unicorn, so, considering that I would prefer to keep the same quality/price level and that I won't buy glittered chinese crap, I will be forced to switch to Futaba or Sanwa.

296 - Tamiya Delta Ray Buggy Video

295 - Tamiya BBX: Sharing Some Thoughts!

Since the Tamiya BBX has hitted the market some speculations about the parts Tamiya choices for this buggy. One of them concerns dampers especially to the decision to avoid threaded body in favor of dampers with sliding collars.

To me it is a well mindend option considering the use for the car in intended: The BBX isn't a racing car, its damper setup should not need quick and frequent change of set up. In addition a fine threaded damper will catch dirt easly and spite a more maintend racing buggy the BBX could face more runs without a deep cleaning.

294 - Forced Break!

 

Fever and some others bothers have hit this week, no matter if it's due to flu or covid: I'm bored and bothered if I can't do wat I like to do.

293 - Tamiya BBX: Cabling Ver. 3

 

Last week I've ordered and received the stuff (black and red 16 AWG silicone wire, quality heat shrink and a new mini heat gun) to redo my BBX motor cabling. Yesterday the job have been done doing a wide turn under the ESC shelf.

This solution represent an improvement spite the previous but it doesn't satisfy me enough, so I will look for something tidier. Road to hell is full of good intentions 😁

292 - How To Brake The Wild One Diff (But Having Much Fun)

This raw video shows my Tamiya Wild One run after the motor, wheels and tires upgrade made a while ago. I forgot tho switch the 18t pinion to the 15t one and, having a lot of fun, I've broke the differential (again).

291 - Tamiya BBX: Driver Figure, Almost Complete!

The spare driver figure is almost ready to replace the kit one I ruined weeks ago: its lower end, sprayed in Nato black, is complete and I have to finish its head painting the helmet and finishing it with some decal work. 

290 - Tamiya BBX: Ok, Bullet Connectors Are the Way

Yesterday's session at the workbench was dedicated to some minor work on my BBX. One concerned the connection between the motor and the ESC which, initially, was planned as a direct soldering of the cables onto the motor tabs but considering that it is not an easy configuration to manage I decided to opt for the connectors, as my usual.

At the beginning I was quite convinced to switch from the 3.5mm bullet connectors that I have been using for years to the Tamiya connectors but, yesterday, I realized that theese ones are a bit difficult to manage because they are a bit bulkier than the bullets and that crimping them on the cables is not my cup of tea. So I will continue to use the thin 3.5mm bullet connectors.

Unfortunately, being in a hurry, the result is not good at all, I will do it again because one of the things I loved about my BBX build was the smooth rotation of the motor cables and using connectors in between has altered the result by forcing the cables into an angled position. I have to find a way to get back to a wide rotation and fluid because this will keep the construction clean and tidy as I like. 

289 - New Video, My Acto-Power Motor Refurb is on Youtube!

 

288 - Tamiya BBX: Spare Driver

The spare driver figure and driver head have been arrived and sprayed with a coat of fine primer immediately.

I will do a simple finishing loosing the most of details but reaching a tidy and clean result in any case... unfortunately, without training it, I've lost all of my past miniature painter abilities.

The lower part will be sprayed in Nato black and helmet will come in white with black visor, some decal will be applied to match the body style.

287 - Tamiya BBX: Cables Extension

One of the small improvements needed to complete my BBX buggy (and delayed until now also if its need was clear until the electronics has installed) is a extension for ESC/battery wires. For everyone of the guys around the globe that play with Tamiya cars since the good ole days it isn't an hard task whatever is the kind of plugs decided.

From this build I've decided to step back to a full Tamiya's plugs set up, so here it is the extension I've made. Red marks to avoid polarity mistakes during the build are made with a Uniposca pencil and, probably, will disappear with use but at this point, with plugs well assembled,  there isn't any way to be wrong.

286 - Tamiya BBX: Hidden Tips

The completion of my Tamiya BBX build goes on in small steps, sometimes stepping back and doing some adjustments and sometimes doing some improvements suggestedi by Tamiya without mention them in manual.

I'm talking about the holes I've made using the marks spotted on the tail covers of the BBX body set and that are useful to reach two screw to free and flip the rear cage when necessary.

I'd like to point out that I do not consider the missed instruction as a faiult by Tamiya, to me is part of the hobby: we are modellers, we build kits and it is up to us adding some personal improvements or discover some hidden tips

285 - Tamiya BBX: New Video!

 

I've posted a new video on my YT channel and it's about this blog! Well I know that considering a blog the main way to share content about this hobby sounds a bit outdated but I like it and I consider my YT channel only a support to this blog. Long life to the written word 💪

284 - Back to Tamiya Motor Plugs

The choice made weeks ago to direct solder my BBX's ESC cables to the motor isn't a great idea. As usual, caught by the rage for simplify, I forgot that somethimes could be necessary to swap the motor or the ESC with another one or to do some setup with cables disconnected.

Considering that most of the motors and the ESC that I use come with Tamiya plugs and that that I will have to step back to settle the plugging of the electronics I already own and already modified I've made a small stock of Tamiya motor plugs in addition to the stock of battery plugs already made.

With this purchase my exploration of alternative pluggings is ended, proudly back to the origins.

283 - Tamiya BBX: Hole Marks, Again!

Only some days ago I've noticed the mark for making a hole in the tail covers included in the BBX body set. I don't know if other dudes have noticed them I haven't be able to find anything on the Web, IMO they are intended to make easy access to the screws that secure the rear cage and that, if removed, allow it move up.

282 - Tamiya BBX: What a Fail!

The time to take care of my BBX's driver figure seemed to be arrived so, yesterday, I take the parts previously (poorly) sprayed with primer and black to easy complete it with a coat or two of white.

First I've masked the parts with the green tape and I was quite surprised because it has been quick to made and how seemed well made.

After masking I've grabbed one of the Tamiya can laying around and I've sprayed the lower part of the driver figure... and then, only then, I've realized that that can was on its shelf from almost 10 years namely from when I've built my Wild One.

Found a most recent can of white I've sprayed the driver head.

Aftere the remove of the masking tape the result showed is terrible and  witnesses how hard is to gain good result working in rush. Better times will come!

I've already ordered all the new parts involved in the completing of my BBX and, for the next attempt, I will spray the lower parts only in black (as many others guys -smarter than me- around the world have made) giving a proper finish only to the helmet.

281 - Tamiya BBX: Body Sits On Its Own Posts

Well, in the end my BBX body is held in its place by body posts and body clips. Choosing this way haven't been easy because a little of squashing has been needed to allow the clips to slip in to the first hole of the side posts but only in this way the body is firmly settled.

To be honest, IMO, the perfect position should be in between the first and the second hole and I guess, in Tamiya's plan, the body posts included are non intended to be used with this body... who knows?

The front body post has required a rubber o-ring to keep the body at the right height.

 

280 - Tamiya BBX: Mind That (Bloody) Gap!

Since the firsts BBX saw on the Web and after completing of mine I'm obsessed by the perfect match between the two halves of the body especially because mine is painted in two different colors and the two are divided by a black stripe.

Using velcro the mismatch is slightly evident but switching to body clips things are gone wrong and the gap is raised.

The body is well cutted, holes are well made (first time with a reamer) and it's close to impossible that Tamiya made a  inaccuracy like this so I'm pretty sure that I'm doing something wrong and I guess I'm placing the clips in the wrong holes... a newbie mistake.

 

279 - Tamiya BBX: Body Posts and Body Cracks

The slight mismatch between the upper and the lower body convinced me to use the body posts marked as "not used" in the BBX buggy manual in the attempt to reach a better alignement, in addition, today, watching the body I've noticed a pair of small cracks (showed in the pic below) that I suppose are caused by the force applied to free the body from the velcro (that is pretty tought) and that, if the box art decal are used, would be hidden.

Installing the body posts has been a quick work, body holes have been accurate reamed but a better support for the body sides is needed because there is a unpleasent gap between the sides and the upper body.

Front body post...

...  and side body posts.

Overview

Body with new holes reamed.

I've also "shortended" the antenna cable using a tie so the antenna pipe  lay under the cockpit roof.

Cant't wait to shoot some pics outside to give the right light to the metallic green.

278 - Tamiya BBX: Livery Overview

 

A good content creator would plan every post of the week shooting the right pics/videos and saving it for the best moment but (there is always a "but") I'm not a content creator, I'm only a nerd that uses as main media a old and forgotten platform to share his post so, this week, for the mid week update I've only this pic to share.

277 - Tamiya BBX: And, Finally, It Has Its Own Decals!

Yesterday, after lunch, I've been able to stick the decals I've planned to use on My BBX's body. Maily I've used custom decals received from MCI Racing weeks ago and only in a minor part original Tamiyas.

I'm quite satisfied by the final result because decals are well integrated in the paint work and only the black stripe look a bit much thick, unfortunately I haven't found a thinner one and I wasn't much confident to stick it astride the longitudinal body rib, my fault.

I haven't already prepared the body to use clips and body posts but I guess it will be a good solutions to alligning the upper and the lower body easly (in the video body is held in place only with velcro and alligning it results a little bit complex)