Marui Hunter - My first buggy... Found one to restore :-) - and a Galaxy RS too :)

[silvertriple]

Today, I ordered online prints for some of the Marui parts I need for the project.

I think I found a way to get the prints in Nylon PA12 quite cheap. The initial price of each parts was about 15 euro (taxes not included) each or 13 each if there is more parts.
I read somewhere that the print was actually priced based on the volume taken by the print. And I know that MJF doesn't require any support. What about putting my parts in a box with holes so I can get all the parts together in one print. I created a box in Tinkercad with holes, added the parts inside, making sure than non is touching the box or another parts, and let's see.



Bingo, it seems that it works. I added a small recess of .25 mm on the top of the box to facilitate its opening, and resubmitted for quotation. The price is around 46 euros before taxes and shipment (was more than 120 before I found this trick, and added some parts inside the box with a marginal raise of the price).





Order is done. Included 6 idle gears, 4 bumper reinforcements, 2 sway bars links for Turbo Optima (I have a sway bar that I could eventually mount on the Javelin), and two front led supports, Shipment of the parts will happen by mid October.

Let's see how it goes, I will let you know...

edit: by curiosity, added all the files separately without the box : 182€ down to 46 before taxes, thanks to the box

[Dadio]

That's a cute trick , I'll have to remember that one .

[silvertriple]

That's a cute trick , I'll have to remember that one .

I remember someone showing some parts all together with a sprue on a pictures with all the parts together in a very limited space... But it requires sprue... Here the box ensure you get all the parts in one box, so that's perfect without the need for sprues (as matter of fact, support are not required as the powder is the support in MJF process)...

[silvertriple]

After having prepared some boxes to get into a place where they don't fill project place, time to re-start something. I want to be able to move forward the Marui Hunter / Galaxy project, at least partly before starting something else (and I need to do that, as otherwise, I won't be able to do my next order (the one for Santa, as my domestic dragon won't allow me to get more kits if the current have not progressed enough.

Among the 6 chassis I got, I still have a broken Hunter to finish to unbuild (the transmission is in and intact, and it seems that the front end is also perfect). And there is the Galaxy I received recently which I'll need to unbuild as well. While my wife was doing some stuff at the poney club this afternoon, that was perfect time for me to use the table to do some work.

First I started by unbuilding the last broken Hunter I received. That makes a first set of parts which I'll need to clean.


Next I started to unbuild the Galaxy RS, as I have no idea of the state of the internals of the machine, except it is full of grease...
I started by the roll cage, the super structure and the pilot.The pilot is in bad shape, it will require some work from the doctor...


At the end of the unbuild, while the gearbox was really full of grease, I can say that the chassis is in good state with no structural damage.


I still need a way to remove the battery support, as the screw heads weer damaged.


At the end I got a big state of parts


Only one part beside the pilot is damaged, but I have already the replacement. It is complete, except I have doubts on the screws. The two rear tires are dead, but the front one are in unexpected good state.

I will put all the metal parts to soak in WD40 while I'll use white spirit on the plastic part to clean them.

[silvertriple]

Cleaning work status:



Got a full bin of parts cleaned. I have enough spares for the parts which are actually damaged (there are some, and cracks or defaults are easier to spot once they are clean).

On the Galaxy RS, the main remaining work is about cleaning the Chassis, superstructure and roll cage. I still have to clean the metal parts of the two first Hunters I dismantled. I'll get them in WD40 bath while cleaning the chassis or the roll cage...

[silvertriple]

The printed box of part arrived today...



I just had to open the box to retrieve the parts


My strategy to reduce the cost of my printed parts succeed, and the impression are perfect...


And it goes perfectly with the other printed parts I received from "The Optima House"

[matt1ptkn]

Very clever idea! Glad to hear that it worked out so well!

[silvertriple]

Cleaning operations status: Galaxy RS Chassis, superstructure and roll cage cleaned




Still left to do:
- Galaxy RS shocks cleaning
- wheels (all of them, almost, considering that when I'll need wheels, it is because i'll have progressed a lot
- Motors (again, same reason as for the wheels)

That's very encouraging as I can see the end of cleaning ops soon!

I need to find proper joints for the shocks. I'm considering all of them dead. I need to identify the proper size (maybe Tamiya ones would fit) for inside the shocks and for the Marui Hunter shock closing joint... I will take some measurement later today for this...

[silvertriple]

This morning, I started operations with an almost empty table...


And then I started to put the chassis to organize my sorting activities


And here is the table at the end of the sorting operations...


The whole set of parts which will be mounted on each chassis has been put in the area of the associated chassis. Two of the black chassis will be built with Hunter specs. With each chassis, there is a bin with the specific parts. Screws, spacers, washers and bushings have not been sorted by chassis (one bin for all screws, one bin for the rest)...

At the end of the sorting, the conclusion is that I have almost whatever is needed to build a third chassis : missing a body mount and damper, pivot and links (or two dampers if I mount it on Galaxy specs). I was having the doubt, but I can confirm now...

Few things remain to find :
- a wing for the Galaxy RS and to be perfect another one for the Hunter (I will order thru TBG for this)
- A radio box eventually, although my son would say it's not needed
- 2 drivers and a heard (if I do not succeed to repair the facial trauma of the driver head I got with the Galaxy RS)
- 2 complete bodies (or 3) for Hunter. I will wait TBG to repair the mould for this.
- one set of tires for the third Hunter (I can rely on Tamiya as the Hornet tires seems to correspond. worst case scenario, I'll use rims and drivers as well).

Only thing left is to finish the clean up (still some part requires it) and start the first kit build

[Dadio]

You must live in a very peaceful house to have so many components out loose at one time , my dogs and kids would be drawn to that table like a tornado to a trailer park !

[silvertriple]

You must live in a very peaceful house to have so many components out loose at one time , my dogs and kids would be drawn to that table like a tornado to a trailer park !

Well, I had to make the space for this. This table will get back to the storage once I have stored the kits that don't get build today. Kids are now teenagers, and they have build their own car as well, so they avoid to disturb on this...
And for the cats and dogs: our cats leave outside within the day, as the dogs. Only a kitten would be a risk, but there is enough things to keep him busy at the moment

[Dadio]

You must live in a very peaceful house to have so many components out loose at one time , my dogs and kids would be drawn to that table like a tornado to a trailer park !

Well, I had to make the space for this. This table will get back to the storage once I have stored the kits that don't get build today. Kids are now teenagers, and they have build their own car as well, so they avoid to disturb on this...
And for the cats and dogs: our cats leave outside within the day, as the dogs. Only a kitten would be a risk, but there is enough things to keep him busy at the moment

Hell my kids still at home are 23 , 19 and 14 but i still don't trust them beyond my sight and as for the three dogs , one is a 5 month old Border Collie that bounces off the walls twice a day

[silvertriple]

Hell my kids still at home are 23 , 19 and 14 but i still don't trust them beyond my sight and as for the three dogs , one is a 5 month old Border Collie that bounces off the walls twice a day

5 months old Border collie... I can sense what you mean... We have 2 Swiss white shepherds (11 years old) and a shetland shepherd (5 years old), but 2000 square meters outside in the garden, so it's not really an issue (beside the age) and the two months kitten which is temporarily here doesn't jump on tables yet...

[silvertriple]

Rome never built in one day

Extracted the small parts for one build from the small parts bins...
And started to lay out all the parts on the operation table...


Before starting to build anything, I wanted to check a few things, and already encountered an issue: the idle shaft diameter is 3.05 millimeter, and I can't pass it in the 3 mm diameter bearings. Need to find a proper way to reduce the idle shaft diameter to 3.00 millimeters... Time to think again!
In the meantime, I mounted the rear shocks and the front springs.

[silvertriple]

Build One - some steps and pics...


First it start by the battery retainer under the chassis


Then assemble the front dampers and knucles


Followed by the front suspension assembly


Back to the chassis and lower arms assembly


Front suspension is done...


And bumper mounted


Differential is built and inserted in the chassis. I replaced the oil-less bearings by ball bearings


Rear arms and under gearbox cover put in place...


Installing motor mount and idle gear (put an used idle shaft while the new one needs to be reworked and will be used for another build - the idle gear is mounted on ball bearings)


Motor and pinion in place, gear mesh set with a paper


Had to rework the sequence of operations to get to the next pictures
Gearbox closed and rear bumper mounted


Pivot and links of the rear suspension added


The next step was to add the rear shock and the roll bar. I apparently forgot to take the picture (it was late).
Next was to mount the tires. If you consider mounting a Hornet or Grasshopper rear tire is difficult, it is even more difficult with the Hunter as there is no way to lock the internal sleeve when you try to move it inside. The only solution which ease the mount is to put the tire in hot water before mounting it.


I still need to add rx, servo, esc in the car, but at least it looks like a Hunter now