Tinkercad

[GT40 Racer (DM)]

After many failed attempts to get my head around 3D programs like freecad and blender I decided to try Tinkercad. I watched a few videos and started playing and I must say that it is quite easy to learn and seems like it will do pretty much what I need for now.

Whilst not perfect I made this with an hour or so of playing around. (I don't really know how long I was working at it because I was having that much fun I just got completely engrossed in it.)

Anyone else out there using it that wants to share tips or designs or slot products I would appreciate any ideas assistance or files.
My next challenge is to work out how to import and then edit a file (I know how to import) just haven't discovered how much editing I can do.

cheers
David

The best tip I have learnt so far is make a copy of an object before you start modifying it - that way if you much it up it is easy to start a fresh with your copy. I do know about undo but I think sometimes starting a fresh is better,

[ccobra]

A little warning about the 3d when you first get into it, don't stand up and start walking . This is especially true if you place yourself into the screen with the part for 3-4 hours at a time. After awhile you'll get used to it and it won't be a problem. Another issue is when you are driving you won't see dead people but you'll see cars in a different perspective like 'I could model that up this or that way'. Have fun for now you'll be hooked.

[PetesLightKits]

In my experience, and with the kinds of things I make, I have found that starting with a large solid and making holes in it works for me. Just like sculpting something out of a solid piece of stone or wood.

Peter

[mattb]

David, that looks good. I think you are on to something.

[chappyman66]

David.....good work. Anything you import you can edit. I edited the chassis on Thingiverse for the SRC Porsche to make the "three piece" chassis.

The beauty of CAD is you don't need the nuts/bolts to hold the right wheelbase....you just set it and print it, and you are done. Easy peasy.

And yes, as Pete said.....I had to learn to think backwards and understand that a "hole" is sometimes how you make the shape that you want. It was an evolution of understanding, for me (not having worked with CAD before). And yes....the hours fly away when you are working on something....turning a P68 into a HonkerII is just one example.

[Kevan]

Once you get up to fast walking pace you'll just want more and more, I'm finding I'm spending 10 times longer on my 3D and CAD work than on my slot cars which is something I wouldn't have thought would happen only 2 months ago when I'd recently been furloughed and just put my printer together that had sat in it's box since January.

I had done a lot of 2D CAD in my Engineering days and I do find not much of that is any use now unless I'm using the sketch module. When I first started using Fusion 360 I was sketching loads...roll forwards 2 months and the only time I use sketch now is for creating splines to cut complex curves.

[mopargreg]

Looks great David

[slothead]

A few questions for anyone on this thread. How do you set the height of the rear axle hole so the axle will align with the motor shaft? Same for the front axle so the guide will sit deep in the slot with the front tires resting lightly on the track?

These are problems I've had when I built chassis out of styrene or whatever for model bodies. But, at least then I could put the axle with wheels and tires in a tube and glue it in place at the right height, then cut away the part of the tube I didn't want. What's the 3D printing solution?

[chappyman66]

Slothead sez:
How do you set the height of the rear axle hole so the axle will align with the motor shaft? Same for the front axle so the guide will sit deep in the slot with the front tires resting lightly on the track?

For the front axle, you build it like an HRS front end...tall axle blocks with slots for the axle and holes for set screws above and below to set ride height. If the guide tongue is in the wrong position, move it forward or back or up as needed.

For the rear axle holes, I use holes that allow adjustment of the bushings before being glued in place. If you make up a "block" that is the size of a motor, you can place that in the chassis location and zoom in to see the height of the axle and motor shaft. If it's a little off, I don't sweat it. I also use pods, so those tend to self-align.

[slothead]

Thanks for the feedback. For my builds I made a jig, but it was out of wood and was only sort of reliable. I'd notch out a U shaped channel in the chassis rails for the axle tube to sit in then adjust it up & down till I got the alignment with the motor shaft set (close) then I'd secure it in place with JB Weld or something similar. I used a standard design and wheelbase for all my oval modified cars that worked out pretty well. I actually may try 3D printing at some point and redo the poor performers.

[GT40 Racer (DM)]

A few questions for anyone on this thread. How do you set the height of the rear axle hole so the axle will align with the motor shaft? Same for the front axle so the guide will sit deep in the slot with the front tires resting lightly on the track?

These are problems I've had when I built chassis out of styrene or whatever for model bodies. But, at least then I could put the axle with wheels and tires in a tube and glue it in place at the right height, then cut away the part of the tube I didn't want. What's the 3D printing solution?

This is a question I have wrestled with as well and in many regards now that I think about it has been the main block to me making my own chassis. I see the metal chassis like Plafit which have adjustable heights and others like H&R that are fixed height and I have tried to work out what height to use and how it aligns. I have struggled with thinking about the relationship between the size of the rear wheels to the axle point - eg a 20mm wheel has a 10mm centre which means the axle mount needs to be at 8.5mm to create 1.5mm chassis clearance. But then if the axle is at 8.5mm does the motor line up. I have decided to measure up some chassis and see what I can work out.

I have thought about for the front axle making a capsule rather than a circle and then using sets screws (or glue) to set the height of the axle. also thought to just make a slot and glue a brass tube at the required height. (Just have to work out how to make a capsule shape in Tinkercad now.)

I also need to explore how to make my own objects - things like the capsule or the guide tongue or a motor bracket etc. Maybe I need to explore pods for the rear mount. Lots of exciting stuff.

Please keep sharing tips and pics of your designs.

cheers
David

[GT40 Racer (DM)]

David.....good work. Anything you import you can edit. I edited the chassis on Thingiverse for the SRC Porsche to make the "three piece" chassis.
The beauty of CAD is you don't need the nuts/bolts to hold the right wheelbase....you just set it and print it, and you are done. Easy peasy.
And yes, as Pete said.....I had to learn to think backwards and understand that a "hole" is sometimes how you make the shape that you want. It was an evolution of understanding, for me (not having worked with CAD before). And yes....the hours fly away when you are working on something....turning a P68 into a HonkerII is just one example.

Can you post a screen shot of what you have done please with editing the SRC chassis. I haven't spent a lot of time yet but have managed to import an STL file but haven't worked out how to change it.

I hadn't thought about making chassis wheelbase to suit and printing it. I was looking at adjustable chassis because I have a range of cars I want chassis for. I may still make a chassis but I am thinking of making a mounting system that I have seen others use that uses piano wire to set the wheelbase rather than overlapping like my photo above.
Yes the whole making the shape was a break through for me as well. Once I saw that things started to make more sense to me.

DM

[PetesLightKits]

A few questions for anyone on this thread. How do you set the height of the rear axle hole so the axle will align with the motor shaft? Same for the front axle so the guide will sit deep in the slot with the front tires resting lightly on the track?

These are problems I've had when I built chassis out of styrene or whatever for model bodies. But, at least then I could put the axle with wheels and tires in a tube and glue it in place at the right height, then cut away the part of the tube I didn't want. What's the 3D printing solution?

Rear end... measure an existing motor pod and duplicate that in TinkerCAD.

Front end... make the axle blocks adjustable using m2 set screws...

[slothead]

This is a good solution for setting the front axle ride height - didn't know you could 3D print the level of detail needed for that. Combine this with a motor pod sized for the intended motor and all should be well.

[ccobra]

Not sure how its done in Tinkercad, but in Inventor after doing the motor mount, I run an axis through the motor mount. Then after starting a new sketch I project that geometry so that I can reference that geometry to the axle mount. In AutoCAD I do the same thing but the projection is done a differently by doing a line centered on the motor mount hole rearward 0.514 inches to the centerline of the rear axle hole. To get the front I go online and jot down the vehicle specs into excel, then take those numbers and divide by 32. That new number gives me the axle spacing. Only catch is that when I print out the body, I check the OAL (Over All Length) to the spec I have placed into the excel to ensure my chassis will fit. It may take a little extra time but its worth it and the gear mesh is smooth and quiet. I do the same thing for sidewinders but change the measurements. The measurements I use are for slotit gears since that is what I mostly used.

[chappyman66]

For the adjustable wheelbase:
This is the original chassis


After I used TinkerCAD to cut it into three pieces:



The rear gray section is set up for a SW pod. The front green section has the axle carriers and guide tongue, although that can also be moved in/out as needed and I often cut off those front mounting posts.
The pink section is made wider or narrower depending on wheelbase of the particular car. As long as you only change the width of the pink piece, you don't mess up any of the other dimensions for the pod or axle carriers. Sometimes wheelbase is short enough that you don't even need the pink piece (the Ferrari 712 is like that). There are all three pod types (SW, AW, IL) on TinkerCAD, so drop the pod in the right spot and then align the rear/center/front sections with slight overlaps so there are no gaps in your print.


I use a rectangular block of the right length for my wheelbase and set the rear of the block in the middle of the bearing holders in the pod, and the front on the middle of the front axle carriers, adjust until I am happy. Make sure everything is aligned and overlapped. Then I export the chassis parts as a single model and print.

This is how I have done the chassis for all of my printed CanAm cars. Drop in a Slot.It or D3D pod with good running gear (Slot.It, Avant, NSR, et) and you have a great running car.

I use a slightly different chassis for the Strombecker bodies, because they are so narrow.....but the principles involved are the same.

[GT40 Racer (DM)]

Have found an STL file of that chassis and imported it into Tinkercad but I can't ungroup it. EDIT: = ok I found it on your thingiverse page

I had another chassis I think it was for a Spirit Peugeot 205. I could ungroup it and separate the parts.

cheers
David