TOPIC:

The local fablab does open 2 evenings every months, since the beginning of the year for makers, and following the training, i'm able to work almost in full autonomy on the CNC machine and I'm not that far of the same on the Laser cutter.
Today I used the cnc machine. Carved some wood  (no pictures, it's a project for my wife) and cut some fiber glass parts...


Have now the first parts for 2 additional 44B builds : chassis plate in both SWB and LWB versions...

I ran the Zerda 2GT on the Track in Montluçon during the event, and TravelinTravis from rc10talk was there to take a short video -Thanks Travis!

 

The Zerda Pulley was reworked with a CNC made insert in aluminium and the last weak point of my build it removed...


While the approach of the Zerda was mostly empiric with rudimentary tool, now that I have a CNC, I should be able to redo those operations way quicker et more efficiently... And that's good thing as I need to showcase at least the Lancia 44B body (more details in a few weeks), which means I'll have to work out a 44B, and the idea would rather to make my own than to reuse an existing chassis, just because I can

Anyway, for the Zerda, the rudimentary tool approach for the differential optima ready shafts took me a few weeks and I broke a few drill bits... I decided to see how much effort it would take to redo those shaft using proper tooling this time... The plan relies on printed parts to hold a rod, and to do some drill, pocket and contour with the CNC. And yes, it relies on 3 axis probing to define the center of the part as work origin...




And obviously, the quality of the result is way better than my first approach (which means as well it should be slightly more reliable with the grub screws)...


Overall : 
- a 2 hours print in ABS (but I may decide that next time I'll do that in aluminium, because the holder in ABS is one use only as it tend to melt during the work)
- less than one hour work with the CNC
- 4 perfect parts at the end...

The chassis plate is already cut in a 2.5mm G10 sheet, and I'll need to work out the below part used to protect the belt. I thought initially about printing that part, but I may also venture out embossing it using an hydraulic press as there is one at the local fablab... Anyway, another project is starting, and like the Zerda, I hope to be able to do it without any single original part...

Some parts are ready... It is going to be soon time to pull a 44B chassis without any single original parts...


I'm not sure yet if I try to do it the same color as the Zerda or different...