Making a 1 / 7 kraton chassis by hand

[Phamous]

If you can dream it, you can build it.
I'm lacking the cnc, but I've got the brain and the muscles to do it anyway.

 

[SrC]

I admire that. I made a Pan car chassis out of a nice piece of scrapped 7075 years ago. I had minimal tools. No CNC. I can appreciate the hard work you are doing. Yeah it takes firm muscle for precision work done this way.

 

[Steve B in Vegas]

Awesome!

CNC only does what you tell it, and without a very good digital file / programmer, they are just really, really, really expensive space takers. We do almost all our prototyping on manual machines before we head over to one of the CNCs.

DRO's on a mill are a big help, but we all learned on manual dials.

Keep on trucking.

s

 

[Notorious J]

If you can dream it, you can build it.
I'm lacking the cnc, but I've got the brain and the muscles to do it anyway.

The hardest part will be making sure you get the front kick up correct. The amount of angle and the exact placement of the crease, will determine if your steering linkage will sit and work properly. Good on you for giving it a shot. Looking forward to seeing the outcome when you're done.

 

[SrC]

Kickup bending is critcial for sure. It has to be perfect.

 

[Phamous]

The hardest part will be making sure you get the front kick up correct. The amount of angle and the exact placement of the crease, will determine if your steering linkage will sit and work properly. Good on you for giving it a shot. Looking forward to seeing the outcome when you're done.

Yeah I fear that part, but I think I'll have the luck and make it right. I'm optimistic. But thanks for the input!

 

[LibertyMKiii]

I'll add that the hole placement is critical.
Some of mine were not as in place as I thought and had to stretch some holes to get things where they should be...

The countersink cutting on the holes on the bottom of the chassis alone will take hours! Ask me how I know ?

 

[Jimbobjr]

Kick up and side 10degree bends are tough. I broke my almost finished talion chassis I was making...7075 does not like bending.

 

[Phamous]

Kick up and side 10degree bends are tough. I broke my almost finished talion chassis I was making...7075 does not like bending.

Did you heat it up?

 

[Jimbobjr]

No, I used a press at work my die was too sharp. I have a 5mm Kraton 8s at a friends shop for bending, I give up on it for now. It surely can be done but you need proper tools. You can try annealing it but i don’t know how you re harden it.

 

[SrC]

I was going to say that 7075 does need to be heat bended. Its more stiff yet more brittle when you crease it.

 

[Phamous]

So, now that I had weak knees reading your comments. I stopped, and assembled the front first. The steering works fine. And if you see how I bend it, you'll lough at me so hard... I headed it up to 300°c. But it did work XD. Remember that I have a chassis laying here, to make sure every bold will be in its place. I'll have to make dogbones by myself, so even if it has some holes which don't fit, the steering is fine, and the rest shouldn't be a problem. I'm optimistic as I said. You have to, if you start something like this.

 

[Notorious J]

So, now that I had weak knees reading your comments. I stopped, and assembled the front first. The steering works fine. And if you see how I bend it, you'll lough at me so hard... I headed it up to 300°c. But it did work XD. Remember that I have a chassis laying here, to make sure every bold will be in its place. I'll have to make dogbones by myself, so even if it has some holes which don't fit, the steering is fine, and the rest shouldn't be a problem. I'm optimistic as I said. You have to, if you start something like this.

That was pretty ingenious of you, fastening it to the table. Definitely gonna be fun watching how this works out.

 

[Jimbobjr]

I love it man, nice work. Are you going to make the bends length wise? They really stiffen things up.

 

[Phamous]

I'm almost done with it. I'm using the old chassis as a template, to make sure every holes fits. I used the rear dogbone as the front one now, and I cut the front in 2 pieces. I'll press both pieces back together, as soon as I I'm done with the motor mount. I can adjust my dogbone length by will.

 

[Phamous]

That's it for tonight