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Challenge 3: tips and tricks

PostPosted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 6:17 pm
by noll11
Tip 1: super inexpensive, durable pull-pal.
most inexpensive garage shelving (from ikea, etc) comes with bracing rods for the back, and there is inevitably a piece or two of it left over when the shelves are all set up. This usually just sits around in some forgotten corner, until it's eventually thrown out.

With a bit of effort though, this backing rod can be quite useful. Both ends already have been flattened and have holes in them, making it prefect for a number of uses, including a pull-pal. All you need to do is cut it to the desired length, add a couple of bends ( a 90 degree and a~40 degree), and find some thin flat piece of metal to use as the blase - I ended up cutting up the case of an old broken hard drive. Then, just file the end without holes flat,and either drill a couple of holes into it and stick some small bolts through (I used some leftovers from some 1.55 steelies), or braze the blade you made on.

The result? A completely free, and very strong pull-pall that's guaranteed to last for a long time! Mine has been through multiple comps with no damage other than some missing paint:
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Tip 2: 3D printing!

Think of a part, scale or functional, that you'd like to have on your truck, but don't have the skills or tools for. Got it? Good. Now imagine if I told you that you could in fact make that part, and quite inexpensively too. Sounds great, right? That's whats so awesome about 3d-printing; If you can think of it, it's highly likely that you can print it!

This can range from fuel cells:
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To custom winch mounts:
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and even transfer cases!:
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Even if you don't have a printer of your own, there are many places, both local and online (such as shapeways), that will print your design and ship it to you for a fee. Learning how to create your own model isn't too difficult either, as there are many tutorials out there for a wide variety of programs; both free and paid.