STEPHEN
executive editor

YOU NEED AN ELECTRIC SCREWDRIVER Mar 16, 2009 - 02:46 PM

I’m not sure how I ever lived without my electric screwdrivers.  I own 4 of them.  Seriously.  True, I probably build more kits in 1 year than most RC’ers do in a lifetime, but I can’t imagine racing or wrenching on my RC fleet without my electric screwdriver.

My favorite (as of now) is the Hitachi unit, pictured here:

Not only does this driver feature lithium-ion battery technology, an adjustable clutch, and 2 speeds…it also has a trick little light you can turn on when working in dark conditions.

And what good is an electric screwdriver without the correct tips?  My current favorites are these from EDS Tools, a supplier of fully customizable and personalized tool sets:

I know that a $75 electric screwdriver and a $25 set of hex-bit tips may seem expensive to the average RC guy at first.  I thought the same thing…until I took the leap, and bought them.  Now I own 2 Hitachi drivers (one for my work bench at home, one for my trackside tool bag) and 2 Milwaukee screwdrivers for home use.  Once you try ‘em you’ll never build a car the same way again.

There’s no replacement for standard hand tools when it comes to delicate or quick repairs…but for long wrenching/maintenance/rebuild sessions, an RC’er without an electric screwdriver is like a soldier with no gun.  Come prepared!

THE MASAMI OF MARIO KART Mar 12, 2009 - 03:20 PM

Epic, epic failure…but not by me.  Let’s just say that our office had a FULL night of Mario Karting, and only one of us walked away winner…of every 4-race circuit we raced.  Oh yeah! 

I’M A MAID. Mar 04, 2009 - 12:37 PM

Ok…not so much a maid, but my job does involve cleaning up huge messes.  Usually messes that I’ve made myself.  Take this Losi Eight-T 2.0 radio tray for example.

There’s an art to sparkles radio trays and keeping the wires routed cleanly and safely.  This art involves a lot of mumbling, frustration and patience.  Fortunately, the end result looks like this:

To see this radio tray in action, check back in a bit for our full Losi Eight-T 2.0 review.
BTW, that little “MRT” black box is a personal transponder.  For more information, email me:  (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

CUSTOM FIT TRIGGER Feb 23, 2009 - 03:01 PM

I got a new Spektrum DX3R last week, and after wrapping it up with Upgrade R/C’s completely bad-to-the-bone “Fresh Ink” transmitter wrap, I noticed something.  Even my gigantic trigger finger felt a little too free inside the DX3R’s trigger.  I decided to tighten up the trigger, and here’s what I did:

* Take 1 Bic lighter
* Turn the transmitter upside down (it’s shown right-side up in the photo below only because I wanted you to see the trick Upgrade wrap)
* Light the lighter, hold it underneath the trigger to heat it w/the flame
* Stop heating when the trigger gets hot, and then squeeze the trigger to the desired size, and blow cool air onto it to cool it down.
* Pick up the transmitter, try the trigger, and re-do if the trigger is either too tight or too loose.

I now have a custom-fit DX3R transmitter trigger that fits my throttle finger perfectly.  All it takes is a few minutes and a lighter.  Just be careful and don’t over-do the trigger heating; the plastic can slowly burn and lightly catch fire…not that I found out for myself, or anything like that…umm.

IT’S STILL RAINING…BUT THE BLACK BULL ARRIVED. Feb 17, 2009 - 12:13 PM

What better way to brighten a gloomy Tuesday than to receive Novarossi’s latest and greatest .21 buggy/truggy engine—the “Toro Nero.”  Translating to “Black Bull,” the Toro Nero was shown last week at the Nuremburg Toy Fair in Germany.  And while the other mags may have photos from Nuremburg, we have the actual engine from the show—-and we’ll test it as soon as this stinkin’ rain goes away.

The “x-ray” style photo is just a teaser; stay tuned for detailed photos and a full write-up.  Until then, I’ll continue playing with my iMac’s Photo Booth photo software to create stylish yet informative photos.  And yes, that *IS* Yoda in the left corner of the photo above.

Next up…a Worhol-esque Toro Nero art print.  Limited edition, of course.