My latest project was reading this thread. I have lost lots of brain cells and my conclusion is that some of my fellow hobbyists are jerks.

IMO anything one's building on their own is a project. It could be something as simple as the off-road NTC3 I'm working on, where the mods amount to taller springs, removing the droop screws, fitting a high-torque engine, re-gearing it, and fitting rally tires. Or it can be something as badass as bottlefed's 100% scratch built sand rail. Both are valid as a project unless you're the type of snob that turns people away from the custom side of the hobby...


On a somewhat related note, the only thing keeping me from fitting some gear diffs in that TC3 is tooling and experience. I'm sure if I had the right experience and tooling I could easily make some new diff cases that would let me take the all steel 3-gear diffs from my CEN and plop 'em right in.
I would say that's more along the lines of a necessity. That thing has too much power for 2WD IMO. Traxxas named it quite well, as it is a very good representation of the behavior of a JATO rocket

i have only been in this hobby less than 2 years, so i havent seen the "projects" he is talking about. BUT i think i understand what he is saying. i have some ideas they might not be projects, so ill be careful to not call them projects. thats what i like about this site, its not a sand box for kids. i only go to two sites, this is one.

I know what he's talking about. I've seen folks at the hobby shop doing just what he said. I've spent years making my e-maxx go as fast as possible. I can barely call it an E-maxx anymore. I desided years ago to switch my classic maxx to the new long chassis. When i did that i installed a savage three speed in it. Eventually i got bored with the three speed and installed the origonal tranny into the new chassis so i could have the two speed manual. Even that wasn't a clean drop in but it was more of a project than some of the others i've seen. Even in the scale catagory i've spent hours making my TC4 into a scale General Lee even down to the dashboard and the lines on the seats.Projects have to be something that very few people have and something you can impress people with.

Too funny. Being a carpenter I have experienced what people call "projects". What I call a project is an addition, finished basement, entertainment center, or new cabinets, etc. I have had people demand I come over to see their new project and it's a hack looking shelf without even routered edges. I agree that bolting on a store bought product is barely a project, but project is a relative term. Try not to snip ones low end project as it will take their confidence to take on more "project" worthy tasks later. I'm new to RC's and consider the blitz I got a project. I'm not fabricating things for it but trying to figure out just what was done to this thing so I can undo it with minimal knowledge is fairly self rewarding. I also vacuum formed a body for it, but I'd barely call that a project since I'm really just cloning a body that was store bought. The experience of putting the aparatus together and having a positive outcome is killer. Maybe later I'll whittle a balsa block to make my own body but getting to the point of fabrication comes in baby steps. Especially if you don't have the needed machinery to give you quality better or equal to what is on the shelf.<div> Great video by the way, definitely makes one want to get outside the box (or shelf)</div>

it bugs me when people say the dont have the tools to make their own parts. the simple fact is that you dont need a cnc machine, plasma cutter, tig welder and all this really expensive equipment to make your own parts. its likely not the tools you lack, its the creativity. i can give you very simple designs for shock towers that only require a drill with bits, a pair of metal shears (aka tin snips) and a file to smooth the edges. i am presently designing a custom chassis with suspension that can be made with a drill, vise (even vise grips will work) an angle grinder (most of us have a dremel which will work just as well, albeit slower), misc. hardware and ~$30 worth of steel strip (1/8"x1/2" and 1/8"x3/4"). i am not using any expensive cad program either, i am using the free version of google scetchup 8.

i lost the picture but i made a 3 wheeled electric car, i used a rear end from a pan car, the chassis from a bolink car, a peice of carbon fiber to make the front beam, a servo from a helie and a front hub from a evader.

that thing was so stupid! it was fast though as it had a 8turn, 4 mag, V brush (parts from 3 motors)

Making a chassis is one thing. I could do that with my Dremel. Probably will eventually, I want to make a nitro RC that's got a front mounted engine that's centered left-to-right. Making diff cases? Not quite so sure about that. If the holes don't line up just right, if the halves don't seal, then it all goes bonkers.

I guess that's why some people choose to use the phrase custom built or homemade instead of project.

the point is not the definition of the word PROJECT

cleaning the bathroom is a project

the issue he's taking is the people who consider putting new A-arms on their RC in the same realm of people who custom build something

regardless of if it's a project or not, there's tons of newbies who get really impressed with themselves because they put an RPM bumper on their rustler

putting an rpm bumper on your rustler is not as impressive as putting a rotating water cannon turret on your rustler.

newbies are good for the hobby, but they tend to be impressed with stuff that the rest of us take as normal

Yeah that's why i said "SOME PEOPLE"
So that there can be a real distinction between their custom builds vs the project builds. When i hear custom I instantly think one of a kind period. The word or term project is used very loosely as you stated "cleaning the bathroom can be a project". What most of the noobs probably mean to or need to say is my hopped up or upgraded or even modified.These terms i think would fit the bill. Now if a noob said my project is to upgrade my TMAXX.Then will they be wrong and the upgrading process not be considered a project. Project basically means taking on a task.