RC car with a wooden chassis - ever done, could be done?

[colmo]

As often is the case, I was brainstorming late last night on MSN, and I jokingly suggested taking a leaf out of the Morgan car company example and equipping an RC car with a wooden chassis.

Then I started to think how it really could be done - what thickness, what type of wood, what quality. It would be heavier than carbon fibre, certainly, but there's no reason it couldn't be as strong as glass fibre composites (which are, after all, a man-made copy of wood - nature should sue for copyright theft...).

My reason for even thinking of it was this: "Imagine the face of the racer you've just beaten with a car made of wood..."

And if it does break (as it likely would), you can lament "My car wooden go..."

[jono83]

is this a wind up??

[colmo]

Originally Posted by jono83

is this a wind up??

If it was, I'd have claimed to already have done it...

It's a thought experiment - until somebody DOES try it...

[jono83]

well good look to you my mum has an old coffee table for sale if ya interested !!

[GRIFF55]

piece of an oak floorboard, or an old skateboard deck?

[colmo]

Originally Posted by GRIFF55

piece of an oak floorboard, or an old skateboard deck?

Oak would be too heavy and rigid - the same goes for that coffee table, if it's a mahogany one! I'm thinking ash:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/239718/

Like all Morgan’s sports cars, the new Aeromax SuperSports features English ash in its construction; the wood forms the basis of the car’s body frame onto which its aluminium panels are mounted.“Ash gives us a unique combination of strength and flexibility,” explains marketing director Matthew Parkin, “and it’s also extremely light, which is why the car only weighs 1100kg, and has such impressive performance.”

[colmo]

Originally Posted by GRIFF55

piece of an oak floorboard, or an old skateboard deck?

The skateboard idea has merit - http://www.sk8factory.com/skateboard_manufacturing.html or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skateboard#Deck - it uses thin plys of maple glued and press moulded. You could make a wooden tub chassis that way!

[kwik]

strangly, i had the same thought....

i was thinking more of a strait line speed rc.

using balsa wood chassis and bod, using aeroplane wheels and a brushless ducted fan.... you see where im going?

could make it a three wheeler with a rudder at the back and i think it wil work.

please try it as its in my head lol

[qatmix]

there was a really old RC car that had a wooden chassis. I keep wanting to say it was a Mardave, but I'm sure it wasnt. It had a really strange shell like a World stock car that had mated with a bubble car. I remember seeing it when I was a nipper in the late 70's / early 80's.

I say go for it.

[colmo]

Originally Posted by qatmix

there was a really old RC car that had a wooden chassis. I keep wanting to say it was a Mardave, but I'm sure it wasnt. It had a really strange shell like a World stock car that had mated with a bubble car. I remember seeing it when I was a nipper in the late 70's / early 80's.

I say go for it.

Alas, I don't have the resources to try this myself right now (I barely have one normally working car to my name). Doesn't mean I won't give it a go in the future, though

Keeping on-topic...what class of car would work (or should I saw wood-work)?

2wd buggy seems like the easiest route - all it needs is an old buggy with a broken chassis.

[Colinevan]

But it WOODn't work...

Hmmmm I'll get my coat.

Col.

[JJ The Boat Wizzard]

Originally Posted by Colinevan

But it WOODn't work...

Hmmmm I'll get my coat.

Col.

LOL

[colmo]

Originally Posted by Colinevan

But it WOODn't work...

Hmmmm I'll get my coat.

Col.

The oldies are the goodies...

Originally Posted by colmo

And if it does break (as it likely would), you can lament "My car wooden go..."

[Alfonzo]

Way back in the day my mate made a wooden 'long wheel base' chassis for his Mardave Meteor. Worked ok, until he drilled a load of lightening holes in it..

[purpletimbo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIDo7j6Q7Kg

[colmo]

Originally Posted by purpletimbo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIDo7j6Q7Kg

Nice one - I note he used a wooden frame instead of a solid layer (or multiple ply layer) as I had envisaged.

I wonder how it would work if scaled up to 1/10th - I'd imagine the weight would increase exponentially as the scale increases linearly to maintain equivalent strength.