Nigel R Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 I made one of these - **LINK** It is quite good. Only needs a single sheet of 4' x 2' ply, although extra is needed for the drawers. The one design problem is that the base is only held on by glue joint s. It needs a little reinforcement to hold the base to the upright panels that go up to the handle. But, that isn't very difficult to add. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban8 Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Posted by Nigel R on 12/03/2019 11:41:23: That's a rather neat unit C8. Yes, it was very well designed by the kit manufacturer from interlocking ply and has stood up to 22 years of regular use very well. I think I gave it a couple of coats of yacht varnish for protection and it still looks quite tidy. Not particularly heavy even with the internal SLA 12V battery. BTW, the Dave Brown 'Six Shooter' pump that I mounted on the outside is almost as old as the box and has never needed a moment's attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Re lipo batteries powering the starter, I had problems using 3s, bit of switch spark/weld. It went away when I upped to 4s supply. Cheap direct drive starter, and small geared starter I put it down to the 3s battery drawing more amps, because it hasn't the power to get the revs up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul coleman 1 Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Yes i like it too,it looks rustic,and well made,unlike todays aquivalent which dont. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Anderson Posted March 12, 2019 Author Share Posted March 12, 2019 Posted by paul coleman 1 on 12/03/2019 16:55:27: Yes i like it too,it looks rustic,and well made,unlike todays aquivalent which dont. Totally agree, well made and well thought out. Wish I had the tools and skills to do one like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Anderson Posted March 12, 2019 Author Share Posted March 12, 2019 Posted by cymaz on 12/03/2019 06:44:28: Nigel R, I converted an old starter to 11.7v lipo. Excellent. Edited By cymaz on 12/03/2019 06:48:16 How many milliamps is your battery cymaz? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 That looks like an 1800 3s, but in fairness, any tired or new unit IRO 1500 to 3000 does the job. I favour 4s, same sizes, but not critical. The only difference is , if a regular flyer, do you charge it once a month, or once every 3 months. I do mine to storage charge every couple of months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 I used a fairly tired 3S 2200 mAH LiPo to start my Zenoah 26 with no problems. I know I should be able to start it by hand but I've never managed it A lot lighter than lugging a 12v lead acid around. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 I live in France. The French Government did me 40 hours of physiotherapy to sort my engine starters elbow. It did the job. I have invested a few euros to prevent a repeat. Couldn't lift a mug of tea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Anderson Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share Posted March 17, 2019 I stopped work on my field box and spent a few days thinking about the ideas and suggestions on this thread. Yesterday I was in B&Q and picked up a Stanley plastic toolbox for £10. Today I ordered a 3 cell lipo and a small plastic project case that will be attached to the starter. I will keep and use the 12v SLA battery for a later project, maybe a portable field charger for when I eventually go with electric power. Iv'e also ordered a panel mount AMP meter, a USB rechargeable D battery with holder and a small plastic box to house them. I'll re-use some old speaker binding posts that take banana plugs for the glow clip leads. Thanks to everyone the the feedback, I'll post some pics as the work progresses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Anderson Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share Posted March 17, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Anderson Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share Posted March 17, 2019 1/2 gallon fuel attached. I'll probably downsize to a 1 litre jerry can. Inner tray is a useful 3/4 size A couple of silicone grommets to protect the radio. The lid wouldn't close even with the antenna fully down so came up with this solution. And to keep the lost tray space to a minimum, I used clear silicone to attach a couple of plastic pieces. So far so good I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Looking good Will..... Just a couple of thoughts about the D cell though... how are you going to connect a glow lead to it? Maybe a battery box you can put the cell in & connect to the battery box Will it supply enough current? Typically a glow plug will take 2-3 Amps... The USB connection almost certainly won't handle the 2-3A draw from the glow plug..... A good tip to to put a small cheap ammeter (like this) in series with the plug...that way you know if it's glowing inside the engine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Anderson Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share Posted March 17, 2019 Thanks Steve. Iv'e ordered a battery box for a single D cell, I think I called it a clip. The ammeter looks identical to the one Iv'e ordered. The USB (5 volt) connection is only used to charge the D cell which is rated at 4 Amps / 1.5v. I don't have a dedicated charger for D cells so I thought it's worth a punt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil 9 Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Cuban8's tool box reminded me of the design in the video below that I always thought could be adapted to make a very nice field box Edited By Phil 9 on 17/03/2019 20:14:15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul coleman 1 Posted March 19, 2019 Share Posted March 19, 2019 Excellent will,its all looking made to measure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Anderson Posted March 22, 2019 Author Share Posted March 22, 2019 Thanks Paul. I found a 1ltr can made of HDPE. It's much neater than the 1/2 gallon. My soldering isn't a pretty sight. Thank goodness for heat shrink Glow box finished... And tested... seems to be working ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard. W. Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 I bought one of the commercial flight boxes sold in kit form. Only small but it does the job well enough and is much better than the DIY effort I made many years ago. Weight is the main problem. Admittedly a medical condition means I can't carry too much these days but luckily our field's parking is next to the pits. Even so, with a 12v gel cell battery, fuel, starter and the various tools, spares and other bits most of us cart along just in case, I still know I'm lifting it out of the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 Posted by Will Anderson on 12/03/2019 19:03:53: Posted by cymaz on 12/03/2019 06:44:28: Nigel R, I converted an old starter to 11.7v lipo. Excellent. Edited By cymaz on 12/03/2019 06:48:16 How many milliamps is your battery cymaz? Sorry for the late reply....it’s a 3300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J D 8 Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 Nothing fancy with mine, just a 2200 lipo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Anderson Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 Here's mine, finished it today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 Old thread, I know, but, I've just tie wrapped an old, puffy, 3S 2200 to my starter - magic. The fuel pump has its own, similarly puffy, lipo. I'm simply carrying two glow sticks to get the plugs lit now. Which means the bulky 12V gel cell is consigned to history. Next change - remove the glow panel entirely, and convert that end bit to a TX store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Walby Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 Hi, A personal cautionary experience as I used to use a puffy lipo on my starter. Used it for weeks and weeks and then it seemed a bit dull, checked it and popped it on charge in the clubhouse as I was the only one there. Nice day so the clubhouse door was open and after a couple more flights I returned back to make tea and check the lipo. Odd smell and a very very puffy lipo that had vented one cell on the table. Disconnected and moved to the non combustible concrete outside for disposal. Too things Be very careful charging puffy lipos even if they are no longer used for models Best not to leave your lipo in the starter if you store it in your flight box or near the fuel for obvious reasons Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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