Guns & Outdoors Forum

Decided I needed ONE more hobby so I started dabbling in RC stuff. Got a nice drone to follow my Gladiator around in the desert and go to places I can't so every afternoon I'm spending a little time getting the flight and camera controls solid. of course it's Chinese made and it just ROCKS!!! 4k camera and incredible flight characteristics and controls.

AND then I decided I needed a little Jeep Gladiator that I could rock-crawl around my backyard with when I can't take the time to really go off-road... There is a section of my new backyard that I didn't know what we'd be doing with. My wife said she does not want to encourage my madness but after seeing the wheels and the freaking real oil dampened shock absorbers she said we might just build a miniature Moab and she'll get her own rack crawler so we can both play!!!

The truck will be here tomorrow but I already got upgraded tires and wheels som other parts and DAMN!!!!!

Anyway the freaking Chinese have figured out a way to PRECISION machine these damn parts in bulk and still only charge under $20 for these wheels!!! The tires are AWESOME, soft and stupid sticky. I threw in a .38 spl cartridge in the pictures (all I had handy on my desk) for size in perspective. But these wheels are TINY and beautifully machined and flawlessly anodized!!! I have to put the screws in place with freaking tweezers but they lock like bank vaults, and the damn things are actual bead locking wheels!!! Hell I don't have those in my real Jeep!

Yep, these bastards deserve to take over the world

That’s actually a very simple part to make. If…you have the right machine. Bar fed Y axis lathe. Load in the bars of material, it moves it into the chuck and goes to town. 100% automated, save for loading the bars and hitting go. They are quite literally a money printing machine.

Pretty cool, and you'll find out fast just how much you can dump i to them with upgrades and all kinds of other mods. My buddy had a Clod Buster which is/was a giant 4x4 RC monster truck that he sunk thousands into. He ended up with all steel axles, differentials, frame components, etc... The tires were so big that it would float on water. He eventually had it geared so low that it would pull his wifes Honda Civic if you weighted it down enough for traction.

The park behind me has an RC airplane section and its amazing to see how much those guys have wrapped up into their hobby. Sundays sound like there's WWI dog fights going on back there

One example of a pretty complex part.

https://youtube.com/shorts/9sslDAXjH3M? ... Pa8F_cGezo

Here’s a really close example of your wheels. That’s a twin spindle machine. The sub spindle picks the part from the main so that they can machine the back side. Other than the 12 year old girl manually loading the stock.

https://youtube.com/shorts/KLyeVwYHLdA? ... grr1d0Tz0z

Better video of a bar being fed and transferred to the sub spindle.

https://youtu.be/PWcMBKgLgPQ?si=dzUWrbvL5DZ3OCBq


That’s how muzzle brakes are made. (Efficiently)

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 06, 2026 4:06 am That’s actually a very simple part to make. If…you have the right machine. Bar fed Y axis lathe. Load in the bars of material, it moves it into the chuck and goes to town. 100% automated, save for loading the bars and hitting go. They are quite literally a money printing machine.

Which part? The wheels or the screws which BTW use a tiny 1/4” T bit that looks like a freaking needle. And tapping the holes on the wheels without stripping those thin little threads can’t be easy. I’m sure as you say with the right machines. But damn…

Very cool videos! Thanks. So how do they make those tiny ass screws? And why can’t we do this in the USA?!?!?

Small screws? Easy.

https://youtube.com/shorts/1gXasv7n2Bo? ... 3iI9Zcg4Xc


That’s what’s referred to as a Swiss lathe, invented for producing watch parts en masse. Example a watch stem. You could never turn down a stem with it chucked what people imagine. The material would bend out of the way of the tool. So rather than poking stock out of the chuck and a tool cutting it, the tool is stationary and the stock is fed into it. That way it’s supported with the full diameter of the stock for the entire cut.

Your screws were most likely rolled and the heads stamped. But they do mill the heads out on Torx heads. I know a guy who does it in titanium for pens he makes because he wasn’t satisfied with store bought. I told him he was insane. .020” end mills are used to cut them.

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Fri Mar 06, 2026 4:07 am Pretty cool, and you'll find out fast just how much you can dump i to them with upgrades and all kinds of other mods. My buddy had a Clod Buster which is/was a giant 4x4 RC monster truck that he sunk thousands into. He ended up with all steel axles, differentials, frame components, etc... The tires were so big that it would float on water. He eventually had it geared so low that it would pull his wifes Honda Civic if you weighted it down enough for traction.

The park behind me has an RC airplane section and its amazing to see how much those guys have wrapped up into their hobby. Sundays sound like there's WWI dog fights going on back there

Yeah I’m just scratching the surface and it’s already pretty addictive. I’m starting small with a 1/24 rock crawler and see where this takes me. Airplanes are an itch I’d love to scratch. Since I found out you can buy actual turbines the idea of an F15 RC Jet is burning a hole in my brain

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 06, 2026 4:58 am Small screws? Easy.

https://youtube.com/shorts/1gXasv7n2Bo? ... 3iI9Zcg4Xc


That’s what’s referred to as a Swiss lathe, invented for producing watch parts en masse. Example a watch stem. You could never turn down a stem with it chucked what people imagine. The material would bend out of the way of the tool. So rather than poking stock out of the chuck and a tool cutting it, the tool is stationary and the stock is fed into it. That way it’s supported with the full diameter of the stock for the entire cut.

Your screws were most likely rolled and the heads stamped. But they do mill the heads out on Torx heads. I know a guy who does it in titanium for pens he makes because he wasn’t satisfied with store bought. I told him he was insane. .020” end mills are used to cut them.

That’s amazing! Thanks for the videos. They are cool!!!

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Fri Mar 06, 2026 4:53 am Very cool videos! Thanks. So how do they make those tiny ass screws? And why can’t we do this in the USA?!?!?

Because labor is cheaper tariffs, taxes, etc etc. I know guys with shops who can’t buy MATERIAL for what the Chinese can sell a complete part for.
I know a guy in California with a shop. Makes fancy parts for semi conductor production. In 20 years he’s raised his price ONCE. A measly 4%. His customer threw a fit. He hit them up again with another 4% increase request. “You’ve been making these parts 20 years, so therefore you’ve learned how to make them faster. We actually think you need to give us a discount. “

True story.

Better example of garden variety screw production. The footwear in the video gives clues as to the location of the factory.
Chopped to length, headed, threads rolled. On a machine chock full of “technology” from before WW1. Yet still the fastest way to make screws. Even high strength fancy pants bolts for racing applications are made the same way. Just on newer versions of those machines. But the principle is the same. And the local to me shop that makes the fancy bolts has their employees wear steel toe shoes and safety glasses.


https://youtube.com/shorts/vEPxR7zLwLs? ... BxaBOCjFep

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 06, 2026 5:02 am

Wambli Ska wrote: ↑Fri Mar 06, 2026 4:53 am Very cool videos! Thanks. So how do they make those tiny ass screws? And why can’t we do this in the USA?!?!?

Because labor is cheaper tariffs, taxes, etc etc. I know guys with shops who can’t buy MATERIAL for what the Chinese can sell a complete part for.
I know a guy in California with a shop. Makes fancy parts for semi conductor production. In 20 years he’s raised his price ONCE. A measly 4%. His customer threw a fit. He hit them up again with another 4% increase request. “You’ve been making these parts 20 years, so therefore you’ve learned how to make them faster. We actually think you need to give us a discount. “

True story.

This reminds me of something I've been hit with twice. 2 separate customers, years apart, both with shotguns. Dropped off for repair. Told to fix it and didn't ask for price. Both occasions they were unobtainium parts so I made them from scratch. As you know firsthand, smaller parts, especially odd shaped are hard to fixture and take longer to make.

I make the parts and assemble. Test fire and its fixed. Customers come to get guns and get bill and then I hear it.

"This gun isnt even worth that much money. How are you going to charge me x amount?"

Both were told the same thing.and presented as a question. "Whether or not your gun costs $5 or $5000 dollars, how does that change the fact that I stood at that lathe and mill for hours and made those parts from scratch?"

First guy paid and left angry. I actually got an apology from the second guy. People tend to talk before using their brain, especially when money is involved.

My example is of a pimple faced engineer/buyer with no grasp on the real world, only “YOU MUST SAVE MONEY FOR THE COMPANY.”

Which I get, but. Not accepting price increases and demanding discounts? NAW.



And yeah. Small parts suuuuuuck. There’s a VERY niche market for small CNC parts, especially medical devices. Which have their own stupid hurdles. But those who choose to jump them, make some decent money.

Why is Wambli's bleached skeleton going to be found in the desert 50 years from now?

Because his little RC Jeep Gladiator is going to convince him that his REAL Jeep Gladiator is a lot more capable than it really is.

Bigslug wrote: ↑Fri Mar 06, 2026 2:22 pm Why is Wambli's bleached skeleton going to be found in the desert 50 years from now?

Because his little RC Jeep Gladiator is going to convince him that his REAL Jeep Gladiator is a lot more capable than it really is.

Oh I know my personal limitations, which are way bigger than my trucks. And I’m ready for just about anything that happens off-road. Never going to be one of the tourists that die here in the summer because they took their rental 4WD SUV into the desert with a gas station convenience store Coke in the beverage holder.

RC jets are a GREAT way to blow REAL money REAL fast.

I do enjoy my RC plane, been a bit since it’s flown. Made from dollar store foam board. The entire fuselage costs like $2.50. Free plans online for many foam board planes. All you need is a printer to print the plans, razor knife and hot glue. They range from beginner to pretty decent performance levels. Of course there’s plenty of store bought options. It’s not 30 years ago, now you can get flying quick and easy. Most beginner type planes have an “oh poop” button. As long as you’re flying one mistake high, you hit the button and the plane rights itself.

Yeah I’m happy with the “oh crap” button on my drone that says owner F’d up, return to home NOW

You asked about tapping the holes?

https://youtube.com/shorts/c3o9gTxNoIE? ... O6ohGPwKDV



Power tapping is terrifying to me. But, it works.

You asked about tapping the holes?

https://youtube.com/shorts/c3o9gTxNoIE? ... O6ohGPwKDV



Power tapping is terrifying to me. But, it works.

Wow, cool videos, Thanks! I had no idea how fast all this stuff can be done by machines nowadays.

There’s a Brother Speedio in action. Same Brother that makes printers. They needed a faster machine to make printers, so they built one. Now they sell them. That’s a decently complex part. But done in 5 minutes. If you’ve not been around machines, you don’t realize how fast that tool change is. But it’s the comparison between a 10 year old drawing from a holster, and Jerry Miculek.

https://youtu.be/I9u6_qO2fok?si=7okqHnQzzkemsJYt

You really want to go crazy on the RC stuff? Check this out:

https://youtu.be/hCXBVItjwvA?si=15t60y_SXgCZEqNq

First upgrade shocks and tires. I need new eyes!!! Current garage: Jeep Gladiator and a Toyota Taco
Pre-upgrade SCX24s, nice base RC trucks that are fun out of the box and have loads of aftermarket parts so you can build them into whatever you like