I’m looking to cut weight pockets on my next round of Scout cars. (We build 4 a year) I’m wondering what does the best job and doesn’t cost $$$? I was looking at harbor freight for a drill press and an X-Y table. Or a dremel drill press. What are everyone’s thoughts?
Cutting weight pockets
- Thread starter Pete Buckler
- Start date
There is a good video in the premium section here that shows how to cut out bodies with a router, and how to make the jigs to do it.
Gotta find Bulldog’s video. Cuts a sub 7g body with router on a drill station. It’s a hard one to find though. But it’s a good one.
I used a drill press like bull dog's original video...until my thumb got dragged into the drill bit. I now use a cross sliding vice on top of the drill press table. takes me about an hour per body. A Router and Jig is the fastest and most consistent route for us heathens without a laser or CNC machine. I'll switch to a router soon, but i find it therapeutic to sit down and drill a couple hundred holes 
5Kids uses a drill press and an end mill bit. I still use this method.
https://5kidsracing.webs.com/weightpockettips.htm
https://5kidsracing.webs.com/weightpockettips.htm
I think how you do this depends on the tools you have ...or that you are willing to buy. Each method mentioned can produce a solid car. Some are more repeatable than others. This may or may not be important for your Scout cars. Consistency is more important to the pros as they want to try and make as few changes as possible each time to test with.
Good luck in what ever you decide.
Good luck in what ever you decide.
Just found this little gem from Bulldog that I mentioned earlier. One of my favorites. Using a dremel with routing bit mounted to a dremel workstation. Might not be visible depending on his privacy setting... Hope it is as it is a great way for those that can just get a work station and a dremel or have a drill press. This is a very helpful video. Bulldog has always been so great at sharing and helping us newbs.
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I watched that one and it got me wondering which method is preferred. I understand it depends on what tools are available. I’m just exploring the different options before I commit one way or another. I’m sure I’ll try others too.
There is no consensus on which is the preferred method. It's personal preference, above you got recomendations from a bunch of guys who are really fast. I use a dremel workstations and router bits and have also ran some laser cut bodies. If I had a scroll saw I would also try that. I like the dremel with the workstation and it was pretty cheap. If it's for 4 cars a year than I would honestly base it on what tools I already have and if I can use them for anything else.
Or you could be like me and use it as an excuse to get a CNC router
Agree with Castoro Racing. No one method will produce a BETTER end product from you as it all depends on you and your preference and skill with tools mentioned. Pick one method that fits you best and perfect your ability to use it. In the end it’s all about a body being as light as possible without sacrificing strength so that you are better able to concentrate your weight where it is best utilized for stability and performance.
What Bulldog did was awesome. Sub 7 gram is seriously light and his body is strong.
I had a really helpful league pro laser cut my Awana bodies totally open, no top and I added 1/64 ply over weight pocket. Those suckers were just over 5 grams. Not my skill but the pros. But that allowed me to put all the weight exactly where I wanted it.
I don’t have a laser. Just a drill press. Plan on getting a scroll saw though to just do open ladder bodies. ... someday. Lol
Jimmy
What Bulldog did was awesome. Sub 7 gram is seriously light and his body is strong.
I had a really helpful league pro laser cut my Awana bodies totally open, no top and I added 1/64 ply over weight pocket. Those suckers were just over 5 grams. Not my skill but the pros. But that allowed me to put all the weight exactly where I wanted it.
I don’t have a laser. Just a drill press. Plan on getting a scroll saw though to just do open ladder bodies. ... someday. Lol
Jimmy
If you want to be fast you will need to use tungsten or at worst case lead. Use tungsten cubes and double stick tape them in so you can reuse every year If someone else is using tungsten you will be at a disadvantage. It's also easier to just go all the way through and glue on 1/64 plywood like Jimmy said.
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