I might not have researched this sufficiently enough before jumping into ordering my Batch 4 motor. I received it as a kit and now I am looking at a pile of stuff but without any schematics or even just a list of items to check off to see if everything is there that I need.
What resources do you guys use to put this together?
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I had similar question and was directed to the video linked below. It’s for a previous kit but most of it is the same. I figured out most of what’s different but some stuff is not covered at all. I’m not through building as I’m missing some key parts thanks to stupid USPS. But here’s some differences and such that I have seen so far:
- 3D printed piece for tubing connection in the legs is split into 2 pieces (lengthwise) per leg instead of the one piece per leg the video shows
** I found out the hard way that it matters which way you install these. One side is slightly more narrow than the other and that’s because there is a standoff that goes next to it and if you put it backwards then the standoff kind of blocks it. You will see what I mean when you are doing that part. - Similarly, the 3D parts for the motor arms are split into 3 pieces instead of one (sectionally instead of lengthwise). These are the pieces that are 4 big + 8 small connected together from the 3D print process.
** You put a 45mm standoff in each hole in the big piece and put that big piece in between the carbon pieces, then use fairly long (apx 20mm) bolt to connect through small piece, through carbon, into standoff inside big piece, and do that on each side of the big piece.
** Be careful, I think these small pieces are supposed to have the thinner wall as the outer most facing so that they align better with the tubing - There is a big standoff for each motor that is clearly for the prop, but no mention of how to attach it to the motor. I haven’t tried yet but I suspect won’t be too crazy to figure out as the standoff is packaged with some mounting parts
** Similarly, no instructions for attaching the actual prop to the standoff so I’m not sure of it should be torqued to a specific level or what
And here is a parts list that came with mine in case you didn’t get the list:
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Thanks for the links and all. I really appreciate it!
I did get the list but without labels on the parts that describe what they are named on the list, it’s pretty impossible to check if it’s complete.
I should add that I do have some experience in building stuff that flies (I am sitting in one of those projects in my profile picture) but I am not used to just getting a box of parts.
I shall take some footage of what I’m doing when I start building. Maybe I can help others that way if there’s something useful in the videos that might come out of it
You mentioned the “fairly long (apx 20mm) bolt” for attaching 3D parts for the motor arms.
There are no such bolts in the kit. Should there be?
There are 8 pcs of M3 30mm long, but as neither the length nor the amount matches, I suppose they are for something else.
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It is actually the 30mm ones that you should use for this I believe. I was estimating from memory when I said 20mm above, but later I measured the ones I was using and it is the 30mm ones that fit perfectly for this.
That said, I had the same issue as you that there were only 8 of them included, but since there are 2 bolts needed for all 8 of the short pieces then it means I was missing 8 bolts. This is minor oversight in the kit and only a minor inconvenience in IMO as you can probably pick up 8 30mm bolts with 2.5mm hex head for couple bucks at HD or Lowe’s, or Amazon (I got a big pack with several sizes from Amazon).
Note: In a related item, I also bought some Nylock nuts for the small M3 bolts as it appears you need 12 of those for the pressure clips. There are 4 pressure clips with 3 holes in each for bolts, but I didn’t see the nuts in the kit for these.
Here are the bolts and the nuts kits I purchased in case it’s useful (I like to have extras and other sizes so I bought the bigger assortment packs):
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Ok, thanks! This helps.
And luckily, I happened to have that kind of kit of bolts already, so no problem there.I’ll continue building up the kit.
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The problem I have with this step of the build is that the M3 30mm bolts bottom out in the 45mm standoffs. The 45mm standoffs sent with the kit are NOT threaded through the full standoff, so the M3 30mm bolt doesn’t tighten all the way into the small 3D printed hoop connector.
Has anyone else had this problem?
I chose top purchase new standoffs to solve this, but this should be resolved in the kit: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MTC496X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1](http://Fully Threaded 5mm x 45mm standoffs)
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I have another issue I’m struggling with, without plans (or photos for that matter).
In the OLD build video in the second or third step the main red anodized hinges are installed. In the V4 kit, those hinges have small holes in them, which makes them have a directionality. Can anyone share a full build I know which way to orient these hinges?
JPK
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For the standoff issue…
- You are putting the 30mm bolt through the small 3D piece, then through the carbon fiber piece that is one side of the motor arm, and then into the standoff? The standoff doesn’t need to be threaded all the way because the 30mm bolt only goes about 10mm into the standoff (see pic).
For the hinge issue…
- The hinges are the same in v4 as the old video. I had to replay and pause the video for the visual of how the hinges were mounted. Basically the angled sides need to face each other (see pic)
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Thanks for your reply and the photos.
Yes I’m assembling the arm the way you described but I can assure you my M3 30mm bolts bottom out on the threads in the standoff so they never tighten the small 3D printed hoop holders.
If the standoffs were threaded all the way through, it would work, but mine are only threaded a few mm in from the end.
Thanks for the hinge photos too. I was actually asking about the larger main hinges. Those are different in V4 if my eyes are right
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Ah, ok, I haven’t actuality attached the base to the body yet, which I guess is the hinge you mean, so I probably just haven’t got to this issue yet.
That threading issue in the standoff is odd, but like you say, seems like your Amazon item should resolve it
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At least the hole goes all the way through so you won’t bottom out in the hole itself. The bolts will self tap a little further into the hole just fine. Are you sure you aren’t cross threading the bolts into the standoffs? I typically like to get any bolt started by hand but these are tight through the 3D printed part making that hard to do. You could drill the 3D printed part to make the bolt a slip fit. That would make assembly a lot easy.
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I recommend using the stops that I designed and then it won’t matter which direction you install the hinges. They work really well:
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About the larger main hinges, the small holes and the orientation of the upper leg hinge can be seen in this video at 1:04:
However, that shows only the direction of the upper leg hinge. But I suppose that the lower leg hinge should have the three holes at the same side as the upper leg hinge.
And about the M3 30mm bolts and the small 3D printed hoop holders:
I initially had the same conclusion as you that they bottom out on the thread in the standoff, and that they should be 25mm bolts in order to fit.
But once I tightened the whole arm end (with all the three 3D printed parts), it became nice and tight.
I am not sure what happened there 
Maybe it only felt like bottoming out as screw tightens pretty tight to the small 3D printed loop holder hole too, and because the standoff turns around easily inside the big 3D printed part.
Although, I think I even tried assembling only the small hoop holder through carbon plate to the standoff to see if it was bottoming out. But maybe I remember wrong.
Or maybe I just used (the) force in the end to make them tight. Well, I don’t know but they are good now. 
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I think this is exactly it - everyone is just powering the 30mm bolts through the last few (non threaded) mm. While this will work (just tested it) it’s totally not ideal. I’ll do it for now and see if I can find more appropriately sized bolts. FYI the standoffs I linked are also only threaded for the first 10mm 
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Ahh, you’re Robbie’s friend! I trained with him down in Destin. Tell him you met the guy From his class working on a new throttle for gas powered units!
This video and the post after help. Thanks so much!
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Thank you!
Is everyone using cotter pins to secure these or is there another method (perhaps a pin with a ball lock)?
Several people are using the hinge stops that I posted a link to above. I think it’s a much better method. Here’s how it works: Start with it on its back. Fold the legs out to the stops. Fold the bottom arms out. Put the small hoop pieces in place. Now the legs won’t move forward because of the stops or backwards because of the hoop so you can stand it up and finish putting it together. Also notice the gooseneck bars now have a resting spot against the bottom arms when you stand it up. Any other way the gooseneck bars get in the way of opening the bottom arms. Works wonderful! I use it almost every day for a year now! Here’s a video of what I just explained:
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You only have to do it once. A hardened steel bolt will tap into aluminum just fine. There are absolutely no issues created by doing it this way. I prefer the longer bolts for strength. You don’t have to worry about them vibrating loose because the last little bit acts like a lock nut. Haha… just trying to turn your “less than ideal” situation into an ideal situation. 
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