This is the build I started dreaming of when I first planned to make my first eskate 7 months ago…after a name change and losing her initial title, this is Pandora!..in bits and pieces
PARTS: ~$1000 for everything in the current version
Minority 40" drop deck
Paris II 195mm trucks
ABEC 11 90mm ReFlys / MBS 100mm ATs
Focbox Unity
12s4p 30Q
12x ABS cell holders
BesTech 80A BMS w/ e-switch
YZ Power 8A charger
dual MayTech 6355 170kv sealed motors
DickyHo Paris II mounts (test batch)
15:44 15mm pulleys
Mini RC remote
STATS (ReFlys/MBS):
Speed: 28/31mph (charged) to 20/22mph (drained)
Range*: 58/47mi (eco) to 25/20mi (sport)
Power: 6kw (charged burst) to 3kw (drained continuous)
Weight: 22lbs (estimate)
*Based on experimental efficiency with dual hubs (Elpis build)
The cells came from a forum member when he left the hobby and it was his first battery so they aren’t looking to hot, but they were cheap and only had 4 cycles so like…
Not sure how I’m implementing the cell holders, gonna test if I can reenforce them with 10awg silicone wire on the tops and suspend them from the deck so the cells stay in (I’m using a small board with the same holders and they seem okay)
If they cell holders don’t work I’m gonna crush the steel out and use them to hold welded nickel tabs in place, probably gonna use a car battery and jumper cables and a welder…don’t ask how, you won’t like the answer
Probably using sheet metal for the enclosure…take some of the flex out and make it super resistant to impact, obviously gonna use insulation between it and the electronics
FUTURE UPGRADES:
9:21 #35 chain hearing with custom Paris mounts (lathing hangars down)
60W of addressable LED underglow, the highest density pixles I can find
steel crash bar with 30W of LED headlights
Arduino professor for lights and remote, think of a FireFly remote with a 9 axis accelerometer and buttons for underglow controls
CF skin enclosure, keeping some steel in there for added strength since I will carve out channels for the electronics
a new deck if… 1) I can’t get clearance with risers (already can’t) and/or 2) I run out of space under this one (already have)
FUN FACTS:
the bullets on a Unity fit perfectly with a male
AMASS MT60 male connector
15:44 is about the highest ratio you can get on these mounts
100mm MBS wheels leave more room for pulleys than 90mm ABECs
Well im glad it will finally see some use. Btw those cell holders are rated for about 5a. They contacts will lose their electroplating from the vibration of the board. At that point they wont conduct nearly as well. Be careful with your current limits
I’ve been using them at 10A and they look the same but I doubt they will take the 20 to 30 amps from the 30Q, gonna solder to the top of the tabs where the material is thicker or use nickel tabs on the cells and the steel of the holders will just keep them in place
Just got the MBS wheels with some race bearings and the motor mounts…good new is the wheels are fucking DOPE…bad news is nothing fits. The Paris mounts fit the trucks (sort of, gotta lathe the hangar down to take the paint off) and the motor (still sort of, gotta file down the corners and the screw slots) but there isn’t enough space for everything…I’m about 11mm short on each side, I can recover 8mm on each side by putting a grub screw in the middle of the motor pulley and using counter sink screws to hold the motor but that still leaves me short 3mm, I can’t extend the axles because Paris II and the bearings on the MBS wheels leave about half a thread of axle exposed with the speed washers.
I don’t know what to do, I really don’t want to buy a TB 218 and matching mounts because they are expensive (tested with my friends and it will work without mods, about 1mm to spare) and I can’t have diagonal mounts because its a drop deck, the curve sits to close
The gap between the MBS wheels is a hair over 170mm and the outer width of the 2 motor/mount/pulley blocks is a hair under 188mm; if I can cut out 9mm on each side it will fit in theory. If I take off 2mm for the outer motor pulley wall which over hangs the wheel and the 8mm taken by the screws and collar I get a mil to spare. I can swap back to the ABEC 11s since there is some spare axle for an extra speed washer as a spacer.
Worst case is I twist the mounts so one of the can bearings sits above the other which is kinda awful or I do a diagonal setup which woukd absolutely suck. Luckily there is just enough clearance for the motors to sit under the deck with the 90mm wheels and no spacers. If I plan for some heavier AT I’ll swap the wheels and add 1/2" risers
pictures will help experienced members to give recommendations and advice. Remember that if you’re putting money into this, it’s worth building a reliable and safe board. Post photos so people can call you out on shit it’s the best way to learn new things
In theory I can bring the motor assembly down to 168mm which is all the clearance I need and I can add another 2mm of clearance to the wheel distance with another speed washer on each wheel (I have one on the outside of the wheel but the race bearings have integral washers so I can move it over, can’t add a third because I’m out of threads on the axle). The ABEC 11s give me a little more freedom since I can move them about 3mm out each even though I loose 1mm to the overhang on the urethane
Looked into getting a super wide 10"+ deck to redo my batteries in a 3x4 configuration but for the amount of money and work, it’s not worth it. Sticking with 2x6 cell holders in the front and the Unity/HX223 in the back, tossing the wires/connectors/receiver/Arduni (going with micro) down the middle. There should be 20mm for the electronics channel, 5mm each side for the enclosure walls, and 15mm each side for the mounting tabs. I’ll be able to run the LEDs on riser shields along the edge and slot a handle in somewhere. I should get the enclosure outer face within 30mm of the deck, leaving 50mm of ground clearance (not counting weight deflection, shouldn’t be more than 10mm static and 30mm dynamic)
Gonna stick with the plan to lathe the hangars, trim the motor pulleys, and chamfer slot the mounts. Gonna pin the mounts through the hanger, can’t risk them coming loose. I’m gonna get the dual 15mm belts and on the motors, and tuck it all under the deck with the cans concentric…AESTHETICS DAMMIT
The only exposed parts will be an inch of wires from the motor to the enclosure and the dual buck converters, which are 3" x 3" each. Tossing them on the top and mounting via the truck hardware until I get a rear bull bar with tail lights
Took a stroll down to my local tool supplier and guess what I found…8" pnumo wheels for only $8 each!! One day I think I will get a set of those and new trucks to make Pandora an AT longboard…they are fairly light and the bearing stack is bolted on so making an adapter should be easy
Other news, hit up DickyHo again for more bits and parts, upgrading to steel motor pulleys with key slots rather than fucking with making my own taped holes for the grub screws. Also gonna pick up more wheel pulleys and belts, 36T pulleys for ABEC FlyWheels and 290mm x 11mm belts for them. Top speed on the FlyWheels should be 34mph now, a real racer!!
How much light is to much? Looking at 43W (~2000 lumens) of addressable RGB LED under glow and 38W (4200 lumens), running off a 5V 10A and 12V 10A step down off the main battery respectively. Will this be the brightest skateboard in history?
Aren’t the motor pulleys supposed to mount the other way, I don’t have that style but I swear I usually see em the other way around… Might fix the spacing issue?
After fucking with 9/16" wrenches in back pockets to adjust trucks and losing my 1/2" ratchet, I made a custom skate pendant inspired by another member here. It’s made specifically to fit the mounting plates for ABEC style cores, and it’s the bare minimum size to use because it’s something I’m gonna wear all the time. The loop serves as leverage and is on the 9/16" side so the 1/2" can fit in the wheel and over the bolt heads, and you get more control when tightening trucks.
The loop is just some paracord held with a shrink wrap tube, currently it holds my ear buds in place
.STL and .SLDPRT files available on request, tolerances are for a StrataSys
it’s the best way to learn new things
