Too many ZipZap monster trucks is never a bad thing, but having no place to safely store or
carry them could be. The availability of an x-mods case inspired the building of a poly foam "egg crate" to
carefully hold these prized little monsters.
The following materials and equipment are needed:
- one piece of 12 in. x 24 in. poly foam 1/2 in. thick
- one piece of 12 in. x 12 in. ply foam 1 in. thick
- adhesive, something flexible, transparent, and foam-compatible
- a thin but wide straight edge
- a very sharp single-edged razor blade
The adhesive I used was recommended by and purchased at a local hobby shop -- Z RC/56.
If you cannot find the 1/2 in. thick poly foam, substitute a single piece of 1 in. thick foam and build only the bottom piece.
add step-by-step images here
The first part is to cut the bottom and the top. Laying out the 1/2 in. thick piece of foam, measure two 11-1/2 in. x 8-5/8 in. rectangles and cut to size. Lay the straight edge on the marks and holding it firmly but gently in place, cut straight down completely through the foam's thickness with the single-edged razor blade. Make sure to hold the blade perpendicular to the foam and cut slowly with only one pass through the foam. Save the remainder of the foam for later use.
The second part is to cut the "egg crate" pieces which will hold the monster trucks. Begin by cutting the outside edges from the 1 in. thick foam. Cut four 1 in. x 12 in. strips. Trim the strips to length:
- two strips 11-1/2 in. long
- two strips 6-5/8 in. long
The next step in this second part is to cut, fit, and glue the interior pieces. Either measure the width of your monster trucks (just over 2-1/2 in.) or simply place them in the foam crate against the corner edges. Cut a 1/2 in. x 6-5/8 in. strip of 1 in. thick foam (or use the scrap pieces from the 1/2 in. thick foam, cutting it 1 in. wide), put glue on the 1/2 in. side and ends, then fit it, glued-side down, onto the bottom foam piece, using the monster trucks as a spacer. Do this again for the next row of trucks. This will leave a wider space for trucks with larger wheels (this wider space could be placed in the middle, between the two "regular width" spaces).
With these pieces completed and the trucks still in the crate, cut a 1 in. x 12 in. strip of 1 in. thick foam. Measure and cut pieces to fit between the trucks as they sit front to back. Glue them in place.
Since you might want to use the case for something else at a later time, secure the bottom crate
and the top cover to the inside of the x-mods case with something that can be easily removed, maybe double-sided clear tape.
And it might not hurt to place your business card (create one if you don't have one) and place it between the
case and the foam cover so it can be easily identified and read.And, just in case you were wondering . . .
front row, left to right
red Dodge Ram 1500 body, green motor, 366.0:1 ratio modified gearbox
orange Toyota Supra body, green motor, 84.0:1 ratio modified gearbox
black Ford Mustang GT Fastback body, orange motor, 11.8:1 ratio modified gearbox
back row, left to right
black Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Z71 body, yellow motor, 18.3:1 ratio stock yellow gears
black Hummer H2 body, ZZSE steering servo gearbox mod, plus orange ZZMT gear set
monster truck test bed
The gearbox modifications listed above are shown in my tutorials elsewhere on this website.