21 replies to this topic

[nzoomed]

Ive built several chassis out of brass tubing many moons ago, but nothing really fancy using panio wire and flat brass sheet.

Ive sourced some 1.5mm brass sheet along with that nikel plated panio wire to make soldering easier and got a piece of stone benchtop with a slit cut down the middle to use as a jig.

Are there any good design guides out there? ive been studying many photos to get some ideas, but its hard to sometimes see how its designed to work without examining one in my hands.

I kinda like the whole torsion bar idea and the tuning fork designs ive seen. Will probably be building some angle winders.

One challenge is cutting the brass, its hard with a hacksaw and the blade wanders requiring you to cut larger then file to shape. Quite a bit of work.

Is there any type of saw that works better? Im also looking at CNC/laser cutting the stuff potentially. I could draw up the whole protoype and even 3D print it to see how it all fits and make adjustments before making the final part.

[Martin]

Best bang for you buck would be getting a small bench top Band saw for cutting sheet.

I have several chassis jigs, but this one is my go to favorite.

 

Of course getting tools can be endless. I mean Lathes and Mills drill press, Barrel tumbler the list goes on.

Then you look back and see builders with a Dremel tool and a couple of pliers.

 

What kind and how many chassis do you plan to build.?

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[Bill Seitz]

Shaun, there are detailed builds here on Slotblog that might give you enough detail for chassis designs. They've helped me. Because of the volume I do mostly for myself and my greater confidence with hand tools, I still cut most materials by hand or with a Dremel rotary tool. Some months ago, Mike Swiss did a build article, and he cut brass with a small mitre box and a razor saw. I had a razor saw, but had the same problem as you making straight cuts. I found a similar small, aluminum mitre box on Amazon, bought a new K&S razor saw, and this has so improved my brass cutting that I've no undertaken several projects I'd not have considered before. It's also improved my workmanship. The mitre box was a brilliant find (thanks to Mike Swiss), and the fine teeth and zero kerf of the razor saw are way better than a hacksaw for cutting hobby brass.

[Dominator]

Hi  Shaun,

 

For guides most use the Red Fox or the Chicago Land weighted Red Fox guides.

[nzoomed]

Best bang for you buck would be getting a small bench top Band saw for cutting sheet.

I have several chassis jigs, but this one is my go to favorite.

 

Of course getting tools can be endless. I mean Lathes and Mills drill press, Barrel tumbler the list goes on.

Then you look back and see builders with a Dremel tool and a couple of pliers.

 

What kind and how many chassis do you plan to build.?

I did wonder about a band saw, i do have a small one, but its really designed for cutting wood, perhaps a metal blade might be available, need to take a look, I find the other issue with cutting brass is it clogs up the teeth quite easily on the blade.

Ive got a lathe and a dremel, so might be able to make some use with these tools.

I wont be building too many chassis, but all will be for 1/32 scale cars.
 

 

Shaun, there are detailed builds here on Slotblog that might give you enough detail for chassis designs. They've helped me. Because of the volume I do mostly for myself and my greater confidence with hand tools, I still cut most materials by hand or with a Dremel rotary tool. Some months ago, Mike Swiss did a build article, and he cut brass with a small mitre box and a razor saw. I had a razor saw, but had the same problem as you making straight cuts. I found a similar small, aluminum mitre box on Amazon, bought a new K&S razor saw, and this has so improved my brass cutting that I've no undertaken several projects I'd not have considered before. It's also improved my workmanship. The mitre box was a brilliant find (thanks to Mike Swiss), and the fine teeth and zero kerf of the razor saw are way better than a hacksaw for cutting hobby brass.

That mitre box and razor saw looks like something useful, ive seen some people use what appears to be a fine blade on a coping saw, but again, would be hard to control direction.
 

[Martin]

If your band saw is for wood it may be that the blade speed is too fast. Slow it down if you can, get a fine tooth bi-metal blade. If you do have a issue with clogging you can use a blade wax. But as a rule brass is hard enough it should not be a problem.

 

I have built chassis on squared paper and a vise and hacksaw.  Now I want to work smart not hard.

[team burrito]

the only tools i use are a harbor freight mini cut-off saw, a honeycomb ceramic block, large lineman plier & a mini torch. all of my chassis are built by eye, no jigs & i use rectangular tubing to set the axle height. you can look through slotblog for ideas & tips, otherwise you can come up with your own design. i don't like building anything too complicated - the simpler, the better.

[Bill from NH]

Shaun. I have soft metals such as brass & aluminum with wood cutting blades. You don't say what you have for a bandsaw but you probably know how long the blade foop is. Take that length to a local saw shop or saw sharpening shop & ask if they can make you a metal cutting blade to that length. They may have big reels of blade stock they can cut & weld to whatever length a customer needs.

[blue&orange]

Would not advise using nickel-plated wire -- you are soldering to the plating and not to the wire, which may reduce the strength of your joints.

[nzoomed]

If your band saw is for wood it may be that the blade speed is too fast. Slow it down if you can, get a fine tooth bi-metal blade. If you do have a issue with clogging you can use a blade wax. But as a rule brass is hard enough it should not be a problem.

 

I have built chassis on squared paper and a vise and hacksaw.  Now I want to work smart not hard.

OK, i will look into that, yes ive cut the stuff using a vice and that can act as a guide for cutting a straight edge, its when you need to cut more complex shapes when it become

 

the only tools i use are a harbor freight mini cut-off saw, a honeycomb ceramic block, large lineman plier & a mini torch. all of my chassis are built by eye, no jigs & i use rectangular tubing to set the axle height. you can look through slotblog for ideas & tips, otherwise you can come up with your own design. i don't like building anything too complicated - the simpler, the better.

 

That looks like a nice build, the hardest thing I find is how to clamp everything together prior to soldering, getting the bends on the wire perfect it also difficult, especially where an angle needs to be exact on each end.

I see some jigs available make holding things in place easier, but many did this by hand as you say with little special tools.

 

Shaun. I have soft metals such as brass & aluminum with wood cutting blades. You don't say what you have for a bandsaw but you probably know how long the blade foop is. Take that length to a local saw shop or saw sharpening shop & ask if they can make you a metal cutting blade to that length. They may have big reels of blade stock they can cut & weld to whatever length a customer needs.

I got a custom blade made for my saw earlier, so I will ask them if they can do steel blades, I might be able to slow the motor down a bit with a different pulley on the motor, or else install a variable controlled DC motor or something?
 

[nzoomed]

Would not advise using nickel-plated wire -- you are soldering to the plating and not to the wire, which may reduce the strength of your joints.

OK, there was someone on here who was supplying the stuff and I ordered some, I believe the feedback from others was good.

[MSwiss]

Would not advise using nickel-plated wire -- you are soldering to the plating and not to the wire, which may reduce the strength of your joints.

That would be if the plating didn't have good adhesion to the wire.

 

Mine has terrific adhesion.

 

My sales are constantly increasing on it.

 

That most likely would not be the case if it was a bad product.

 

http://slotblog.net/...goland-raceway/
 

[MSwiss]

Shaun,

If you wind up with a small band saw, get a 18 TPI, raker style blade, preferably .014" thick.

 

It will cut brass very well.

 

It will be safer if you use the miter gauge.

 

Don't try to cut piano wire with it.

 

I'm not aware of a band saw blade that will do that.

 

Stick with a Dremel and some sort of abrasive disc.

 

[nzoomed]

Shaun,

If you wind up with a small band saw, get a 18 TPI, raker style blade, preferably .014" thick.

 

It will cut brass very well.

 

It will be safer if you use the miter gauge.

 

Don't try to cut piano wire with it.

 

I'm not aware of a band saw blade that will do that.

 

Stick with a Dremel and some sort of abrasive disc.

 

OK, good advice thanks, Must have been you that I got the wire from.

You cant supply it in longer lengths by any chance? I know it makes shipping more difficult. I am in New Zealand that complicates things more.

I may end up looking for a better band saw anyway, this thing is not the greatest and the blade can sometimes slip off.

Ive found that the panio wire will cut with tin snips if its small enough or else I use a hacksaw, a dremel cutting disc as you suggest.

[Phil Smith]

I use to race I-15 with a guy that would cut piano wire with a triangular file as he didn't have a Dremmel. Not sure how he handled his brass. Probably a hacksaw.  Used files a lot! Made nice chassis' and did well in races. When he finally got a Dremmel he was ecstatic.

[team burrito]

I've found that the panio wire will cut with tin snips if its small enough or else I use a hacksaw, a dremel cutting disc as you suggest.

use lineman pliers & dress the ends with a fiberglass cutting wheel - a hacksaw is way too much work.

[Pablo]

-Best guide IMO is the "SCRATCHBUILDING with Mike Steube" video.

 

-Chicagoland plated wire is considerably harder to cut with hand tools than regular piano wire. You need to cut it with a Dremel and a cutoff wheel.

[Martin]

If you plan to make windows in your parts then this tool would be a good investment IMO.

There is a hand version (a jewelry saw) but it does take more time and practice.

This is a good article if you plan to go low tech?

https://www.instruct...-a-jewelry-saw/

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[MSwiss]

OK, good advice thanks, Must have been you that I got the wire from.

You cant supply it in longer lengths by any chance? I know it makes shipping more difficult. I am in New Zealand that complicates things more.

I may end up looking for a better band saw anyway, this thing is not the greatest and the blade can sometimes slip off.

Ive found that the panio wire will cut with tin snips if its small enough or else I use a hacksaw, a dremel cutting disc as you suggest.

While I buy it in 3 ft. pieces (I pick it up at K & S, which is about 25 minutes from my house) and cut it myself, zero chance on me selling 3 foot lengths.

 

My guy won't plate it and I won't deal with shipping it.

 

What could you possibly build that needs more a 12" length?

 

-Best guide IMO is the "SCRATCHBUILDING with Mike Steube" video.

 

-Chicagoland plated wire is considerably harder to cut with hand tools than regular piano wire. You need to cut it with a Dremel and a cutoff wheel.

Other than the first batch, 3 years ago, which I sold mostly by word of mouth, and had some Malin wire mixed in, all the stuff I've sold to distributors, the last 2 1/2 years, is K & S.

 

The plating must be harder, and/or has an effect on the abrasion of the cutting disk.
 

[cmz]

Are there any recommendations on bandsaw brands?

[dc-65x]

I went with smaller machines that are great for modeling. The saw and disk sander are variable speed and run at slower speeds than their full size counterparts. These work well for scratch building slot cars.
 
I'm sure some will disagree but the results of building with these machines are shown in many pages of my builds in the DC-65X Diaries subforum here on Slotblog.

 

Below is some info from 14 years ago:
 

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
 
Micro-Mark's Website
 
Micro-Mark's Summer Sale is on! Mo money, mo money! Hey, we all need to do our part to stimulate the economy right . So I'm doing my part. Here is the compact 10" disk sander:
 

 
The 1/24 GP car is for size reference. I squared up a 1/16" thick by 2" wide piece of brass with no trouble. The unit is small enough to keep inside my slot room instead of out in the garage. Now for the variable speed band saw:
 

 
Again it cuts 1/16" brass like butter and is small enough it too can say in the house. Both units can be hooked up to a vacuum to keep things neat. Here are the sander and lathe on a card table and the band saw on an old printer stand:
 

 
I've ordered some swing arm drafting lamps to clamp on each end of the card table for plenty of light. When we move, after retirement, I will buy some decent work benches to set everything up on. For now, this works OK.
 
For next month I've got my eye on a small ultrasonic cleaner for just over $100 and a micro bead blaster for a little over $200. Again small, slot car sized stuff...
 
Onward...

[nzoomed]

While I buy it in 3 ft. pieces (I pick it up at K & S, which is about 25 minutes from my house) and cut it myself, zero chance on me selling 3 foot lengths.

 

My guy won't plate it and I won't deal with shipping it.

 

What could you possibly build that needs more a 12" length?

 

Other than the first batch, 3 years ago, which I sold mostly by word of mouth, and had some Malin wire mixed in, all the stuff I've sold to distributors, the last 2 1/2 years, is K & S.

 

The plating must be harder, and/or has an effect on the abrasion of the cutting disk.
 

No builds require anything longer, I just think that I could waste less material using shorter lengths thats all. I can see myself having a few offcuts at random lengths, but I guess I can make use of them elsewhere.