321 replies to this topic

[sidejobjon]

JOEL, PAT, DOUG,AL,
These are all quality Chassis .Amazing work can see the 40 years experience each. WOW
SJJ

[jpennington]

Bob Dame had told me about this particular blog - it looks like I have found my people.
Joel

[John Miller]

How is Norm doing?

[Pat McGee]

"Welcome Home", Joel.  Long time no see.  Ditto on how's Norm, been since Lake Forest in '76.

[chaparrAL]

FYI to you all out there Norm Gardner needs to be in your prayers.  

[jpennington]

I went back and read through the blog from the beginning and had a great time connecting with the history and work. I wanted to share with you my humble first scratch build done in isolation in 1970 as a 14yr old based on a Car Model article. I was the fastest kid in the neighborhood, but had no means to get other organized racing. A little rough as you see but hey it was built with a Weller soldering gun, a file and Dremel.

Next I thought you might like to see a picture of my jig, a slate block with two brass squares spread at 1.250 inches. I did not know about this other jig some of you have been using. It looks pretty slick. Also pictured is a chassis in progress - John notice the number 1 in the corner.



Joel

[MSwiss]

Joel,
It was great to see you a couple of Saturday's ago.

Also, terrific you are posting some of your handiwork here.

[bbr]

Joel,
how you cut your brass pieces?

[SlotStox#53]

Wow Joel, that's one sweet little work in progress chassis !! Very neat brass front piece & motor bracket ...

[jpennington]

Mike when I cut single pieces in brass I layout scribed lines on blued brass. Then I cut up to the exterior lines on my 2x72 belt sander at a slow speed and 320 grit belt. Interior work is done with a Dremel cutting disc holding the part in leather padded vise grips. Touch up work is done with a #4 grobet flat file with one safety edge. Always keep checking work with the digital calipers as I go and use a #5 opti visor with all cutting.

The motor bracket is coordinate drill in a small mill. The tricky part in accurately drilling thin brass sheet is fixturing it. Would you like to see a picture of the fixture I made for it?

Joel

[bbr]

your work is very sano!

and the can motor with pancake comm is a work of art.

ever consider edm the chassis parts and producing kits for sale?

 

i assume you are using BBs in the axle tube?

how are you doing the gear set? spur solder to axle?

[jpennington]

Mike,
When I make multiple of more than five brass pieces it is done in the mill with the pieces stacked in vise. This makes the production fairly efficient and consideration for selling them as a kit is possible. The main time burden in making one of these chassises is the soldering and assembly.

The smallest OD on a ball bearing that accepts a 1.5mm axle is .154 inches. That would mean an axle tube of .187; too big.

The pictures that follow address the spur gear. As you suggest a TJET gear can be soldered to the axle and this the simplest solution. Or, you could cut a gear from the pictured pinion stock and have a shoulder on it. Or, you could do what did and cut teeth in delrin stock and have a shoulder. The .060 shoulder is accommodated with a pocket on the back side of the wheel. The pitch of these gears are 64.
Joel

Attached Images

• 
• 

[chaparrAL]

Indeed the problem with ball bearings is size. In an anglewinder or sidewinder , smaller bronze bushings on the axle helps with packaging.

Hey Joel , did you notice my 2 motor car is wired so the forces of acceleration/deceleration cancel each other out?

[jpennington]

Al,
I did not notice the motor rotationally detail - good thought. It seems that one pairing of the rotations would shift all of the pressure to one side and the other pairing (the one I think you did) would shift to the opposite front and rear wheel.

How did it drive? You would think with all of those driving tires it would accelerate faster on a straight line. Doug Morris built an AFX along these lines, see pictures below. I had a chance to drive this car; it drove remarkably well. If you did not know it was four wheel drive when you drove it you would not have guessed it.

Joel

Attached Images

• 
• 

[sidejobjon]

Joel,

I see the # 1, so glad you decided to take this project on. Can`t wait to take some laps with a pro car of yours. Did you also make the pinion Stock? That's Sweet .

Can`t believe this tread is 5 young. Your work will inspirer me & others to keep Scratch building HO.

Thanks Again for posting & Building A Great Chassis

SJJ

[jpennington]

John,
No I did not make the pinion stock. It is shelf item and a very convienent way to make gears. I used it recently to make a 24/11 cluster gear for an AFX. Would you like to see a picture?

Joel

[bbr]

John,
No I did not make the pinion stock. It is shelf item and a very convienent way to make gears. I used it recently to make a 24/11 cluster gear for an AFX. Would you like to see a picture?

Joel

is that the high ratio gear set for the afx? i would like to see it!!!

[Pat McGee]

Like to see a picture?  Those of us still building with a 40 year old dremel, files, and steel ruler would probably buy a few! 

[sidejobjon]

Joel,

Yes would like to see , also more of your work. Were is the source? Awhile back some one posted a picture of a piece of stock that they said came from Aurora`s Source. That was cool

Thanks John F

[jpennington]

I have in the first picture a high ratio gear plate. The plate ratio is 8/26 with the underside cluster gear being a 14th. This ratio with an AFX works out to be the same roll out at the tires as T jet. It tops out too soon even with a 36 rewind. The top plate gears are Delrin and were cut by me.

The second picture are some spliced together cluster gears. I first did this in 1977 with an Axcto and sand paper, no Dremel required. The two gear pieces are held together with super glue; remarkably I have never had a failure. The middle pictured gear is a splice of a 12th speciality AFX and standard 24th. This with a Tyco 19th crown was my favorite ratio for a magna traction in 1977-8.

The far right pictured gear is a 11/24 cluster, with the 11th being made from brass pinion stock. Again both pieces were super glue together. This with an 18th crown is my best performing ratio for a AFX gravity car.

Pat if you are interested in some 11th gears tell me; I think you can handle the super glue and the stock 24th top gear.

Attached Images

• 
• 

[Pat McGee]

Indeed interested in a few 11t gears, Joel, will shoot you a pm here with contact info.  I have a boatload of TycoPro 19t crowns, and 20's from BSRT and Wizzard, the dumb question is where are you sourcing 18's?  Must've missed those.

[bbr]

nice Joel,

always wonder how the high ratio gear set was made

[chaparrAL]

[jpennington]

Some nice work Al! Do you have any race plans for these?

[bbr]

Al,

bring them to the BIG SHOt race in two weeks and we can see how they run, I have the Doug Morris cars from last year