86 replies to this topic

[Tex]

Nice lookin' build, JW.... ya gots good taste in music, too.

[havlicek]

Mike Steube and I were the first to use a tumbler in 2006, after he described how he was using it to clean up gun cartridges.

Hi Philippe. I'm pretty sure that Roy Crawley used one way back when he had his place in Farmingdale several decades ago (I think it was sometime in the 70's). Several people I knew were using them after that and when I did a little slot racing in the mid-80's, I used my Dillon tumbler (also for reloading) on some nasty chassis and parts I was trying to rejuvenate.

Great job on the chassis Jairus!

-john

[tonyp]

The stuff if tumbled was all dry tumbled and knowing Roy probably with broken up concrete for the sidewalk. LOL.... Either that or it was all sand/bead blasted.

I know we used to tumble some of the nutley chassis parts. Stuff that would get interwoven and possible bend were done on some sort of vibrating table....

No one I know of used the ceramic media. I dont even know if it was available back then.

It was all comet, braid brushes water and sos pads... God I hated cleaning those things....

[havlicek]

The stuff if tumbled was all dry tumbled and knowing Roy probably with broken up concrete for the sidewalk.

Yeah...he was a character alright. There was stuff always stuck in the chassis when they came up front after polishing, but (and my memory is really fuzzy here) the stuff looked like little pebbles. I'm positive he wasn't using ceramic media as the stuff wasn't around then (*as you said). He may have been using walnut or corn cob media for all I know (which is what I used when I did this since corncob media was also what I used for reloading brass), but I remember him saying something like "it's in the back polishing and should be done soon". When the chassis came up front, they were pretty danged shiny and clean.

-john

[tonyp]

"When the chassis came up front, they were pretty danged shiny and clean."

But still crap. LOL

John, email me your address.

[Jairus]

Well, then this is a fairly realistic build. Tumbled dry in Walnut shells and Corn cob media for 6 hours yesterday afternoon...

[havlicek]

Well, then this is a fairly realistic build. Tumbled dry in Walnut shells and Corn cob media for 6 hours yesterday afternoon...

I'd say so Jairus! Even better than realistic...it's a beauty too

"When the chassis came up front, they were pretty danged shiny and clean."

But still crap. LOL

John, email me your address.

No doubt Tony...then again...doesn't shiny stuff goes faster?

-john

[dc-65x]

.......doesn't shiny stuff goes faster?

I WISH!

Nice chassis Jairus, can't wait to see the rest of your build .

[TSR]

Hi Philippe. I'm pretty sure that Roy Crawley used one way back when he had his place in Farmingdale several decades ago (I think it was sometime in the 70's).

John,
Roy was tumbling parts (drop arms, pans...), not complete chassis. No one was doing it. Trust me, it would have been a little revolution in itself and news traveled fast.
The only form of "other" cleaning before tumbling with ceramic media was bead blasting (used by several builders and companies) or as Tony describes, good old elbow grease.

[tonyp]

"No doubt Tony...then again...doesn't shiny stuff goes faster?"

Jerry Brady did not thinks so. His stuff looked like a lot of the stuff you guys are doing restorations on, only he had just buit it....

[TSR]

That guy could drive a complete piece of crapola and win with it...

[68Caddy]

Is he still alive? Got more story's?
Jairus sweet ride.


Nesta

[Jairus]

Well, guess I am stuck for a time. Magnets didn't fit the motor (need a magnet hone to get the Havlicek arm to fit) so ordered some replacements. Wheels glued and trued but cannot find the right washers for the guide flag. And then there is the funky writing on the nose of the body!
Got it 95% painted but need a deciphering of what all that scribbling means..... so waiting on a transcription from the Dokk before proceeding.
Or NCP delivers the mail.... or the second coming... which ever comes first.

[Old pink can guy]

raced their a few times and he was also one ove they best race directors ever!!!!

[68Caddy]

I really feel for you Jairus, I don't know why you work in the History department when you have such a great skills?
Well what ever floats your boat is great, because I will still see great work from you.



Nesta

[TSR]

I will get the info to Jairus ASAP. I got 3 out of the 4 lines but need to check the Neat Things one, I can't remember what's written there...
The new build looks good so far.

[zipper]

Those times in early 70´s.... I was making copies just like this one except the motor mount was left off. And then all those Diamond clones - it's sad about everything is scrapped except these:

PS - I think Grundy Gazette should still be somewhere left.

[Bill from NH]

I recall using masking tape for goop shields when I first started running wing cars. We coated them with the Parma black liquid rubber trigger insulation to make them somewhat waterproof.

[TSR]

OK, Jairus, I figure it out. The missing line says "Neat Things W.T.W"

What does it mean? One would have to be, like the painter and racer Keiji Kanegawa, a fan of the Grundy Gazette, a newsletter published in the San Francisco region, where Joe Cool and a gang of Chinese-American racers ruled, to get it.

W.T.W. stands for "Weady to Wun", AKA "ready to run".

[Jairus]

Philippe,
Well, I kind of figured the first two words were "Neat Things" after studying the image I had access to. The last three letters made no sense until you explained it in your above post.
Saturday morning I went ahead and lettered what I knew and at this point am debating leaving off the "W.T.W." because as you said, the joke is very esoteric and my opinion is, will not take anything away from the car if left off.

At this point I am cutting out a once piece, side fences and spoiler for the body. Chassis is done but waiting on a set of magnets to arrive before the motor can be finished and installed.

Thank you for the deciphering and cool story!

[Gus Kelley]

Hey PDL ! As you know, Keiji wasn't "Cantonese". Jimmy and Johnny Ng are chinese but I don't know if Canton heritage and of course Al "Whats up" Chuck. Another I recall that ran the series was Steve Chin. Gus in Sacto

[Tex]

Are you sure it wasn't an Elmer Fudd ripoff?

[TSR]

Actually, Richard is correct, as reminded to me by Owl, it was something to do with Elmer Fudd.

[MrWeiler]

Hi,

Ron Granlee is one of the guys I miss from "the day".

In addition to the track, all during the "dark ages" he was the source of bits for most of the surviving racers I knew, including 1/32 club racers! He also supplied a lot diecast kits to collectors and so on.

He always remembered everything about you when you called and always made it seem PERSONAL. He always knew what I was interested in and would sometimes just call and chat about things. One of the good guys.

Fate

Ron was a GREAT guy. Back when I was a Jr Hi kid racing on my lunch money, I could only get a ride down to Speed and Sport every second or third month. I never won a race at S&S, never made a main event there or did very well 'cause I was making my own stuff and I didn't have a clue and by the time the speed tech stuff trickled down to my track in the SF valley, it was 6 months or more obsolete.
Ron would spend time answering my stupid questions and talking to me like I was gonna drop lots of money in his palm...which I couldn't. Made me feel like he was inviting me into his home.

Ron is missed.

[TSR]

Ron is missed.

The more surprising when he passed away as only two of his former customers and friends attended the funeral besides his direct family. That was rather sad.

Some more help for Jairus: