143 replies to this topic

[dc-65x]

I have ONE original on a center section. I can make a mechanical drawing of the drop arm .

[Duffy]

I'll talk to the Rhennius Machine. Be warned, it's a taciturn motherin' machine if ever was. But I'll try.

[dc-65x]

....Rhennius Machine

got to Google this one........

"Device of alien manufacture, which will reverse, or turn inside out, any object passed through its mobilator"

Be careful Duffy!

[Duffy]

Ohhhhh WELL, so there's a little teeny PROBLEM....C'mon, who'll notice?

[Mopar Rob]

Duffy's CMM and Rhennius Machine,

Well Duffy finally stumped me and I had to google "Rhennius Machine". I should have seen the clue with 15 year old Duffy?


I know I'm probably going to give you a heart attack with this one, but one random thought was to CMM a slot car body, make modifications and do a rapid wax prototype to create a new slot car body mold

[Duffy]

Well Duffy finally stumped me and I had to google "Rhennius Machine".

I'm a monster Roger Zelazny fan. 'Nuff said.

I know I'm probably going to give you a heart attack with this one, but one random thought was to CMM a slot car body, make modifications and do a rapid wax prototype to create a new slot car body mold

Oh .The Old School name for this is "Backpour" and was done with cheaper equipment than SLS. Maybe we don't need higher tech here.

Now'days , stereolithography is done in several very-useful engineering plastics, including composites. Properly programmed, you can do pretty impressive stuff. Here's a show-off project gone horribly wrong, a FLUTE built in a SLS tank and using several disparate materials--impressive for the accomplishment, wrong because the engineers didn't do basic homework up front like asking a MUSICIAN first. We often go off on a project with similar prep.

But, yah, if someone took the time to become versed in 3D CAD, he could draw a solid model of a given car and send that file to the prototyper, who'd make the plug. Or we could just carve the thing the Old Good Way and save some time and money. I do not know which would be the better expenditure of resources.

A lot comes down to What your Hobby Is.

In my other hobby, flying models, some guys would get caught up in the perceived excellence of graphing up colors & markings on their computer, then printing out whole model airplanes' worth of tissue covering, all complete. --And I noticed they'd often get so involved in the imaging, they no longer built and flew. Their Hobby would shifted. This can happen, if you're not watching. It's why I react with some reserve whenever we talk about applying New Tech to Old School. Might work, but it's worth cautiously considering.

I sometimes worry that guys take what I say as somehow extolling the virtues of my way of doing things, as if I expect my exigencies to be instantly universal; or that someone's having a go at me when I don't instantly see the inherent reason of their particular hobby niche. I say here,neither's important. We talk. That's all.

Duffy

[Howmet TX]

I had to go and see the doctor about my exigencies. Thank heavens for the National Health Service as we say over here. They're pretty much universal now; thanks for your concern.

[tonyp]

I'd love to have some team nutley chassis parts. I still say ours were the nicest at the time. flattest and the nicest finish. Mike Tango never did anything half-assed.

[Jairus]

I am with Duff on this one. Rick no doubt builds beautiful hand crafted pieces of jewlery!
But for me a vintage car should be built with vintage techniques and vintage hand tools just as it was "back in the day". (always hated that expression)


J

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

I don't know that I have ever had a Nutley! Or even seen one in person. Very cool.

I do have a small bin of drop arm parts but I think that they are all dubro, associated, parma and a few champion. But, IN THE DAY(grin), I don't think any of us even thought about the way the things get broken with the bends. The first I remember being conscious of it was listening to Philippe rant about bad bends a long time ago. I think we did commonly reinforce the bend with bits. I still do that with my flexi chassis as well, but no one articulated it that I remember.

Fate

[dc-65x]

I cut some pans from .03" K&S brass strip. They are 4.1" long X .68" wide. The small part to clear the front wheel is 1" long X 1/4" wide:



Here the pans and plumber rails are laid out. I made the plumbers out of 1/16" wire. I'm not sure if Bob was using .055" yet:



My Rick's Jig allowed me to use the many pin locations to space the plumber rails away from the main rails so as not to solder the whole mess up solid . I used Kapton high temperature tape to hold the pans in place and keep the hinge tubes from getting soldered to the pans:

But for me a vintage car should be built with vintage techniques and vintage hand tools just as it was "back in the day".

I hear ya Jairus....but if I couldn't build on my Rick's Jig, I think I'd change hobbies! Hmmmm.....I better buy a spare jig in case Rick hits the lottery!

A U-shaped .03" wire holds the front of the plumber rails together. I used some tiny strips of 600 grit sandpaper to space the plumber rails away from the main rails for a little side to side "slopski":



Another U-shaped .03" wire holds the rear of the plumber rails together. The .047" wire cross piece is cut into the pan hinge tubes so it sits down flat on the plumber rail:



I lucked out and got the plumber to work nice and "smoof":



Pan hang'n time

[dc-65x]

I decided to make up all the hinges, pin tubes and pan down stops at once and then solder the whole mess at one time:



A square lines up the extra long hinges nicely:







The finished pans:





I tried to do well by this chassis and get rid of any acid flux left in the hinge tubes. I drilled "Blow-holes" in the pin tubes to help flush out and blow out the flux. I treated it to a 5 minute ultra sonic bath with tap water and baking soda followed by a soap and water wash. Finally a 5 minute ultra sonic bath with plain tap water finished up the cleaning process. Then blowing it dry and placing it in a oven at 150 degrees for a half hour.

What did I get for all my efforts......RUST!

A couple of 5 minute washings and the thing rusts . I think it's MY tap water and the baking soda . I will try distilled water next time.

I took the time to polish out the chassis after each step. It's hard to polish out a finished chassis and get in all the tight spaces. Now I had a brand new RUSTED chassis to deal with .

A few hours with sandpaper, a wire wheel in a Dremel and metal polish saved the day:







Time to assemble.....

[Jairus]

Beautiful Rick! Love it and the instructions. However, I suggest you try using a "sharpie" brand marker to "mask" where the solder should not go. This is a fantastic way to control the solder because it WILL NOT flow where there are markings.

[Tex]

...I suggest you try using a "sharpie" brand marker to "mask" where the solder should not go. This is a fantastic way to control the solder because it WILL NOT flow where there are markings.

I LOVE these tidbits!

Rick, the chassis is a thing of beauty... the things that excite an old man.

[dc-65x]

I LOVE these tidbits!

I do too Tex.

Thanks Jairus, I'll give it a try .

[Bill from NH]

Definitely another beauty, Rick! Bob Suzuki uses liquid whiteout to control solder flow. I've used ATF.

[Duffy]

The only time you will have a pristine, mirror-polished brass & steel chassis is for the Vanity Shot. So, why worry about rust that's presenting during the build?

My thought: wash, scrub, tumble, polish, wirebrush, Scotchbrite & Whatever at every stage of the build, or at the end of a work session. Shiny? NOW HIT IT WITH A FLOOD OF WD-40.
That keeps the rust off 'til your next build&clean session. Then, at last assembly, go through the whole ringamijing, NOW RIGHT NOW take your Sparkle Shots of the dry perfect high-Albedo rig, and then HIT IT WITH A FLOOD OF WD-40.
That'll keep it nice--
--'til you hang the gear on and take it to the track.
It'll all be downhill from there.

Think of it like the Prom Pics you paid that fortune for: she's scrubbed and fresh, dressed to the 6.5s (this is The Hipster Age, after all), happy like she's got the world by the throat, then into the Limo and away. You don't want to see her tomorrow morning. And SHE doesn't want to think about the next 60 years, either.

Yah. Slot Cars are a little like that. Get the shot now.

Duffy

[dc-65x]

Thanks Bob. You know it's not a thick flow of solder. It really is a micro thin flash plating. A couple of strokes with 1200 grit sandpaper and it's gone. That said, I would like to prevent it from happening in the first place. I will try the "tidbits" and thanks!

'til you hang the gear on and take it to the track.
It'll all be downhill from there.

Duffy, Duffy, Duffy......."Don't hit me with those negative waves so early in the morning." It's fine patina baby . It's just aging like a fine Tennessee whiskey . I just wipe off "piss finger" prints at the end of the track session and let her patina .

Auto spray wax helps too....(thanks Dokk )

[tonyp]

Once you get the " money shot" let her age gracefully...

[Pablo]

Didn't we already know your tap water was doing bad things ?
Or did I dream that ?

[Jairus]

Once you get the " money shot" let her age gracefully...

[dc-65x]

Didn't we already know your tap water was doing bad things ?
Or did I dream that ?

I know Pablo, I know.....I'm a slow learner I guess . But this was only 5 minutes!

I promise, never again will I use my tap water .

....let her age gracefully...

Yup!

[TSR]

Rick, we are sending the Tap-Water police immediately to make sure that you will conform!
"You Will Be Assimilated. Resistance is Futile."

[Duffy]

Once you get the " money shot" let her age gracefully...

Don't you put the term "Money Shot" that close to my daughter's Prom pics. I'm a FATHER, dammit.

[MSwiss]

I know you posted on liking to polish as you go, to get into the hard spots,
but you might be doing yourself a disservice by continually cleaning as you go.
A little oil from your fingers might help protect the wire and brass.

Also the final step might be a little too much, baking soda, ultra sonic cleaner,
oven, etc.

Especially an ultra sonic cleaner. I've heard of and witnessed too many horror stories with them
to ever use one again. Guys would send in good arms to armature reconditioners and would get
them back with "opens" where the brazes connecting the wire to the com were eroded/ultra soniced away.

I would just keep a bucket of soapy(Dawn is fine)water near your work bench and periodically
dunk the jig with the chassis on it into it. Dab it 95% dry with some paper towels and move on.
If you think your tap water is funky, certainly go to distilled.

Last, but not least, you probably already do it, but don't leave any quantity of flux out
on your work bench. Just pour a tiny bit in a tire tube cap and refill as needed.

BTW, nice bend on the top, gear side brace wire.