24 replies to this topic

[Steve Okeefe]

The "Wet Wick"

By Don Siegel

 

 

The first most of us heard of a "wet wick" was in the May 1966 issue of Rod & Custom, with the now classic report by Gene Husting on the first Rod & Custom Road Race.

 

 

 

So, what was this "wet wick", that could shave a full half-second off lap times? Not to mention letting a Tyco motor, even a hopped-up one with a rewound Pittman DC-65 arm, outpace the rewound Mabuchi…

 

The idea is to continuously "wet" the commutator with a cleaning fluid (If I remember correctly, the recommended potion was "Horton's trumpet valve oil"). As anybody who uses today's "com drops" knows, this generally produces an instant increase in motor speed, although it soon drops back to normal speed. But what if this product were applied continuously? Lap records!

 

The concept must have been around for awhile, because the first – and only – commercial product was listed in the preview section of the November 1965 issue of Car Model magazine.

 

 

 

 

In the report on the first R&C Road Race, it was clearly stated that the rules did not allow the use of a wick. But in the second R&C Road Race, there was once again a Tyco-powered car entered, by one B.G. Denithorne, who finished 4th in the semi (after a run-off) and 5th in the main.

 

This time, the caption says he used a "wet" Pittman DC-65 armature, and he broke the track record on his qualifying run, the first, although finally qualifying 8th.  The first article explains that, "In the future races, wicks without oil tanks will be allowed, so maybe we will be able to have a more varied type of motors."

 

But B.G.'s Tyco-65X-powered Lotus would be the last non-tin can powered car in this series…

 

 

 

 

Period cars with wet wicks

 

Over the years of ebay, I've managed to find two period examples of these kinds of cars.

 

 

 

The first very closely tracks the layout of the two cars entered in the R&C races: a Tyco motor with what looks like a DC-65 arm, Weldun gears, a scratchbuilt chassis with a Kemtron rear end…

 

On this one, the wick arrangement is home-made, and there is no "tank" for the commutator fluid, just a tube holding the wick, which rides on the commutator.  A clean soldering job, very nicely done, with ball bearings on the rear axle, and a cut-down Ford Spyder body….

 

Not sure if the body or the extra wide rear tread were originally planned on this car, or it they and the tiny front wheels (Cox) were added in a bid to stay competitive.

 

 

 

 

 

The other car, a Ford GT, is a rather interesting case. According to the guy who sold me this car on ebay, he did a small production run of this type of car at the time. Given the rather shoddy production, that seems unlikely, but perhaps it was damaged in combat and modified over the years….

 

This one uses the Concourse Rev-Up Tank, a Pittman DC-65 (X, I assume) sidewinder motor and a homemade magnesium or aluminum frame, plus what I think is a Speedway rear-end setup.

 

The front axle moves up and down in slots on the chassis, and the wheels are Speedway type drag wheels, with ball bearings in the hub. A Russkit slant guide peeking out the front and fairly approximate soldering and construction all around. Was this at all competitive in the weekly races? We'll probably never know…

 

 

 

 

 

After mid-66, with the advent of the rewound Mabuchi, we don't hear any more about wicks, wet or "dry"… So this was a rather short episode in the history of slot racing, one that made a short splash, so to speak, and then disappeared.

 

Unless, of course, any of you know differently…

[Tex]

Man, I've ALWAYS loved history... of any kind! Thanks!

[SteveDee]

The same race report also mentions power brakes, how did that work? It was obviously something that faded away , too.

[TSR]

The same report should have had a recommendation and an address for a soldering school! 

[S.O. Watt]

Power Brakes were just that- powered. A battery of some size was added in the brake circuit. I never tried one, and they were pretty much outlawed by '67ish.

And if I remember correctly, them big old drag motors, the Pittmans and Kemtrons, ran wicks and up to 36 volts.....

[Old pink can guy]

Steve I do remember a dics of fiber mounted on the gear side. When you let off the it was kinda like a disc brake. Maybe the all knowing Dokk.can help us out. Ken 

[don.siegel]

Two different things; power brakes were also called reverse polarity braking, and just meant putting 3 or 6v battery(ies) in the dynamic braking circuit, which would turn the wheels the wrong way when you let up! Very much a reaction to the early 36Ds and other motors that had very little in the way of brakes, especially when rewound. Many raceways were pro and con on these, and it touched off some real arguments. 

 

Besides often being considered illegal, when the Arco and similar magnets came out in 1967, racers didn't need the power brakes any more! 

 

Classic used a "disc brake" on their Gamma Ray, in which the motor could tilt on deacceleration and rub one disc against another for braking... a few other manufacturers had various types of mechanical brakes, none of which proved very practical - and again, with the advent of good magnets they weren't needed any more. 

 

Philippe, I always hesitate to criticize the soldering involved, because after nearly a half century, we don't really know what the original looked like. All this could just be jury-rigged repairs in the heat of battle - or not! 

 

I never saw the wet wick being used on drag cars: would have made sense, but they were probably considered illegal... 

 

Nobody here ever used a wick at the time? Would love to hear some first-hand experience! 

 

Don 

[merkit the grof]

I have a car with a little wick without an oil tank

 

The motor is a shortened 16D with DC65 arm and Pittman brushes.

Sadly, the motor is soldered in, and it is really tricky getting a good shot of it.

But, here goes

 

 

 

Joel

[don.siegel]

Thanks Joel! Is it that little doohicky soldered to the bottom frame rail? 

 

Have you run this car? Curious how a 16D/65X would run... 

 

I actually had fantasies of entering a car at last year's Bordo (Le Mans theme, 2-man teams) that would have a wick, and I would pull in at the half way point to "top it up".... 

 

Don 

[SlotStox#53]

Cool! Love the sound of the wicks, definitely a unique idea..

 

Joel , how does that 16D/65 motor run? Sounds a pretty hairy combination. Looks like a simco endbell?

[olderracer]

Well, here's that old guy again.  Yes, I ran wicks in three cars-one Tyco sidewinder/65A6V conversion and two Pitman 65A6V cars.  The wicks did in fact make a noticeable difference in speed.  Never used the tank--just soldered a sharpened piece of tubing to the rear axle tubes and gently crammed/impaled a shaped piece of felt into the appropriate position.  We used a com cleaner in a spray can called "Wishhh" to soak the felt.

 

Maybe if I ever get around to that "Tyco-B" conversion I'll try it again...........

 

                                ----------Regards---------Jack

[SlotStox#53]

Maybe if I ever get around to that "Tyco-B" conversion I'll try it again...........

 

                                ----------Regards---------Jack

 

Jack would love to see that conversion  

[Mark H]

there was a seller on ebay with multiple cars by the same builder im guessing with the tanks and wicks. they looked really cool but where pretty beat up so i didnt bid on any.

[JohnnySlotcar]

I have a nos in the box with paperwork , "Rev up gas tank" by Concourse Products, Sherman Oaks ca.  available for interesting trade!

[George Blaha]

Hi, I ran wicks with various lubes on the pittmans and early mabucci motors as they all had nylon coms and this not only made them faster but reduced the melting of the segments to maintain alignment. I employed the

use of reverse polarity braking but I needed to remember to turn on the reverse polarity switch back on after shutiing down after a track call or the car would have no brakes between the com lube and open brake circuit. Many of us  

used a lantern battery or a large dry cell. If you want a real good mabucci give it a ram arm as they have great coms and 7 poles.

[Uncle Fred]

George, I remember the braking but not the your wick endevors.......

[George Blaha]

uncle fred, I the stole the wics from standard ignition blue streak points. a simple hole in top of mabucci endbelle. when the better bakealite coms came out and thorpe engineerirng balanced and cut coms, brush spring tension could be reduced and lube did not save the eploding coms but i was 15 years old without a infared heat detector .......what the hell was that.......and having too much fun till 2 in the am. pittman never improved their nylon com but some 5 lug coms were made by ram engineering for a short tme. I never claimed to be a wick guru but i did use some and for the reasons listed earlier. I remember useing tv tuner cleaner [non flamable] (from lafayette electronics) on the wic {for clean and lube} and h2o.

[ajd350]

Ah yes...I can almost smell the Holton Valve Oil....it was blue and made the motors scream. My Dad also tried the wick and had a can of Wissshh around for a while.

[merkit the grof]

Joel , how does that 16D/65 motor run? Sounds a pretty hairy combination. Looks like a simco endbell?

I've never tried it, I will put it in my box and give it a try.

 

I have a 36D with a "Ramboochi" modification, but I must admit that I am totally underwelmed by the preformance.

 

 

Joel

[boxerdog]

I remember douching everything with Wissshhh and Channel Master!!!! Never had a wick, though.

[Gary Bluestone]

I tried some CC Conn trumpet rotary valve oil, and some generic trumpet valve oil from our Local music store "Long and McQuade" and both worked well at cleaning the arm of a RP66.  They both say they contain petroleum distilates. The rotary oil is supposed to be higher viscosity. I'd like to know what type of oil it  really is exactly   . Looks easy enough to make a copper tube holder, now I have to find a suitable "wick" .    Any ideas ? It looks like the Holton oil lists mineral spirits, and silicone as ingredient. Mineral Spirits is sold also under the name Varsol by ESSO but Trumpet oil must have some oil too. Also charcoal starter fluid is mostly if not completely mineral spirits and flamable too. I guess I'll see if Trumpet oil is flamable !!!

[tonyp]

Never used a wick but our weekly races were three laps on all eight lanes to qualify, so a shot of Tigers Milk on the comm of my 65a lasted about two really fast laps. Just juce it every heat.

[Jaz]

Tiger's Milk on the comm and oil of wintergreen on the tires!!

I can still smell it 50 years later!

[Mark Wampler]

Cool, yeah. 

Larry Shephard used those tanks on his enduro cars. He could rewind a Pittman 65, turn it into a 3 volt motor. He used trombone oil in his tanks.

[Ramcatlarry]

Power Brakes:  A vital tool when racing Alnico magnet (Pittman, etc) against all ceramic magnet cars.  I uses a 4-cell AA pack with an aligator clip in the brake circuit...pre 1969 when I retired my pittmans.

 

Wicks:  Never used a commercial wick, BUT in the 1950's, we used ink pen tubes for free-flight 1/2 A model airplanes to control fight time (under 2" long X 3/16"?) for a fuel supply.  I know I had one on my Ram and Pittman drag motors before 1965 with a drip arrangement.