105 replies to this topic

[dc-65x]

WAFFLE, WAFFLE, WAFFLE.........I'VE GOT TO STOP WAFFLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

OK here goes with the chassis. I'm going with the darling of the early scratch builders, the Russkit #795 axle bracket:

 

 

I was going to use these for my bearing setup but...........

 

 

...............I WAFFLED AGAIN!

 

I wanted the look of 5/32" brass tube but that's too easy....needed to kick it up a notch. So I machined my own "brass tube" bushings:

 

 

I used 3/16" brass rod and turned a 5/32" diameter for the first .100". The ID was reamed .125" through. The first .150" of the bearing was drilled oversized at .128" to leave only .250" of actual bearing surface:

 

 

The Russkit bracket is so flimsy before it gets braced I decided to make a Gizmo to help support it:

 

 

It's a piece of 3/8" tube that slides over the rear axle to keep the arms of the bracket from accidentally squeezing in during the build:

 

 

Good idea? Bad idea? We'll see.....it was fun to make though

 

Onward

[SlotStox#53]

Some trick machining & resulting axle tubing Rick ! Definitely kicking it up a notch !

[Pablo]

I say "good idea" from the standpoint of increasing the soldering surface for rail uprights, and strengthening the brackets.

[Steve Okeefe]

Rick,

 

You wrote: "It's a piece of 3/8" tube that slides over the rear axle to keep the arms of the bracket from accidentally squeezing in during the build:"

 

Good idea!

 

But...

 

It's made of brass...  Be careful you don't accidentally solder it into the chassis.  Why not aluminum?

[dc-65x]

 

Why not aluminum?

 

Hi Steve,

 

Aluminum reacts with the copious amounts of acid flux and heat I use and kind of makes a mess on the brass. I made the Gizmo several sizes larger in diameter than the bushings. I soldered the bushing in with the Gizmo in place without incident. My plan is to use the Gizmo to get the main rails installed then ditch it and install bracket bracing.

 

That is my thinking........or lack thereof

[Steve Okeefe]

You're right...  Aluminum + acid flux = bad...

 

As Miss Emily Litella sez..  Nevermind...

[dc-65x]

OK, finally got back to building. I've been busy getting my order finalized for my Christmas present....you can't start holiday shopping too early!

 

This is going to be a GP car for the 3rd R&C race so the chassis needs to be skinny. It's going to be a 3-railer out of rod, not tube:

 

 

I used the inner most holes in my Rick's Jig and slipped a piece of 3/32" tube over the pins. That gives a spacing of .780" between the inner rails:

 

 

It's a simple period design. The rails were bent with that nice gentle radius using a pin tube bender custom made for me by one of, if not the best scratch builder in the world.........THANKS!

 

 

The 3rd race report shows the use of rear axle braces was starting to take hold. In the 4th R&C race the "arch" or U-shaped brace was used:

 

 

Since I lived in So Cal in the 60's we were inundated by VW Bugs and their ad campaigns:

 

 

The famous VW "Arch" and it's inherent strength was ingrained in the physique:

 

 

So, I used my lazy man's version of Pablo's bending Gizmo..............

 

 

.........to bend up an arch shaped axle brace:

 

 

Between the axle brace and the inner rails running right up in the corners of the bracket, it's a pretty strong and simple setup:

 

 

Here's the almost finished center section:

 

 

 

 

 

Time for a drop arm........

[Tex]

Well, THAT didn't take too long!

 

By the way, what IS that gizmo called(that you bent the brace around)? And how do you get the rod to conform to it when bending it?

[dc-65x]

Hi Rich,

 

Google "ring sizer sticks"

 

[Pablo]

Elegant in it's simplicity
I am loving it !

[SlotStox#53]

Top notch chassis Rick , gonna look good all buttoned up

[dc-65x]

Yes, simpler times in the slot car world for sure.

 

The drop arm is soldered up. I've just got to trim off the excess and put the buff to it......

[dc-65x]

Here's the 3-rail drop arm all buffed up:

 

 

Race #3 was too early for a "wall of rod" drop arm with as many pieces of brass rod as would fit inside the chassis:

 

 

Here's how I used my Rick's Jig to build the drop arm for a Russkit Slant Guide. Two pieces of 1/16" X 1/4" brass strip center the guide in the jig's slot....

 

 

.....like so:

 

 

Since I'm running the required ,062" clearance and the braid is about .020" thick, I raise the chassis up .040" with shim stock:

 

 

Tape is used over the guide to protect it from the acid flux and the drop arm is built up in the jig. You've got to work fast when soldering in the 3/16" tube or the guide will be, "melt city Earl".

 

The drop arm pivot will be plenty sloppy. To fix that simply put a slight bend in the 1/16" pivot tube. The slop goes away the the drop arm still move freely:

 

 

The chassis is almost finished:

 

 

 

 

I've always been more of a "builder" than a "racer". I used to polish the pee out of my chassis in the 60's and I enjoy doing it today.............."If it don't go, chrome it!"

 

 

[Pablo]

Super Kleen !!! Perfect !!!

[SlotStox#53]

Simply elegant F1 chassis Rick

[Steve Okeefe]

Very nice; a fine example of a fully evolved lightweight all-brass F1 chassis, expertly rendered!

 

Beautiful design and craftsmanship, Rick.  I heard a rumor about some fancy wheels...

[SlotStox#53]

Yeah , wonder what the *fancy* wheels are gonna look like

[dc-65x]

Thanks!

 

Tomorrow is "fancy wheel" day...............

 

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dc-65x]

Fancy Lad wheel time.......well.........more like semi fancy really.

 

But first I wanted to show a picture of how to setup the motor bracket angle for the larger rear tires used in R&C. I forgot to show a picture like this during the chassis construction:

 

 

The motor bracket isn't parallel with the track like it is when using modern small tires. It's angled down to lower the CG.

 

OK, back to wheels and tires. For the rears I'm using the real deal VC's greys on our repop Russkit extra wide rear wheels:

 

 

This is the way I've been modifying the rims to better work with foam tires. The wheel on the right has the outside flange cut at an angle to snuggle up the the donut better. The inside flange is removed:

 

 

They get bonded to the rims with yellow contact cement:

 

 

The fronts are Russkit 1/32 scale front tires on 1/24 repop Russkit front wheels. As you can see it quite a stretch to get them on the larger rims. Epoxy is a good adhesive as it acts as a lubricant to help align the tire to the rim before it sets up.

 

 

This is the setup Mike Morrissey could very well have used on his Lotus 40 in the 4th R&C race:

 

 

The tires were a bit out of round. When trued up they were right at the legal 7/8 diameter limit. Unfortunately, the tread was gone from the high spots. If I would have had more diameter to work with I would have just ground all the tread off.....but I didn't.

 

I remembered Rodney has re-cut tread with an Exacto saw so I gave it a try. I placed the saw upside down against the tool post of my little lathe and went to town. It worked great    :

 

 

Next up it's time to get the Russkit/VC "Pro style" wheels and tires semi fancy with these:

 

[dc-65x]

Those oxidized Cox Ferrari wheels are going to become some nifty wheel inserts for my Russkit setscrew wheels. Maybe in the day I could have scrounged up some plastic Ferrari wheel inserts from a Strombecker kit or whatever. Today, I found the Cox Extra Narrow front wheels on eBay for $5.99.

 

My Cyclone Bench Top micro bead blaster started the process:

 

 

This handy little blaster is only 18" wide and costs a bit over $160. I run it off a small pancake air compressor I got on sale at Sears. The glass bead dust all over the place is the result of the gloves finally rotting out. I didn't notice the holes until I was done.........too late! New gloves are on the way for $9.40.

 

Micro bead blasting makes quick work of the old Cox wheels:

 

 

Here's a before and after "the blast". Notice all the casting "flash" on the middle wheel. It is quickly trimmed off with an Exacto knife as shown on the right:

 

 

The next step in the wheel insert process is to turn the diameter of the wheels to .500":

 

 

The inserts were the right diameter but too thick. A blank "pot chuck" is bored to .500" to hold the insert:

 

 

Now the insert can be narrowed up:

 

 

Here's the finished product. The rear inserts (on the right) were left a bit thicker than the front:

 

 

The finished inserts weigh almost nothing:

 

 

A little blue paint on the inserts and black on the insides of the rims. A final touch was to remove the blue paint from the lug nuts and their done:

 

 

The time for track testing is getting closer. This car will be the first new build test on my Gary Gerding commercial quality home track! I'm a lucky guy. The only thing that could be better would be to have other vintage "nuts"  locally to share the fun with.

 

I'm sure glad there's Slotblog for us "nuts" to all get together and share or hobby....thanks Greg Wells!

[TSR]

Rick,

I hope that you already did it but I recommend a coating of clear polyurethane spray before tire mounting and grinding, otherwise the wheels will turn ugly again soon enough...

[dc-65x]

Hi Philippe,

 

The magnesium Cox "wheel inserts" are all coated in blue paint. Once polished, the aluminum Russkit wheels seem to hold their shine well with no coating.

[SlotStox#53]

Looking good Rick The grey sponge contrasts perfectly with the bright blue Cox Ferrari wheel inserts !

[Pablo]

Holy Cow !

[SlotStox#53]

 

 

The only thing that could be better would be to have other vintage "nuts"  locally to share the fun with.

 

 

Any cheap property in your neck of the woods Rick?