14 replies to this topic

[Duffy]

Like I said earlier, I'm beginning to bend less. Must be something about aging, I dunno.
 

 
Here's the prototype DANSE FAMBEAUX sled.
 
In addition to wrenching myself back to The Straight Life (or, at least, More In-Line with those around me), I also was messing around with the limits of how soft I could get with a small stack of rails in the short-throw of the "Forward Flex" chassis (see the NAGYKA thread for more details if you're into reading things even more agonizing than Vogon poetry).

So, this is two-plus-one of .039" rail, bound across the rear with a .047" bale that also stiffens up the rear pans. Shaker perimeter with minimized clip/clip up/downstop arrangement and crossbar of .055" inside 3/32" square tubing. All sheet .040"
 

 
The car as you see it here tips at 114 grams with a Ti shell.

This is one of those sleds that just gets guys smiling when they drive it. I wish I drove better so I could smile, too. Wanna play with it?
 
Duf

[Mike Patterson]

Nice lookin' sled, Duf. And the body's purdy, too.

[HarV Wallbanger III]

Cool!

[Duffy]

At this very moment I'm soldering up multi .032 rails for a variant on this center-section. Stay tuned.

[Tex]

Good job, Duf! Ya just can't turn that brain off, can ya?.... ya just gots ta keep buildin', eh? Rock on, Mr. Essex!

[Duffy]

Here's a progress shot, side-by-side with the protoDanse for comparison.

 

 

I got ten rails/side full-length and six more tucked under the wheels, & .062" under the guide tongue & .040" elsewhere. The little diagonals off the bracket cheeks are an attempt to secure the butt-joints of the brass panstop pieces, as well as encouraging the whole rear of the center section to stay rigid up to the front of the motor face like I've been doing.

 

Twistin' & flexin' right now, I get about the same lateral flex as the six-rail original but a whole different feel in twist: very soft for about 3-5 degrees deflection & then the resistance goes up rapidly, but smoothly. Weird, and I gotta get used to the feel.

 

Ben Kernan was asking elsewhere about these multis, & while I can't comment knowledgeably as yet I can tell a little of what was intended: this configuration and w/b-g/l was suggested by tonyp after his happy experience with the type a week or so ago, as a way of addressing shorter tracks where you can't carry the speed around quite so well. So, this is shorter than I usually do - 3.875" w/b - and got .900" lead. The whole package is far enough removed from the original DF that comparisons aren't really valid, but I'll just test it as an application to this venue.

 

Stay tuned.

[Duffy]

Okay, so I'm not tumbling or 'nothin right now, I'll just dress it out and slap a body on it.

 

 

 

[Tex]

Mmmm...... parallel rail goodness. Neat and orderly. Good job, Duf!

[Paul Jurczyszyn]

Duff,
Are those oring for rears?
Paul J

[TSR]

Duffster, please forgive this foreign humble peasant for asking, but what does "Danse Fambeaux" means? 

[Half Fast]

Its Pidgin French! Mon Ami

 

But see here:

 

 

Cheers Mon Ami

[BWA]

Ya know Duff, I really think it needs a few more rails. It's looking a little Sparse don't cha think????

[Duffy]

I agree, Al, but that was the widest nit comb I had.

[Samiam]

Duff,

 Nice job. Are you gonna' run it at SAL on Jan 4th?

[Duffy]

It's meant for less-swoopy tracks, or at least that's the intent. I'll put it out there and see.