67 replies to this topic

[Dennis David]

I think this chassis is a great idea and the work that went into this should be commended.

[Dave Crevie]

Well, the car had it's first trial by fire yesterday in the Can-Am class at the fun race at Chicagoland Raceway. There

is a surprising large turnout of top retro racers at this event, and I knew it wouldn't be a front runner. But I needed

to see how it would fare in a real race scenario. I found myself being a little over cautious in the first heats, and

actually really never did push the car as hard as I should have. It turned out that the car was more forgiving than I

expected, and on many instances when I though I had over cooked a corner, the car made it through. The car 

was under geared, lacking bank speed, but I wanted to keep as much brakes as I could. Normally I would not

run a Falcon or Hawk FK type motor on the king, simply because of the limited braking, and I am a late braker.

I need to change my driving style, or switch to a Pro-Slot motor. The car certainly did not embarrass itself.

I will continue to try some other tuning tricks, the next is to change to ball bearing fronts. 

 

Some results from yesterday;

 

                                             Best practice lap,           4.983

 

                                             Best race lap,                 5.093

 

                                             Worst race lap,               5.562

 

                                             Total laps,                      170

 

                                             Winning lap total,           194

 

                                             Best overall lap,             4.659

 

                                             Mean lap time for race,  4.924

 

So, now a few more changes and see what happens.

[Superbird]

Come on guys! Somebody has the cart before the horse! The correct process is to print out the prototype, check it and then print out the mold to cast them with!

 

Hot Wheels and been doing this stuff for years! Go to the Dollar Tree and find the Precision Casting you find on the inertia wheel cars for a BUCK!  

 

Come back when you get yer stuff together!

[MSwiss]

Sorry, but I know Steve, and this project didn't justify making a mold, 3D printed, or otherwise.

There isn't enough demand for 1/24 commercial track parts, and if there was, a 3D mold probably wouldn't hold up.

Why 3D-printed molds aren't everything they're cracked up to be

[Dave Crevie]

Pete,

 

You missed the whole point. The reasons, and there are several, for making these chassis by 3D printing start with low cost of manufacturing only a few copies. If Steve could sell thousands, it would pay to have permanant molds made. As it is, I don't think 100 were sold so far.

 

Second, using 3D printing allows for engineering changes to be made quickly and cheaply.

 

Third, if you get a short order of chassis with special features, these can be done without having to make expensive changes to the tooling, only to have to change back after the special order is run.

 

I have been involved in manufacturing for almost 50 years, and I can tell you that 3D printing is as much of a boon to the industry as CNC controls.  

[Superbird]

HI Guys,
 
All good points. However, the discussion of price point (compared to hand soldered chassis) freezes this effort in the realm of driving your prototyping tool (master part) around the track. I guess that is not so bad when all the major teams in F1, ALMS, etc. are doing just that. It just isn't good business and overlooks the potential for a much lower cost product for everybody else.

If you have not seen this happening already in 32nd slot cars it wouldn't hurt to look into that. After all, they know a thing or two about making plastic chassis work on the track.
 
I'm no stranger to manufacturing myself and understand the role that build-test-build plays in maturing a product. Especially if you have customers willing to pay for your development program. Go for it! It will be interesting to see something new in slot cars like maybe 3D printing using materials stiffer than spring steel. That would be pushing the tech!
 
Pete

[MSwiss]

This is Steve's project, not mine or Dave's.
 
Regardless, Steve is a family man, who is an engineer http://www.aam.com/]HEREand I don't think he has the time, anymore, to devote to it.
 
Before he and his wife had a second child, and moved from this area, to take that job in his old hometown, he did find time to whip this up for me, from which my vacuform Retro body mold was made from.
 


I wouldn't be interested in trying to injection mold a 1/24 chassis, or try to convince someone like JK to do it, until about 500 more commercial raceways opened up. And even then, I would hesitate.
 
BRM used one in their 1/24 car. I don't know if that particular chassis is still being sold/used, but I do know they did go to a metal one, and now those car drive pretty darn nice.
 
So I guess what I'm saying is, if you want the tech pushed, go ahead and push it.

[Superbird]

The introduction of digital design into slot car racing is laudable and yes, I have done a little.

One of my efforts have been in the form of high end prototyping for specialty Vintage slot cars. The combination of 'alternate future' original designs (like the Classic Stinger) and breaking processes like metal matrix materials and brush-less high torque motors can produce slot cars that are high tech works of art. (Fast, too...)

Yes, I also try to keep my controller hand in shape with the occasional silhouette series race (GTP/Can-Am) on road courses. Not that I'm any good at any of these things...

[MSwiss]

Come on guys! Somebody has the cart before the horse! The correct process is to print out the prototype, check it and then print out the mold to cast them with!
 
Hot Wheels has been doing this stuff for years! Go to the Dollar Tree and find the Precision Casting you find on the inertia wheel cars for a BUCK!  
 
Come back when you get yer stuff together!

 

Next time you come in cold on an 1-1/2 year old thread, populated by people you don't know, I suggest you Google "tact" before you hit submit with such a rude, condescending post.

[Superbird]

Fair enough. I humbly apologize for my lack of tact. 

 

I will also be tactful enough not to mention the name of a thread that touched upon plastic chassis and included a picture posted by RichKraft -  Rich Austin on 07 November 2011. The subject is not a new one and I can remain thankful that slot car builders are still being innovative.

[MSwiss]

Thanks.

IIRC, that was the tilting 1/32nd police car.

There wasn't any claim in this thread that Steve was the first to 3D print a slot car part.

Anyway, your anglewinder Stinger looks cool.

Keep the Slotblogger's abreast of it's progress.

[Dave Crevie]

The chassis I tested is not a one-off prototype. It is the same chassis you will get if you order one. Steve previously

did all the prototyping and testing well before he started selling them. In fact, his first 3D chassis was made about

five or six years ago, and covered on Slotblog. 

 

Incidently, I am very versed in what is going on with home-set 1/32 cars. I have been in the past a regular contributor

to Home Racing World. So far most of the chassis have been made on FDM machines, which in my opinion, have

very limited value for that purpose. The Rapidslot chassis is done on a powder media machine, which does have the

capability of creating metal parts.  

[MSwiss]

Dave,
Good guess on 5 or 6 years.

The hot rod chassis probably was first run in 2011.

Jimmi Bostrom died in late 2011, and he had one of the first ones Steve made.

[Dave Crevie]

Good job on the research, Mike. You and I both also got prototypes of these. Remember how hard you tried to break one?

That was that main fear we had, that the chassis would not be able to take a hit. Steve proved us wrong.

[Superbird]

Wow! We are planning a Concours d'Elegance contest with categories for collectors including untouched originals, survivors, restorations, and recreations. I have several SMEs helping compile categories and judging guidelines. I'd love to include a category or two for slot car engineering! The Hot Rod in the picture would make a wonderful entrant! Maybe I need to recruit an automotive engineering SME as well. 

[Dave Crevie]

That hot rod chassis is still available from Shapeways. $39.95

[Superbird]

In 1964 a racer could buy an exciting new slot car for about $6. That translates to about $46 today.

 

Earlier today I bought this lovely Lamborghini Reventon Roadster. It is motorized with left, right, forward and reverse buttons. It is not the world's most advanced RC car but the precision of the molding and mechanical operation are remarkably good. It runs as well as any small RC car I've ever encountered.

 

This car cost $5. That is about a third the price of a pair of slot car tires.

Attached Images

• 

[Superbird]

I figured I'd try a plastic chassis myself.  

 

I stripped the chassis from my $5 RC car and made it into a nice little retro machine. The radio is going into a model boat and the drive train is going into a 24th slot semi tractor to pull my transporter trailer so I figure I got my $5 worth. The plastic bottom pan is gravy.

 

I've run the bugs out of the chassis on my test track and she runs a whole lot better than that Teflon slab my buddy struggled with back in the early '70s. (See RichKraft Rich Austin photo Posted 07 November 2100). It isn't a push button prototype but it will get around the track. 

 

Superbird

Attached Images

• 
• 
• 
• 
•