3139 replies to this topic

[Mopar Rob]

I soldered the center together first in my jig. I set up the jig with the pins for a 3/16 gap. Put the brass rods and piano wire in there and just soldered it together. After that I hit it quickly with the micro torch to make it all flow, while it was still molten I also gave it a gentle squeeze with pliers to help hold it tight while cooling.

I have had those issues in the past while building Samson F1 copies, but that was because I had just tack it where the pan stops were. I have actually had less problems soldering the complete rails instead of tack soldering.

[gascarnut]

Part of the trick is how you apply the heat while soldering.

I try to get the iron touching only the steel and let the steel heat the brass. That way, the steel gets hotter than the brass and the differential expansion is reduced. Lots of flux helps, and of course you need to apply the solder to the hot parts, not carry it to the joint on the iron.

Even with this technique, it is difficult to keep everything flat and straight. I generally start at one end and make sure the other end is not constrained so the things can expand without restraint. Or if I have to solder both ends of a rail first, then I don't try to solder brass and steel together over the whole length of a rail, I just tack-solder them where I need them to be joined.

[Tex]

Too much trouble. Bein' flat's not all it's cracked up to be; what's .015" among friends?

[Pablo]

you need to apply the solder to the hot parts, not carry it to the joint on the iron.

Steube breaks this "rule" a lot in his retro video. Dennis, would you care to elaborate why the "solder on the tip" transfer is bad ? Of course I value your opinion !!!

[gascarnut]

Steube breaks this "rule" a lot in his retro video. Dennis, would you care to elaborate why the "solder on the tip" transfer is bad ? Of course I value your opinion !!!

Pablo, apart from the fact that that is what soldering training courses teach as the correct technique, there are IMO (and please note, this is just my opinion) a number of reasons which apply to us:

1. Applying the solder to the joint instead of the iron gives better control of how much solder is in the joint. Everyone is always asking about how to remove excess solder, the trick is not to put it there in the first place!
2. If the solder has a flux core and that flux is useful to you (like a rosin flux core when soldering brass to brass), then applying the solder to the iron will boil off the flux before it gets to the workpiece.
3. As stated above, if you want to differentially heat two parts being soldered together, you need to have a clean iron, otherwise you will transfer all the solder to one side of the joint, or the solder on the iron will heat up both parts at the same rate.
4. It takes an iron with more heat capacity to carry the solder to the workpiece and still get a decent joint. Granted, heating the parts up first requires a good jig so nothing moves around, but in the long run you will get a better joint.

The only use for applying solder to the iron first should be to provide a small amount that will improve the thermal contact between the iron and the workpiece to heat it up faster.

There are always exceptions of course - like the need to "tack" a joint, especially somewhere that is difficult to reach. We all do it, and

[Pablo]

Cool info.....uh, I mean "hot"

So, you won't arrest me if I break the rules every now and then ?
Appreciate the insight, Dennis. I always try and improve.
Sometimes I wish I had a smaller tip for this 455.......

Sorry for drift

[Josh Crutchfield]

Here is a couple pics of my latest build. I guess it would be considered a tripod.
It has a 4.00 wheelbase and a 5.00 GL. The mainrails are double .062, .064 nose piece and side pans, and .032 flapper. The bracket is from JK. The total weight should be around 109 grams.

[Richie]

Really nice work as usual Josh! I'm sure it'll run well!!!!

-Richie

[Ken Bryan]

Built a tripod chassis just for fun. Still needs pin tubes and bearing work, but the rest is done. Used brass rails because I thought double steel rails would make it too stiff for my flat track. Nose piece cut out for me by Warmack. Bent the pans themselves for the down stop. Decided all the up stop ideas I knew were so boring. Hence the "arrow" up stop. May not work, but it adds a little pizazz to the chassis, don't you think?




Ken Bryan

[Tex]

Good job, Bryan! Thinkin' inside the box only gets you the same 4 walls to look at. Well, OK, maybe some wins too. But at least thinkin' outside the box you get to see beautiful new scenery on the way to bein' a also-ran. LOL Just speakin' of my own personal experience.

[tonyp]

Thinking outside the box is ok as long as you can still see the box..

[Craig]

Hey all, some new builds coming off the jig. The first two were built for Haruki Kan of Tokyo Japan. He will have a Gerding King up and running by the middle of next month. Get those plane tickets purchased for the very first Far East Retro race.

Retro Pro is the first two pics, my typical light weight design with an O/S Honda body, CORT guide tongue and CORT horse power.





In the next two pics is a D3 Retro Coupe using an M&M style nose piece, CORT guide tongue, original M&M pans and a True Scale Lola T70 body..

[Craig]

Next,

Here is a setup I built for Herman James. It's a 4-1/2" Retro Nascar done up NorCal style. Warmack kit with a twist. Check out the loop up and over the main rails.

[John Miller]

Nice build Josh.

Out of curosity, I noticed what appears to be hinge points in horizontal and vertical positions. Am I correct?

I'm just curious. . .

[Josh Crutchfield]

Nice build Josh.

Out of curosity, I noticed what appears to be hinge points in horizontal and vertical positions. Am I correct?

I'm just curious. . .

Thanks John.

The sidepans are not hinged. They are connected by the front pintube and the bite bar. The pans just float in the square tubing in the front and back. The only hinge on the chassis is in the front on the flapper.

Josh

[John Miller]

Like a shaker assembly, right?

[Mopar Rob]

.

Craig:

As always, nice clean work. A true artist.

[gascarnut]

A few frames for some potential German visitors to BPR in October:

Jaildoor sports cars:





Retro Nascars:

[Mopar Rob]

You've been busy? As always nice builds

[gascarnut]

You've been busy? As always nice builds

Thanks!

Yes, busy - serial #203 is on the jig right now (I started numbering in 2004 when I got back into scratchbuilding)

[tonyp]

Did you make the JD brackets? Very nice, all of them....

[gascarnut]

Did you make the JD brackets? Very nice, all of them....

Thanks!

I make all my own inline brackets, as I like to use .040 material, and then I can play with the distance between the axle and the motor. Right now all my brackets are 9/16" between the motor mounting face and the axle centerline.

The anglewinders have the new Chicagoland bracket, which is a nice piece too.

[tonyp]

Did you find .040 brass strip or cutting it out of pieces of plate?

[gascarnut]

Did you find .040 brass strip or cutting it out of pieces of plate?

I buy offcuts of .040 at Industrial Metal Supply, then take it down to Warmack's shop and he cuts it into 1/2" strips for me.

What would we do without Bryan?

[tonyp]

Ill just ask Bryan to send me some of your next time. LOL...... Bryan has been very very good to me.