28 replies to this topic

[MSwiss]

It's been 2005 since I've made a big effort to win a race, but if I was to break that 12-year streak, in the case of the new Red Fox guide, and its durability concerns, regardless if I had a "stock" or pinned one, right before I teched, I would pull the body off and dip the nose in a container of boiling water (obviously submerging the guide) for at least a few minutes, to try to get some moisture into the material.

 

I have the boiled my last three batches of guides, and I've noticed that the thin section of the flag, is fairly pliable right after boiling, and even a few hours afterwards, but each subsequent day, they seem to get stiffer and stiffer.

 

When I ran my theory by a local racer, earlier today, he asked if I think it would hurt the car's speed.

 

I honestly don't know, but you could test it ahead of time to confirm it one way or another.

[bbr]

Just putting the guide in a cup of water between race events will possibly retain enough moisture to prevent breakage.

 

I see some testing will need to be conducted.

 

Guide boiling stations in the hot pits!!!

[Bill from NH]

I've been boiling guides since the Jet flag days. Not too scientific, but I've always thought that using boiling helped relieve any molding stresses as well as adding moisture.

[MSwiss]

After I posted I went to another racer and without explaining anything, I had him flex those thin surfaces with his thumbs, on two different (pink) guides.

 

I asked if there was any difference, and without hesitation, he said the second one was more flexible.

 

Both had been boiled Saturday morning.

 

The second one was reboiled, here at the raceway, about an hour before I had him try the comparison test.

[Steve Deiters]

Mike Swiss,

 

Boiling the flags: I know this is an oft-mentioned technique but how long do you boil them?

[kvanpelt]

I'm going to run my pink one unboiled this weekend at the ROC. We'll see if it can stand up to the test!

[MSwiss]

I'm not sure if there is an optimum time.

All I know is reboiling a flag that was boiled three days earlier, and probably a month before that when Gugu dyed them, was pliable  again.

[Eddie Fleming]

I am going to stir the pudding on this one.

 

If the Red Fox guide is that prone to breakage I may well put Parma guides back on my cars.

 

I am not going to reboil my guide just before the race.

 

I have several Red Fox guides on cars and have had no problems to this point. I think these were sent out before Mike started boiling them.

[MSwiss]

So you are going to replace something that hasn't given you trouble? LOL.

I think the issues have been all on high-speed tracks, like Gerding Kings and Englemans, with wide turns.

I haven't seen any breakage on my track, but most of the usage of them has been on wing cars, and our wing racing has been real clean lately.

[Eddie Fleming]

No, I am not replacing them, but if breakage becomes a problem for me I will before I start reboiling them before a race.

 

Hey Mike, I know you started of with, "What I would do" and that is fine. My point if I have one is that is pretty extreme.

[MSwiss]

I guess my advice was aimed at the racer who isn't willing to give up the .05-.1 improvement in lap times most people cite.

[Matt Sheldon]

I'll simply stick with finishing the race.

[Dave Crevie]

Back in the day you had to boil Associated R/C car nylon parts to finish a race. Although I can't imagine why

boiling the flag would slow the car down, it seems that finishing the race would be preferable to loosing a few

hundredths of time in each heat. 

[MSwiss]

Did you periodically do it, or just once?

[tonyp]

We did it just once.

[Phil Hackett]

Try boiling in anti-freeze.....

[MSwiss]

Sounds like a Stage III guide in the works. LOL

[Half Fast]

 i think this thread should be in racer recipes

 

I suggest boiling the guide until it is al dente

 

Cheers

[MSwiss]

Try boiling in anti-freeze.....

Phil,

Do you think I should leave the pin out and just "Phil" up the cavity with the anti-freeze?

 

Would you be able to screw-machine me up some leak-proof plugs?

[Zippity]

Are you saying that these new guides are permeable?

 

I doubt it

[Half Fast]

I think the heating by boiling "relaxes" the stresses caused by the cutting of the threads as wll as any molded in stresses.

 

Cheers

[gotboostedvr6]

I agree with Bill.

[Phil Hackett]

Anti-freeze boils at a much higher temp.... higher temp, less time..

[Gator Bob]

To Phil's point, with a pressure cooker you can bring the boiling point of H2O up to ~250 deg.

 

To Sam's point, my wife is all Italian and said if I wash it first I could stick it in her sauce if I want it to turn red. She's from Lodi, NJ and doesn't ever call it gravy.

[Dave Crevie]

Boiled just once, for ten minutes. Ernie Provetti told me back then that it de-stressed the parts, like

drawing back heat treated steel parts. All i know is it worked.