72 replies to this topic

[dc-65x]

The Cobra motor bracket is set up in my Rick's Jig to hold it in place vertically while I solder on the notched spacer rail:

 

 

One screw has had the head diameter reduced a bit too:

 

 

I didn't trim the top of the bracket. I'll be using that real estate later (MRJ step 6):

 

 

The motor is set up with the jig pins set for a 1 1/4" wide drop arm, 2 main rails and a half rail per side (MRJ step 11):

 

 

The gears are a Fass 45T and a modern Sonic 9T 64P:

 

[dc-65x]

The half rails and motor bracket soldered to the axle tube (MRJ steps 14 - 16)...........

 

 

..........and the cross piece soldered to the half rails (MRJ step 18):

 

 

Left side inner and outer main rails tacked in place (MRJ step 20):

 

 

Right side inner and outer main rails tacked in place (MRJ step 21):

 

 

A 1/4" brass strip over the cross piece (MRJ step 23):

 

 

Front axle tube soldered by L-shaped upright all pointed forward per (MRJ step 22):

 

 

My version of a bracing for the motor bracket and left side axle tube brace (MRJ step 24):

 

 

Right side axle tube brace (MRJ step 25):

 

 

I like to leave things long to give me something to hang onto and also to aid eyeball alignment:

 

 

After a few minutes with the Dremel cutoff wheel and some 600 grit sandpaper it now looks like a center section:

 

 

 

[Pablo]

[Bill from NH]

Rick, another work that's up to your usual high standards! Those forward facing L-uprights on the front axle tube will allow more chassis rail flex. Lee Gilbert used them on most of his brass/wire chassis builds. That B-can setup fits into that motor "just-right."  Build on!

[dc-65x]

Thanks guys. I'm happy with the way it's turning out. It's flat and the rails are parallel......so far so good!

[dc-65x]

Mike made the drop arm pivot pieces cut to finished length (MRI step 26). I'm leaving the end pieces long:

 

 

The long pivot pieces can be aligned in the jig pins and the .047" wire bullet proofers are snugged up next to them:

 

 

Now the bullet proofers are nicely aligned and lightly tacked in place.....................

 

 

...........now, without anything moving out of alignment and most important,  with no burnt fingers everything is soldered to the main rails:

 

 

The excess crap-o-la is trimmed off and the drop arm pivot is done (MRJ step 27):

 

 

Drop arm is next..........

 

[TSR]

Rick, looks very nice.
Good job! If you want the motor to run good and not eat its brushes, make sure that the brushes are from a Mabuchi FT36D, not a 16D.  The "B" never ran well until Zimmerman did that, and then, others followed. Of course it was doomed anyway because of its excessive width compared to what Bob Green was already doing, hammering a can around a set of Arco "Blue Dots" mags. A whole other story...
Scott and I hope that you can make the trip to the LASCM soon and see your own beautiful replica cars that are decorating the shelves next to the real thing in the "pro" section. 

[dc-65x]

Hi Philippe,

 

I hope to make it to LASCM. I saw the Jay Leno show with LASCM and the museum, Scott and you were great. I was also surprised to see closeups of 3 of my cars. Two were displayed upside down and one without the body (a 1968 Bryan Warmack replica I never put a body on).  My favorite thing is the chassis followed by the motor and I was glad you displayed them that way. Thank you.

 

Next up on the build, I decided to install the drop arm upward stop. Notches were filed into the frame rails so the wire stop sits flush with the arm. Here's the setup:

 

 

The finished stop (MRJ step 31):

 

 

On to the drop arm. I used an end mill rather than a Dremel to cut the solder reliefs on each side of the arm. It was trimmed to length after soldering to the pivot tube (MRJ step 29):

 

 

I installed the drop arm spring at the same time. I used the short leg of the L-shaped wire spring to reinforce the joint at the pivot tube (MRJ steps 30 & 48):

 

 

Plumber time..........

 

 

[dc-65x]

The 3/32" plumber hinge tubes soldered to the drop arm with a .047" wire bullet proofer on top (MRJ step 32):

 

 

I decided to install the drop arm down stop while the arm was still off the chassis. Here's the setup that held the stop aligned with the arm:

 

 

The finished down stop (MRJ step 48):

 

 

The plumber rails bent per the text (MRJ step 34):

 

 

The pans are also ready to install. I notched the pans for a forward hinge tube. The small forward hinge is taken from several of the great Bob Emott's chassis from this period:

 

 

Heating up the Ungar iron...............

[dc-65x]

More progress. I'm installing the pans before I tie the two plumber rails together. I've built this way once before and I liked being able to clean up the pans off the center section.

 

The pan hinge tubes installed on the plumber rails (MRJ step 35):

 

 

I tried angled flats instead of rounded cutouts in the pans for hinge tube clearance. They were kind of a pain to do even in an angle fixture. I'm going back to the rounded cutouts on my next build.

 

MRJ step 38:

 

 

Pan hinges nestled into the pan cutouts (MRJ steps 39 & 40):

 

 

Pans and body mount tubes installed. Again, everything left long to aid in alignment and soldering one end together holds things in place while soldering the other end:

 

 

The cleaned up pans and plumber rails:

 

 

Time to wrap up this chassis.........

[Pablo]

Super-SANO       

[Martin]

Its a clean machine for sure. Nice one Rick

[Bill from NH]

It's just another example of Rick's typical fine craftsmanship.  

[dc-65x]

I think it's more perseverance and elbow grease than craftsmanship but thank you Bill! 

 

Here the sub-assemblies are off the chassis jig and cleaned up and polished. It's easier to get to all the nooks and crannies now than when it all in one lump:

 

 

I almost forgot the plumber up stop. I installed mine differently than Mike. I soldered on a single wire across the drop arm hinge tubes and then cut the center out (MRJ step 47):

 

 

The plumber rail rear .047" crosspiece with .032" bullet proofer (MRJ step 36):

 

 

The plumber rail front .047" cross piece (MRJ step48):

 

 

My much less bullet proofed than Mike's front pan hing setup (MRJ step 42):

 

 

Pan downward stops (MRJ step 44):

 

 

Finished!  

 

 

 

 

Onward.......

[Pablo]

Capt. Rick, I'd let you do open heart surgery, or a root canal, on me any day.

SANO to the max

[Steve Okeefe]

Looking good, Captain, very good!

[dc-65x]

Root canal...YIKES!    

 

The finished motor instead complete with high polished can, comm cooler, cooling vent under the super thick Super Proofer brush plate and neatly formed Camen regular tension brush springs perfectly matched to the short spring posts:

 

 

The motor is so low profile that with 7/8" tires the axle sits a little above the clearance cutout in the can. I didn't realize that or I would have made the can cutout larger before I glued the magnets in place.

 

As an alternative to a larger can cutout I knocked the corner off the can and magnet just enough to clear the axle (MRJ step 55):

 

 

The buss bars, double wound shunt wires and brush spring insulation (MRJ step 56). The brush springs are completely insulated from current. I can touch power to both springs and the motor will not run:

 

 

Time to solder this baby into the chassis..........

[Dominator]

This amazing!

[TSR]

Rick, nice job as usual! You should have branched out and joined Carl Faberge in Moscow before the morons took over! 

[dc-65x]

Thanks guys 

 

I did forget to post a couple of pictures relating to this motor. It came from this corroded blaster I rescued from eBay:

 

 

It was installed to spin CW even though the arm was timed CCW in typical Mura fashion. It must have really run like a dog because the brushes weren't even broken in.

 

 

I used a new version of the can that was not only 20/40 milled but line bored for armature clearance, a fresh version of the same endbell and new Camen brush springs. Otherwise it's the same period motor:

 

[SlotStox#53]

Even though the B wasn't universally liked I think they're seriously cool

This one is just ... wow You certainly now your B motors Rick!

[TSR]

It took a long time to get the "B" to work, and eventually Pete von Ahrens matched the King track "world record" and established a new lap-total record with one. I am presently restoring that exact car for the LASCM. Basically the biggest problem was an incorrect orientation of the magnets, causing immense heat. The use of the larger "36D" brushes was a definite step in the right direction, and the use of re-cut Champion Arco with shims (as did Zimmerman, then Cukras and PvA), solved the problem. Thing is, by that time, Bob Green had already resolved the problem in a better way, making his own cans hammered from Mura "16D" sized cans on a steel tool to fit the Arco without shims. By the time the "B" problems were licked, the "C" cans were in production and that was it. The C can motors had significant advantages over the B: smaller, narrower and able to put more of the motor's weight over the rear axle, increasing tire traction.
The B stands for "Boat anchor", but yes, they are kind of neat in a nostalgic way. Losers are often the darling of the enthusiasts, another perfect example being the Cheetah automobiles...

[dc-65x]

Hi Philippe,

 

Part of the fun of building vintage slot cars is not having to always follow the latest trends in the go fast department to be competitive. In my reality, B-motors are a ton of fun to build, display and most of all........as Rodney would say, "see them move!"

 

I can't help myself.............. I love Cheetahs too!

 

[dc-65x]

Moving right along.....I'm using a white JET flag with braid clips for solder on lead wires as shown on Jerry Brady's 1970 Pro car I pictured earlier (MRJ steps 40 & 50):

 

 

I'm also using a 45T Fass spur gear like Brady. The Fass spur gear can snug up almost tight with a modern Sonic pinion and mesh smooth as silk (MRJ step 57):

 

 

I'm using Riggen front and rear wheels and tires. The wheel inserts are cast resin from RS Slot Racing in the UK.

 

 

Ready to install:

 

[Pablo]