3573 replies to this topic

[havlicek]

Howdy Tom,

Well that does it...I'm O-Fish-a-Lee stoked that Jairus is building these! I can't wait to see what he does with these things. Speaking of things, I finished off 26D #2 and it's definitely warmer than the first one. It draws about 1 1/2 amps (arm is around .4 - .5 ohms) and spins like nobody's biz I put a new drill bit in when I went to balance the arm and it went awfully deep in the blink of an eye...but it seems to be OK (whew). The first Tradeship arm for this motor was unbalanceable due to a whacked shaft...I was torn between trying to replace the shaft and going for the balance thing after getting the shaft as straight as I could but went for it. End result of a couple of hours of work?...a deposit in the trash can Tradeship blank #2 (this one) was MUCH better and balanced right up. The motor sings like Pavarotti and runs smooth without getting warm.

The arm:


The completed motor:


-john

[tjsguns]

[Jairus]

I showed one of your wicked little arms to my track owner threatening to pop one into a ProSlot motor for the next Flexi Wing race. He studied it very carefully and said that you do VERY NICE WORK!


(I might still follow through with the threat. He would never suspect that I just might try it! )

[havlicek]

Thanks Jairus and maybe sometime I'll make you a "sleeper" arm for that ProSlot motor...just for giggles

I finished off motor #5 / 26D #3 for Tom and it's a beauty. Sometimes for whatever reason, stuff just comes together on a particular motor and this one was one of those. I used a slightly different pattern for winding this arm and it resulted in slightly less wire with the same # of turns as 26D #2...I figure that's a good thing After metering/testing the arm I installed it in the setup with as close to zero endplay as I could get...put a drop of lubricant on both bearings and hooked it up expecting great things...but nothing!? A quick check revealed that one brush was getting hung-up even though I checked them both before assembly After getting that sorted, I hooked it up again and boy did it sing! Arm draws 1.3 amps or less stays pretty cool and runs smooth. The whole package goes out back to Tom in tomorrow's mail.

The arm:


The completed motor:


-john

[Pablo]

Beautiful powerplants, John

question; why screws on top of the post protectors ? Why not just JB weld them on? Yes, I know there would be a little of the post protruding at the top. If those post protectors were long enough to reach the top, would you still use screws?
Just looking for knowledge

[havlicek]

Hi Pablo,

question; why screws on top of the post protectors ? Why not just JB weld them on?

I haven't found anything that really bonds to nylon or whatever these endbells are made from (it's nylon to me )...and JB Weld is only epoxy after all. I have used epoxy even though it doesn't really bond to the material, because with brass post protectors, it will stick to the brass OK. So I put a "nick" in the plastic for the epoxy to flow into so that when it cures, the post protector is "keyed" to the plastic. The old post protectors were a solid/snug fit and I never worried that they might shift. Anyway, these post protectors are made from aluminum which is also a hard material to bond to so I figure a screw is a good way to make sure things stay put. I guess I'm just being a little anal about this stuff, but it only takes a few minutes to cut down the posts and then drill them, so I figure it's one less thing to go wrong.

If those post protectors were long enough to reach the top, would you still use screws?

The Mabuchi posts that are cast as part of the endbell are longer than they need to be, so I don't mind cutting them down to fit the post protectors. On the Tradeship endbells where I just used tubing in the past, I left them long...but I'll use this style probably from now on.

-john

[Bill from NH]

The longer the posts are, the more difficult it is for the springs to pop off the post during a crash. There's a reason why contemporary 16D motors have their springs screwed on. With higher quality springs, the screws might not be needed. John, I've turned down many a screwhead for spring posts like he did here.

[havlicek]

There's another good reason for the screws Bill (besides helping keep the post protectors on there)...I think they look cool

-john

[dc-65x]

Hi John,

Great looking motors .

PM on the way soon

Rick

[Pablo]

OK John, thanks for the answer, you are the man

[havlicek]

...I dunno Pablo...I'm just fighting my way through things over here

Hi Rick,

Thanks. PM recieved and answer sent!

-john

[tjsguns]

Thanks for a superb job John!
I've collected and built all kinds of vintage high performance slot car motors since I was a kid back in Detroit in the 1960's:
Original Dyna- Rewinds, Cukras, Champions, Dynamics, Hemi's, Muras, MPCs, Globes, Pittmans, and all kinds of re-wound pro motors that are one of a kind. I've run them all at least once just to have fun with them. I really don't let anything just sit on a shelf. I'd put your work up against any of them, anytime!
I promise that you'll see all of these go into some REALLY cool projects in the near future!

[Jairus]

Thanks Jairus and maybe sometime I'll make you a "sleeper" arm for that ProSlot motor...just for giggles

The completed motor:


-john

I gotta send you the arm first....
As for that motor

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

In the day, I usually used a screw with sleeve with an oversized head to keep the spring from going up and off the post in a crash!

Fate

[havlicek]

Hi Tom,

Thank you! I'm blushing over here and have to say that I was largely unaware of some of the amazing work of some of the period rewinders until I started to see their stuff here (the internet is an amazing thing...thanks to Al Gore ). Of course, we had the "factory rewinds", but they always seemed kinda sloppy to me (still do) except for what I believe were some Bob Green motors...those were something else! The big wire Steube arms are gorgeous weapons too and remind me of my HK P7 ...as well as others. I can't shine those guys shoes, but I do still feel like I'm improving. If there were a supply of arms and coms of excellent quality and fair prices things would be even better...but I do enjoy doing this stuff, even moreso for guys like you!

Now my biggest worry is that the motors are exactly what you had expected, and can't wait to see them in their new clothes Let me know when they arrive and your thoughts.

In the day, I usually used a screw with sleeve with an oversized head to keep the spring from going up and off the post in a crash!

Hi Rocky. Yeah, the old Mabuchi springs always seemd to be tweaked...even if you flipped them over or did some custom bending. Using new springs seems to make them sit pretty solid on the posts, although you need two pair of double overhead springs to do one Mabuchi-pattern motor

I gotta send you the arm first....
As for that motor

Hi Jairus and as always THANKS...well then send me that motor...that was easy

-john

[Jairus]

Arm. Just the arm and it went out today.

I was complimenting you on your MOTOR. Nice motor and the emotions were to reinforce that. Sorry for not being clear

[havlicek]

...oh I understood that Jairus. I just prefer to get the whole motor usually even when just winding the arm Let me know the details of what you want me to do

-john

[Edo]

Dear Master Havlicek

you very well know how much I ADORE your work and because of that I feel allowed to make the following suggestion:

I beg you (and I'm on my Royal knees - NOT an easy thing to do for the Kingee!) to seriously re-consider the use of screws in the spring posts of vintage M'buchis!

To my eyes they're almost as an injury as those pink (gulp!) crowns placed on vintage (or replica thereof) models!

Such a mod could be considered a sort of an extreme poetic license IF and WHEN requested by your customers, provided the're exercising undue and intolerable levels of hardship on you.

My (still) eternal respects

Kaiser Edolf, President.

PS. In case you would persist in such sin, may the Thingie Goddess forgive you!

[tjsguns]

Wow!
Things haven't changed one damn bit since I used to come here all the time. and that's why I still don't very often
People are still pick'n apart others efforts!
I've never conformed to anyone's idea of what's "proper" and don't intend to start now.
Like I said, these things are intended to run....not sit on a shelf in some collection or museum.
IMHO these motors not only remind me of what I ran as a kid back in the 60's but will run much better and longer with the slight design improvements that have been implemented..... Nuff said!

[don.siegel]

Hey Tom,

Nobody's picking apart anybody's efforts here; we all just have different tastes!

I think John has a pretty unanimous fan club in fact (there he goes, blushing again...).

cheers,
Don

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

In the US intermountain west, screws were period correct on these motors. Also, my survivors usually also have screws holding the can and endbell together with small self tapping screws at the corners rather than top and bottom as most of the california guys did it.

Now esthetics? As I tell Jairus, I have no taste except in my mouth!

Fate

[havlicek]

Hi Tom,

It's all good Tom, and Edo...er... The Kingee is one of my favorite bloggers whose suggestions I take very seriously (lest I anger the gods of inline drivetrains and the monokini-clad goddesses of all thingees!). When I do a motor for someone, it's my job to do it the way the person requests and The Kingee has very particular tastes. If he says no screws...then no screws it is! Let me know when those motors get there OK Tom and feel free to make suggestions too!

Ciao Master Edo,

Please accept my earnest supplication and pledge to never let screws touch the springposts of any motor I do for you! (Now would you please put in the good word with the Thingee godesses for me...I just hate it when they start tossing lightning bolts and whatnot...makes it really hard tro sleep!)

Hi Rocky,

Thanks for the info...I know I didn't "invent" putting screws on there, but it's good to know that it goes all the way back to "the glory days"!

-john

[havlicek]

Oh...I forgot to answer you Don (another friend!). You were spot on and...I've read that reprinted article you sent me at least 3 or 4 times. Most of the info seems right on even after all these years. Also, I've held on to the K&B Wildcat you sent me after "doing it up"...it's a monster and I just can't bear to part with it! Thanks again for helping me relive my childhood

-john

[Ed Miller]

John,
I tested the SCX motor lastnight with a #9 pinion on it ,ran the car for 250 laps and the motor got pretty warm but not HOT. This motor is great!
Tonight I decided to try the #7 pinion on this motor and all I can say is wow I ran over 300 laps with alittle warmth and these Little Terror motors are sweet. Lap times are faster then ever and the motor runs so smooth!
I would say after all of our research and testing we have the winning combo.
John your work is superior and you really take pride in your work.
These SCX guys are going to eat these puppies UP!
Thank you,

The "Little Terror" is only available through S&E Motorsports, our email address is : seraceway@yahoo.com



Bill from NH ,to answer your previous post yes we have a tri-oval routed track that we did ourselves and we are very proud of it. You can check it out

www.seraceway.com

Also we are running 12.0 volts .

ED

[Bill from NH]

Thanks Ed, I found those same photos this afternoon on the North East Slot Car board. Dickie Pearson is quite well known in most parts of NH. He would occasionally come down to Manchester to race with us. Not only is he a good track builder, he's a better than average driver as well.