3573 replies to this topic

[havlicek]

Guys, you need to read what other people write....

For sure, Dennis, and I did (see below). I think there's more good info as well from Dennis David and Jeff as well.

R/C cars use them to cut down radio interference because the cars are being controlled by... radios. If the caps weren't there and your radio picked up a big arc from the brushes, your car could suddenly do something you didn't want it to do.

[wbugenis]

Commutators are available HERE.

[BoomerDog]

Hi Russel,

Then I served my purpose since, besides documenting my tortured attempts at getting back into rewinding, my whole intent was to see if others might join-in! Winding arms was as common as can be when I was a kid and I know there's a lot of "vintage" people here who did it back then as well so I'm thrilled if even only a couple give it a shot again. After all, people are spending all kinds of time and effort building chassis and painting bodies that resemble very closely in form and function those from the same period. I have to believe that the rest of the "vintage experience" (winding and building motors) would be just as muich fun for them.



That's freakin' excellent! If you really want to do this, just wind everything you can get your hands on (no really!). It's really cool to experiment on modern D can motors (same size arm and roughly the size ofg a Mabuchi FT16D) so you can save the old motors for when your confidence grows.



There's the rub...the only place I could get to seel me arms and coms is Mura. They have both .007" and .014" arms and very good coms, but they ain't cheap. As a consequence, I save those for special jobs and have had to learn ways to salvage coms and arms...even when they've been epoxied (but not balanced...although you can get some useable arms with extra work from those by saving as many lams as you can until you can build a full stack. I don't know why the motor manufacturers (except for Mura) won't sell this stuff, but that's the way it is. Magnet wire I get from Planet Engineers and I get hi-temp epoxy from a place in Brooklyn named "Cotronics"...but that too is VERY expensive (although it lasts for ever).




I don't really move the spring holders (posts?), I just either cover them to help prevent them from melting or sometimes cut them off (or just cut them down some) and use screws to attach metal spring posts to the endbell.



Bingo Russel If there's any info I can help with, just post here and I'll do the best I can to help. I think I've covered most of it by this time, but it can be time-consuming to go back and read through all my posts.



For sure Rocky, but this is mostly all I ever did as I was never a real racer...so it's more like "rediscovering"



They really are an excellent platform as you (and I) have noted several times. Since the motor is inexpensive and has so much potential, it would be a great motor to build a "class" around that let people tear them up and do whatever they wanted with them...just like the old days Just keep the can/magnets/endbell/arm blank and see what people could do with them...even rewinding them.



Hi Boomer. I really didn't know what was going to happen with all this. I came here like everyone else to see what was going on...built some cars and then the scarey stuff happened, I tried rewinding again I sure hope that more people will do this stuff sometime. Anyway, here's some starter info:

-Rick (RGEO) makes a really nice winding crank that works like the old LaGanke ones everybody used, so that part can still be had.
-Mura sells arms and coms, nobody else I tried will.
-Hi Temp epoxy can be had from Cotronics (I use their "Duralco 4461"...great stuff, but not cheap)
-Planet Engineers is a good source for magnet wire and they have it in half sizes as well as several different coatings and in 1 lb. spools.
-Modern D can motors that haven't been epoxied or balanced are a great way to experiment. See if you can get some burnt-up ones as they'll most likely be tossed anyway.

-john

Lord knows I've got a bunch of 16D arms that have gone up in a puff of glory....(much to the joy of my fellow racers) And, I've been emailing Rick to get some of those arm rewinders back into stock. C'mon, Rick, I've just got DO this! I actually have some Belden wire #30 and #28 from late 60's when I was first introduced to the hobby. Never throw anything out, "cause ya never know when you might need it again" Oh, wait, that's the whole concept of retro, isn't it?? I'm doing things with slot cars I haven't done for over 35 years....god, has it been that long???? That can't be......I'm only 29....NOT! I'm sure I speak for a lot of people when I say, this hobby is the best "mental floss" for everyday stress. Keep up the great work, John and look for those motors in the mail from me, they're headed to a far greater place than where they currently reside.

[Pablo]

Does anybody remember "The Silent Majority" ? Ronald Reagan era
We are out here Watching....Drooling.....
So don't go thinking you are the only ones that like this thread
I rewound a 36D with 30 turns of silver wire. Why so sparse? Because I ran out of wire
John, can you spare some wire for a 36D stack? This thing is going to blow, I need to unwind it........and start over.
I have a buttload of Speed FX D cans (AMSRA handout motors) if anybody needs mags or arms or whatnot.

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

The RF interference tab is an example of government regs that never die. The problem dates to the 50s, but modern wiring and electronics just don't respond. snip snip, all gone!

The heat rating on the wire usually is not a matter of thicker but the material actually used. The old simco used a polythermalse, Beldon used an enamel and so on. It would cause chaos if the thickness was the issue.

Without looking at your sources(like mentioned above, I have spools from THEN), try the purple anyway. What's the worst that can happen. A mild wind might .....................

Remember this is for having fun, not reinventing the motor.

Fate

[BoomerDog]

Does anybody remember "The Silent Majority" ? Ronald Reagan era
We are out here Watching....Drooling.....
So don't go thinking you are the only ones that like this thread
I rewound a 36D with 30 turns of silver wire. Why so sparse? Because I ran out of wire
John, can you spare some wire for a 36D stack? This thing is going to blow, I need to unwind it........and start over.
I have a buttload of Speed FX D cans (AMSRA handout motors) if anybody needs mags or arms or whatnot.

I can always use setups, Pablo. Whatcha got?

[Pablo]

I have a buttload of Speed FX D cans (AMSRA handout motors) if anybody needs mags or arms or whatnot.

[havlicek]

The heat rating on the wire usually is not a matter of thicker but the material actually used. The old simco used a polythermalse, Beldon used an enamel and so on. It would cause chaos if the thickness was the issue.

Obviously they use different materials for different temperature ratings Rocky...a given material will start to melt at a given temperature regardless of how thick it is. The rub comes in when you get the wire in front of you. I bought two rolls from Planet Engineers of #26 wire, both of the same temp rating...yet one was a completely different color and significantly thicker (I measure them). I'm sure they made some sort of mistake, but there is most definitely a difference in the thickness of the coating between some of the types...whether or not it's the same material. The difference is enough that you can't do the same patterns for the same number of turns using the two.

-john

[Russell]

Man, Paplo I thought I was going light on my 36d.LOL If it last guess what I am going to drop to. I may touch base with you on the arms.

What about changing coms on the 36d, the shaft is larger so is the a different com for it?

Thanks for the info. champion507 and havlicek.

[havlicek]

What about changing coms on the 36d, the shaft is larger so is the a different com for it?

...at least two I know of, the Tradeship and I think the Champion. Both seem stouter than the stock Mabuchi com...although even that doesn't seem bad and might be fine for a lot of winds (?).

-john

[Old pink can guy]

John back in the golden years we used Belden wire fore windind hope this helps you out.

[havlicek]

Hi Ken,

Also Simco...I remember the Simco being more available than the Belden myself as the slot tracks seemed to carry that brand, but maybe that was a local thing and other areas had the Belden more frequently(?). I don't remember who made the silver stuff...maybe they all did. The wire from Planet Engineers is very good stuff whoever they source it from, and the one pound rolls they sell will last for many many rewinds. From time to time people give me some of the old stuff, but I worry that the insulation might have gone brittle after 50 years or so...after all...I have In any case...magnet wire is magnet wire, regardless of who it comes from and it's the type coating that's really important. There are also ceramic-coated magnet wires rated for very high temperatures that I haven't tried because they're very expensive. There's also flat magnet wire that really seems cool and looks like it would produce a very compact and symetrical coil, but I never found small quantities in small gauges that might be suitable for slot car motors. I remember Tony P saying that they tried the stuff for RC cars, but I think he said it didn't have any significant performance advantages.

-john

[havlicek]

On a related subject, I've been thinking about different stack insulating materials. I've used both epoxy and hi-temp (the kind used on BBQs and exhaust manifolds) paint. Epoxy works well, but produces a slippery surface so the first and second layers of wire tend to slide around some. The paint also works and provides a little "grab" that's really helpful in keeping things neat, but is less durable so you have to be careful, I generally do the epoxy first and then the paint to get the best of both worlds. Thinking of a simpler alternative (powder coating wouldn't be "simpler" at all), people have spoken about lo-temp ceramic glazes, but those still need to be baked at something like 400 degrees for a while...again not simpler. I was wondering about trying a plaster of paris "wash" applied with a paint brush. It goes on easy, plaster of paris cures FAST and is extremely heat resistant. Has anyone ever tried this or heard of anyone trying this? I know plaster will bond well to steel (try cleaning your tools after the stuff has dried )

-john

[Champion 507]

Where I lived, there was an electronics surplus place that used to carry the Belden line, of which I still have every roll I ever bought there. Belden makes a good product but I've never been able to find where they ever made odd sizes...only even numbers. Then long about 1967 the track I raced at sold any size Champion or Mura wire you wanted.

[John Schoen]

Another "Tiny Terror" SCX RX42 rewind for Ed Miller. A #29 single wind that draws around an amp and is neutral-timed so it can go either way. The arm draws about 1 amp:

Wow! Another work of art - what size is the motor/what scale car will it be powering please; 1/32 scale?

Ernie

Ed ordered that motor for me, it is going to power a 1/32 scale SCX Audi R8 like this one:



It is a special edition that just cries out for a special motor. I love the work that you did on this one, John.

[havlicek]

Hi John,

Thank you for introducing yourself...I was wondering where that motor was going and the car looks splendid! I hope the motor works the way you intended it to...it should be a significant step up from the stock RX42, but not too aggressive. Let me know your thoughts after you've set the car up and tried the motor.

-john

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

John, you mis-read my point. it isn't that the insulation varies, the polythermalase is usually thicker than enamel, but the point that in any given line this isn't usually an issue, and no reason NOT to try the purple if it waggles his wig!

Gee.

I think I have more slot car wire now than in the day. In the day, my dad was an electronics geek and had pounds of Beledon on a rack. I would look up the wind, say 1 ohm being 6' of 32 for a club motor, pull off 20' of wire from one of his spools and go wind.

He got tired of the poaching, though, and just bought me my own rack of wire for christmas!

Fate

[havlicek]

and no reason NOT to try the purple if it waggles his wig!

...except that a $30+ roll of wire that will do a hundred or so (???) arms is a bummer if it turns out to be neat looking but not to work very well across different winds. It does look neat though!

-john

[Alchemist]

Hi and welcome John S.,

Thanks for answering my question. I see 2 great pieces of art; John H's motor and your car!! I think they make a good match! In my opinion, John H's Motorwerks are magnificent pieces to admire!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ernie

[Cop Cake]

...except that a $30+ roll of wire that will do a hundred or so (???) arms is a bummer if it turns out to be neat looking but not to work very well across different winds. It does look neat though!

-john

Okay, okay. Now I'm turned off to the purple wire. (translation: scared)


How about the Green wire? I suppose it's radioactive.......

[Cop Cake]

Ed ordered that motor for me, it is going to power a 1/32 scale SCX Audi R8 like this one:



It is a special edition that just cries out for a special motor. I love the work that you did on this one, John.

Hi, John Schoen! Could you please show us a complete pictorial of the SE car? (In a new thread of course) I'd love to see the whole enchilada and I bet others would too.

[Tex]

Hey, John Schoen, you a GPL'er?

[John Schoen]

Hi, John Schoen! Could you please show us a complete pictorial of the SE car? (In a new thread of course) I'd love to see the whole enchilada and I bet others would too.

The car is on its way to me, it will probably arrive next week. I'll start a thread about it them.

Hey, John Schoen, you a GPL'er?

Yes. I used to race with you in the UKLRS, Cooper specialist.

[Bill from NH]

GPL'er & UKLRS? Do you guys play computorized auto race games against/with each other? Or is this something entirely different?

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

Never be afraid! Buying a full suite of wires for all projects might be expensive, but 30 for ONE spool of the size you want isn't so bad. I mean if you persist in winding vintage motors, chasing down some of them will cost a lot more than a spool of wire.

Fate