453 replies to this topic

[tonyp]

Wasn’t Lestoil the hot tip for cleaning them and softening the rubber?

[Uncle Fred]

I always used Carbona.

[Dave Crevie]

Acetone here. Then rubbed Coppertone into them.

[don.siegel]

Dave, were you already using Coppertone at the time? I thought the idea of using a sunscreen was relatively new... in any case I had never heard of that idea in the 60s. I was an STP guy! 

 

Don 

[boxerdog]

Carbon tet or lighter fluid. 

[Phil Smith]

The first I heard of using sun blocker on tires was carpet racing RC cars in the late '80s.

[Dave Crevie]

We were doing it locally, but I think I got the idea in the LA area. That was around '64, but I have no idea when it actually started. Most tracks wouldn't

let you use anything that left a residue. STP transferred to the track surface and left a sticky coating some racers didn't like. Some guys used glycerin,

but that caused the same problem. Coppertone could easily be wiped off the surface, but even if you didn't, it usually would dry up unless you really

loaded the tires with it. Even then, you could wash it off with a rag dampened with water and dish soap. STP was really hard to get up without ruining

the painted surface.  

[Jay Guard]

STP with some Wintergreen Oil was what everyone at our track (Aloma Model Raceways) in Winter Park, Florida used.  I don't recall seeing anyone with a Spudger but I do remember laying down a very thin line of glue or maybe just a dot or two before the turns.

[Alan Draht]

I mounted a couple of pairs of vintage 50+ year old Mini-Auto Graupner tires supplied by Rick T. on Russkit rear drag wheels.  I did the same for another two pair I sourced from eBay.

 

I used the lathe to shave off the outside perimeter of the tires.

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[Alan Draht]

I mounted one pair of vintage 50+ year old K&B Model-Rama "German formula" rear drag tires on a pair of Russkit rear drag wheels.

 

I trued/ ground this pair of tires to the maximum size allowed by Rod & Custom rules, 1-3/8" diameter x 1/2" wide.

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[Alan Draht]

Compared to the K&B tires, the Graupners are less dense, a little softer and more porous, more spongey than the K&B's. 

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[Alan Draht]

With full size rear tires, there is plenty of clearance for the gear guard.

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[Alan Draht]

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[MSwiss]

Alan,
Your car is coming along great.

Not sure if you spotted it, but we've been starting to have vintage fun on the strip.

Mark Mattei is already down to 1.15, with a less than smooth running car, on about 15.5V.

Note, to get the car to stage and time reliably, the blade has to be black on both sides.

A black Sharpie has cured the problem (so far), on any non-black guides.

[Alan Draht]

Hi Mike,

 

Thanks for the advice on the guide!

 

Any photos of the drag strip's finish line and the shut down area?  

[Alan Draht]

I've got more Graupner tires and also some modern rubber to true/ grind, but it's time-consuming and boring, so instead of trying to bang it all out at once, that task is spaced it out over time.

 

Meanwhile, the mini 3" bench grinder arrived a couple of days ago, so I've shifted attention back to finishing the motor.

[Alan Draht]

First comes balancing the armature.  

 

Once the location of the armature's heavy side is determined by rolling the arm on a pair of level razor blades, I use Gene Husting's method of lightening that area by filing epoxy between the laminations, rather than drilling or filing the laminations which lessens magnetism.

 

 

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[MSwiss]

Hi Mike,
 
Thanks for the advice on the guide!
 
Any photos of the drag strip's finish line and the shut down area?  

Here's a view from the finish line.

You can see the break in the braid, where the power ends. The finish line sensor is about 6 inches before that.

The shutdown is 44', 5".

It has very sticky Koford heavy glue on it.

The last 21" is the pictured foam block.

It will move, if someone makes it down that far.

[MSwiss]

Here's a shot that also shows the finish line sensor.

[Alan Draht]

Thanks, Mike!

 

Can't wait to see it in action.  

[hiline2]

I mounted a couple of pairs of vintage 50+ year old Mini-Auto Graupner tires supplied by Rick T. on Russkit rear drag wheels.  I did the same for another two pair I sourced from eBay.

 

I used the lathe to shave off the outside perimeter of the tires.

Seeing your set up there was a fun flash back to the 60s and this tire tool !  Sorry for the poor scan from old catalog

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[Dave Crevie]

Pretty fancy balancing rig, Alan. We used razor blades stuck in a balsa wood block. Leveling was done with the arm on, at any point where it

didn't roll off the end.

[Alan Draht]

Yea, I bought the balancing rig on eBay.  I decided my time is better spent building the car than in building special tools and fixtures. 

 

After balancing the armature came a single light cut of the commutator on the comm lathe.  The brushes haven't been seated yet.

 

Husting says it takes about three runs to seat the brushes.  Following that step, I'll give the commutator another light cut to begin the track testing phase

[Alan Draht]

Following comm truing, excess shaft on both ends of the armature was cut off using the lathe. 

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[Alan Draht]

Work on the armature is done.

 

The final stage of work remaining on the motor consists of shaping the field laminations to match profiles of the upper and lower sets of laminations on Gene Husting's car.

 

This is what the Rod & Custom build article photos illustrate...

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