How To – Build It

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Tips & tricks on how to build a chassis or circuit for your models.
  • This forum has 29 topics, 104 replies, and was last updated 1 year ago by Arthur.
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    • Forums Gents, Local engagement in the forum spaces is very low. I might try to incorporate some areas into posts or pages as I refocus but if there is anything of particular value to you in a forum please save it for yourself. Cheers!

      Started by: Arthur in: Website Information

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    • 1 week ago

      Arthur

    • Monday, July 17, 2017 (6:30 – 10:00pm) Building a Scratch Sidewinder Chassis By request this is a session on building/soldering a scratch built sidewinder chassis out of brass/piano wire for a class/body yet to be determined. Although I am far from an expert on building a scratch built sidewinder chassis myself I will host this opportunity for those that are interested to watch just how I tackle this project in real time. No need to bring anything. Just register for the session below. We'll have pizza and refreshments as usual. Follow this topic for further information. When: Monday July 17, 2017 - 6:30 - 10:00pm Where: The Ring :wacko: [seatt-form event_id=2]

      Started by: Arthur

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    • 4 weeks ago

      Arthur

    • Building Bass-Seca JohnnySlots Bass-Seca is the first DArt track designed in separate sections to be assembled and disassembled using simple hand tools. Here's how it came together both off and on site: [foogallery id="19807"] Ready for foam scenery inserts and many track details to come...

      Started by: Arthur

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    • 1 month ago

      Avatar photoJohnnySlots

    • New Power Supply Solution for The Ring Gents, In anticipation of the long awaited return to racing at The Ring there will be one significant upgrade to the track which in a perfect world should go unnoticed by everyone who races - a modern three power supply solution - replacing the older linear single supply - for my three lane track. In recent years I've seen two original Trackmate Power Supplies go flaky as they age out of warranty. With large capacity linear supplies becoming impossible to find at a reasonable price point it was time to bite the bullet and adopt a solution using the newer switchable technology to power our tracks. Since many reasonably priced supplies are only 10A one is not enough to power a three or four lane track. Last spring while searching for a power supply for Nova Ridge I would have used four smaller switchable supplies had I not discovered a robust old school linear Pyramid 30A adjustable supply. That PS is working exceptionally well at Nova Ridge. Unfortunately it is no longer produced and as some say, unobtainium. Initially skeptical of these non-CSA compliant 10A switchable supplies manufactured in China I was pleasantly surprised by a fellow racers experience with one on his 2 lane DArt slot car track. So the Amazon order was made. I already purchased four separate relays which I was going to use last spring so now I had everything I needed - three power supplies, three relays, 16 gauge wiring and banana plugs. I removed the original single relay Trackmate power card and replaced it with three individual relays each connected to the 85 and 86 outputs of the red Trackmate mother card. Each relay was spliced into the positive feed between the power supply and the driver station. The negative feed bypassed each relay. Since each lane now has independent power there should be no more power interruptions or changes (surges or drops) for cars leaving the track, riders, or incorrect controller hookups. In other words the power for each lane should be completely isolated from the others... that is the theory at least - but there is only one way to test this - a race!!!

      Started by: Arthur

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    • 1 month ago

      Arthur

    • Copper Tape Maintenance This is for owners of DArt tracks or others with copper taped mdf/wood tracks... and these are just my suggestions for maintaining your tape which have worked for me over the years... With the change in seasons no matter how hermetically sealed your track space is you will notice a change in expansion rates between the mdf and tape... and it may be more pronounced when your track is newer... but have no fear - it is easily fixed. For routine maintenance especially before hosting a race I recommend doing the following: As for regular track maintenance: 1. Vacuum the track surface and each slot; 2. Using a clean but dry microfibre pad with broom handle (or a cloth) sweep the entire track surface; 3. Inspect the copper tape for any lifting... and using a BIC lighter carefully burnish any bubbles/folds back down so the tape is flat; 4. Repair any breaks or damage to the tape if any; 5. Turn track and timing software on to check that it works; 6. Run a stock scaley car slowly in each lane to make sure there are no dead spots between any previous tape repairs... if any dead spots then take a sharp exacto knife, locate the beginning and the end of the section that is dead (by moving the car along that section until power is interrupted) and pierce or stab more tiny holes in the tape that overlaps the original tape (usually a short length of 1 or 2 cm - note the small holes in that short length already); New tape repairs: 1. Bridge the dead length (or cut) with a 4 or 5 cm piece of tape overlapping the original tape by a couple of centimeters at each end; 2. Before applying the tape cut each end of the tape at a 45 degree angle using scissors; 3. Remove backing and apply tape making sure there is enough overlap; 4. Burnish the new tape using a BIC lighter; 5. Stab holes on both ends where the tape overlaps until power is restored to the dead length; 6. Apply a small bead of superglue to the edges of the newly applied tape and let dry.

      Started by: Arthur

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    • 1 year ago

      Avatar photoJMSracer

    • The long search for fine grill screen material I found some of the ladles with the fine mesh at a local Bargain Dollar store. They had single large for 4.99 and the same large with a smaller ladle also for 4.99. Anyway if anyone needs one or 2 let me know. I can bring them out next time we race or check if you have a Bargain Dollar near you.

      Started by: Avatar photof1nutz

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    • 1 year ago

      Avatar photof1nutz

    • Making The Ring Constructing The Ring Planning Prior to routing and after contemplating layout alternatives I decided to stick to the past features of tracks that I believed worked best for all forms of 1:32 scale racing with some compromise to facilitate the scenic element I desired. Some of the DO's and DON'Ts I followed: DON'T: Cram too much track into your space - less is more Use mechanical lane switchers or other 'gimmicks' that more often than not fail at some point during an event Use lane cross-overs Try NASCAR style banked turns with corners having an outside diameter of 6 feet or less Have ANY 'humps' (depressions or compressions are fantastic and achieve the same drama) or any abrupt elevation change Incorporate any very tight fixed radius 'kink' in the middle of any long straight Have 'shortcuts' that dramatically favour any lane Place corners or brake zones in obstructed areas Place corners in unreachable spaces Have more than one squeeze zone Have any lane with a diameter less than 10" (10" is already a hairpin) unless this absolutely cannot be avoided Have lane spacing less than 3" anywhere but for a squeeze - 3.5" spacing is ideal Have outside gutters less than 6" away from any outside lane in or after any corner Place any scenic element (ie. guardrails, tire stacks, hay bales, trees) closer than 6" on the outside of any corner or the exit of any corner Make straights perfectly straight DO: Have an odd number of track overpasses Endeavour to make your lanes as equal in length as possible (if you space your lanes the same distance apart throughout without shortcuts they will be the same length provided you have an odd number of overpasses) Place all driver stations along the same vantage 'area' (ie. same side of track) but not too close together (alternate driver hookups spread around any track are great for practice or those times that just a few of you are having some fun) otherwise the home track advantage is too hard for many guest racers to overcome Ensure the last corner before your main timing straight is either an 'easy' corner to drive or a hairpin to minimize the frequency of 'riders' Incorporate at least one high speed corner, one hairpin, one long straight and one squeeze zone (Since preparing this article I've changed my mind and moved away from placing a squeeze in my newer tracks) Have lane spacing of at least 3.5" or 4" in the area directly in front of driver stations. Remember that the higher speed corners require greater lane spacing than just 3" otherwise cars will constantly make contact which is a big problem for open wheel models, especially wider Grand Prix models Routing & Support Structure For efficiency I used three routers, one mounted to an adjustable radial arm to cut the outside track edge, one set up with a jig using two adjustable bearings to cut the outside lane and one with a stepped base (3", 3 1/2", 4" spacing) for center and inside lane routes as well as edges and ditches. I had Luf's flexible strip on hand, some 8' strips of 1/8" hardboard plus the most warped piece of strapping I could find, and from scrap mdf I also made an 'S' shaped template to route each lane for the squeeze so that all three lanes would be identical. If you are an experienced and capable woodworker with the necessary tools and wish to try to route your own track there are no shortage of tutorials elsewhere if you need them. But I will assume that no one with little routing experience would take on this critical component of such a large project... The frame supporting this track is nothing special. It uses a combination of pine (1x4s & 1x2s) and spruce (2x4s) which is hidden by a cloth skirt. A shelf was made underneath for storage. Assembly Now that you've completed or purchased your routed sections and built your open grid support it is time to give your race room a track! Adhering to the 'measure twice' 'cut once' adage means that this portion of the build should come together quickly and with no surprises. Individual pieces were laid over the grid and glued together with white glue using scrap mdf underneath each joint, a section at a time. Proper alignment and clamping ensured a smooth transition. Patience is a virtue! Of course, with more clamps the quicker things go. By the time I clamped the second last joint what was clamped first was already dry... Clamp the last joint to complete the track after all other pieces have dried first. Here the last joint was set and clamped. Perfect joints do not require any fill for smooth performance. If necessary, I use Bondo. But remember, even the most 'perfect' joint will show after painting unless it is filled and sanded. If you do not want a joint to show at all you must fill and carefully sand each one. Now we have a single floating track. Time to add cross members. Strips of pine were laid out in the locations shown and glued and clamped in place underneath the track. These provide additional support and a place to fasten our uprights and later our hardboard borders. Since we didn't use screws there was nothing else to fill or sand on the track surface. Next decide where you want the track elevated. Keep in mind that overpasses should be no less than 3" high - I went with 3 3/4" to be safe. Camber can also be introduced and will have a dramatic impact on how your models perform in the corners. I used 1x4" pieces of pine cut in various lengths as uprights joining the cross members to the frame. Once the uprights are screwed to both the cross members and the frame they can be adjusted later without compromising the track surface. (You may want to tweak camber or the height of any track areas after your uprights are all screwed in place which is easy enough to do - just back out screws from the frame, adjust and then re-screw...) Don't forget you can use your clamps to help add camber, but don't be aggressive - otherwise the mdf will separate - and if this happens you tried to do too much. With 3/8" mdf if you can bend it without breaking it then as a general rule it should be fine for racing on...Elevation together with camber changes are now complete and the track is fully supported. Be conservative with any elevation change, especially rises. Off camber corners are challenging but do not over use them. BE CONSERVATIVE! Lightly sand the slots now. Painting A single coat of flat latex mid grade paint was applied using a standard roller. (Now I recommend using a small foam roller (4" wide) such as the ones you can buy at your local dollar store - this will give you the smoothest finish which will enhance the grip level.) Care was taken to ensure even coverage. Two coats should be perfect - if you need to do yet another coat then you've done something wrong.Areas for concrete patches were masked and painted using the same technique. Concrete sections, asphalt patches and lines were masked and dollar store acrylic paint was applied - for the patches using a small foam roller and for the lines using a small brush and 'dry brush' technique.Cutting uniform lines was made easy using two box cutter blades affixed to each side of a 1/8" scrap of hardboard. Curbs made from the halves of N gauge cork rail bed were also painted white and glued in place. The inside of the slot is not painted. Those that know me understand that I try to make things consistently imperfect to reflect the era of a 1950's or 1960's track... so perfectly solid white lines, curbs colours, etc. must be avoided... For a modern circuit - sure, but that's not my goal here... For the curbs I painted the entire curb white (two coats) and then used a rectangular stamp I fashioned from some solid foam to paint the black checks. As you can see they came out just the way I like them - far from perfect! Cracks in the concrete pads were cut using a fine Xacto knife. Applying a wash brings out the detail nicely. Lane marking 'dots' were applied where needed. Ensure all power tap slots are painted as well as routed ditches. You can mask and paint your skid marks at this point. I did not. Copper Foil Allow paint to dry for several days before applying the copper foil (copper tape). Do not attempt to tape your track in high humidity - this will have a number of adverse consequences down the road and you'll be unhappy with the results. The tape and the mdf have different expansion characteristics, not to mention that mdf absorbs humidity as well and will expand more in a damp environment.Make sure to take your time doing this. Use a single piece for each run trying not to break the tape. Start and stop each run from one of your power tap slots, this way the solder will ensure conductivity both ways. Luf makes a handy tape application tool if you've never done this. I find that applying by hand allows me to stretch the tape carefully around tighter corners for smoother corner transitions. Use a smooth rounded edge to burnish the tape after application, such as the side of a BIC lighter - but make sure not scratch the paint with the metal top! Burnishing the tape is VERY important and I cannot stress this enough. Edging and Facades Overpass facades fashioned after a bunker style poured concrete look were glued and clamped in place. Walls were also added. Ensure sufficient clearance for classes you race. 3 3/4" will accommodate Fly trucks. 1/8" hardboard was cut into 4" wide strips and applied to the outside edges of the track, fixed against those cross members we previously glued in place. Although it varies, border height averages just 1 1/4" above the surface of the track, sufficient to keep a 1:32 scale closed wheel racer on the table.Additional scrap pieces of wood 1" thick were added where more support for the hardboard was needed. Additional hardboard was used to fill in gaps between the border and track. DAP paintable caulk was applied to fill cracks. A hardboard back was also added to support the small hill.Now that outside edging is in place driver's stations were added. I used a minimalist approach but mounted the stations so that the controller hookups were upright. Wiring I use a central harness from 18 gauge wire for each lane which joins the driver's stations to each of the power taps located throughout the track. Trackmate driver stations together with all of the Trackmate timing, gantry and power relay hardware are easy to hook up when you follow the instructions.Make sure to get your polarity right when soldering your power taps though... otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy figuring out what went wrong. Adding a shelf underneath your table for both the power supply and computer is time well spent too. Make sure you test everything thoroughly before attempting any scenery. Scenery After proper wiring and testing it was time to start the scenery. Notice that where appropriate, track edges were routed to accommodate a smooth and realistic hard shell scenery transition to the mdf track surface.Cereal box or other similar thickness cardboard strips were glued to the underside of the track surface and to one another in a 'grid' to provide lightweight yet sturdy support for the wet hardshell to come. Wherever possible I always use white glue rather than other adhesives or fasteners. This part is fun for the kids too! After carefully masking the track surface and covering the rest with plastic wherever necessary it was time for the hydrocal. Small batches of hydrocal were mixed in a large plastic wash bowl and strips of shop rags were dunked in the mixture then quickly applied over the cardboard grid. If a rock casting was to be applied in an area I waited till the mix set and then 'glued' a cured casting in place using more mix, carefully filling gaps and cracks with more of the hydrocal mix and sculpting the surrounding areas as the mix dried. Where smooth or grassy areas were desired I simply brushed on several coats of hydrocal. Until cured, the colour of the drying hydrocal mix is darker and clearly reveals the castings. Woodland scenics water soluble liquid pigments were used to colour the rock formations, applied in several light washes, using just a large brush. Let gravity do the work for you. Soak up excess. A tan base coat of flat latex was brushed on to cover up the rest of the snowy landscape. I let this dry.After masking each area to be worked on a 30/70 white glue/water mixture with a drop of dishwashing liquid was brushed wherever grass was to grow. A liberal sprinkle of a mixture of fine Woodland scenics foam ground cover was applied, using several shakers. After spraying another coat of the glue mixture more ground cover was applied. After the third application of ground cover the grass was done. Adding Man Made Features Custom built structures and other man made elements were then installed. Urethane tire stacks were weathered and glued into place using Gorilla Glue. Scalextric guardrails were cut, painted, weathered and 'nailed' into place. Other details were installed, including an army of urethane straw bales, painted first, then glued into place at several locations around the track.It was a start and although far from finished the track was now ready to host its first race. - Art

      Started by: Arthur

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    • 2 years ago

      Arthur

    • Routed test track It's not easy to guess how a new car will handle at a race. It's hit/miss without a track. Someone posted this and it caught my attention. It can be configured to go in reverse with the flip of a switch, and has it's own power supply with a potentiometer instead of a hand controller. A bit crude, but it only measures 30" inches by 48" inches. It would not take much to improve it for our own uses. As a first upgrade to this design. You can make all three curves different radiuses. Create a drag-strip beside it if you want to test top speed or acceleration. :yahoo:

      Started by: Avatar photoKen

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    • 3 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • D’Art inserts in Slot.It wheels made easy I have some regular Slot.It wheels and wanted to install a specific D'Art insert that's only supposed to fit a standard RS-Slot wheel. I bought a package of standard Slot.It inserts and gently sanded down the spokes to pop out the center and expose the outer ring by itself. It was easy to press the D'Art insert into the ring. I could not get the inserts out of the rings once they were pressed in. I'll use a drop of glue to make sure they don't move. I used 150-grit sand paper. It took 15-minutes of sanding by hand to get the spokes out from the outer rings. The belt sander would have disolved/melted the inserts in seconds. Slow is sometimes better. Now anyone can install just about any standard 14mm D'Art insert in almost any 15"-inch Slot.It wheel. The sky is the limit. Thanks for looking, Ken

      Started by: Avatar photoKen

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    • 3 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • Installing new braids in guides This is one way to install new braids/wire. I'm certain there are many variations. First, tin the motor. I gently roll the wire with a razor knife to barely cut a line into the shielding so as not to cut the core. The shielding pulls off with a small tug without taking any precious wire with it. You want the entire copper core if you can. The wires are cut to length to go past the guide by about 20mm. 4mm of the shielding is stripped on the motor end and about 8mm from the guide end. The loose core is twisted to prevent fraying. The small ends are tinned, and soldered to the motor. The long end that goes into the braid is folded in half to help the set-screw grip the wire. It also lessons the strain that might prematurely fatigue the wire. Have the following tools ready to go. Small razor/knife, 2mm set-screw pre-installed in the driver, and a very small flat-screw driver. Slide the braid through the guide. Use the knife to open the braid in the center just enough to fit the small screw-driver. Open the braid enough so the wire can easily fit. Slip the folded wire into the braid until the shield meets the braid. Make sure the wire is closest to the inside, or center of the guide. Then slid it into the guide and install the 2mm set-screw outside the braid, in the center hole. Repeat on the opposite side keeping the wire close to the inside again. Keeping the wires near the inside of the guide keeps the total movement of the wire to a minimum. It has less fatigue on the wire making it last longer. Less strain on twisting the guide helps the car slip through corners. Thanks for looking. Ken

      Started by: Avatar photoKen

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    • 4 years ago

      Arthur

    • Independent front wheels One of the first lessons Art showed me was how to make independent front wheels. Thank you very kindly Art. I was asked to pass it on. You can buy independent front axles. But it's far too easy to make your own. The ingredients are as follows: Professor Motor axle blanks, Dubro #2 flat washers (hobby store), soldering iron, Lucky Bob's acid flux, drill, file, and fine rosin-core solder. I polish both sides of the washer with 2000-grit paper to remove burrs or dirt. Then I install the axle in the drill press and press the washer on (flat side to the wheel). Some fall off so I discard those. Others won't go on so I discard those as well. You'll lose about two out of ten washers. You can also use a small hammer and your eye. However, the washer may not be as true as a drill press. I touch the a little solder to the iron and gently dab it onto the washer without disturbing it. I'm not concerned about the blob of solder on the end of the washer. You'll see why shortly. Then I install the axle in a drill. Spin it up and use a file to chew away the extra solder that isn't needed. I gently file all three sides of the washer to make it very smooth. Let the drill do the work. Nice little pile of lead left on the file and work bench. As true as my drill press can get it, and ready to use. Not to mention as thin as the washer itself. Takes about 10-minutes.

      Started by: Avatar photoKen

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    • 4 years ago

      Luis Meza

    • Drive shaft removal made easy With the possibility of front motor classes in the future. I took the time to figure out how to remove them without damaging the spring. I have a Monogram, and Scalex motor/drive to experiment with. I started out with a drop of oil on the end of the spring I wanted to remove. I used a drill to hold the back of the Monogram motor shaft (had to remove the bell because the shaft was cut). Then took light duty, tapered pliers with no teeth. Slipped the pliers onto the motor side of the spring until it locked. I started the drill in reverse and the spring backed off and fell to the work bench in under 2-seconds. It only took 2-fingers of pressure. The drive shaft came off with no damage or distortion to the spring. And no damage to the motor shaft. So now I have a long style drive shaft ready for a future build. But I had to throw away the Monogram motor (no great loss). Next is the Scalex motor and drive shaft out of the Maserati 250F. It would be nice to save both the drive shaft and new motor for 2-other cars. Luckily the Scalex motor had enough motor shaft for the drill chuck. After a drop of oil and a quick twist of the drill. It too fell to the work bench in a flash. Resistance is futile. ;-) I believe the smooth surface of the small hobby pliers helped prevent damage. They did the job perfectly. The right tool for the right job is almost priceless. I now have 2-different lengths of drive shafts for front motor drive, and a new 18k Scalex motor in my parts inventory. :yahoo: Thank you very kindly, Ken

      Started by: Avatar photoKen

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    • 4 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • Copper Tape Repair Across Power Taps – Courtesy KK Quoted From KK to others in SOS: I stumbled upon this little repair trick I thought I’d share with all the copper tape track owners I know out there.  I have had a few issues with the tape tearing up where the power taps were installed recently and they can be difficult to re-solder once torn. I recently purchased some copper foil shielding tape for my guitars and it comes with “conductive adhesive” on the back. I used the 2” roll and cut 6 - 3/8” strips x 2” and placed them across the power tap locations Sunday afternoon. This tape is far thinner than the original tape I used and so far they are holding up nicely. With a multi meter there is absolutely no power drop or loss across the 2” repaired section. I also tried to remove a piece and it comes up without hurting the tape below. The problem spots were re-soldered and filed down smooth before applying the thin conductive adhesive copper tape layer on top. It actually smooths things out a bit and takes away the little click as the cars pass over the power tap. I will continue to monitor and report back if I find any issues that may arise with this type of repair but after about 1,000 laps there is no sign of wear, lifting or power issues of any sort. Thankfully all of my tap joints are in the middle of long straights and therefore should never really be much of a problem should there be some sort of minimal power fade in the future. This conductive adhesive shielding tape for guitars can be found for about $5.00 on ebay and Aliexpress. I also have tons of it in 1”, 2” and 4” rolls for my guitar cavities and back plates should anyone care to just try a piece themselves on a problem spot. The three lane section I tried this on used all of a 2 1/4” x 2” piece of tape and looking back I probably could have used the narrower 1” roll to do this. From JMSracer: Thank you for sharing this, your repairs looks very clean and seamless. I haven’t had any issues with tape lifting or tearing at the power taps only little on a couple of my tight turns but this is a great solution for a quick repair. From DArt: Excellent!  :good:  :good:  :good:  :good:  

      Started by: Arthur

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    • 5 years ago

      Arthur

    • PGP Insert Detail x2 Those of you interested in the upcoming Coppa D'oro and more specifically our new pre-war class (PGP/PGP+) have already worked with the new DArt pre-war wheel/tire/insert package. This is the recommended package for the class which comes with a choice of three inserts. Another new option for you: Using the same wheel I've taken two of the 20 spoke inserts and sanded one (the white one in this example) down to a thickness of approx. 1mm and placed it behind an original sized insert (the grey one) to see how it looks. You be the judge. It took me approx. 5 minutes to do this using both a coarse grit sandpaper, finer sandpaper and a sharp exacto knife. For best results I would suggest that you spray both the spoked inserts with your choice of Tamiya TS (or airbrush acrylic) and the wheels. Adding a black or dark grey wash (or any contrasting colour) to the inside of the wheel will make the spoke detail pop. Since most of the kits come with centre nuts or knock offs use them to finish the centre... So this is a fourth insert alternative for those of you building models for the Coppa. I'll be using this technique for both the Alfa 8C and the Mercedes SSK wheels that I am preparing for myself. Those of you who might still need a wheel package let me know - I've got 4 or 5 sets completed - now I am working on white tires for early models...  

      Started by: Arthur

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    • 5 years ago

      Avatar photof1nutz

    • Drilling holes in aluminum for 3/16" single flange bearings The key to keeping axles true to each other is in the set up. I measure and scribe everything before I start drilling. I always start with a pilot drill. It can be used to lightly poke an accurate spot indicating if you're on target. Drills are too long and flexible to check for accuracy that way. I don't need a digital readout this way and use an inexpensive $75 drill press. 

      Started by: Avatar photoKen

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    • 5 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • Adding a Face & Shield to that Helmet For Targa V I re-entered my Porsche 908/2 with pilot Gijs van Lennop (red helmet) at the wheel but felt that another racing upgrade was necessary - not to the motor or chassis - but to the pilot's helmet. The DArt HT70 comes in two pieces - helmet and opaque visor - so I decided to remove the visor and add some facial detail by cutting a cross section of HD05 - enough to fit inside the helmet - which I painted complete with fire resistant balaclava. I sliced off both sides of the original opaque visor, painted them flat black and added them to either side of the visor gap, but before doing so made a template from which to cut the visor. I hate working with thin pieces of brittle transparency and so for the visor I decided to experiment with something much easier to cut and handle... Using the template I traced and cut out a slightly larger piece from a clear plastic bag (yes - the same bags that all of the DArt parts come in) and placing a very small drop of clear epoxy on either side (where the visor pivots would be) I added the clear plastic visor making sure that it was tight across the face of the helmet as the glue set. After this dried a small drop of silver paint would be added on either side of the visor as visor pivots and to help cover up where the epoxy was applied. The upgraded visor and helmet performed flawlessly - and more are on my 'to do' list for other models. :yes: Total cost was $3.50 (HT70 $2.50 + HD05 $1 + bag they both come in)...

      Started by: Arthur

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    • 5 years ago

      Arthur

    • Your Guide and Tongue – Limiting Over-Rotation Fabricating the tongue that will hold your guide of choice should follow several basic principles, one of which is that travel or rotation should be limited either by the just the shape of the leading edges of your tongue or by adding stops. If you allow excessive rotation then you risk allowing your model to rotate well beyond the useful range of performance and either wedging it at a 90 degree angle which becomes a hazard to others or worse yet allowing it to travel in the reverse direction. Be sure to limit the rotation of your guide to just 45 degrees each way by shaping your tongue into a triangle or soldering stops in place depending on the style of guide. If your car is sliding more than 25 degrees from the direction of travel then it is already out of control and if it rotates well beyond that then a properly set up guide stop will at least force the guide (and your model) out of the slot, removing power and allowing it to slide to the gutter and usually out of harms way. In a recent race one car which allowed the guide to over rotate by at least 180 degrees repeatedly wedged itself sideways, blocking the track and creating a hazard for others at numerous locations around the track. Limiting the rotation of your guide will not only increase the life of your model but also the lives of the models of those who race with you.

      Started by: Arthur

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    • 5 years ago

      Avatar photoKen

    • Building in Upper and lower A arms and rear and front springs etc I jave been loo,ing at some scratch build cars in F1 classes ans see the detail  in rhe front and rear suspension systems. A Arms, springs or shocks, and the rear rods.or arms. I think,they reallly five a foos looking dinosh to,tje cqrs amd was wondering if there aere any turoeials qroumd on how to do these things . All in the name of scale accuracy and good lookimg detail. Bob :wacko:

      Started by: Anonymous

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    • 6 years ago

      Anonymous

    • Monday, July 31, 2017 (4:30 – 6:30pm) Building a Scratch Sidewinder Chassis 2 This is a continuation of our first session on completing a scratch built sidewinder chassis out of brass/piano wire for the Ferrari P4 body/class. We're using a Piranha motor with slot.it gearing, BWA wheels, DArt tires & inserts, and a Fly guide along with a modified Scaley body/interior. No need to bring anything. Just register for the session below. We’ll have pizza and refreshments as usual followed by Ringwood XXI. Follow this topic for further information. When: Monday July 31, 2017 – 4:30 - 6:30pm Where: The Ring [seatt-form event_id=3]

      Started by: Arthur

    • 1
    • 0
    • 6 years ago

      Arthur

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