# Sparks!!!!



## kiwidave (Jul 20, 2009)

Any tips on how I can make a trail of sparks(the more the better) as a chassis runs down the track? I'm thinking wheel standing cars trailing sparks! Any tips, suggestions or even body style ideas would be great.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Flick of the Bic

Take apart some Bic lighters and scavange the flintwheels. Ditch the thumb wheel part, you'll need the width. Mount the flintwheels to the rear axle behind the rear wheels.

Depending on the chassis used, you can mount a flint holding bracket to the gear clamp or rear screw post with some minor brass fab. Like a reverse wheelie bar that holds the flints to the flintwheels. Gotta engineer some spring/feed into the design....but I figure a skilled builder like you can work out the incidentals.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Good thinking Bill. I'm gonna add one thought to the concept. Due to the rotation of the axle, the flint would need to be ahead of the axle mounted horizontal at the very least. Mounted on top pressing down on the wheel would toss the sparks forwards towards the motor. Optimum location on a Tjet would be in the recess opposing the crown gear. That should send the sparks flying out the back.


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## tazman052186 (Oct 19, 2005)

What about some brass that can hit the rails? Make a little wheelie bar with out the wheels and have it sit on the rails of the track. If you are making a lead shed car make it short enuff to fit just under the rear bumper.


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

*It's a lot of pressure Joe but...*



slotcarman12078 said:


> Optimum location on a Tjet would be in the recess opposing the crown gear. That should send the sparks flying out the back.


... Only you can prevent forest fires.


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Bill's flint idea IS slick...Though given the amount of wheel rotation, I wonder if
that a little chunk of flint from a lighter will last very long? Drag race? Maybe a pass
or 2? or 3? Around my* track, I could see it burning up before a lap was completed.

'Tricity may be the answer here. The brass* idea is good....I think? I picture a
"doggy door" type flap (of some kind of flat stock metal) that would hang down below 
the bumper then trail the vehicle and contact the rails upon achieving proper hood ornament altitude.

Your ideas sure are intriguing!:thumbsup:


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Here's another idea. Your average "sparkler" is about 1/8" to 3/16" in diameter. Cut a couple pieces of brass tube of the 3/16 diameter variety, crimp one end, and put a chunk of sparkler in each. I'd mount them right to the wheelie bars. The tubes will direct the sparks in the correct direction. I would keep a fire extinguisher handy though.  The biggest trick will probably be cutting the sparklers without igniting them. :lol:

Oh, and do keep in mind, there is the potential of track being damaged by doing this stunt!!! :freak:


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

The flint deal is a page straight outta Tyco-ville, cept they wiped them on the guard rail...I fergit what the set was called


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Bill Hall said:


> The flint deal is a page straight outta Tyco-ville, cept they wiped them on the guard rail...I fergit what the set was called


Sparkin hotrods. I had the set. The flints wore as suspected, grinding on sandpaper set into the guardrails. Goofy solid right rear tire with a tiny hole in the middle held the flint. neat idea, cheap to do, maintain. Goof-proof unless you installed the sandpaper backward. Even the goofy rear tire had its own special sized hub so it could only go on one (proper) side. I still have the cars and package of extra flints. lol


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## kiwidave (Jul 20, 2009)

Thanks guys!! We are going for a spectacular show without burning down the cave!! I'm liking Bills idea at the moment and maybe a type of cam so the abrasive (whatever) isn't in constant contact with the flint.
I was also tossing around the idea of using a AFX police overhead light set up(without the lights) for a turning gear that touches a flint? Problem would be sparks coming out the windows instead of trailing behind?
By all means throw some more ideas at me!!!


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Typically "wheel standers" dont run road courses....they do exhibition work....short runs. Atomic clock run times werent part of Kiwi's original parameters. If the flints prove to be excessively short lived: For the extended duration of "tail draggers" one would construct a tubular magazine and spring load the action for more than one flint, sorta like the lighter in the first place. :

Dragging a dead short along will kill the performance of the chassis, let alone get the nose upon a wheel stander. In retrospect, dual flints are probably enough to limit the desired lift anyway. 

Not sure how one would simplify the ignition of sparklers into something hands free or user friendly. Seems like a scale nibblet of sparkler might be as short lived as the flints.

Gonna have to kill a coupla lighters and see. The flint wheel diameter appears to be a workable diameter and Zippo parts look like they will work in HO scale. :wave:


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Good points all, Bill.
Dont know what the heck I was thinking with road course other than that is what I have and that is the image that pops into my head for comparison. D'uh, of course it would be short run durations. (wipes egg from face)  Plain as day, WHEELSTANDER


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Yeah....but now "I" want a sparking tail dragger Lead Sled affair! Thats the problem with this place.

LMAO!


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

I am curious to see who engineers the first one. I might try my hand at it as well. I like the lighter flint idea myself.


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## kiwidave (Jul 20, 2009)

Rocket dragster, Batmobile, etc!!!


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Now your talking, use Bottle Rockets... RM


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## Super Coupe (Feb 16, 2010)

Short sparklers?
>Tom<


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## tazman052186 (Oct 19, 2005)

http://www.nitroslots.com/index.cgi?board=tdrt&action=display&thread=1051

Take a look at this. He used brass.


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## slotto (Feb 9, 2010)

That is awesome.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

tazman052186 said:


> http://www.nitroslots.com/index.cgi?board=tdrt&action=display&thread=1051
> 
> Take a look at this. He used brass.


Read the disclaimers


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## tazman052186 (Oct 19, 2005)

yea just dont use on a track with fused controls and the track is also fused.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Uh....monster power supply required...


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## kiwidave (Jul 20, 2009)

I striped down a Zippo and a Bic. I got the Bic striker wheel apart and found it was like a compressed coil? I managed to get it attached to the gear saver on the axle. But using a Zippo flint I am having to use a lot of pressure to get sparks? Enough pressure to slow the motor in the chassis!!


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Had a feeling about that.
Clever execution though.,
Also had another thought about dragging brass.

Since it is about exhibition runs, would* a slight loss of power be so bad?
It seems to me that it must be better than putting that additional load on 
the gear-train. Just a thought.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

kiwidave said:


> I striped down a Zippo and a Bic. I got the Bic striker wheel apart and found it was like a compressed coil? I managed to get it attached to the gear saver on the axle. But using a Zippo flint I am having to use a lot of pressure to get sparks? Enough pressure to slow the motor in the chassis!!
> 
> Bummer Kiwi ....my bad...sorry to waste yer time. I havent had time to tinker with it yet. If a 440 wont cut it, the prospects for the mechanical/flint version dont look good.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

I'm thinkin that poly motor magnets and one of the Mattel 3 OHM arms might alleviate the power problem. if KIWI can lay hands on that stuff, it might be worth the rebuild just to find out if that would work. 

I don't like the idea of shorting the rails to produce sparks. just something about that makes me think of big problems being created. there is so much that can wrong.
I know that on another board someone has been successful, but, I still am leery of that route!


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

alpink said:


> I'm thinkin that poly motor magnets and one of the Mattel 3 OHM arms might alleviate the power problem. if KIWI can lay hands on that stuff, it might be worth the rebuild just to find out if that would work.
> 
> I don't like the idea of shorting the rails to produce sparks. just something about that makes me think of big problems being created. there is so much that can wrong.
> I know that on another board someone has been successful, but, I still am leery of that route!


AGREED AL !

Funny dat, I had a similar comment going. My sentiments are the same. It's not that ya cant or couldnt. It's just trickey bidness that requires extra attention and preparation. Positive to negative without a stable or fixed load is ....uh....a welder?


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Bill Hall said:


> AGREED AL !
> 
> Funny dat, I had a similar comment going. My sentiments are the same. It's not that ya cant or couldnt. It's just trickey bidness that requires extra attention and preparation. Positive to negative without a stable or fixed load is ....uh....a welder?


yep! BzzzzzzT.

ok, so not arc and not flinty strikey....Hmmmm

OH! sticky strips of sand paper between the rails on either side of the slot and fixed flints under the bumper!
No moving parts, no load and minimal drag? Nose rises up and flints touch down! :thumbsup:


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

*'member these??*

Wonder if one could be deconstructed ? ... or one of those sparking ray-guns?


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## slotto (Feb 9, 2010)

kiwidave said:


> I striped down a Zippo and a Bic. I got the Bic striker wheel apart and found it was like a compressed coil? I managed to get it attached to the gear saver on the axle. But using a Zippo flint I am having to use a lot of pressure to get sparks? Enough pressure to slow the motor in the chassis!!


Let's see a vid!!!!


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