# Machine Shop



## chappy2

I figured I would post what I have been machining on for the last couple months. Been trying to fit a Tyco pro can into a brass style T-Jet chassis and this what I have come up with. The only dimension I could not maintain is width, but it will still fit most T-jet bodies. Braids are a lot of fun to drive. I can see this spiraling out of control and building a braided track.

Rob


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## Bill Hall

*We have a BINGO!*

FABULOUS

I was a bit morose today given all the censorship malarkey on the opinion pages. Thanks for perking me up Chappy! Exactly what this hobby needs. A sturdy mass produced non pancake gravity sled, gliding on braids.... that actually fits 1/72....ish without all the naughty bits hanging out? Seemingly old school familiar yet completely innovative at this scale. 

You've basically picked it up right at the point in history where it all went awry IMHO. I'm interested in purchasing a prototype to experiment with some subtle tweeks; and some cost numbers for a limited run.


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## chappy2

Thank you Bill for your nice comments. I am glad you like it. PM me your address and I will get one out to you. I am real interested in what you are thinking about in terms of tweaks. Your opinion on the pickup assembly would be interesting. It gave me the biggest challenge to getting a running chassis.
Best Regards
Rob


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## 1976Cordoba

Looks amazing - Well done! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## WesJY

WOW!!! Amazing work on chassis. :thumbsup:

Wes


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## CJ53

Nice ,, ,Really Nice !!! work!:thumbsup:


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## alpink

really clean and great concept
did I see where someone put a brass plate on a TYCO 440X2 chassis too?


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## Omega

That is a work of art. Keep up the good work.

Dave


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## Boosted-Z71

Very Nice Chappy, I take it you have access to a CNC machine or are you truly cranking them out by hand? Either way is a work of art.

Boosted


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## sidejobjon

Bob,
I can`t belive your skills. A true Brass Tyco Tjet. You hit it out of the park.
SJJ


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## chappy2

Thanks everyone for the encouraging comments. Boosted I blanked the 2 on a CNC lathe out of 1 inch round stock. Then finish milled them between an indexer and live center on a Bridgeport Mill. I keyed on the back axle for a datum keeping in mind the long wheel base measurement and gear mess.
Rob


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## Ralphthe3rd

WOW ! ...now THAT'S REALLY COOL :thumbsup:


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## grungerockjeepe

Nice!


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## joegri

*in my wheelhouse*

wow i just got a look at these chassis and they have touched a nerve!! what a concept simple and neat all in one.i too have come to a crossroad with the thought of a braided trak.it only makes sense right? braided cars should run best on a braided trak! also chappy i too would like one of those chassis and am willing to pay a fair price for it. i think you might be onto something there and i,ll be following any progress that comes about. as like bill said. after a slow summer this chassis has awoke a sleeping slotrodder and now i,ll be walking around today thinkin bout this concept. nice job man! keep,em commin! now i have to go back and stare at the pics of that chassis!:thumbsup:


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## chappy2

*pic*

Thank you Joe for the kind words. I will keep you posted on the progress. I really want to refine it so it is a drop and play conversion between it and the tyco pro parts. Here is another pic of the bare chassis. Sorry it is an I-phone pic so the detail is harder to see. I will try to post better quality pics tonight.

Best Regards

Rob


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## Ralphthe3rd

*Devils Advocate Time here...*

That looks like such a sweet chassis, but...... there is alot of Brass there- ALOT of Weight ! AND, alot of that weight isn't very low down, it's up as high as the can motor itself, and that raises the center of gravity quite a bit. So how low is this chassis to the track - as low as a TycoPro Pan ? Or is is sitting high like a T-Jet ? How does this chassis handle ??? Just curious 
PS- and with all that weight, how much inertia and coast does this chassis have ?


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## chappy2

Ralphthe3rd said:


> That looks like such a sweet chassis, but...... there is alot of Brass there- ALOT of Weight ! AND, alot of that weight isn't very low down, it's up as high as the can motor itself, and that raises the center of gravity quite a bit. So how low is this chassis to the track - as low as a TycoPro Pan ? Or is is sitting high like a T-Jet ? How does this chassis handle ??? Just curious
> PS- and with all that weight, how much inertia and coast does this chassis have ?


Ralph, thank you for the compliments and questions. The motor sits right on the rails. I get resistance from a piece of paper when used as a feeler gage between the motor and track. I will get a weight comparrison tonight between a tyco pro and this chassis and post the results. I will also get some track level pics with other chassis's for a comparrison in height. A side note is without a gear plate I was able to lower the body pictured by about .080" and you could probably get another .020" out of is. It handles nice, about like a t jet. I have had very few de-slots more spin outs. Speed is relative to what you like to do, it is fast about like a well tuned Riggins. I like a chassis that keeps you engaged in the driving process, and this does that for me. I run on Tomy track with a wall wart, and a old style Aurora thumb controller. Initial inertia from start line is about average. Their is little or no coast, but that maybe more a product of the inline gear mess vs. a pancake motor setup. I hope this answers your questions and I will do some follow up tonight.

Thanks

Rob


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## Ralphthe3rd

Wow Rob, You actually USE old Aurora Thumb controllers- OUCH ! 
And thank you for the replies. :thumbsup: BTW- Inlines can have *alot of coast too, but I'm thinking you are getting some magnetic downforce from the can motor being dropped so low, and the motor magnets being exposed to the rails so close.

*alot > I have quite a few Matchbox inline Cars, and those have no magnetic downforce, and Man do THOSE Cars Drift and COAST A Long Way ! I love driving those cars on 6-12V ONLY......but did try them out on my Dragstrip w/20v 6amp power supply, and even with 6' of Dynamic Braking shutdown, they almost went THRU THE WALL !


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## Bill Hall

"I am real interested in what you are thinking about in terms of tweaks."

Nothing too extravagant Rob. In recent years I've had great luck and cheap fun converting box motors with tyco 440 magnets and arms. With no magna-traction they provide both the instant grunt and tire frying snarl that I love. I tend to build big tired rods, so along the way I learned that in order to maximize the effect, the 440 gear set is a must. This means the rear frame connector might have to be notched to accommodate the large diameter crown gear. Whimpier gear combinations need not apply.

At a glance I'm not concerned about the CG at all. Given that the T-jet carries most of its chub at or above the axle centers; your belly scraper motor position is as good as it gets at the required narrower width. Even dead on the rail the green and orange stock can magnets arent going to exert much influence anyway. I generally run meat somewhere between .475 and .510 so even geeked up magnets arent in their optimum range of function with regard to rail attraction. 

Although I also use fixed braid plates, they're not the optimum set up. I'm pondering a sprung trailing drop arm affair between the front frame rails. There appears to be extra connective tissue at the bottom, which could be moved or removed to make room. If you gander at my recent F-1 you'll see a leading drop arm set up with the connective frame tissue over the top side. I did consider reversing the design and combine the drop arm mount and front screw post. If you study the high zoop unlimited chassis you'll see the trailing arrangement.

I'll buy two right away please.

1st - Given the beautiful close tolerance work you produce, I see absolutely no reason why a functional, robust, pivoting drop arm could not be incorporated into your existing design. Naturally there would have to be some minor tinkering and fiddling to sort out some simple serviceable electricals.

2nd - I'm picturing the back 2/3 of your chassis mated with one of my drop spindle vintage hot rod front ends running the aforementioned modified can motor, and sporting a chopped and channeled AFX model A. An accurate motor/axle box module is the heart of any good build; but is probably the hardest and most annoying part to scratch build. If you follow large scale scratch building you'll see that many builders start with a prefabbed motor mount/bulkhead that includes the axle bores. 

Hope this made some sense.


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## 1976Cordoba

As a guy who raced metal-bodies on Tyco HP7 chassis for years I have to say - weight, inertia and high CG don't scare me none. If anything, I find it adds to the challenge & enjoyment.


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## chappy2

Bill 
It took me about 3 reads to "get what your stepping in". I did some measurements and believe with a little material removal off the back of the piñon a 440 gear setup will fit. I will re-read your f1 post and figure out some suitable notch positions in the front end for a swing arm. The fixed pickup shoe was an easy out to get a prototype turning laps. I will shoot some pics tomorrow. The mag conversion I will read up on as well. You are right in that the green and orange mags don't do much in terms of downforce. I will be excited to see one of these incorporated into one of your builds.
Best regards 
Rob


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## alpink

that truly is a melded masterpiece of multiple chassis ideas that creates a desired effect.


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## slotcarman12078

WOW!!!!  Looks great Rob!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## sidejobjon

Bill Hall said:


> "I am real interested in what you are thinking about in terms of tweaks."
> .
> 
> 2nd - I'm picturing the back 2/3 of your chassis mated with one of my drop spindle vintage hot rod front ends running the aforementioned modified can motor, and sporting a chopped and channeled AFX model A. An accurate motor/axle box module is the heart of any good build; but is probably the hardest and most annoying part to scratch build. If you follow large scale scratch building you'll see that many builders start with a prefabbed motor mount/bulkhead that includes the axle bores.
> 
> Robert,
> Totally blow them away show your Vintage Hot Rod Brass hand made Radiator/headlight with Treaded Radiator Cap. WOW Machine shop at its finest.
> SJJ


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## joegri

*big hit on HT*

man it did,nt take long for this chassis to get popular with us! i,m hoping right about now they are being churned out by the dozens!lol. should these ever see the light of day and for sale i,m in for a few bare chassis(i have all the fixins) just would like the brass chassis/hulk.chappy good luck with this hope it falls together.i need more brass porn!pics and such.nuthin like the feel of a brass car turnin laps...man you can feel it comming down the straight! i,m sure these do /feel the same!


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## Bill Hall

1976Cordoba said:


> As a guy who raced metal-bodies on Tyco HP7 chassis for years I have to say - weight, inertia and high CG don't scare me none. If anything, I find it adds to the challenge & enjoyment.


Die cast cannon balls!


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## clausheupel

*Awesome...*

... is all I´m able to say!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Rob, that´s a wonderful piece of slotcar art you´ve created!

I can really imagine how fun that chassis must be to drive...

Keep up the great work!

Greetings from the other side of the puddle

Claus


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## chappy2

*pics*

Thanks Claus and everyone for the encouraging comments. I finally tried to figure out my wife's fancy camara, so here is a couple shots.

Ralph, I weighed a Tyco pro with a hard body it came in at .6 ounces, a Afx Magnatraction with body came it at .7 ounces, a tjet with body came it at .7. My build with a hard body came in at .9 ounces . It was interesting to see where they all fell in line. With the 440 hop up I will post if the inertia and coast improve. The first pic is a height comparison with a t jet and it shows better where the can motor is sitting.

Joe, not by the dozens, LOL. I can churn out maybe 5 a week skipping all my lunch hours. Once the dust settle with the different changes I will make some available.

Bill, I cut up some motors last night and it seemed like those Tyco Pro cans have been waiting their whole lives for those 440 mags. I will have your tweeks incorporated into a model today and will shoot some pics tonight. Thanks again for the insights. 

Rob


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## joegri

the second pic shows how nicely the braids tuck into that slot...very cool idea.i like that alot. chappy they are just lil cars man not worth missing yer lunch! besides ya cant concentate when your starving!! not only will the modified can work al thurman had/has these mabucchi 50 can motors that are refered as big blocks. i have 1 in my landshark and it moves that baby just fine! thanx for posting the pics/brass porn!


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## 60chevyjim

wow that looks great !!
I really like how low it is next to the tjet chassis.
I like to slam tjet's as low as I can so this would be a great chassis to build one of my tjet lowriders !!


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## Jisp

Rob, have checked in on this thread several times over the last few days. Each time I hit the Reply button but then just sat here. I'm honestly lost for words. All I can muster is to say thanks for sharing your work here.

Your little demon surely has a very bright future and I'll enjoy watching the development. Bill, likewise looking forward to seeing where you take this amazing chassis.

The slots world just got a whole lot more interesting....

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


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## Bill Hall

Rob**** "I cut up some motors last night and it seemed like those Tyco Pro cans have been waiting their whole lives for those 440 mags."


Giggle...The original 440 was revolutionary without a doubt...but they lost the whole quick change modular deal. While we've seen prices go up a bit, piles of useable crap are still very affordable. 

Ya know how it goes. It was kizmit. Lots of parts piling up and a 440 arm was stuck to an empty Tyco pro can when I picked it up one day during clean up mode. Duh... Still, there's no reason one couldnt install the curve hugger can for an instant upgrade as well, they just dont have the extra arm shaft length that I sometimes need. 

For the magnet conversion it's important to get ALL the old epoxy scraped out so the new magnets sit square. One little crumb or magnet chip can upset the works. Installing with Super Glue gel works good for me. The later box frames have the added little magnet retainer "claw" retrofit, but I've never had the old style scatter on me so I dont worry about it. Either or is fine.

Keep in mind that I just do it all by feel. During the original R&D phase I re-used the Tyco-pro arms, but eventually left them by the way side for two reasons. Performance and useable shaft length. When using the 440 armature, it's important to prefit the comm box bushing and the shaft bushing. Ream as you see fit, I like a little wiggle. Obviously the later comm box with the metal bushing is the optimum choice. Check the end play before you power up. I dont over commit and bend the comm box retainer clamps all the way over until I'm sure the arm is properly shimmed. I just kink the edge in until I'm sure. Ya only get so many chances with the retainer tabs.

The 440 gears aint perfect, but they've shown to be more reliable that the ancient, brittle Tyco Pro. Like you, I originally used the Tyco Pro set on my first "Thundersaurus" because it fit without butchery and I was running the stock Tyco Pro can. The thirst for more power begat the motor upgrade. Short sighted, the gear upgrade came later. Clearly it was all engineered to work together, duh. 

I like the 440 pinion because you can underbore out the nose and thus install it anywhere on the shaft with the boss forwards or backwards. The slip fitting through the under bore really helps keep the pinion snug. The bonus is that it simplifies the longitudinal setting. I prefer things moronically simple whenever possible.

It's just affordable small block power from the junkyard.


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## kiwidave

Wow!! Great brass work.


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## chappy2

*changes*

Thank you KiwiDave for the compliment.

Bill, here are the changes you mentioned. The motor pocket moved foreward about .015" and the gear window back edge moved back about .020" to make room for 440 gearing. I moved things just enough so either 440 or tyco pro gears will work. I also took some of the webbing out of the front to make room for a drop arm. I wanted to maintain the two hole position up front so you can still run a long or short wheel base body. Other than that some minor cleanup and tightening of the press fit for the motor to stay in place. I got two 440 motors in the works converting over to tyco pro cans.

Rob


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## Bill Hall

Holy carp! Ya shouldnt have made anything special for me Rob. Im totally digging the narrow true 1/72 thing.


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## alpink

Rob, that is just the bees knees (yeah, I know ... no one says THAT anymore).
Bill, now I cannot wait to see your finished version.
two masters at work!


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## Ralphthe3rd

Wow Rob, ok, I'm a Believer now :thumbsup:

PS- You sir, are a master machinist, and a credit to our Hobby, Kudos to you :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## sidejobjon

Rob,
Perfection once again on Hobby Talk.
Up there with the masters.
SJJ


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## chappy2

Bill Hall said:


> Holy carp! Ya shouldnt have made anything special for me Rob. Im totally digging the narrow true 1/72 thing.


Naw Bill, your suggestions help force the design to a better end. Revisioning up a concept is the natural course of things. I have been in and out of machinist shops and Die houses since I was 15, and still lay in bed at 40 sleepless thinking about parts and how to make them.
Ralph, John, Al, thank you for the compliments, this forum is filled with tons of talented people with various skills. I am always in awe of the builders, painters, restorers, electrician, fabricators, casters, and many other talents that make up this forum.


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## TeamMadMarsupial

Been following this thread with awe, something that happens often on the forum!

Still amazed at the talent that resides in our members and their abilities to take their ideas and transform them into reality.

The machine work on this chassis is off the charts cool!!!!! Watching with anticipation of each new post of the progress.

Thank you for sharing your work.


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## slotcarman12078

That is truly a work of art!! Beautiful work!


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## Bill Hall

Rob******I am always in awe of the builders, painters, restorers, electrician, fabricators, casters, and many other talents that make up this forum.******

Yeah, tell me about it. This place is like a Super Bowl team: great depth at every position. 

*****still lay in bed sleepless thinking about parts and how to make them*****

You betcha, Me too. When I get stymied, the trick for me is to keep grinding on it in my mind. Eventually a feasible solution presents itself.


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## vansmack2

chappy2 said:


> Thanks Claus and everyone for the encouraging comments. I finally tried to figure out my wife's fancy camara, so here is a couple shots.
> 
> Ralph, I weighed a Tyco pro with a hard body it came in at .6 ounces, a Afx Magnatraction with body came it at .7 ounces, a tjet with body came it at .7. My build with a hard body came in at .9 ounces . It was interesting to see where they all fell in line. With the 440 hop up I will post if the inertia and coast improve. The first pic is a height comparison with a t jet and it shows better where the can motor is sitting.
> 
> Joe, not by the dozens, LOL. I can churn out maybe 5 a week skipping all my lunch hours. Once the dust settle with the different changes I will make some available.
> 
> Bill, I cut up some motors last night and it seemed like those Tyco Pro cans have been waiting their whole lives for those 440 mags. I will have your tweeks incorporated into a model today and will shoot some pics tonight. Thanks again for the insights.
> 
> Rob


You could probably reduced the weight a little by drilling a few holes in the side of the chassis where the can motor is. I don't think this would hurt the structural rigidity. It looks like you might also be able to drill some small holes in the front bulkhead area above where the axle holes are. I don't run these type of cars, but I hope my ideas can help those of you that do.


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## vansmack2

chappy2 said:


> Naw Bill, your suggestions help force the design to a better end. Revisioning up a concept is the natural course of things. I have been in and out of machinist shops and Die houses since I was 15, and still lay in bed at 40 sleepless thinking about parts and how to make them.
> Ralph, John, Al, thank you for the compliments, this forum is filled with tons of talented people with various skills. I am always in awe of the builders, painters, restorers, electrician, fabricators, casters, and many other talents that make up this forum.


I can relate to your thought processes. I used to be a computer tech. After a long days work I had an hour drive home. All the way home, and at night my mind would be thinking about any problems of the day, and how to resolve them. Often I would come back the next day with a solution, or another approach.

Improvement is a good thing. Keep up the good work.


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## bobhch

*Way better than MORE COWBELL...yeah!!*

Rob,

My Wife and Kids had this great idea to go No Computer, Video Games or TV for a week and I missed this thread until now...Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah....:drunk:

WOW!! :woohoo:

Man this is one Sweet chassis you have going on. :thumbsup: X 2!!

Bob...WOW...zilla


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## joegri

von zilla ya did,nt miss anything,just a few days late to the happining! hopefully they will be available to us.i keep thinkin that a low slung/wedge shaped body would work great round here.got my order into chapperal for 2 of the big block motors.they have the nut to push that brass around!


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## chappy2

Thanks,Bill, Bob Zilla, Vansmack, Slotcarman, and Joe for the encouraging words and anecdotes. It all has been fun to read and helps to motivate me along in getting things done. Sorry nothing new to report, with guest staying at the house and the holiday slots sit idle. I need to sneak away and try out the 440 convert cans! I also have been trying to think of ideas for the swing arm pickup. Once that is done, I have the full intention to have a quantity available to HT members at an affordable price. I want to see what you guys come up with as far as builds using this chassis as a platform.

P.s. Bob Zilla, every couple months my wife calls for a week long "TV turn off". I don't know if it is to punish me for watching to much Hockey , or the kids playing to many video games?


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## NTxSlotCars

1976Cordoba said:


> As a guy who raced metal-bodies on Tyco HP7 chassis for years I have to say - weight, inertia and high CG don't scare me none. If anything, I find it adds to the challenge & enjoyment.


I wondered about this for years. I was continually told it wouldn't work.
Doba sent me some of his dirt cars, and that's now one of our favorite classes.
Stock tired stock HP7s on stock Tomy track. Very little clearance between lanes.
These heavy cars carry enough inertia to beat and bang on each other without deslotting.
Tire spin upon throttle is normal, and how well you control that is important.
You have to think about the next corner well before you get to it.
It all adds up to some slower, but more realistic dirt track racing.
Thanks Doba!

Rob, 
The machine work on your chassis is incredible!!! 
I have often thought of a brass, or aluminum HP7 chassis, with improved
pickup shoes or braids. Wheelbase adjustable like the 4gear chassis.
Brass block instead of the traction magnet, stock can motor.
If anyone could pull it off, it's you! I'm not officially asking for one,
but when you get this ironed out, if you're lookin for something else to tinker
with, I sure would like to see it. 

Anyways, thats some great lookin chassis work you been doin! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## chappy2

*update*

Thanks NTXslotcars, The HP7 is a good idea, I will keep it in mind for a future project.

Figured I would post an update, I milled the front slots farther back towards the motor. Then drilled a cross hole to create a hinge point for a drop arm. I will have to mill the slot a little further to create space behind the pin shown in the pic.

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y498/chappy210/BRASS CHASSIS/pic7_zps312eab24.jpg

Then the second pic is the chassis with the 440 conversion with Hilltop's 53 mounted. The 440 arm is super smooth and mags create a lot more down force. I have some flash removal and painting, but figured I would post a pic with a body mounted.

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y498/chappy210/BRASS CHASSIS/pic8_zps8ea34f95.jpg


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## Bill Hall

Truly marvelous!


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## WesJY

Man... Now I want to make myself one!! Keep up good work!

Wes


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## chappy2

*update*

Thanks for the Kind comments, Bill and Wes. 

Figured I would post a pic of where I am at with my attempt at a swing arm. The new pickup shoe is the black piece in the lower right corner. The tan piece is the original fixed shoe. The sketch is the swing arm that will mate with the hinge in the bulk head of the chassis just ahead of the motor. The pins in the chassis shows where the hinge is located. The main problem is fitting it all in under the front axle. The other issue is the wire leads have to swing with the arm, so I am going to try and run the wires thru the shoe and into the braid pockets. We will see how it all comes together. 

Thanks everyone for looking and taking an interest!


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## chappy2

*update*

Hello,

Here's some pics with the pickup shoe drop arm. Going start on a second design next week. Not the best pics, still working on my picture taking skills. Other than that been chasing down motor noise and disposing of it, best I can. Just when you think its coming from one point it really is being transmitted else where, LOL.

Best Regards

Rob


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## joegri

yea chappy that looks really nice. i,m likin the whole big picture.and the riviera looks trik mounted to the x-chassis. hope it works out. be it a drop arm set-up or the first rendition i,m in for a few when they,re ready! and yer pics are fine:thumbsup: don,t look back they might be gainin on ya!


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## FOSTBITTEN

chappy2 said:


> Hello,
> 
> Here's some pics with the pickup shoe drop arm. Going start on a second design next week. Not the best pics, still working on my picture taking skills. Other than that been chasing down motor noise and disposing of it, best I can. Just when you think its coming from one point it really is being transmitted else where, LOL.
> 
> Best Regards
> 
> Rob


This may not work. But as a teenager I saw my Dad unscrew the handle from a pusn broom. And find a bad bottom ring in a 350 chevy truck. Just by the vibration that was in the broomstick! So maybe just maybe a toothpick, pin, or paperclip would work in the same manner. Again I dunno but, sometimes it is just the goofiest things that work. 

I thought my Dad was goofy too until the oil pan was pulled off & the bad bearing was right where he pointed to.


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## Hilltop Raceway

That's some cool engineering!!! RM


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## Bill Hall

*Your the missing link in all of it*

Pinion cracked maybe? Snaggled tooth (s) on the crown? Magnet not seated? Ferrous foriegn object hidden in can? Magnet chip clattering around? Weeble wobbles?

I'm very fun to watch this project unfold Chappy. Pure GOLD! It has an old school "alternative" flavor that really appeals. Big scale attributes in the small scale package always gets me excited. This design harkens back to the golden age. 

I CANT FRICKEN WAIT to have one on my bench so I can finally connect the possibilities, ascertain potential for current and future projects. :thumbsup:


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## FOSTBITTEN

With all of the micro-engineered things now, iPods, pads, phones, watches etc. I would think it would be possible at some time if not maybe now that we would see a motor small enough to be mounted in a chassis like a 1:32nd car. And this chassis would be perfect for such a thing. I know they have those Zip Zaps but I do not think they would work very long at 20+ volts!


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## slotcarman12078

Resistors are our friends!! Using a 1/4 watt resistor on it's own on the chassis might make for a warm resistor, but when it's coupled with the 90 OHM controller, will work quite well and stay cool. Some experimentation will be required to see what value will yield the best results, but it's do-able.


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## Bill Hall

Go on Rob,

Post up that short teaser video for fun.


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## chappy2

*here you go Bill*

http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/c...SSIS/today007_zpsb9a94108.mp4.html?sort=3&o=0


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## sidejobjon

Rob,
Holding the camera & controler & did not look like it wanted to fall off. Think you got something here for sure.
Thanks For posting 
SJJ


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## mowyang

Wow, very cool stuff going on with that chassis. I envy your skill! 
Though your current drop arm seems to be working fine (and clearly you've already put lots of time and thought into it!), I'm thinking you could incorporate a long drop arm with a hinge point behind the can. Envision those Tycopros with the brass pan drop arms hinged behind the motor. Don't know that there would be any advantage, but I thought I'd throw the idea out there. 
Fun to watch your progress with this chassis!


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## alpink

smooth circuit there. liking it more with every exposure.


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## vansmack2

That car looks like it handles good.


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## joegri

yea chappy i like it lots! good job holdin the camera n drivin at the sametime!!and the trak is nice too.


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## bobhch

joegri said:


> yea chappy i like it lots! good job holdin the camera n drivin at the sametime!!and the trak is nice too.


Oh and did you see the lettuce and cheese dripping down from his Taco?
The trick is to have a cut away piece of 1"" PVC pipe glued to the top of your controller. :tongue:
He was probably texting at the same time also. lol 

Great stuff here!! Mmmmmm Crunch, crunch, crunch, mmmmmmmmmm

Bob...thanks for sharing the fun in video with us...zilla


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## TeamMadMarsupial

Thanks for posting the video, cool stuff right there. I've seen a lot of neat stuff here on the forum, but at the moment.....I'm leaning your way for the Blue Ribbon at the Science Fair!

Thanks again!


----------



## chappy2

*update*

I sound like a broken record, but Thank you again for all the comments, advice, and humor. It is much appreciated and does help when thinking thru a design.

Bob Zilla, next time I do a vid I will make sure I am eating a taco! it gave me a good chuckle when I read your post.

The only update is have been working on new front hubs to get a little higher stance and so I can use o-rings tires. It will help to balance out the AFX size tires on the back, and give more space for the swing arm to work up front. I will get pics this weekend with that change. Other than that I built one up with the short wheel base last night to do a comparrison with LWB this weekend for handling. 

Bill Hall, you created a monster. I have been changing out all my Tyco cans with the 440 mags and arms. the downforce advantage alone is huge, and throw in the extra power, Wow.

Rob


----------



## sidejobjon

Rob,
Post Some of your other Great HO Slot Machine shop work here?
Thanks SJJ


----------



## ParkRNDL

WOW.

Holy frijoles. I haven't been keeping up with the boards (happens every year when school starts) and I just stumbled upon this thread. Spent quite a while marveling at all the pictures. Simply amazing... if you're a slot car nut like most of us here, there are no words. And from the video, it looks like an amazing runner, too. Following closely, can't wait to see where this goes...

--rick


----------



## chappy2

*update*

Thanks Rick I am glad you enjoyed the thread. John I will get some other projects posted up at some point.

I shot some pics of where I am at currently. The first pic is of a Short wheelbase next to a long wheelbase. The handling it about the same, but the short does get a little more jerky in the corners. The second pic shows the new o-ring hubs next to my old standard t jet hubs. I like the difference I also added about .005 in height to help the swing arm have more room. I wanted to make 4 pair but I broke my lucky 0-80 tap on the 3rd set. A new one is on order. The last pic is just a shot of a Dino and how low the body drops on the chassis it has the latest drop arm with the o-ring hubs.

Best Regards
Rob


----------



## sidejobjon

Rob,
Those Machined wheels count , keep it coming.
sjj


----------



## ParkRNDL

Dumb question, and I know it may be going against the intent of the project, but as I am basically a runner and tuner, not a scratchbuilder or engineer... it's what I think when I look at this. Here goes:

Would it be possible to attach something like an HP-2 pickup assembly to the front of one of these chassis in the place of the braid system? I know most of y'all go gaga for the performance enhancement offered by braids... but in my mind, braids are a maintenance headache. in 1:1 cars, I'd prefer the ease of adjustment/reliability of hydraulic lifters to the performance gain from solid lifters, the set-it-and-forget-it of fuel injection to the tinker-and-tuneability of a carburetor, the plug-n-play of an HEI to the constant setting and resetting of points. Could a guy who just wants to do basic maintenance on his slot cars easily fab up some kind of shoe setup for this chassis that just needs an occasional scrape with an emery board and a long-term clip-on replacement, as opposed to straightening and eventually resoldering matted braids?

This is not meant in any way to detract from the awesome engineering and R & D that's going into this project. I recognize the benefits of braids, and that they are the contact method of choice for optimum performance. I also realize that the HP-2 setup I mentioned is probably a bigger PITA than the braids I'm trying to avoid... maybe a modified/shortened set of Tjet or AFX or other common shoes would work better on some kind of little plastic carrier. I'm just thinking out loud (or thinking on screen, I guess) about what I'd like to try if I ever got my hands on one of these little marvels...

any and all thoughts/insights/flames are appreciated and welcomed. :wave:

--rick


----------



## chappy2

Rick,

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate the question about the pickup system, and you're right it came down to the ease of using the braids over trying to fit a tyco front end into it. I originally looked at the curve hugger front end and tried to come up with a solution to tie it into the brass, but I couldn't come up with a good solution that wouldn't complicate things. The desire to keep the T jet profile pushed me to the hanger and braids. On bigger scales you can go in front of the front axle with the pickups shoe, then hide everything with the body. With this there was only so much room under the front end to fit something in.The problem with Tjet ski's is the insulating factor from the brass. It was easier to use braids, and mill a slot in the side to access the brush barrels with the leads. It was the best solution that was the least intrusive. Then you just need to insulate the can, hence the electrical tape you see. There are plenty of options for the front end it just would requires a rework. If you have a body in mind you could build to fit it. That is the fun part is taking a platform and making into something that fits your needs in a particular build. Long winded but I hope this answers your questions.

Thanks
Rob


----------



## ParkRNDL

chappy2 said:


> Rick,
> 
> Thanks for the comments, I appreciate the question about the pickup system, and you're right it came down to the ease of using the braids over trying to fit a tyco front end into it. I originally looked at the curve hugger front end and tried to come up with a solution to tie it into the brass, but I couldn't come up with a good solution that wouldn't complicate things. The desire to keep the T jet profile pushed me to the hanger and braids. On bigger scales you can go in front of the front axle with the pickups shoe, then hide everything with the body. With this there was only so much room under the front end to fit something in.The problem with Tjet ski's is the insulating factor from the brass. It was easier to use braids, and mill a slot in the side to access the brush barrels with the leads. It was the best solution that was the least intrusive. Then you just need to insulate the can, hence the electrical tape you see. There are plenty of options for the front end it just would requires a rework. If you have a body in mind you could build to fit it. That is the fun part is taking a platform and making into something that fits your needs in a particular build. Long winded but I hope this answers your questions.
> 
> Thanks
> Rob


Ah, so the Curve Hugger front end crossed your mind too? I'm not crazy about it, but it was the only "modular" rigid pick up shoe system that came to mind when I was writing that, and at that it may be the only one of its type on an HO car. Gonna start examining and dissecting all the oddball chassis I have in the dungeon, see what else might be an option...

--rick


----------



## bobhch

1 min until Taco Tuesday is over....quick to the Brassmobile Batman. 

Bob...Wife, kids and I made it to Taco Tuesday today!! (Wheeeeew)...zilla


----------



## swamibob

bobhch said:


> 1 min until Taco Tuesday is over....quick to the Brassmobile Batman.
> 
> MMMMMMMM Taco's.....
> 
> Tom


----------



## slotcarman12078

That means it's "Hump Day!!!! Yeah!! :lol:


----------



## chappy2

*update*

Not a lot going on, But got a few changes done this week. The first is I machined some bosses and axles to get away from the straight axle. I used a set of tyco pro front rims to finish it off. The tyco pro is my most used chassis that I never run. It is a great boneyard to pick over for builds. Plus the price is right on ebay.


The second change was to thin out the front end as far height goes. You can see the difference next to the original design.


----------



## alpink

are you and Bill Hall going to be able to manufacture the Jetsons' transportation?
LOL always a pleasure to see your work!


----------



## Bill Hall

I gotta say Chappy's prototypes are remarkable. Flat, square and plumb! I'm tinkering along too, but we got a wedding in the family and other distractions, so I'm dragging along well behind. Guaranteed yer gonna laugh though, I'm well off the menu and up to no good. 

I love the nifty stub axle carriers! If we didnt need a place to plant the front screw post, Chappy's chassis are so tough one could lose the front frame connector completely.


----------



## sidejobjon

Look at the Made in USA in picture. Amazing work, I just can`t get enough of this. When I am holding a BRASS Chassis the weight, the look. Now made by Hand This is over the top.
SJJ


----------



## joegri

*chppy chassis*

when i got home late lastnite the tm dangled a lil box in my face and taunted me with "this came today"....i quickly revived myself and dove in like xmas mornin. BOOM! there were 2 chappies glistening in my hands! man am i stoked to have these for some future builds this season. as with some here cave time is rare but i,m o.k.cuz i need to work before i play! also chappy is a great guy to talk slots with on the horn and i hope rob continues to inovate more stuff in the future. pics will follow but i need time to stare at them and come up with a build plan. ditto to what sidejob said there is nothing quite like a brass chassis. you can just feel the quality in yer hands!:thumbsup: thanx rob they,re beatiful man.


----------



## 9finger hobbies

Wow ! Amazing work Chappy ! I admire your inginuity. Keep the pictures coming. Your cars look great.


----------



## 9finger hobbies

Can you do the same thing , but use aluminum ?


----------



## ParkRNDL

got one of these in the mail yesterday... looking forward to seeing what i can make of it... :thumbsup:

--rick


----------



## chappy2

Joe, glad you like em and they arrived safe!

John, Joe I agree there is somthing about Brass slots that make it hard to go back to plastic chassis's. The funny thing is they can be fussy and stubborn and make you pull hair out when trying to tune them. But super satisfying when you get them to turn smooth laps.

9 finger, funny you should ask but I make the first couple out of aluminum when developing a design. It is a cheaper and easier material to work with and learn from. Then I switch to brass once I got the process defined with aluminum. Thanks for asking, I will try to post a pic of a aluminum version.

Good deal Rick, if you got any questions let me know.

Rob


----------



## slotcarman12078

Man, talk about a "show quality" chassis... Polished aluminum, with polished aluminum wheels..... Break out the sun glasses!!!


----------



## chappy2

*aluminum*

9Finger, here is the pic of some of the aluminum setup pieces. You can see the subtle differences across the three chassis's. The brass one on the far right is the latest version. I threw away about 5 other attempts out of aluminum that were pretty messed up. It was about a month of messing with the aluminum on and off to get a working model. The middle is the only aluminum version that could be built and will run.


----------



## joegri

i,m likin the new slimmed down front. that should allow for some lowering of bodies and a lil weight loss.the rim keepers also look trik...bet thats hard to make!.as the evolution of the chappy continues i wonder what the final completed design will look like! "a lil nip here a tuck there and.. how ya like me now" nice job!:thumbsup:


----------



## Jisp

Man, oh man, this thread pretty much ticks every box for me and gets my mind racing. Just beautiful. The thought and precision going on here is an absolute credit to you Chappy.

When true form and function collide, the result stops you in your tracks (no pun intended). I saw this pic among the others on PB, hope you don't mind me posting it.



Thanks for the regular updates and I hope to see more. Chappy, is it your intention to eventually produce these for sale?

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

Yes, ditto what the others have said.... These brass(and aluminum) Chassis Rock ! I sure wish I could be testing one, I do have alot of old Tyco Can motors laying around 
I'll also add this, even just Displaying one of these Chassis -sans body, would be like showing off a Fine piece of Artwork :thumbsup:
PS- and YES, I was the skeptic here at first


----------



## Jisp

I've just been reading back over much of this thread. It's a lot take in and genuinely absorb. One thing is very clear to me as stated by Joe.



joegri said:


> .....I hope rob continues to inovate more stuff in the future.


I suspect very big "little" things are going to come out of Chappy's workshop in the future. Chappy, keep doing what you do so well!

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


----------



## slotcarman12078

The more I see this project, the more I like it!!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## Hittman101

I received one of these little beauty's a few days ago.. It runs very smooth and quiet.. It seemed a little loose going around the corners all I had to do was change the rear tires. I am thinking about changing the gearing to a 440 but not to sure.. I'm not a racer but I enjoy the speed.. Awesome job on a great chassis Rob aka Chappy2


----------



## chappy2

A heartfelt Thank You guys, your words of encouragement are much appreciated and go along ways with me. 

Rob


----------



## chappy2

Not much going on, but did get these two bodies painted up and mounted. They are on the latest version with the bosses and Tyco front rims. I also wanted to expose the brass front end as much as possible. I am not much for body work and paint. Got a lot to learn. The big plan is to mess around with the airbrush this winter and see what happens. Side note is the can on the Red is a piece of turned and grooved aluminum. It originally had a snorkel that I wasn't found of. The rear rims are turned to be more along the size of 4 gear.

Rob


----------



## alpink

envious of those turned wheels. really liking those cars too.


----------



## 60chevyjim

they look pretty cool :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## slotcarman12078

Man, what a sharp looking pair!!! So !!!


----------



## Super Coupe

They look GREAT!!! The chassis is also a beauty.:thumbsup:
>Tom<


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

Rob, man those are sweet cars- I love 'em Both ! One for the Drags, and one for the Dirttrack :thumbsup:
And I'm lovin the Brass Chass I got from You, especially after I've been tuning it. I've improved the handling and the speed...now I just have to finish up the bodywork....but I've been working on 5 project cars at once for a couple weeks, and finally am getting caught up.


----------



## 1976Cordoba

Pair of aces right there :thumbsup:


----------



## chappy2

Figured I'd throw out an update. Been working on machining a new jig for chassis building. Meant for tube and solid round stock bent chassis's. Will be messing around in the next couple weeks to see if it will work. 





Rob


----------



## 60chevyjim

wow that's cool !!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

Geez Louise !....what magic machines will you be conjuring up NEXT !?
Whatever it will be, I'm sure it will be another Hit out of the Ballpark :thumbsup:



chappy2 said:


> Figured I'd throw out an update. Been working on machining a new jig for chassis building. Meant for tube and solid round stock bent chassis's. Will be messing around in the next couple weeks to see if it will work.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Rob


----------



## sidejobjon

Hobby talk mvp for sure this year.
Sjj


----------



## Hittman101

Rob I bet that will come in handy..


----------



## Jisp

..... on my work bench. Way to go Rob!


----------



## joegri

since the begining of slotcar building most have used a chunk of anything to hold the pieces of brass in place. in my case i use a piece of corian then drill holes where needed maybe a piece of tape to hold it together then solder. if i,m seeing this pic right chappy has come out with something that you bend the tubing around it for a perfect piece every time! what a great idea. also to get the best mesh it is most imporant to get the crown and pinion dead nut straight. looks like this jig has that covered too! very cool inovation rob i like it alot. when building a scratch built chassis it takes many hours(for me anyway) to get it correct.but with this set-up looks like you could cut many hours of head scratchin out. the simpler the better.:thumbsup: chappy please keep us informed as to how this is workin out.i,d like to look over robs shoulder and see him work the lil car magic.


----------



## chappy2

Thanks guys for the comments. This is a project I shelved a year and a half ago when I got on the tangent with the machined chassis idea. Joe you are right on, hopefully it will help with speeding up the process. The jig aligns the center lines of the motor and axles. When the front axle is inserted it pushes the motor backwards towards the rear axle and locks it in place. The pic is the bend fixture that will be the step before the jig. I have 3/32" dowels coming next week for it. With any luck by the end of next week I will have something for the track or another door stop if it doesn't work.

Rob


----------



## alpink

impressive


----------



## kiwidave

Thank you Ron. Arrived today safe and sound. Top class work. Thanks again!


----------



## alpink

wow, twins!
shiny brass is so attractive!


----------



## XracerHO

Wow, Outstanding machined chassis work! :thumbsup: ..RL


----------



## ParkRNDL

OK, so I gotta ask what you guys are doing for electricals. I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of these from Chappy, and I fitted in a Tycopro can and rear axle and some Aurora fronts... and promptly stalled. (Doesn't help that I am soldering challenged.) Once I saw the chassis in person, I gave up on getting conventional rigid pickup shoes and springs to work, so I figured I'd adapt some of the gazillion 1/43 braids I have lying around here, but the end that's clipped together with the metal retainer is too thick. I also have no idea how to get the lead wires attached to the motor. I mean, I see where there are openings on the outside edges by the brushes, but I don't know how to secure wires to them without shorting them on the chassis. Can someone post some advice and/or closeup pics of the way they set up the electricals on one of these?

thx in advance...

--rick


----------



## chappy2

Rick,
I wrap the front of the motor with electric tape. The red tape you see. Then I use a push pin and poke a hole into the brush tubes. Then push your wire in, then I use the tip of a tooth pick to hold the wire leads in. The tape keeps the chassis from shorting the motor out. I will post some pics tomorrow on what I do as well as what braids I use. 
Rob


----------



## ParkRNDL

Ahhh! I thought we were talking about soldering and fancy electrical connectors. Electrical tape and toothpicks? Now that's more my speed! :thumbsup: Might just head to the dungeon now and see what I can work out...

--rick


----------



## ParkRNDL

So sure as shootin', I got the little sucker to run around the track. WOW. It's fast and smooth, and I didn't even do the 440 arm and gearing that some here have talked about. Here's where I started:

I found that a Mako body was a good pressure fit over the brass chassis and was snug enough that it didn't even need screws.










There was a problem, though... I let the body push the motor leads tightly into the brush holes in the motor, and it was apparently screwing with brush tension, because it wasn't running right and sounded like it ran a lot better with the body off.










So I started hunting for another body with more room between the rocker panels and the chassis. I toyed with the idea of a MM GTO, but that would have required hacking out the wheel wells to run decent size AFX tires. Then I found this laying around. The wheelwells were already hacked up some, but not too badly: 










Runs like a CHAMP. Smooth, quiet, fast, drifts predictably. And for those like me who always loved to see the geartrain through the back window of a Tjet, check this out:



















Give me a couple minutes and I'll add a quick video to this post... 

--rick

edit: here's a video as promised

https://vine.co/v/hjnOVZVYKMa


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

hey rick, invite me back over sometime, and I'll bring mine, and we can race around your track together


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

pix...








When the chassis first arrived (RTR)

















I don't have any newer pix than the above. But the car now has different front wheels/tires, and the body is now decorated up to be a Dirttracker


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

*Weight Comparo.... FYI*

I forgot I also posted these pix, showing the weights of a stock Dodge Charger T-Jet, vs. my Brass Chass Charger...
Chappy2's Brass Chass w/lightweight Charger body weighs in at 30 Grams

















Aurora T-Jet Chassis with repainted JL Charger body(stock) weighs in at 22 grams.


----------



## chappy2

Cool Rick! I am glad to see you got her to go. Let me know if there is anything else that pops up. Thank you for the video, it is sweet to see one run on another track. Without the top plate of a t jet it allows you to drop a body. So it can be difficult to find a body if you don't want to cut one down. Toothpicks and tape get the job done. You can also cut a piece of lexan and wrap the front end if you don't like the tape. Any thin piece of lexan bubble packaging will work.

Rob


----------



## slotcarman12078

I love the side view of the chassis, as it shows just how much excess can be trimmed off, not only for clearance in slope backed bodies, but also for good weight reduction. All the weight could come off the top of the rails fore and aft with no real reduction in rigidity, and lowering the CG in the process. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## sidejobjon

Robert,
Totally blow them away show your Vintage Hot Rod Brass hand made Radiator/headlight with Treaded Radiator Cap. WOW Machine shop at its finest.
SJJ[/QUOTE]



Here is one of Roberts one off Radiator with screw on cap.
SJJ


----------



## 1/4Warrior

VERY COOL :thumbsup: :thumbsup: WHERE CAN I GET ONE LIKE THAT ?


----------



## alpink

YOU can't!
until you show us some pics of your stuff.
get a photobucket account (FREE) and you will find how easy it is to place pics here.


----------



## 1/4Warrior

i can't


----------



## chappy2

John,

Thanks for posting, good to see it again! That was a fun build, it's at a good home buddy.

Rob


----------



## chappy2

Rick, 

Here is the info that I mentioned I would post today. The pic is the braids I like to use. I get them off Ebay. The pickup shoe was designed around this type.



This is a slide show of how I put the front end together. The toothpicks are nice for disassemble so you don't have to mess with desoldering. 

http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/chappy210/slideshow/front end

Best Regards,
Rob


----------



## ParkRNDL

Hey, that's pretty awesome. That slide show makes me feel good because it's pretty much exactly what I did with what I had available. If I can get a roll of that braid that you use, it'll work much better than the jury-rigged 1/43 units I'm using now... but I used single-strand wire like you, and I jammed the other ends into the brush barrels the way you did too. I didn't use the toothpicks, however... they make me a little nervous. Isn't that just a spring in that hole? Won't wedging the toothpick in there screw with the brush spring tension?

I let my 9-year-old drive the car this afternoon. "Smooth and fast," he said. He approves. :thumbsup:

--rick


----------



## ParkRNDL

Ralphthe3rd said:


> hey rick, invite me back over sometime, and I'll bring mine, and we can race around your track together


hey Ralph I'll let you know... baseball finally tapered off, but now basketball and cheerleading competitions have started, so it's crazy around here again...

--rick


----------



## Jisp

*Home racer's point of view...*

To begin may I just say what a pleasure it is to deal with you Rob. You come across as a true gentleman and holding two of your creations tells me all I need to know of your skills as a machinist and builder. Running the little rockets only confirms it.

Rob, straight up the cars are brilliant, very different to anything I have run before. The two chassis you built for me have distinctly different personalities which keep things very interesting. First on my track was the red motor chassis, stock Tyco Pro. This little guy is the Quiet Achiever........ it's dead quiet and oh sooooo smooth. The gear mesh is bang on and the larger crown keeps the little guy nicely behaved. Combine that with a good, true motor and a perfectly machined wheel/axle combo and the rest is in the hands of the builder. That's where it shines mate. Your tolerances are unbelievably tight. Everything is dead true, parallel and square. Holding the chassis to a 9v battery is always a great test for unwanted noise and vibration... neither is present in my testing. Additionally, holding the outside of the wheels and rocking the car back and forth is an excellent way of feeling what is going on inside. Smoooth as a babies behind! A little tweaking of the braids on the swing arm pickup is all that was needed for reliable laps on my track. The build quality is an absolute credit to you and you should be deeply proud. BTW, the swing arm arrangement itself is a work of art.

Ok, enter the green motor Beastie, the 440x2 rebuild! Yup, this little guy commanded total respect from word go. LOL, with rapid acceleration it then screams along. Requires concentration because a moment’s distraction will see you off. Again, simple tweaking of the fixed pickup braids was required for my track. I just now ran another bunch of laps with this car and its fun all the way. Our current circuit has a banked corner leading into the main straight and you need to hold just the right speed through the bank. Hit the throttle full on the way out and you get an excellent fishtailing exit. I’d run 1000 laps just for that repeatable fishtail exit. Love it! Again, the build quality and tolerances are just sweet.

Overall opinion? Beastie & Quiet Achiever will be cars I'll reach for often, do doubt about it. They are unique in their quality and on track experience. My stock, out of the set, controllers are ok but only just. I notice it more with Beastie, I need more range on the controller. I’ll look into this further but for now I’m just enjoying them as is. What can I say..... thank you.

Cheers,
Michael.


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

Guys, I was a littler leery about the tooth/wire in the brush tube end myself. And I think that I had some early conductivity issues related to that early on too, especially when I fitted the Charger body, which was a close fit, and I think "accidentally" jarred the tooth picks? Anyway, 1000+ laps later...she's still running smooth as a babies bottom. But I did note, that with all the tire spinning and drifting, it's been wearing down my rear PVT's  Actually tho, it's rather interesting, how the outside edge on my right side tire, and the inside edge of my left side tire, have also beveled/rounded over from drifting so much over the rails on my oval track.


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

Wow Michael, that was a Very detailed and Excellent Review ! You touched on alot more bases than I did with my early reviews. And came to similar results. And btw- you are correct, you need better controllers than set controllers, and 90ohm + were preferred with mine(altho I have an oddball arm). Also try experimenting with different rear tires, it makes a Huge difference !


----------



## chappy2

Thank you for the kind words Michael, Ralph. Enjoy them and run'em often. Michael I look forward to seeing what bodies you mount, keep me posted.

Best Regards,

Rob


----------



## gonegonzo

I cant download the video Rich made . Is there another format ?

Thx 
Gonzo


----------



## joegri

jisper those are some nice pics and it brings it home. these are some very nice slotcarz.can you feel it? the revolution starts now!!:thumbsup:


----------



## Jisp

Thanks guys, happy to contribute some eye candy to the growing number of excellent shots posted by others thus far. I for one hope the trend continues. Ralph, thanks mate and your findings with the controller seem right on par with Rob's. In time I intend to address the issue but it sure aint stopping me running them for now! 

Rob, I've not even considered body styles yet as I'm still very much in awe of the car in it's birthday suit, so to speak. I have quite a few beautiful t-jet resins including the one from you. All are unfinished at this stage but I've commenced work on a couple. It's highly likely that one of the brass chassis will end up sporting an Aussie muscle car body.



joegri said:


> .... the revolution starts now!!:thumbsup:


My friend, I feel and hope you are right. What a magnificent start it makes Joe. Lovin' your optimism.

Enjoy!
Michael. :thumbsup:


----------



## joegri

*my chappy*

after checkin out all the other chappy chassis that are out there i had to get going on mine. so in the past few dayz i had a lil time to play. first off i could,nt make up may mind as to what is going to work on this chassis so i started with a fray look to it. then there is a body choice...hummmm. i have settled on about 6 different styles but i,m starting with my most favorite. we,ll see how it goes with this one.lapped in some bsrt gears and still have to install the braids and some final tuning then its trak time! thanx chappy for a great new angle on slot carin.


----------



## chappy2

Awesome Joe, really Diggin the stance you have created in the first pic, and that Porsche body fits like a glove. Looking forward to your track results! Hey Joe here is the pics I promised of the test shot off the fixtures. Not that impressive, but a starting point for sure. Lot of desoldering and resoldering to get to this point, need to finish up the front end next. On a good note the rear axle and center line of the motor are right on.





Rob


----------



## joegri

man that is trik!! the rear axel blocks are just what scratch building needs. i believe yer really onto something there!


----------



## 60chevyjim

looks great rob !!!


----------



## slotcarman12078

Nice set up JoeG!! That Porsche looks at home on it!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

That jig made chassis looks killer Rob! I might have to try to snag one of those jigs when you get them up at market. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## Hittman101

WOW!! Can't wait to see this one done!!!


----------



## chappy2

Well here is the start of my contest build, nothing fancy. It is a Greg Gipe 67 Skylark. I milled the chassis so the body edges would rest on a step making the brass look apart of the rockers. It was tough sledding shoe horning the hubs and tires inside the wheel wells. She rides real low, this will find all your track connections that are to high. Klickty Klack every 9 or 15 inches. Forced me into track maintenance last night.

Rob


----------



## 60chevyjim

rob that looks great !! ,
I just painted the same body metallic blue with a black top for on my ebay sales this week..


----------



## slotto

*Forlino Sighting?*



Ralphthe3rd said:


>


Is that John Forlino on the left?


----------



## chappy2

In my world of tangents this Riggens has been rolling around my bench for a while. It needed a custom front axle because of the odd length. So yesterday got it machined and threaded. Then built it up last night from the bare chassis to what you see. Had to thin the guide flag quite a lot to get a smooth lap. Next up is to paint and mount the Lexan body.


Side note I still love seeing those orange and green mags staring out of a fresh built chassis.

Rob


----------



## joegri

the riggen is what really got me interested in slots and i could never really get them to go good at all until i ditched the tyco braid holder and fashioned up my own guide pic-up. i think the chappy braid holder could work very well on the riggen...jus sayin. i just went down to the cave n turned some laps with my riggen and realized that i have to spent some time with,em.for me they are a high maintenance chassis and the lexan chews -up the rear silifoam tires if it rubs just a lil.bummer at 10.oo a pair it starts to get expensive! now i,m late to a job but,i will be thinkin bout what has to be down down in the cave to maximize the slotcar experience here. thanx for posting the brass stuff the pics of what others are doing inspires me to wrench a bit! :thumbsup:


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

slotto said:


> Is that John Forlino on the left?


 You mean John Forlino of ECHORR ?


----------



## chappy2

*wire chassis*

Well finally got the chassis off the bend and alignment fixture done. It is a ugly duckling for sure with all the soldering, desolderings, and resoldering! built it to fit a 4 gear Duster body I have been kicking around the bench. It really flies on the track and kicks that big back end out in the corners! As long as all 4 tires touch the track and the axles to motor alignment is in the same plane and square, that is all I can ask for. The axle to frame bushings worked well to speed up the process and alleviate a few headaches. The Tyco Pro pan makes a nice belly pan that stiffens everything up. I had to mill made in Hong Kong off the bottom for fun. A little paint next to finish it off. By the way, FYI the body is a Resin Dude product.

Best Regards

Rob


----------



## partspig

Chappy, That chassis looks better than any that I have ever done in brass tube!!! Good Job!! I like it! pig


----------



## 60chevyjim

great job on the chassis , and this is only the prototype ..
keep up the great work !!!!


----------



## Jisp

Rob, thanks for the update. That sweet little chassis says much about your jig. The soldering is always a really tricky part of the equation and is no less easy with the pan sucking up all of the iron's heat. Requires an iron with serious grunt or a small gas torch.

I did a little experimenting a while back and it may be of some use. My arsenal - scrap brass plate & tube/wire, acid flux and lead free non flux solder .7mm. After trying all sorts of things what worked best was to lay the tube across the plate and wick the acid into the contact path of the joint using a fine brush. I then cut a length of solder to the length of the joint and lay it snug in against the contact path. I placed the iron on the plate just a whisker to the side of the far end of the contact path and let the heat flow. Now, depending on the materials and how thick they were one of two things happened. After a short while the solder simply began to melt and wick into the joint or I had to roll the tip across a little to touch it and get it flowing. Either way, steady tracking along the length of the joint gave me a far better result than I could get by trying to heat the joint and then feed the solder in. I used the same method with some experiments on joining tube to tube as a T junction. I pre-cut the solder, bent it to a U shape and sat it over the junction which gave some excellent results.

Hope this may help in some small way.

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


----------



## Bill Hall

*90% set up.....10% soldering.*

Love your tube experiment Rob! For whatever reason the open frame big scale designs have always been super attractive to my eye. Making it happen in HO scale is quite another matter. 

Your well on your way to a versatile standardized platform for the screw post world. 

A 40 watt iron will solve your problems. Use the plain chisel point and keep it shaped at a 45 and cleaned by filing. I also have a 10 watt pencil tipped rig for lighter more delicate work. If one did more soldering you could justify a variable unit. I eventually discovered that my biggest mistake was related to poor set up and bad joint design.


----------



## chappy2

Jim and Dennis thank you for the kinds words and encouragement!

Bill and Michael thank you for the advice, and insight on soldering. I will be putting it to good use in the future for sure. I hope to start No.2 this week and avoid the dead ends I went down on this one. With your advice and clearer picture in my head, the next goal is to make a cleaner example. This one should have ended up on the scrap heap a few times over, but I could never quite give up on it totally.
Being one of the many that pursue the hobby alone here in my little world in Upper Michigan, it is the experimenting that keeps me at the bench or track side. Over the last 10 months here on HT I have enjoyed sharing and wanted to say thank you to everyone for receiving me well and taking an interest in what I do in HO slot rodding.

Best Regards Always,

Rob (Chappy)


----------



## Hilltop Raceway

Haven't tried making a chassis myself, but I do see/understand the work that goes into it!!! This would be a good set up for drag racing. The rear gear could be shaved and frame could be moved in to tuck the wheels under the body if so desired... That Duster looks pretty mean sitting there... Just thinking out loud here... Cool engineering!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup: RM


----------



## sidejobjon

Rob,
Looking good, what do you have there for front & Rear axle sleeves?
Nice Duster
SJJ


----------



## partspig

Well said Bill, ….. I too have and use two irons. One is a 25 watt iron that I use for soldering wires and other fine work. Then when soldering brass or RC batteries I take out my manly 45 watt Weller iron, just a light touch with this beast makes soldering brass, piano wire really easy. Can't wait to get my chassis on the way! pig


----------



## chappy2

Jon the bushings have 2 holes 90 degree apart. One that goes on the chassis wire than the cross hole for the axle. One of my main things I wanted to accomplish with this chassis was to get away from using the standard rear "U" bracket. I will get a pic of the bushing posted.
Pig me too, lookin forward to seeing what got cookin!

Here is the Pic showing the bushings Jon.


Rob


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

Rob, Nice work on the latest Chassis :thumbsup: you sure do like working with BRASS !


----------



## joegri

*likin that!!*

nice job on the scratch built chassis ron. and the axel/frame blocks are just what scratchbuilding needs.that is a great innovation there and will cut many hours off of build time.hope you have some in-stock cuz i would like a coupla sets!! man that chappy can think out of the box!:thumbsup:


----------



## sidejobjon

chappy2 said:


> Jon the bushings have 2 holes 90 degree apart. One that goes on the chassis wire than the cross hole for the axle. One of my main things I wanted to accomplish with this chassis was to get away from using the standard rear "U" bracket. I will get a pic of the bushing posted.
> Pig me too, lookin forward to seeing what got cookin!
> 
> Here is the Pic showing the bushings Jon.
> 
> 
> Rob


Rob,
Another cool innovation. what flip front & rear. I like you can add any length, Rails & funny cars.
Thanks for picture
SJJ


----------



## Jisp

Right about now I think this is one of my favourite pictures on the planet. Such an elegant solution to one of the biggest problems of scratch tube construction that holds so many of us back. Too cool for words Rob.



Gents,

Was making some repairs to my timing section of track earlier and found this hiding under some drill bits. It's one of the many experiments I mentioned earlier. If I recall, I was really taken with Kevin's nudge bar construction in his Fubar thread and was playing around with some ideas. The goal was to try to achieve strong, eye pleasing joints on various stock. Anyway, the two sections joined were just cut from a small bull-dog clip and are a little larger in section than what I'd actually try to use on a car. My thinking was to refine a method and then scale it down as required. The wire is 1.25mm/.05" and the lower section of the T is ~ 7.5mm/.3" long to give you an idea of size. This example used the method of cutting a tiny length of .7mm solder and draping it over the joint after bending it to a U shape. From memory I was able to hit the wire with the iron just short of the solder and the heat did the rest (with acid flux and lead free solder).

The challenge for me has always been to limit the amount of solder used without sacrificing the integrity of the joint. Too often when hand feeding it in I over do it, it gets cold, it gets hot, it moves here, it goes there, it follows the iron etc etc etc. I'm sure that anyone who has tried this knows the feeling. Anyway, for what its worth, the alternative method worked well for me and to the naked eye is as good as I'd ever hope to get a joint. I know it's limited in where it can be used depending on how the work piece has to sit and clamping etc but it’s simply one to add to the arsenal. The exact same method also worked for rod on brass sheet as I mentioned, however my brass sheet was probably a little thinner than pan material. Worth a try though. Oh, one last thing. I think the method would work even better with a smaller size solder if you can get it. Less is more!

All the best,
Michael.


----------



## chappy2

Thanks you Michael for the soldering information. It is a nice addition for sure. Ralph, Jon, and Joegri thanks for the comments on the build. Ralph, brass slot cars are a strong addiction that I haven't found a cure for yet. 
Here is a pic of the wire chassis in the bend fixture. It is just a starting point to rough in the shape. I start with no pins in the fixture, then as I bend I add pins to hold the shape. There is extra space on the block so I can drill for other profiles.



Best Regards
Rob


----------



## 60chevyjim

simpley amazing !! that looks great !!!


----------



## bobhch

*Brass Monkey.....Do the Funky Monkey...Brass Monkey!!*

Rob,

Just went through this thread from end to the start. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

This kind of Crazy Build it yourself stuff is a Blast to see!! :woohoo:

I can paint, (eat Tacos) and customize slot bodies all day long & Love to do it too. 
Can see you have that same feeling about building Chassis.....Zoom, Zoom!!

Wouldn't it be easier to just put a Brass body on a t-jet...Just Kidding. :tongue:

Dig your Jig!!

Bob...You got your peanut butter in my chocolate, you got your chocolate in my peanut butter...zilla


----------



## joegri

*i,m with jisp*

the axel block picture is a beauty but for me... i like jigs! this is a nice example of a chappy jig that says it all.:thumbsup:there have been so many innovations comming from the machine shop that i can,t keep up! thanx for posting the brass porn kinda gets my mind going into overdrive! this should get them boyz all riled up over in the ghetto.


----------



## Hilltop Raceway

Whoooooa!!!!


----------



## Hittman101

That is Sweet!!


----------



## sidejobjon

You are the man. Looks like a good way to use up some joiners from the Aurora lock an joiners
Sjj


----------



## XracerHO

Awesome engineering, soldering & jigs! WOW!! ..RL


----------



## videojimmy

incredible


----------



## chappy2

Thanks everyone for the nice comments! Didn't get much chassis work done this weekend but did get the body done and mounted on the Riggens chassis. Everything is pretty much stock. I had to add tubes to the shaker plate to mount the lexan body with a U shaped clip. Fun side project and it runs pretty good too.


Chappy


----------



## joegri

o yeah a red italian sports car!! very nice chappy glad she goes good for ya. have you tried your braid holder set up a riggen? i may try that in the near future.those darn riggen are what forced me to route my first trak then go off in a different direction in slot racin/building...scratchbuilding:thumbsup:


----------



## win43

chappy2 said:


> thanks you michael for the soldering information. It is a nice addition for sure. Ralph, jon, and joegri thanks for the comments on the build. Ralph, brass slot cars are a strong addiction that i haven't found a cure for yet.
> Here is a pic of the wire chassis in the bend fixture. It is just a starting point to rough in the shape. I start with no pins in the fixture, then as i bend i add pins to hold the shape. There is extra space on the block so i can drill for other profiles.
> 
> 
> 
> best regards
> rob



wowsers


----------



## slotcarman12078

Whoa!! That chassis is a thing of beauty!! Artwork in motion! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## chappy2

Thanks Slotcarman, Win, and Joe for the kind words. Not a lot going on, but here is a couple pics of the 2nd wire chassis that's in the fixture now. It is double stacked and I am messing around with gussets right now. I cut the front bushing down to create some clearance for the pickup plate. Time to get a good build plan down and not rush this one. The last pic is of all my builds of the brass chassis. No shelf queens there, they all get rocketed and rolled on a regular basis.


----------



## Jisp

Lions and tigers and bears..... blow my mind!

Thanks for the update Rob. That last photo brings it all together just beautifully. Don't stop mate!

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


----------



## joegri

that bunch of slot cars looks great. likin the delivery wagon myself! nice job on all chappy! lookin foward to the future of scratch building. up up n away!


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

Hey Man, besides your fabulous Brass Chassis builds, you're also a pretty good body man as well :thumbsup: I'm drooling over all these bods seen below...


----------



## vickers83

chappy2 said:


> Thanks Slotcarman, Win, and Joe for the kind words. Not a lot going on, but here is a couple pics of the 2nd wire chassis that's in the fixture now. It is double stacked and I am messing around with gussets right now. I cut the front bushing down to create some clearance for the pickup plate. Time to get a good build plan down and not rush this one. The last pic is of all my builds of the brass chassis. No shelf queens there, they all get rocketed and rolled on a regular basis.


Chappy, If the world currency switches to brass, You will be a gazillionaire! Absolutely beautifully crafted cars! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## sidejobjon

I keep coming back , to see the Group shot.
Looks like a car show.
Keep them coming
SJJ


----------



## bobhch

Hey now this is a nice assortment of Tic Tacs....wait they are Sweet little slot cars....Funtastic stuff man!! Bz


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

Hey Rob, this is Off Topic I think, but I don't remember who built this T-Jet top plate and assorted machined goodies...







....but it sure looks alot like YOUR Handiwork, did you build this ???


----------



## chappy2

Thanks guys for the kind comments.



vickers83 said:


> Chappy, If the world currency switches to brass, You will be a gazillionaire! Absolutely beautifully crafted cars! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


LOL, Vickers83, brass is the only precious metal, I can afford to invest in. Thank you for the compliment.

Joegri, I need the parts wagon to make those delivery's to the Ghetto.

Ralph, that is one of my builds. It was a tangent I went on when I was working on my Delrin T jet chassis build. It was tough sledding. I got 4 good running chassis's out of about 20 tries. It was a good exercise, that gave me a new level of appreciation for the engineering and manufacturing of Aurora. here is a pic.

Then here is a pic of the original brass top plate.


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

Wow Rob ! You even machined up a complete Delrin T-Jet Chassis !? SuWEET :thumbsup:


----------



## bobhch

ooooh this is Way COOL Brass and stuff here...WOW!!

Bob...I can make a killer sandwich...zilla


----------



## sidejobjon

What about the lightend Gears, Machined Wheels , Brass Guide pin. Amazing
SJJ


----------



## chappy2

It has been a few week since the last post. With the formula K posts and seeing the little motors popping up on builds, I started messing around with a slimline version out of brass. The motor was sent to me by Joegri and it got me thinking on a build. Here is a mock up of the prototype fresh off the Bridgeport. 

I got a little work to do on the electrical system before she sees track time.

Hope all on HT had a good New Years Holiday!

Best Regards,

Chappy


----------



## Hilltop Raceway

I was never much on the slimline, but I like the looks/possiblities of this!!! That looks gooood!!! RM


----------



## ParkRNDL

Whoa there... I know you used the word slimline, but does it have slimline body mount positions or Tjet body mount positions?

--rick


----------



## plymouth71

I've been away for a while... what is the source for that motor? Looks like I could one in my Front Engine Dragster


----------



## sidejobjon

Rob,
Inovation every month, are you a tool maker or Engineer? My Father said you had to be both to be a Tool & Die Maker.
That Gear mesh looks amazing. Looks like that would shoot out of a gun. & Track. Motor snaps right in. What did you use to slide pinion gear on little motor shaft?
Keep them Coming WOW
SJJ


----------



## videojimmy

Out of this world stuff here!


----------



## joegri

wow chap lookin good. the skinny chassis should work good for ya especially with the indy style body.keep us posted how its comming along. remember to dial back the voltage for that lil motor! chapperal has more if needed..lol. what i like most bout our man chappy 2 is he,ll try anything..thats the spirit.:thumbsup:


----------



## chappy2

Thanks guys for the kind words. Rick good eye, I drilled for regular T jet because I didn't have any slimline F1 bodies. The plan is to use a Indy body on the first one. I need to pick a F1 body up on the bay for the next one. I hope to have it running tonight. Joe the plan is to put a resistor in to run higher voltage.

Rob


----------



## slotcarman12078

The cool thing I learned about popping an in line resistor in a chassis with a low voltage motor is as long as you have another larger resistor in line (like your controller) a smaller one in the car will work fine. My guess is between 25-100 Ohm is all you'll need in the chassis. You will have to trial and error it to find the running characteristics you want, and I'm using round numbers for Ohms, the real values on the resistors are oddball numbers. Make sure there is no "k" in the value,or it'll be way to much!!!


----------



## bobhch

chappy2 said:


> It has been a few week since the last post. With the formula K posts and seeing the little motors popping up on builds, I started messing around with a slimline version out of brass. The motor was sent to me by Joegri and it got me thinking on a build. Here is a mock up of the prototype fresh off the Bridgeport.
> 
> I got a little work to do on the electrical system before she sees track time.
> 
> Hope all on HT had a good New Years Holiday!
> 
> Best Regards,
> 
> Chappy


Holy Hot Peppers and Spicey Meatballs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob...this is way,way,way FAR OUT!!...ZILLA


----------



## Hittman101

Wow Chappy that is SWEET!! Can't wait to so it done and up and running.


----------



## chaparrAL

Please sell in the proper forum.


----------



## partspig

xxxxxxx


----------



## chappy2

Thank you SCM on the electrical advice, an area I always need help in! Bob, it is always fun to see what you have to say, and definitely puts a smile on my face. 

While waiting for resistors to arrive via snail mail for the slim chassis, I messed around and finished up the 2nd wire frame. It was one of those project that you put aside because of loss of inspiration, but tonight I wrapped it up. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise. it is super fast and handles great. The body is one of my favorites, it came out of the "Ghetto Speed Shop", Thanks Joe! It fits well with the ragtag chassis underneath. Next up for it is a coat of paint and a few decals. Then a whole bunch of laps!


----------



## joegri

*now we, talkin slotcar*

man o man that is beautiful. everything in place n lookin like a bigger scale slotcar. chap you,ve really captured the spirit of slotcar racin and best of all you made it yerself...i,ll bet its very satisfying to turn laps with that muskrat! lookin good chappy!:thumbsup:


----------



## gonegonzo

Is that a brass guide pin ?

Can you give a more detailed shot of the guide and pickups ?

Thx 
Gonzo


----------



## slotcarman12078

Man, they look like they were made for each other! Nice job on the air dam JoeG! This is going to look sweet all painted up and decaled! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

As far as the resistors go, I would start at the high end and work down, so you don't accidentally cook the motor.


----------



## joegri

*disclaimer*

oh no scman i did,nt make the body.. i just gave it to chap cuz i was,nt gonna use it. and if ya look at the air damn the line shows where i was gonna cut it back a bit.lol that mustang had been living in a box for quite awhile anyway. so pass it on.


----------



## Hilltop Raceway

That just looks aggressive!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup: RM


----------



## chappy2

Thanks guys, when I pulled that body out of the box it looked like it was beggin for some laps! I wanted to do it justice with a low slung chassis that brings it down low to the track.
Gonzo, the guide pin is plastic, I will shoot a pic for you for sure.

Chappy


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

Wow Rob ! That Mustang is a cool build, can't wait to see the painted body :thumbsup:


----------



## chappy2

*2nd Wireframe*

Thanks Ralph for the kind words! Here is the finished paint job. I am not to good at the body work and paint stuff, but it is fun to get them done and turning laps! I added a set of pipes and a driver to this one, thanks to Al via the Christmas exchange resin grab bag :thumbsup:! This one is a real Hoot to drive, fast and really swings wide on the turns.


----------



## WesJY

WOW! thats a sweet looking Mustang! may I ask where you get the driver from? is it resin cast or ? 

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Wes


----------



## Hittman101

Looks awesome to me!!!


----------



## bobhch

Hittman101 said:


> Looks awesome to me!!!


Yeah I DIG it.....Great Custom Slot Car!!

Bz


----------



## chappy2

Thanks guys, Wes the driver is resin and was from the resin pack that came with the Christmas exchange car I recieved. Al Pink supplied them, they are real nice and a good scale.


----------



## slotcarman12078

:woohoo: I like it!! I like it!!!!! :woohoo:


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

Again-  Wow Rob ! That Mach I is RAD ! Lovin' the driver too- nice touch :thumbsup:


----------



## Jisp

chappy2 said:


>


Awesome job on the body Chappy (& JoeG). I always like being able to see the goodness going on inside a mean body. Thanks for posting.

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


----------



## Hilltop Raceway

As is said, That's aggressive looking, especially with all that meat hanging out!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup: RM


----------



## vickers83

Thats an awesome Stang Chappy! Could almost swear its a 1/24th :thumbsup::thumbsup:


----------



## joegri

man chap that red really finishes it off nicely. and i might add that the chrome window edging and taillight details are a high light of the the show. chapman yer builds are a cool fresh breeze blowin through the custom thread atta boy keep,em commin!:thumbsup:


----------



## XracerHO

GREAT Mustang build & cool driver! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: ..RL


----------



## chappy2

*F1/Slim*

Yet again thanks guys for the kind words. Here is some pics updating the progress on the slim chassis. I had to narrow down the sides and rework the front to get the body to fit. Thanks goes out to Partspig for the body! Adding the tube upfront allowed me to extend the wheelbase. I got a resistor on the can, so I am looking forward to a few laps tonight if all works out.


----------



## ParkRNDL

YOWZA. I have never been a fan of F1 type stuff in general but that is just TOO COOL LOOKING. following closely.

--rick


----------



## Joe65SkylarkGS

Dude, let me say, WOW!!!

I'm in for one if you decide to sell any on them. Please


----------



## sidejobjon

Rob,
Looks great with or without body. Time to quit your day job. You are non stop.
Great stuff
SJJ


----------



## bobhch

The tube on your chassis sure made for a Sweet little race car!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Partspig to the rescue. 

Bob...so much fun here...zilla


----------



## joegri

the f1 is lookin sweet chap. looks to a winner for ya! curious bout the resistor that is to be installed? waiting to see how that works out for trakability(is that a word)lol. fresh new build man i like it!:thumbsup:let us know what you find out.


----------



## chappy2

Thanks Fellas for the kind comments. Joe the F1 is making laps but I am going to wire in a 12 volt power supply on one lane for it before I put it to the test. I have to say that I like the bigger cans just for how robust they are. The mini motors are cool but will take a couple builds to get comfortable with them. 
Here is a few pics of the latest experiment. I get on to too many tangents. I was making some brackets for another idea when I start to mess around with this concept. Unfortunately I suffer from an acute addiction to brass, and can't find a cure other than building more! All joking aside, next up is to develop a front end for this one.




Chappy


----------



## joegri

oh man i likes the 2 piece motor bracket. what a great idea. and the jig looks great too. now i,m waiting to see what ya got for a front end.that looks to be the begining of a cool chassis. would like to look over the shoulder as this baby comes together! nice job chapman keep a movin very curious how this one finishes. :thumbsup:


----------



## sidejobjon

Robert,
I am lost for words on all your work, but I found some.
likable
agreeable 
cordial star 
ducky star 
fair star 
friendly star 
good star 
kind star 
lovely star 
okay star 
superior star 
swell star 
welcome star 
winning star 
admirable star 
amiable star 
approved star 
attractive star 
becoming star 
charming star 
commendable star 
considerate star 
copacetic star 
courteous star 
decorous star 
delightful star 
favorable star 
fine and dandy star 
genial star 
gentle star 
gracious star 
helpful star 
ingratiating star 
inviting star 
kindly star 
nifty star 
obliging star 
peachy star 
pleasant star 
pleasurable star 
polite star 
prepossessing star 
seemly star 
simpatico star 
unpresumptuous star 
well-mannered star 
winsome


----------



## K.L. VanAtta

Chappy2,

Absolutely wonderful work from idea to execution!! In my mind, scratch-building is the ultimate form of slot car racing, and yours is with the best I've seen.

klv


----------



## chappy2

Machined up a set of front axle holders yesterday morning and installed them last night. The front axle holder spacing is equal to the width of a Riggens. Thanks KL and SJJ for the kind words about the builds, it is an intriguing hobby that keeps me thinking. Next up is a braid hanger and electricals.


----------



## LDThomas

Amazing craftsmanship!


----------



## T-jetjim

I have been away from HT for a while. Good to be back and see this thread. WOW incredible precision. Boy could I butcher up a piece of brass.


----------



## jobobvideo

way to bring that design into this century with the tech upgrades!!!! looks like it could be mass produced also


----------



## slotcarman12078

I was thinking the same thing Jon. It looks like it was mass produced already. You're really making me wish I stuck it out at Wiremold in the model shop. I would have had all the tools I could ever want to play with.


----------



## K.L. VanAtta

Chappy 2,

Back in the beginning few pages of this post Bill Hall and you were talking about a Tyco 440 conversion for the Tyco Pro HT-50 Mabuchi motor. As I am preparing to do some brass and gravity car tutorials I have a few set of green/orange magnets that I have matched and put away. They have an average Gauss reading of 350G while an average set of Tyco 440 magnet that I have had a Gauss reading of 575G.

If the HT-50 can was constructed differently there would be a noticeable increase in the magnetic attraction to the track, they opted to confine the maximum amount of the field to the armature to produce torque, something small motors of the day lacked. If you want an increase in the HT-50's magnetic downforce try cutting away the folded area of the can above and below the magnet, possible increase of 33% in stick. Now the can where the magnet back touches is acting as a magnetic shim and pulling more on the track rail.

klv


----------



## Ralphthe3rd

KL, I may be wrong, but I do NOT think Chappy wanted to Increase magnetic downforce with the stronger 440 magnets. I think he just wanted to be able to spin the arm faster.
I'll be corrected if I'm wrong, Chappy ?


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## chappy2

KL, Thanks for adding to the conversation here. Sounds like a good tip I will have to try for getting more downforce on the rails. I am not electrically sound so it is nice to get advice in other disciplines. 
LD, SCM, JoboVideo, Jim, thanks for stopping in and leaving words of encouragement.
I will post pics of the new build once I make some final changes to the pickup system.
Ralph your right the original intent was to get more power and rely on the brass weight.

Chappy


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## K.L. VanAtta

chappy2 said:


> ...Then the second pic is the chassis with the 440 conversion with Hilltop's 53 mounted. The 440 arm is super smooth and mags create a lot more down force....
> 
> http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y498/chappy210/BRASS%20CHASSIS/pic8_zps8ea34f95.jpg



Ralph, Bill Hall and Chappy2 were talking about a 440 motor conversion and the magnets involved. I filled in the empirical data and a gave hypothetical result based on a known quantifiable property, magnetic downforce....klv


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## chappy2

*update*

Figured it was time for an update. I got the new build wired up. My first guide was to loose and would toe down and stop the chassis. I stiffened up the front end and I like the results. Turned some nice laps tonight with it. The cave with a few suds was real cozy tonight. There is nothing better than quality bench time!




Chappy


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## alpink

masterpiece, again


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## chaparrAL

Awesome craftsmanship! 
Chappy I see you live up there in Michigan up the road from Scott, Bob and Joel. JEEEZ, something in the water? Winter too long? lol


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## Hilltop Raceway

Precision dynamics at it's best......RM


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## slotcarman12078

A masterpiece in brass!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup: What a beautiful creation!!!


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## joegri

man chap you are absolutely blowin me away with yer chassis fabrication. i,m diggin how the frontend ties into the main tube! and there is that tiny block that looks like it holds the braid holder...brilliant! when i get this accord squared away i,m thinkin roadtrip this summer! i gotta see how you do this. and yes i agree with chapperal it,s got to be in the water or just the U.P. is the new hotbed for brass building (i hear doug morris lives in that area too.) just very nice to have you postup some of your new stuff. thanx


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## Super G Man

Holy s---! I have trouble changing pick up shoes on my cars and you are building chassis out of hunks of brass. Awesome work!


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## ParkRNDL

seriously, every time i see a new development on this thread, i am blown away...

--rick


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## chaparrAL

For those of you who want to play along, Lucky Bob has these.


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## GoodwrenchIntim

Chappy if you want to soup that can motor up even more stick one of those 3.5 ohm mattel arms from the $4 chassis and the motor mags are stronger than stock tyco, more brittle though


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## Bill Hall

Looks like all the elements are there. The modular adjustable wheel base unit is near upon us! 

A thing of beauty as usual Rob.


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## 1976Cordoba

chappy2 said:


>



These are all sexy goodness but I am watching this one a little more closely.


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## bobhch

chappy2 said:


> Chappy


Oh My God...............WOW!!


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## Hilltop Raceway

My thoughts exactly... "The BrassMaster"... RM


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## chappy2

Thank you everyone for the kind words about the new build. It is much appreciated! Cordoba here is a pic of the finished F1 build.


Chappy


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## Black Oxxpurple

Rob, 

That is one sweet F-1 you have on your hands.

Rob


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## chappy2

Have been messing around with a drag build this week. Here is the mock up with the body and motor. I have not done much with drag racing so will see where it leads.



Chappy


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## Black Oxxpurple

That Rail is looking sweet Rob. looking forward to seeing the finished product.


Rob


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## sssscamaro

*Machine shop*

Chappy I have to ask....are you using a home shop unimat/emco all in one lathe milling machine for the work on these chassis?
Ryan


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## Ralphthe3rd

*Dragster*

Rob, that's a cool new venue for you to pursue. :thumbsup:
Lookin' forward to the final results


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## chappy2

sssscamaro said:


> Chappy I have to ask....are you using a home shop unimat/emco all in one lathe milling machine for the work on these chassis?
> Ryan


Ryan, I have access to a Bridgeport Mill, and a Colchester Lathe to work on. I would like to eventually have one of the bench top units at home to work on projects. Thanks for the question.

Rob


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## sidejobjon

Rob,
That's "RAIL NICE"
SJJ


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## Hilltop Raceway

I like where this is heading!!! RM


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## GoodwrenchIntim

Can't wait to see the finished car. You got me itching to go stock up on brass and start making some cars now.


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## Hittman101

You bet me to it Rob oh well. Looks great!!!


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## GoodwrenchIntim

see what ya started


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## chappy2

GoodwrenchIntim said:


> see what ya started


Super Cool! Go for it man, if you need anything let me know. It is always cool to see new builds and ideas. Sharing is what is all about, Black Oxx gave me the brass bend idea and Hittman's drag builds was a source of inspiration for sure on this one. I plan on trying your mask when it goes to the paint booth.

Rob


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## GoodwrenchIntim

chappy2 said:


> Super Cool! Go for it man, if you need anything let me know. It is always cool to see new builds and ideas. Sharing is what is all about, Black Oxx gave me the brass bend idea and Hittman's drag builds was a source of inspiration for sure on this one. I plan on trying your mask when it goes to the paint booth.
> 
> Rob


Thanks man !!! I am kinda interested in one of your chassis jigs, what do they run?
I just got done truing half a dozen coms on the mattel 3.5 ohm arms and about to build a couple motors for my brass build. Going to use the mattel motor mags as well since they are stronger than stock tyco and WAY stronger than the can motor mags. I am thinking a set of slottech bigfoot adjustable brush tubes will fit hopefully w/out any modding of the bulkhead or some slight modding
Can't wait to see more cars using my paint mask, great free advertisement


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## chappy2

*Jig*

The 440 motor conversion is the way to go. Look forward to seeing what you got planned.

Chappy


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## bobhch

chappy2 said:


> Have been messing around with a drag build this week. Here is the mock up with the body and motor. I have not done much with drag racing so will see where it leads.
> 
> 
> 
> Chappy


Ooooooooooooh Yeah!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## chappy2

*update*

Howdy, Here is an update on the dragster. It is a mutt for sure. It has a chopped 37 ford body, tjet chassis, afx blue tip arm, dash top plate, 2 guide pins, a AL Pink driver and braids among other mismatch of parts. Still have to improve the pickup system and work on a decal scheme. Here is a couple pics.


This project is a AJ's brass pan conversion for a tyco pro that I have been wanting to do for a while. It is a lot faster than I thought it would be. It sports some home spun rear tires by JoeG. The body has been cleaned and ready for a fresh set of decals. One of my favorite bodies done by tyco. 



Best Regards
Chappy


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## Hittman101

Rob those are sweet looking!!! keep them coming.


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## alpink

the rear pick system on the rail is cool. have used it before, but never considered it as a wheelie bar too. nice job.


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## joegri

it,s a chappyarri! like the way it fits on that brass chassis. those rears are called" road apples" hope they work for ya. i,m diggin the body right on the trak too.


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## Jisp

chappy2 said:


> ... Black Oxx gave me the brass bend idea ....


Rob or Black Oxx, may I ask what that idea was? I've back peddled and can't find any reference. No doubt it is staring me in the face and I've missed it.

BTW Mr Chappy, no shortage of your usual sot car goodness going on recently. Thank you for sharing it.

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


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## chappy2

Michael,

Black Ox had sketched the original top view of the wire bend and sent the idea to me.:thumbsup:

Rob


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## Black Oxxpurple

The jig is just supposed to allow parts of a drag top fuel to be bent up. I have not gotten mine bent yet, ( we are racing tonight ) but will post pictures as soon as I do. 

THAT IS ONE BAD RAIL/.


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## Jisp

Thanks guys. BO, any photos would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


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## Ralphthe3rd

Hey Rob, that Dragster project really intrigues me(I like Pancake power), and i love that it's a Mutt :thumbsup:
Keep up the Great work...as always


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## bobhch

Totally Bad Ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## chaparrAL

Chappy love that hardbody Chaparral. very retro cool.:thumbsup:
Here is my dragster. It has two NEO dots in the nose a that is way better than lead. Goes like stink!


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## sidejobjon

CHAPPY & CHAPARRAL building dragsters. Railly & RailAL .
Nice Tread & Chaparral Rob & Al does that need a wheelie Bar, at launch?
SJJ


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## Joe65SkylarkGS

alpink said:


> the rear pick system on the rail is cool. have used it before, but never considered it as a wheelie bar too. nice job.


Very creative. Never have to worry about losing power!!!!

Very cool idea Chappy!!!!!! :thumbsup:


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## chappy2

Thanks everyone for the kind words about the builds. Been messing around with a TCP pan build this last week. Here is a couple pics. It is a ball running it on the track!



Chappy


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## Ralphthe3rd

GEE WHIZ , and you're running that Pan on a MARKED ©1970 Chassis


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## chappy2

Ralphthe3rd said:


> GEE WHIZ , and you're running that Pan on a MARKED ©1970 Chassis


Ralph, don't worry the front end was ruined to begin with. someone before me had epoxied a axle tube in and cut the hangers off! No salvage there so it is what it is today. Most everything I cut up is junk to begin with from eBay junk lot buys. Not into the collecting side just buy to build. I figured the date would catch somebodies eye,LOL.

Rob


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## alpink

another sweet chassis build. 
what spring/brush combination do you prefer in the brush cups?


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## joegri

yeah man i,m likin that pan build. true to the era the super II mags and those front rims look trik. must be a real spinner cuz she needs 2 motor clips! man that is an inspirational build.might have to poke around the bench and locate my last pan from doug morris. chap are you gonna solder in some tubes for a lexan? or just run it with no body? i like running ,em just like that. very cool chap another fresh one from the machine shop. i hope ruralradio get to see this one.


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## chappy2

Thanks guys! Joe she rolls pretty hot on the circuit. She corners well too. My plan is to epoxy tubes for a Lexan. I got a Porsche body painted light blue and ready to decal up in the Gulf colors. It is Doug Morris Pan, and makes a great vintage build for sure!

Hey Al, I put in the Bsrt brushes with gold Bsrt springs. Set the cups flush on the inside and put a little stretch into the springs for a little better feel when spinning the Comm. It is a lot of fun to try and recreate some these sweet builds. The Riggens web site is filled with endless chassis combinations to try!

Chappy


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## DonSchenck

How do the pickups NOT short out against the pan??


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## Ralphthe3rd

DonSchenck said:


> How do the pickups NOT short out against the pan??


Don, my guess is Clear Packing tape on the bottom of the pan


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## ruralradio

Yep Don, good old Scotch transparent tape, I like the "Matte Finish Magic Tape" in the green plaid dispenser best on my cars.

Ralph, I have a c1971 chassis in the same shape I'm about to carve up into a gravity car. Junkyard parts in this shop, too.

Chappy- build yourself a .025 brass shaker with the pin tubes soldered to it. Check out some of my builds pictured somewhere here on HT and elsewhere. Then, have Sgrig or someone wind you up a nice 3 or 4 ohm arm to toss in it. Hang on and have some fun. I going to look for a link of a fellow that had some very nice springs for brush tube cars, Doug Morris and I bought a bunch and are very happy with them. SJJ may know of the guy, too.


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## chappy2

Right on Ralph, Don I covered the bottom of the chassis with 2 layers of clear packaging tape to prevent shorts. I also epoxed the whole area underneath the chassis around the brush cups and wiring.

Rural Radio, thanks for stopping in, I plan to do a shaker and tubes like you suggested. I will post final results once done. You are right about holding on. She flies even with a red AFX arm and Super II mags. Would definitely be interested in the link concerning the springs. These builds make a good use for wrecked chassis's that are no good for a normal AFX setup. 

Chappy


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## ruralradio

Hey Chappy, got the springs from slot_car_device on the 'bay. Swap the rear end for a .059 axle with bushings and sili-foam tires, along with a 19t crown gear. It'll surprise you how the handling will wake up.


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## chappy2

ruralradio said:


> Hey Chappy, got the springs from slot_car_device on the 'bay. Swap the rear end for a .059 axle with bushings and sili-foam tires, along with a 19t crown gear. It'll surprise you how the handling will wake up.


Rural Radio, Thanks for the spring info and the further hop up suggestions. I will give them a try for sure. I had read here or heard that the tyco pro crowns where used in the pan chassis builds of the time. It may have been JoeG that suggested it. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on that? 

Chappy


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## ruralradio

TycoPro crowns work well, they're actually round compared to Aurora/American Line 19t gears. Of course you have to cut down the boss to fit the A/fx chassis. You will have to use a .059 axle with the Tyco gear, an .063 may split it. I've used the Aurora type hop up gears on .059 axles with a center spline, they work OK, the Tycos mesh better. I've seen guys using modern 20t crowns, too.


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## chappy2

Thank you Rural Radio for the info! Been messing around with a few new builds this week. The first is a AJ's Tyco Pro Pan Chassis with a Vicky body. The second chassis build pictured is a modified Tyco Pro I have been meaning to try and finally got around to it. It has a tube front axle setup for a independent front end using the original Tyco rims. I cut the original pickup hanger away and added a braid holder.







Chappy


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## joegri

wow chapman those are beautiful man. luv the vickey! ya know i have a few of the tycos hangin round n could never think of what to do with them. how do they behave? looks like a nice clean set-up. nice braid set up too!


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## slotcarman12078

That Vicky looks wild!! Love it! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Have you ever tried copper clad? It's stuff I use for making circuit boards. They have it in single sided and double sided, and you can etch it to keep the + and - separated. It's easy to solder to (obviously), and available in different thicknesses. It's about as durable as fiberglass (which is what it basically is). You can drill it, solder a 3/32 brass post into it and tap it with a 2-56 so you have a way to mount it to the chassis. You can even use 1/16 or smaller brass rod for your guide pin. If I ever get to playing with brass it's what I plan on using for the pick up system.


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## Ralphthe3rd

Rob, that Vicky is SuWEET ! :thumbsup: I've always loved those bodies, and have several, some original, some resin copies from Bad Dawg. And that Tyco Pro chassis conversion is sweet too, I wish a few of my TP's had that front end :thumbsup:


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## bobhch

chappy2 your Vicky is lookin' Crisp -n- Clean...Love it!!

Bob...HOLY Custom chassis Batman...zilla


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## chappy2

Not much going on here at the Machine Shop as far as building the last week or so with the kids home for spring break. We went south to Chicago for a few days to check out some museums and such. We did stop in Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin and toured the Jelly Belly Candy factory, highly recommended, for sure. Still finding Jelly Beans in the van, LOL. 
Joe thanks for the tip on the copper clad, I will have to do some investigation about it.
I don't really buy complete cars to often on Ebay but this one caught me eye with the vintage lexan body mounted via a Cobramite body bracket on a T jet Chassis. The only thing I upgraded was the rims and tires front and back here's some pics.



Chappy


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## Black Oxxpurple

Rob, that was a good snag. Sweet Ride !!!


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## slotcarman12078

Love my copper clad!!! Skip the ultra thin stuff... It's flimsy. This stuff here should be sturdy enough for builds, yet thin enough to stay out of the way.

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G18934

Just use caution when cutting it. The dust is nasty stuff (one of those you can inhale in, but it don't want to come back out kinda things) and it can also be an irritant to the eyes too. I wear hospital disposable masks when cutting more than one board. I don't have any of those HD micro filtration types.


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## chappy2

Thanks for the link SCM, some real interesting stuff. Been working on this one off and on for a while. I have been wanting to make a G jet type car for awhile using a 440 chassis and a brass pan. She runs super fast and handle real well too. I made weights to replace the traction mags and tapped them to be able to screw the pan to them. Here is a couple pics. 





Chappy


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## Ralphthe3rd

That's really Cool Rob ! :thumbsup:
Personally, I converted half my 440x2 into NoMag Cars. And for some, I cobbled together weights to replace the mags, while some i just left empty. But I made sili-sponge tires out of NOS Tyco Spongees, and the work pretty good. But I'm likin your Pan idea better


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## WesJY

SO COOL!! :thumbsup:

Wes


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## joegri

that is a great idea there chap.i,m liking the fact that it will fishtail and have good speed.
i dont think i have one of those chassis? have to poke around and see. a pan for every chassis...i say. i,ve read those are good ones. lots of adjustments and after market speed parts. you picked a cool one to modify.


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## chappy2

Thanks guys, this one is a lot of fun, ran a bunch more laps tonight. Even the beat up Gulf body is growing on me. Ralph part of wanting to finish this was after reading your experiences with taking out the traction mags on your thread. Joe this chassis is one of the $6.00 Mattel tyco 440x2 that you get off there website. There is a thread here on HT to show how to order them. The hop up options are endless and not bad price wise. Wes thanks for dropping in.

Chappy


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## mowyang

Wow, Chappy, the 440 weights and the pan are awesome. Beautiful work, as always. No front mounting point needed?


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## chappy2

mowyang said:


> Wow, Chappy, the 440 weights and the pan are awesome. Beautiful work, as always. No front mounting point needed?


Mowyang, Thanks for the Compliment. It is real solid with the back 2 screws. I sanded the bottom of the bulkheads down level with the motor mags. Then when you tighten up the screws it draws the pan up and locks it in rigid. 

Chappy


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## Ralphthe3rd

BTW Rob, to the right in this photo, am I seeing machined aluminum CANS for your inlines ?


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## chappy2

Ralphthe3rd said:


> BTW Rob, to the right in this photo, am I seeing machined aluminum CANS for your inlines ?
> Ralph, that is part of a drill fixture for hole alignment between a can and axle. Now you got me thinking!
> 
> Rob


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## Jisp

Now you have us thinking.............. drill fixture for hole alignment? That's a bunch of words that instantly makes me want to know more. If you have time Rob, we'd like to hear more about it.

Cheers,
Michael. :thumbsup:


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## GoodwrenchIntim

Chappy, have you ever thought of making rear bushing for afx,tjets?? would be a nice fix for those old wore out rear axle holes that are to far gone to be peened


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## Ralphthe3rd

Hey Rob, how do you like this lil Beauty that I recently acquired....nice piece of brASS -eh ?


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## chappy2

Cool Ralph, They are a fun ride for sure. That pan is under the Vicky build. :thumbsup:
top view

bottom view


GWI, I have done bushings for armature holes that are blown but not for axle holes. It is on the list to try.

Best Regards,

Chappy


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## chappy2

Not a lot going on here lately. I finally got a body on the nonmag pan build this week. I also have been messing around with making sili-foam tires. The tires on this one I spun up myself. They run nice and add a another component to building.





Chappy


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## joegri

looks to me like ho slotcar building in its purest form. fast chassis and a light body. nice job on the tires too.


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## Ralphthe3rd

Cool Stuff Rob :thumbsup:
And I like that you are serving up Pancakes again  Always very tasty IMO


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## win43

Cool stuff


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## slotcarman12078

It looks fast, and is probably even fast than it looks!! Neat build Rob, and even cooler that you're making your own tires too!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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