Blueprinting a T-Dash chassis for HO slot car racing. Basic blueprinting plus upgrading the wheels and tires. This video uses uses Fray principles to build a better running DASH chassis for under $35. #hoslotcar #slotcar
I am a Tjet guy, burt I love all of your videos. Thanks for the info on notching the brushes and flattening the shoes. My son (31 years old) and I are planning a race on Christmas day. We cannot add or remove anything from the chassis, but we can work with what we have; Peening danged near everything, straightening shoes, making tolerances correct and the body is of our choice. I am racing a Cheetah and I think he has decided on an AC Cobra. It is going to be a hoot. Thanks
back about 50 yrs ago,I developed a pretty good mail order HO parts and made some really hot T-jets. Glad to see guys are still interested in them. FALLER BRUSHES are one of the best mods. silver solder on pick up shoes is another trick.Super magnets,too. rich The HOBBY HOUSE,Monroe, LA
Interesting how the science of brushes has reversed over the years. Back in 1967, the local HO thunderjet guru told us to NOT groove the brushes, because they were meant to turn in the chassis to make them wear evenly, giving a flat contact surface, and that if we put grooves in them, we would be able to see that they would wear more on the two edges, making less contact with the commutator.
I am a FIRM believer in keeping the brushes from spinning. For many, many years I believed it was good for the brushes to spin. It's not. Your cars will run faster if they don't spin. Sometimes you will have a mysteriously slow car (Aurora Thunderjet) that you just can't figure out. It very well may be that it is because the brushes are spinning and not passing the power to the commutator. Also, spinning brushes develop a dome instead of a flat contact area on the top side of the brush. So, not only is the contact area to the armature smaller but I also believe that it will change the timing of the armature because the edges of the brush will not be making contact AND the brush will be making contact on each phase of the armature for less travel of the armature. I'm not sure that I phrased that accordingly to what is in my head but hope it is understandable. I have been slotting my brushes for years now but sometimes when one of my cars slow for no apparent reason I discover that one of my brushes is spinning because I try to put as small a slot that will do the job. Actual Thunderjet racing groups only allow not much more than a scrape or "score" across the surface. I make the slot as small as practical for my brushes to last as long as possible. A generous slot will drop the brush lower onto the brush spring therefore lower in the chassis requiring replacement sooner. Sometimes I have to give the brush spring a little twist towards the oncoming direction of armature rotation for the for the edge of the "V" bend in the brush spring to catch the the score (or slot) in the brush. With a chassis that has been used for some time with unslotted brushes the pronounced V in the spring may have rounded off a bit making it harder to catch the scored brush that prevents it to spin. Whenever I get a brand new Thunderjet (rarely anymore) the first thing I do is take it apart and slot the brushes to keep from wearing the V. Sorry if you think I am a yoyo but I am 100% convinced that it is best to slot the brushes.
