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I've been hitting brick walls every time I try to build a chassis. There is always something keeping me from actually finishing one. Well, this time I just set out to get the basics right, phooey with whether or not it is race worthy.

When you see stuff from EM, Russell, Larry, Grah1 and the rest of the crew it always looks so good and many times looks quite simple. I've no idea why whenever I try it it gets so difficult so fast. So I set my sights low this time and actually got something that might run. It won't run well but that wasn't the point behind this particular chassis. I just wanted to get something together that would help build my confidence for the next one.

I have zero body and painting skills. I lean more towards mechanicals so I chose to do a hard plastic bodied car. I couldn't possibly mess up that, could I? It was close, I almost melted it once. I keep forgetting that that solder stuff is hot and anything it's touching is probably hot too. You learn this stuff, preferably from somebody elses mistakes but sometimes from your own
Piano wire was my choice this time. I was able to whittle a half decent square brass piece that would both hold the motor using its factory supplied screw holes and hold the piano wire in place. The motor bolted right in and is bone stock since this was a chassis exercise and not a motor test. I ended up using cheap plastic bushings on the rear axle but that was OK to me because it got the chassis done. There is more info posted on the link.

This car used a store bought motor, body, wheels and tires. The body, wheels and tires are from the $2 Nkok car I posted about a while back. The rest was all wire, brass sheet and solder. To actually run this thing I'll need to add weight either via lead or brass sheet but, as I'd mentioned before, this was just to build confidence after so many failures.

I'd appreciate if anyone would post what stuff I messed up or could have done better. I'm looking to use less wire on the next chassis and more brass sheet. The upcoming chassis will also sport almost race worthy components such as better bushings or ball bearings for the axles and a better motor/rear axle combo. I'm hoping that I may be able to get something together that won't get laughed at too hard for the F1 race that Professor Fate is putting on. That's why I used so much wire this time around and made the chassis so skinny under a street car body.

Don't click this unless you are morbidly curious or just looking for a laugh
 

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Seriously cool, there! I agree with Ferg- that's a complex design for a first-off, but nicely done. I hope you've got the bug now good and proper. Invest in a nice little jig set-up, and you'll see how easy it really all is!

A big welcome to the scratchy club!
 

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wow that looks gr8, not an area I have delved into myself, but I can appreciate the work!

I particularly like the way you have considered how the body is supposed to attach to the chassis... but of a stumbling block in my own bodge-project!
 

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Don't be too self critical Bill. It is a very good looking slot car and I bet you have great fun and satisfaction driving it. Have fun building the next chassis and share it with everyone here on the forum.

David
 

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Good going bill; for a first time job. Now just make it simpler and leave out the top of the chassis and concentrate on the bottom part and keep the weight down low. Keep as much weight below the center line of the axles as you can.

Scribe some set up axle alignment cross lines on a building board with a slot cut in it. Blacken them with a pen so you can see them. Use them to align your axles square to each other. That is if you don't have a building jig yet.

The distance across each axle front to rear and from side to side should be very close to each other to have a straight and true running car.

Keep em coming, your hooked


Larry S.
 

· Graham Windle
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5,009 Posts
Sound design Bill well put together and exelent construction.The design was used in simlar form for along time in the 60s ,Much better than my first attempt all those years ago .
I think weve got some great builders on this forum and its improving all the time welcome to the knightmare that is scratch building ,once hooked you wont go back
 

· Russell Sheldon
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2,846 Posts
Absolutely brilliant, Bill! You should have seen my first chassis... that's truly a Pro-build!

Interesting (and complex!) chassis design. It lends itself well for a F1 chassis. I hope that you will build a car for the '60s F1 proxy race!

With kind regards

Russell
 

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Discussion Starter · #11 ·
Thank you for the kind words gentlemen.

So far I see that I need to simplify my design and make my scribe lines darker on the jig so I can see them. I really thought this was a simpler design but I guess I was wrong. I have no excuse for not darkening my scribe lines as I'm usually telling others to do the same
What good is it if you can't see it? Make it visible.
 
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