Pickup Braid selection, preparation and maintenance
I did a post race Inspection of a car on my setup plate recently.
I observed just how little of the braid contacts the rail surface.
A while back I did some experimentation with braid prep and have settled on a braid, a prep method and a maintenance regimen.
However, I'm writing this just to collect my thoughts on this subject, garner other racers opinions and explore other options.
Let's start with what the braid is for (A to D below)
A- Maintain contact with the track rail (so that the inputs from the controller make it to the motor)
The impacts of Poor contact are:
i) Power delivery can be compromised leading to lack of control
ii) Braking can be compromised and may even completely fail leading to catastrophic high speed DeSlots.
B- To soften the impact of the track joints and imperfections
A hard leading edge can lead to high speed straight line "W-T-F" DeSlots
C- To keep the car in the slot
The guide blade should sit as deep into the slot as possible without bottoming out
If the braid sits too high it can lift the blade up and cause in-corner DeSlots
D - maintain a friction free contact, not impeding the forward motion of the car
Configurations:
The configuration options to achieve the above:
- thickness of braid
- length of braid
- braid (cuts and bends)
- material (tinned or not?)
- additives
- selection of the guide
- trimming of the guide blade depth
Maintenance options that may also impact the above
- cleaning fluids used and frequency of use
- tools and how they are used
- the application of additives
Observation:
My current selections are based on
- lap times
- at home "non track" testing and observation
- on track observation of poor contact (sparking, car behaviour and handling)
My preferences at present:
NSR .2 mm race braid (Not tinned)
- This is a relatively soft braid but it is easily damaged by poor handling.
- Cut as long as possible without risking short circuit at a simple straight cut perpendicular to the guild blade to minimise braid breakup under use.
- Thunder Slot mk1 race guide wherever possible, Ninco RacePro as a second choice.
- Bend the front "attack ridge" of the braid over a small Allen key to soften the leading edge
- Very smooth bend from the guide exit, concave to the guide surface bending to a slightly steeper angle at the end (at the rear of the guide)
- No lubricants added
- Maintenance before every race with a toothbrush (my only braid tool) and zippo lighter fluid then single direction brushing to scrub the dirt from the braid.
Testing:
My selections and prep techniques have been built up over the last year based on "what works" with regard to reliability and results.
Are there test methods that other racers have used to Prove that there are better options other than those above?
So for example has anyone done friction testing, wear testing or resistance testing under load?
A particular interest is tinned braids.
I have one set (only) in one car (only) that do seem to have lasted longer and have run so many races that the copper is starting to show through the tinning but they remain in reasonable raceable shape 😀
I also notice that my favoured guide (thunder slot mk1) has the braid exits further apart than any other guide I have used. I wonder if this causes the braid run partially on the track surface (as opposed to the rail) and whether that is a positive or negative thing.
For clarity I have used the word "guide" to mean the whole "guide and blade" but the word "blade" just to refer to the vertical section of the guide that sits in the slot.
Feedback and options welcome.
AlanW
I did a post race Inspection of a car on my setup plate recently.
I observed just how little of the braid contacts the rail surface.
A while back I did some experimentation with braid prep and have settled on a braid, a prep method and a maintenance regimen.
However, I'm writing this just to collect my thoughts on this subject, garner other racers opinions and explore other options.
Let's start with what the braid is for (A to D below)
A- Maintain contact with the track rail (so that the inputs from the controller make it to the motor)
The impacts of Poor contact are:
i) Power delivery can be compromised leading to lack of control
ii) Braking can be compromised and may even completely fail leading to catastrophic high speed DeSlots.
B- To soften the impact of the track joints and imperfections
A hard leading edge can lead to high speed straight line "W-T-F" DeSlots
C- To keep the car in the slot
The guide blade should sit as deep into the slot as possible without bottoming out
If the braid sits too high it can lift the blade up and cause in-corner DeSlots
D - maintain a friction free contact, not impeding the forward motion of the car
Configurations:
The configuration options to achieve the above:
- thickness of braid
- length of braid
- braid (cuts and bends)
- material (tinned or not?)
- additives
- selection of the guide
- trimming of the guide blade depth
Maintenance options that may also impact the above
- cleaning fluids used and frequency of use
- tools and how they are used
- the application of additives
Observation:
My current selections are based on
- lap times
- at home "non track" testing and observation
- on track observation of poor contact (sparking, car behaviour and handling)
My preferences at present:
NSR .2 mm race braid (Not tinned)
- This is a relatively soft braid but it is easily damaged by poor handling.
- Cut as long as possible without risking short circuit at a simple straight cut perpendicular to the guild blade to minimise braid breakup under use.
- Thunder Slot mk1 race guide wherever possible, Ninco RacePro as a second choice.
- Bend the front "attack ridge" of the braid over a small Allen key to soften the leading edge
- Very smooth bend from the guide exit, concave to the guide surface bending to a slightly steeper angle at the end (at the rear of the guide)
- No lubricants added
- Maintenance before every race with a toothbrush (my only braid tool) and zippo lighter fluid then single direction brushing to scrub the dirt from the braid.
Testing:
My selections and prep techniques have been built up over the last year based on "what works" with regard to reliability and results.
Are there test methods that other racers have used to Prove that there are better options other than those above?
So for example has anyone done friction testing, wear testing or resistance testing under load?
A particular interest is tinned braids.
I have one set (only) in one car (only) that do seem to have lasted longer and have run so many races that the copper is starting to show through the tinning but they remain in reasonable raceable shape 😀
I also notice that my favoured guide (thunder slot mk1) has the braid exits further apart than any other guide I have used. I wonder if this causes the braid run partially on the track surface (as opposed to the rail) and whether that is a positive or negative thing.
For clarity I have used the word "guide" to mean the whole "guide and blade" but the word "blade" just to refer to the vertical section of the guide that sits in the slot.
Feedback and options welcome.
AlanW