aka a FunundrumNoskills wrote:Fun conundrum.....
Mid America Builds Almost Finished
- FatSebastian
- Pine Head Legend
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Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Finished testing and tuning last night. The oil car set a new track record, so happy with that!
2 of the 3 graphite cars are running well. Problem is, our Scout graphite car is running terrible (about .04 behind the other 2 graphite cars). I was about to blame my scout for a poor axle polishing job or some other snafu in his work when I discovered that the back wheel is riding the rail, bleeding off speed. I must have drilled the hole crooked!
I tested the blank out using a jig I have for making sure the wheels migrate to the nail head in both forward and reverse directions, but I must have missed something. In the future, I am going to spend more time making sure this part of the testing is done flawlessly.
The good news is that I started with 4 drilled blanks and only used 3 of them because my daughter wanted a different shaped car. That means I have a drilled blank to start over with. We are going to start over again and have a new car ready in 24 hours. It just won't have paint on the sides (using stickers for the top really speeds things up in the finishing dept). I'll pull the already prepped wheels and axles from the poorly running car. Hopefully the "left over" blank has its holes drilled straight.
Nothing like a deadline and a poorly running car to get the blood pressure up! I was happy we figured out the root of the problem though.
Do I expect huge time gains from the fenders? No, I think the time gains are likely pretty small, but with the competition at Mid America, every little bit matters.
birddog
2 of the 3 graphite cars are running well. Problem is, our Scout graphite car is running terrible (about .04 behind the other 2 graphite cars). I was about to blame my scout for a poor axle polishing job or some other snafu in his work when I discovered that the back wheel is riding the rail, bleeding off speed. I must have drilled the hole crooked!
I tested the blank out using a jig I have for making sure the wheels migrate to the nail head in both forward and reverse directions, but I must have missed something. In the future, I am going to spend more time making sure this part of the testing is done flawlessly.
The good news is that I started with 4 drilled blanks and only used 3 of them because my daughter wanted a different shaped car. That means I have a drilled blank to start over with. We are going to start over again and have a new car ready in 24 hours. It just won't have paint on the sides (using stickers for the top really speeds things up in the finishing dept). I'll pull the already prepped wheels and axles from the poorly running car. Hopefully the "left over" blank has its holes drilled straight.
Nothing like a deadline and a poorly running car to get the blood pressure up! I was happy we figured out the root of the problem though.
Do I expect huge time gains from the fenders? No, I think the time gains are likely pretty small, but with the competition at Mid America, every little bit matters.
birddog
Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Would a washer help push your wheel off the rail Mike?
Noskills
Noskills
"Nunchuk skills... bowhunting skills... pinewood derby skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!"
Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite
Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
It might, but not sure if they are legal. I suspect my hole is angled slightly forward, causing a slight toe in of the rear wheel, causing it to drift to the rail. Also, I'd be concerned with the amount of friction against the washer as opposed to out on the nail head where I presume it is less.
I'll let you know what we end up doing. Should have it solved tonight.
I'll let you know what we end up doing. Should have it solved tonight.
Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Good one FSaka a Funundrum
Noskills
"Nunchuk skills... bowhunting skills... pinewood derby skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!"
Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite
Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Well, we grabbed the "extra" drilled plank I had created and quickly added weight, a sticker for the top, pulled the wheels and axles from the "badly drilled car" and viola! I now have a car that is running properly.
Amazing what one axle hole just a bit off will do to a car!
All cars are now boxed up and ready to ship out. Will ship them out tomorrow.
Looking forward to watching the race live on-line on May 3rd.
birddog
Amazing what one axle hole just a bit off will do to a car!
All cars are now boxed up and ready to ship out. Will ship them out tomorrow.
Looking forward to watching the race live on-line on May 3rd.
birddog
Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Birddog, so a scout graphite and oil, one sibling and one adult car? What rank is your son? Just sizing up the competition
Noskills
(mine is a bear)
Noskills
(mine is a bear)
"Nunchuk skills... bowhunting skills... pinewood derby skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!"
Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite
Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Correct. One Adult, one sibling and one scout (with two cars, one graphite, one oil).
My scout is also a Bear. Looks like our two Bears will be competing for the same trophy set. If it helps, the Scout Graphite car we submitted was the slowest of all 4 cars we built. On the other hand, the Scout oil car was the fastest car we've ever built. Should be fun to watch the show!
birddog
My scout is also a Bear. Looks like our two Bears will be competing for the same trophy set. If it helps, the Scout Graphite car we submitted was the slowest of all 4 cars we built. On the other hand, the Scout oil car was the fastest car we've ever built. Should be fun to watch the show!
birddog
Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Are you sure he's not a Tiger???My scout is also a Bear. Looks like our two Bears will be competing for the same trophy set
Too much fun!
Noskills
"Nunchuk skills... bowhunting skills... pinewood derby skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!"
Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite
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- Master Pine Head
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Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Add another Bear here, my sons will be racing oil and graphite, I also have a Webelo racing. Our graphite cars are running 2 gram wheels. The bear is running 1 gram oil and the Webelo is running 1.3 gram oil. Trying a new prep, hope it's fast! Trying a new prep for graphite as well! We didn't do very well last year, hoping for some success this year.
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- Master Pine Head
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- Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:30 pm
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Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Birddog it was nice chatting with you the other day! Good Luck!
Dr. T Good luck Sunday! I'll be watching! Hopefully I'll catch you guys during the chat and we can cheer each other on!
Dr. T Good luck Sunday! I'll be watching! Hopefully I'll catch you guys during the chat and we can cheer each other on!
Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Mofast- I enjoyed the chat as well!
Good luck to all on Saturday. I plan to be online watching the race via the Mid-America web site if anybody wants to have some good-natured bantering during the race!
birddog
Good luck to all on Saturday. I plan to be online watching the race via the Mid-America web site if anybody wants to have some good-natured bantering during the race!
birddog
Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
Birddog,
Do you drop you nose down a little? Looks like your DFW axle hole is 1/16 higher than your rears.
Noskills
Do you drop you nose down a little? Looks like your DFW axle hole is 1/16 higher than your rears.
Noskills
"Nunchuk skills... bowhunting skills... pinewood derby skills... Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills!"
Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite
Re: Mid America Builds Almost Finished
I did play around with my hole heights for this build to try something new. I don't have my notes in front of me, so I don't recall exactly what I did. I'll post and let you know as soon as I am in a place where I can get access to my notes.