Building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Discussions related to building cubmobiles.
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sporty
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by sporty »

I broke down and went to farm n fleet and bought 4 new model #9584 12 inch wheels. They are made by Shepherd, 1 913-492-8805 is companyt phone number. They also have a web site.http://www.shepherdhardware.com/

$9.99 for the 12 inch wheels, $6.99 for the 10 inch wheels at farm n fleet.

Weird tho, it's a 13mm inner bore on the inner race, A 1/2 inch bolt will work. However there is some minor slop. I am going to try and get / find some 13mm axle bolts. Farm N Fleet did not have 13mm.

I think the 4, 10 inch comtech wheels I am gonna either let sit in the basement or perhaps put on e-bay and some point.

Anyone know where to find some 2x4 rubber ? 1 inch thick. I know I read earlier someone used a hockey puck. But this time of year our local stores do not have them in stock. Ebay was selling more speciality ones at a price I didnt care to pay.

Sporty
kayjon
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by kayjon »

Sporty,
Im the guy who posted the pictures of the cubmobile with the hockey puck brakes. They worked GREAT! Because of my job I have boxes of pucks and would be happy to send you as many as you need. (no charge)E-mail me with your shipping info and how many you need and I will send them out right away...Jonathan Jande1991@aol.com
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sporty
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by sporty »

I was looking at the new wheels I got, and noticed the tire tread was not mooth or flat, So I been sanding the rough edges. My arms feel like butter. wish I had a way to have the wheel spin and just sand that way. Bearings they have there postives and negatives. Hand spin and sand ? hmm.

sporty
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sporty
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by sporty »

thanks kayjon for the hockey pucks,

sincerely,

sporty
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Stan Pope
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by Stan Pope »

sporty wrote:I was looking at the new wheels I got, and noticed the tire tread was not mooth or flat, So I been sanding the rough edges. My arms feel like butter. wish I had a way to have the wheel spin and just sand that way. Bearings they have there postives and negatives. Hand spin and sand ? hmm.

sporty
If you can fit the wheels to a correct size axle, then you can use a firm (little or no flex) sanding disk in a hand drill or a belt sander. By orienting the sander at an angle from the treads direction of motion, you can cause the sander to both turn the wheel and abrade the wheel tread.

Use care in orienting sander to keep the tread flat across.

Your arms should not be so tired after that!
Stan
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sporty
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by sporty »

correct, The problem I ran into is it takes a 13mm , to fit just right. I cant find a store that carries a bolt that big or rod. And Don't get confused with 13 mm thread which is smaller.

1/2 will work but will not fit tight enough for that purpose. But I got them all sanded, seems they seal together 2 halfs of rubber, so in the center you get a high spot.

these are wheels from farm n fleet, made buy shepard.

sporty
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Stan Pope
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by Stan Pope »

sporty wrote:correct, The problem I ran into is it takes a 13mm , to fit just right. I cant find a store that carries a bolt that big or rod.
Notes for file away for next time you replace the wheels

This is just one more reason that you should consider adding a small lathe to your workshop! :)

Since you only need to make up 0.012" in diameter above 1/2", you have a couple of alternatives:
1. Cut Brass shim stock ... a pair of 0.003" wrapped around the 1/2" shaft should do the job.
2. Lock the inner race of the bearing in place on a 1/2" bolt with small diameter washers and a nut, and suspend the bolt in your bench vice.
Stan
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sporty
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by sporty »

Well race dayt is drawing closer, I have been adding some more vinly lettering and detal on the cub mobile. I need to finish the brake yet. Just been busy with alot of other projests. Gonna try and gte some test and practice runs in this weekend.

And If time prevails ill get some more pics on the my website.

I have been busy building jedi starwars lightsabers. If ya care to take a look here is the link of that project. I was also fixing up a used go-kart I got my son and have completed that.

http://home.insightbb.com/~jedijohnson/ ... html-.html

sporty
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sporty
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by sporty »

Well It's finally done,

I added pictures to my website of the cubmobile.

used round 2 inch wooden doll for brake lever and 1 hockey puck.

vinyl vettering was done buy me.

here is link

http://home.insightbb.com/~ryan.johnson ... aphic.html

Will post race results and info on around june 19th.

sporty
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by clemsontigerfanatic »

Sporty that is one beautiful cubmobile!
Well done
How many hours did you spend all together?
How long on the paint?
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sporty
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by sporty »

Thank you for the kind words.

Hmm, I would have to say total project time was around 200 hours. And the design is basic except for the paint job and aero on the front and rear 2x6's.

I didn't have available to me some power tools that would have really made things faster.

Getting the shape i wanted, took alot of sanding with a palm sander and by hand. along with the other pieces.

sanding is the key to start on a base for a good finish.getting the wood smooth with out the grain lines was 2nd most time consuming factor.

Each piece, was primered lightly and wet sanded after every 2 coats, wet sanded with 400 and 600 grit. 3 cans of primer were used on each piece.

But I think I used around 14 to 16 cans of spray can primer, $1.00 a can.

My main mistake was not using a professional paint sprayer and paint. My son picked out a color from the model section at wal-mart, testers.

Per can it's like $2.47 I think. and they are small cans. Not to mention the cure time is horrible with that paint. the can says 48 hours. but To me it took longer than that.

Several light coats were used and after 4 coats, I then wet sanded again.

I know I used over 20 cans of that. they are small cans.

Then the clear coat, thats the trick, that stuff runs easy, I used testers high gloss clear coat. I think around 12 cans.

I had to run to 3 wal-marts, I was buying up all that paint color and clear coat. I even had to order some from testers online.

Wal-mart typically only has 5 or 6 cans on the shelf and it took them 3 weeks to get more in.

Then ya know I had that tire problem, I bought those 10 inch comtech wheels and after testing, I found the wheels to be alot slower. and for those who saw my sons previous cubmobile on my site, the design was alot alike. (we used that for test comparion when we time tested) ANd with the other cub mobile getting 2nd place, I had A idead that it had to be just as fast or faster when looking at the competitive aspects.

So I had to get another 4 wheels. Just like the ones used on the other cubmobile. I had thought of just using those wheels. Then I just couldnt bare myself to do that.

Then the vinyl lettering and graphics. that process took some time, on my puter before cutting it on my vinyl cutter.

The painting time alone in some ways is hard to say, cuz of the drying time and cure process.

And nuts and bolts, wow, they not getting any cheaper these days.

I know I got over $260 into it. Mainly due to the paint cost. If I build one again, Ill just rent a compresseser and buy a paint gun and buy some auto paint.

The plywood, seems like the more you sand it, the worse it gets due to them using so much glue to make the 3 ply wood and how it is meshed together.

But thanks again for the kind words. Patience is the key to building a nice looking cub mobile. I dont know that I even consider my sons cubmobile to be great, I know where I rushed at or could not get it the way we wanted it.

Being a divorced parent and only seeing my kids every other weekend. And my sons being young yet. I wish my son had the ability for him to do one all buy himself.

Perhaps one day we can look into soap box derby. I seen the prices on them. $400 for basic one, the kit.

I also made him a t-shirt, I used avery dark t-shirt transfers and took a pic of the cubmobile and put it on the front of the shirt and on the back his name and it also says cubmobile racer. Then on one of his sleeves its got his pack number.

As long as he feels loved and special on race day, thats all that counts in my book. Win or loose, just want him to have fun.

Sincerely,

Sporty
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by Teeeman »

Keep us posted on the race results!

Avery iron on transfers... great idea!


I'm doing that for my son next time :)


Terry
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by clemsontigerfanatic »

sporty wrote:.

Perhaps one day we can look into soap box derby. I seen the prices on them. $400 for basic one, the kit.



Sporty
If you do they have diffenrt divisions. The basic would not be challenging enough for you. They are very picky on making every car exactly the same. Down to which way the cable goes around a pulley, size and number of washers, etc.

The Masters division leaves more room for your kind of creativity.
But you do need a corporate sponsor to afford those cars. 1 car per kid.
Arouind a $75 entrance fee in addition to the cost of the car.
.
Most every car has corporate logos all over them.

I think the kids have just as much fun at the Cubmobile races.
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sporty
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by sporty »

race was today-

He won his first to races right off the bat and then lost his next to races. The 2 cars he lost to, took first and second.

The race was close on his 2 loses, they said buy about 1 inch.

He got a trophy, but i dont know what finish he had, All got trophys this year. Also dod not get best of design. But He got alot of complements on his car.


The car that got dest design was not very nice compared to most of the group. I did hear them say is was won of the main scout voluneters and contributers. So I leave it at that.

My son did well, strait and no wobble. He didnt get bumbed out about not getting 1,2 or 3rd.

His 1st 2 races he was more than 3 car lengths ahead. The only thing I felt was that the lube in the wheels dried up for setting most of the day in the sun, or flung out.

I dont know that lubing the car after each run would have helped or not.

there was 5 groups, 1-5.

group 1 had 8 cars

group 2 had 25 cars

group 3 had 13 cars

group 4 had prox 18 cars

group 5 had aprox 14 cars

length was 150 feet, 4 foot ramp, ramping down aprox 15 feet.

With my stop watch I check over 20 cars. the fastest cars where in a time frame from 12.22 seconds, 12.44.12.75. average cars were in 13 second range.

some fastest cars had 12 inch wheels and some 10 inch wheels. no comtech wheels were at the race.

the winners were also the biggest and heaviest kids in there groups.

the fastes car at 12.22 had 10 inch blains farm n fleet wheels, i even spun his wheels, a spin time of 1 minute 20 seconds. But how he had the wheels mounted were what made it fast.

he had the bolt boing into the center of the wood., which i dont recomend.

However he had 6 washers from the frame (on axle bolt ) then he had 1 inch steel long sleeves on the inner wheel after the washers, between wheel and frame. Then he had the sleeves with the screw insert to lock to the axle. on the outside of the wheel.

I talked with the owner, he did not lube or anything.

frame was 2x6, center and front and rear were all 2x6. had 1/2 inch wood for head rest.

There was 3 cars that could not finish the track.

they were very strict with rules this year, no more that 1/2 inch gap on steering. and had to have foot rest on front piece.

So this year alot of people were working on them to pass inspecting before racing. including me, I didnt have a foot rest, so I had to quickly make one.

Well I hope this info helps, I tried to gather as much as i could and post it.

my final thought, if comtech would make a rim made out of steal or aluminuim, a heaver wheel works best and a bearing that has really light oil in it. If we could get the company to do that, I feel the wheels would be great. But On a strait level race, I still do not recommend them. I mean I tested and it was way slow.


final pics, shirt and shorts and pic of mobile with a few changes- http://home.insightbb.com/~ryan.johnson6/wsb/index.html

Sporty
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Re: building a cubmobile & tips and hints.

Post by Teeeman »

Great info, Sporty!

Sorry the finish was less than you had hoped, but think about how close the competition was... no blowouts, and you got 3rd.
That is a strong finish in a tight competition with that many cars!
C-O-N-G-R-A-T-U-L-A-T-I-O-N-S!



I am going with the 10" Commtech next year and a re-design (mild) on our car.

Before I disassemble this year's, I need to find some way of making a comparison (probably spin time) with the 8" and 10" Commtech wheels.
I've never tried another wheel...

but I have serious doubts the 8" wheels we currently use are going to spin 1min20sec.

One thing I have not added but plan to is side-bolsters (hip hugging) to the seat. I think a LOT of the wrecks we saw this year would have been avoided if the kids had more stability in the seat... what I often saw was the car would start to veer, and the Scout's body would start to shift... this both aggravated the chance for rollover (shifting the CG of the Scout/car combo) AND when they would push with their leg to right their body, this made the car turn even harder into the turn they were trying to get out of.
I just bought my son a Green Machine (neat toy if you haven't seen one before, check the Wal-Mart website). It is made for doing spinouts, and does them quite well :) It also has a very deep-contoured seat to help hold the rider in place (side-side). I think adding something similar for the Cubmobile will help the rider stay put in the seat and thus have a far better chance of recovering a car that is trying to develop a mind of its own :)

Lots to think about between now and our next races....


Terry
"I dunno..." - Uncle Eddie, Christmas Vacation
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