Is this body too light??
- Thread starter blkhunter01
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As long as a body isn’t flexible or prone to warping I don’t think there is such a thing as too light. But an appropriately cut and prepared body will likely be over 5 g, probably over 6. You’ll sand down the nose, but then you will have to add the ply over the weight pocket and if you are at 1/4” in thickness I would recommend a 1/64 ply brace along the axle cross piece for strength. One piece in one side makes a world of difference.
Your body looks like a real nice start and you are certainly heading in the right direction. Nice work!
Here’s an Awana block that I laddered and it’s ready for weight and final covering. I added balsa ribs and then cross bracing on the axle cross piece out of the same 64 ply that I cover weight with. That really stiffens it up.
Your body looks like a real nice start and you are certainly heading in the right direction. Nice work!
Here’s an Awana block that I laddered and it’s ready for weight and final covering. I added balsa ribs and then cross bracing on the axle cross piece out of the same 64 ply that I cover weight with. That really stiffens it up.
Two places I’d leave a little more meat on the chassis. Front axle & nose. Both of those places will be extremely thin by the time you finish shaping the nose.
Ok taken that into account and I drew out about body getting ready to cut it out as soon as amazon delivers my new scroll saw blades
Looking good. Basically just a slow gradual taper to a point at the bottom front. With mine I start the taper just over the front axle. But you have to be careful not to cut into the strength of the axle cross piece. You can start just past the axle. I do it all on a belt sander.
In pic top pic is a longer wheel base BASX body, bottom is an Awana body. (Yes I fill slot with glue to be safe)
In pic top pic is a longer wheel base BASX body, bottom is an Awana body. (Yes I fill slot with glue to be safe)
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Not sure if it makes a difference, but I always bring the bottom of the front up a bit on the sander as well. My feeling being this could prevent a cartwheel while slamming into a bad stop section.
Here's another thought... and I hope one of the gurus chimes in here... Can that shape also cause a little "lift" making the front a wee bit more unstable? (meaning almost lighter going down the track with wind going under like an airfoil.)
Or does it shoot it faster like a missle or space shuttle fuel tank or an airplane fusilage......who knows. Test it jimmy
I borrowed (and when I say borrowed, I mean stole) the idea from HurriCrane. Our Scout Pack races on a pretty rough track, so I felt it was insurance against a car doing a gymnastics routine, and out of habit I've done it to my league cars as well.
However, I agree with your thoughts. How could it not create a little lift. Is it enough to make any measurable difference? I have no idea, I'm certainly not fast enough for it to matter!
I borrowed (and when I say borrowed, I mean stole) the idea from HurriCrane. Our Scout Pack races on a pretty rough track, so I felt it was insurance against a car doing a gymnastics routine, and out of habit I've done it to my league cars as well.
However, I agree with your thoughts. How could it not create a little lift. Is it enough to make any measurable difference? I have no idea, I'm certainly not fast enough for it to matter!
Although I haven’t done this to any of my cars, I believe it makes a little difference, but I think if it’s sanded a little bit on the the bottom it could help, but that’s something to test, how much is too much, and how much is not enough.
Yeah it was a little overkill. That vid popped a couple weeks ago on my feed. It’s an older race. I remembered seeing that in the news. Mercedes has that issue 3 times that weekend.
So then fast forward a couple weeks and see that pic and then CCR asking me to test it and couldn’t resist.
I’ll say this... as far as league racing goes, just my opinion here, those races are on well maintained tracks. So the need for insurance isn’t there. I seem to remember Crane mentioning that too regarding when running on a rough track. On a rough scout pack track, sure I’d do it... any of the league tracks, no need. That’s a certainty. 3 main leagues running right now and neither John, Joel nor Terry would ever have a bad, old or “off” section on their tracks.
