Raw Body cut out

OLD BLUE RACER said:
The tape you guys use can be gotten at Home Depot or Lowes is that correct?

If you don't find any there you can head over to the auto parts store and find some. Yes the tape is used to hold the weight in place and cover any holes to create smooth aerodynamics under the car.
 
OLD BLUE RACER said:
Is it just regular duct tape or is made different

Most here use an aluminum tape or some sort of foil tape you find in the heating and A/C section of the store for duct sealing.

I personally use the 3M Scotch brand Part # 3311 from the auto parts store. It's slightly thicker, very tacky and holds very well.
 
If you can, practice on a couple of axles for the bend. I used to think I measured the degree at about 8-10 but I'm starting to rethink that. Make sure you can get it through the wheelbore without issues. One of the worst feelings is over bending and then having to straighten it up a bit only to have it break. I've had this happen. I've broken several great axles. As a matter of fact, I've wrecked axles, wheels, bodies, fenders and pretty much anything on a car that can be wrecked, I've wrecked at one point.
 
Ok I need to thank some people who had a hand in my daughter's car being successful last derby for her senior year.first to DD4H for all the info he provides for us builders to be as successful as we can be and tools to go wih that info from Silver Bullet all the way to instructions for graphite and oil 2nd to Kinser for suggesting to bend a couple of axles before the one that you use and I did get a bigger drum sander which is how I will shape future flat cars 3rd Gravity X I found the foil at the auto store which worked just fine
I will try and post video of the racing from yesterday.
Now I want to congratulate Rick (Bones) and his daughter Tessa Harbough on winning the girl scout race that was held he as well has given me excellent info when asked
The young lady that ran 2nd made me hungry she had a car built as a candy bar KIT- KAT which ran very well and her name is Audrey Pence
All 3 cars were from the last division that ran in the qualifying round and the order of that finish was the same in the final
Nice job to all that raced it was a very competitive event.[URL
 
Noob question so I can learn from this thread...

All the discussion on lightening the car bodies seems like it wouldn't matter if there is an optimum COG for cars as discussed in a lot of previous threads. If you want a certain COG of say .75" in front of rear axle, does it really matter how light the front part of the body is, if you have to get it to 5.0 oz total and have the COG in the right place? Aerodynamics would still be the same due to the shape of the outer hull?
 
The issue you'll find is being able to get that COG and still be fast. That's why you see a lot of people making a thin and hollow'd out design so they can put as much weight in the rear as possible and maintain a good COG. You'll find on here, most dont really care what their COG is.
 
Most fast builders put 12 cubes behind the back axle- you can't do more without going thicker and that is not faster. So after you make a bunch of cars, you may not even measure COG, but it is because you are making a car with as extreme COG as you can handle and during fine tune, you let speed and wiggle determine what that car likes, but it will still have a nice COG.
 
Anyone mind showing their tape job to the bottom? You just put one solid strip from front to back?
 
ngyoung said:
Anyone mind showing their tape job to the bottom? You just put one solid strip from front to back?

This can be a closely guarded secret with most builders, as it may show cube placement. We'll see who bites. I guess a hollow body pic would work to show you what is done

What you said here sounds about correct, "....one solid strip from front to back?"
 
ngyoung said:
Anyone mind showing their tape job to the bottom? You just put one solid strip from front to back?
You basically want the tape to cover the weight pockets and any openings you have under the car and wrap it up over the back a little to the top of the car. If you need to see a pic of it I can try to find my camera and send it to you.
 
It seems nobody ever wants to show their bottom.
eeek
 
i understand most are using hvac metal tape, i also am interested in how the tape is applied, i worry that the leading edge would tear after a few runs in the stop section on the best tracks and lead to a flapping front end of the tape job or worse yet tearing and weights loosing from locations. am i over thinking this?
 
derbychip said:
i understand most are using hvac metal tape, i also am interested in how the tape is applied, i worry that the leading edge would tear after a few runs in the stop section on the best tracks and lead to a flapping front end of the tape job or worse yet tearing and weights loosing from locations. am i over thinking this?

I have found that it is actually the opposite. every time it goes over the stop section it grinds the tape into the body that much more. I have had some that dang near tore the car up trying to get it back off.
 
Thanks. I added access holes for the axles because the district want to be able to verify BSA axles plus I used it to tune the DFW without marking up the axle head since i don't have that specially made pliers. My concern was the leading edge as well. I wasn't sure if I should a just put one strip over the front axle and one over the back or to just make it one long piece. We built the body before I found this site and didn't put in any other relief holes for weight in between and I drilled horizontal holes from the back to install cylinder tungsten.
 
Every builder is different. I often times use clear packing tape in front, and the metallic tape in rear. Depends where you need and how you need weight.
 
derbychip said:
i understand most are using hvac metal tape, i also am interested in how the tape is applied, i worry that the leading edge would tear after a few runs in the stop section on the best tracks and lead to a flapping front end of the tape job or worse yet tearing and weights loosing from locations. am i over thinking this?

HVAC aluminum tape is extremely sticky. As long as it has enough wood surface to adhere too, it has absolutely no problems staying on. We've used it 9 cars over the last two race seasons with no problems.

I'm not the level of builder as the guys on the forums here, but here's my 6 year old daughter's car (built by me). It ran between 3.04-3.06 average on a 42 ft track with stock wheels and axles, which was a bit of a shock considering it was not tuned. It was the second fastest car we raced, second only to mine which I tuned extensively since it was a grudge match between the Cubmaster and I that involved the loser taking a pie to the face. It's about 3/8 thick in the rear and thinner towards the front except for the section where the front axles are drilled. 12 cubes behind the rear axle, 10 cubes in front (balsa used as spacers for the 2 missing cubes). Tape job covered the underside and up the back, but did not touch the top.

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