G
silver bullet
- Thread starter derbychip
- Start date
- Nov 24, 2011
- 3,903
- 30
- 48
- 13
Dolphin glaze looks good for some things...I'm wondering if it can provide enough strength and durability for axles?
Since I've already aired my shortcomings here, I wanted to share a recent experience that is illustrative of the joys of epoxy. One of my friends from my scouting days gave us the best race of the Council championships last year. While my son is done with Cub pinewood, his is racing in this year's district and hopefully council races for the last time. To help him, I put together a car from spare parts to give him a look at my cut wheels, and give him a baseline to race against. I guess I did too good a job as my car beat what was to be his son's 2014 car. This prompted him to build a whole new car, taking my wheels, axles and tungsten. I must have glued the cubes in good because he basically destroyed the wood where the axles run while removing the tungsten. I forgot to snap a picture of the "before"...but you can probably see what little was left from the "after" shots.
The topside doesn't look too bad right (besides missing wheels)?
I think you can tell what was reconstructed with epoxy here;
...more views.
This is probably the most I've had to rebuild in a critical area, and the kicker is that it was already filled with epoxy and redrilled previously because I wasn't happy with the holes. But if past experiences hold, I believe this car can be as fast as before. It's like a cat with 3 of it's lives used now.
Since I've already aired my shortcomings here, I wanted to share a recent experience that is illustrative of the joys of epoxy. One of my friends from my scouting days gave us the best race of the Council championships last year. While my son is done with Cub pinewood, his is racing in this year's district and hopefully council races for the last time. To help him, I put together a car from spare parts to give him a look at my cut wheels, and give him a baseline to race against. I guess I did too good a job as my car beat what was to be his son's 2014 car. This prompted him to build a whole new car, taking my wheels, axles and tungsten. I must have glued the cubes in good because he basically destroyed the wood where the axles run while removing the tungsten. I forgot to snap a picture of the "before"...but you can probably see what little was left from the "after" shots.
The topside doesn't look too bad right (besides missing wheels)?
I think you can tell what was reconstructed with epoxy here;
...more views.
This is probably the most I've had to rebuild in a critical area, and the kicker is that it was already filled with epoxy and redrilled previously because I wasn't happy with the holes. But if past experiences hold, I believe this car can be as fast as before. It's like a cat with 3 of it's lives used now.
Honestly, with damage to the rear axles slots and for the work done, I probably would have just made another body. I have tried to salvage a couple of cars expending way too much tim and they have never been as fast as they once were.
I think it was said some where before that as soon as your car is cut out, check theck rear with some test axles/wheels (before painting, other prep work etc.).
My 2 cents (and its not worth much)...
I think it was said some where before that as soon as your car is cut out, check theck rear with some test axles/wheels (before painting, other prep work etc.).
My 2 cents (and its not worth much)...
according to the top of his car he was going to redrill the rears. So it's possible it may still work.
There were a couple of things in play on the decision to repair. First of course was the time factor. "For me" a new block would have been an investment of an hour or so of hands on time (of course I'm a bit "challenged" working with wood as you can see on this thread so YMMV). The epoxy repair on the other hand will have probably 15 minutes by the time I'm done, including redrilling for axles. The second is the challenge of bringing the block back from the dead. I'd like to see if I can haunt my friend who stripped and broke it in the first place.
ODD, that note to myself scribbled on the top was actually for the first redrill! I'm getting set up for the second redrill into the epoxy.
ODD, that note to myself scribbled on the top was actually for the first redrill! I'm getting set up for the second redrill into the epoxy.
I see. So it's more of a see what you can do with it type of deal rather than going for the perfect race machine.
Probably both...but there's also the time factor. Within my capabilities, I think I've proven to myself that it can be just as good. Would it hold up for league racing? I can't say because I'm not there. I have a couple of theories about how it is different, but I'm going to have to get a lot better at building to test if it it has any effect better, worse or neutral. And thus it goes into my "retirement projects" bucket!
