Working with Revell axles and the SB Pro

[mitso]

Hi All-

This is the first year that my scout has the option of using the other axles than what comes in the box. From reading the post from this site, we will use the revell axles (nails) instead of the crimped BSA ones.
The rules specify that we must use graphite so that is our plan.

In the past we have not grooved the axles other than a small notch under the ales head. When using graphite and the revell axles, is there much speed gain if we add a groove the axles?

Since we will be using the stock BSA wheels that have the two steps in the outer hub, will tapering the axle head make much of a difference?
Note that the BSA wheels can be lightly sanded. We went through a couple of tubes to find wheels with the lowest run out.

Since the revell nails are relatively clean should we start with 1000 grit and work on up and finish with DD4H CK polish?

When cleaning the wheels before polishing do you recommend windex to clean any grit off?

We can run with canted rears so that is what we will do. Unfortunately we need to use the slots so we plan on using epoxy to fill and then drill using the SB Pro to drill the rears.

We have not drilled a car to race with the SB Pro. Do you recommend using a hand drill or a large Pin vise for drilling with the SB Pro? Also, since the axles are smaller than what the pros race with, should we use a #44 drill bit or #43?

I am concerned that the #43 will have extra play once drilled and that the #44 will have too much room in the jig so the holes would be off. What are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance. This is a great site and have learned a lot!

 

[Vitamin K]

My thoughts:

- I don't personally believe that grooving does much if you're not running oil. I wouldn't personally bother grooving an axle for running graphite, but, it won't hurt you if you do it (provided you don't put the groove too high or too low).

-I would put a small taper on the axle head, regardless of whether or not the outer step of the wheel was removed. I don't think it will make a huge difference, but it surely won't hurt.

-1000 grit is where I start for anything other than a raw BSA axle. So I think that's a good place for a Revell axle.

-I wash the wheels in a blue Dawn solution before and after polishing. Don't use Dawn after you wax the bores (if, indeed, you use a bore wax).

- I would always recommend a pin vise over an electric drill for using a drill jig. Use a #43, because the fit of the bit to the bushing is critical for getting a straight hole.

- The axle will be a tiny bit loose in the #43 hole, but you can probably snug it up with a drop of water, or a light coating of Elmer's.

 

[mitso]

Thanks for the quick reply Vitamin K.

Based on your feedback I will forgo the groove on the axle for the graphite but still taper the head. Perhaps it will be enough to reduce the contact on the outer step of the hub.

I do use bore polish on the wheel bores. I have some of the DD4H bore polish and red rocket from last year and like the results.
I watched the video on the black ice and noticed he changed the polish process. I have some of the Tamiya 106 applicators, which are slightly different from what was used in the video.

Do you think they will perform as well? Or should I use the Q-tip stem method?

Thanks for the feedback on the use of the hand drill. That was my initial thought as well but I say a video where someone used an electric drill with the SB Pro and thought it best to ask before using it.

Thanks for the tip on snugging up the axle. I think the Elmer's glue might work better if I am drilling into epoxy as it does not expand like wood.

We have not started to drill the wight pockets, that will be done tonight. Is it recommended to drill the weight pockets after the axle hole or before?

I've read some posts where it should be done before and some after. I guess it depends on the car design?

Thanks again for the follow-up!

 

[Vitamin K]

Thanks for the quick reply Vitamin K.
I watched the video on the black ice and noticed he changed the polish process. I have some of the Tamiya 106 applicators, which are slightly different from what was used in the video.

Do you think they will perform as well? Or should I use the Q-tip stem method?

[...]

We have not started to drill the wight pockets, that will be done tonight. Is it recommended to drill the weight pockets after the axle hole or before?

I've read some posts where it should be done before and some after. I guess it depends on the car design?

Just personally, I've never liked q-tip stems, because they always seemed to easily warp bores for me. So I'd definitely steer you towards the Tamiya applicators. But as far as how well they'll work vs the ones in the video, I really don't know.

For drilling before/after cutting, I've actually seen some fast racers say to drill before and some say drill after. The argument for before is that you can get your drill dead on, and verify that it's good before you even bother with anything else. The argument for after is that the wood might flex or warp after the weight pockets are cut, so best to let the wood get done shifting before you drill the holes. FWIW, I think if I were using a Block or original Silver Bullet, I would drill before I cut the pockets, but if I had the SB Pro, I would drill the holes after cutting the weight pockets. Obviously, you should verify your drills afterwards, no matter what.

 

[mitso]

Thanks for the advice on the Q-tips. Other than an magnifying glass, I don't have a good way to check the bores. I probably did some damage in the past waiting for that squeaky clean sound the Q-tips can make in the bores. I'll start with the Tamiya's and go from there.

The SB Pro definitely makes it easier to drill on a cut block that looks more like a car than a block or sliver of wood.
What do you use for drilling axles in your block?

We will be working on the wheels today or tomorrow. We have a set that has the lowest run out approx. .001 -002 thousands. We will do some light sanding on the outer tread surface.

In addition to light sanding we will be polishing the bores, hubs, and tread and wax the hubs. Do you have any recommendations for balancing the wheels?

 

[Vitamin K]

Thanks for the advice on the Q-tips. Other than an magnifying glass, I don't have a good way to check the bores. I probably did some damage in the past waiting for that squeaky clean sound the Q-tips can make in the bores. I'll start with the Tamiya's and go from there.

The SB Pro definitely makes it easier to drill on a cut block that looks more like a car than a block or sliver of wood.
What do you use for drilling axles in your block?

We will be working on the wheels today or tomorrow. We have a set that has the lowest run out approx. .001 -002 thousands. We will do some light sanding on the outer tread surface.

In addition to light sanding we will be polishing the bores, hubs, and tread and wax the hubs. Do you have any recommendations for balancing the wheels?

I'm a bent-axle guy, which makes me about as popular 'round here as a dude walking around with a lightsaber in a Star Trek convention. But if you've already invested in the SB Pro, you should definitely use it.

I wouldn't bother working the outer tread surface unless you've got an actual lathe. Sanding on a mandrel isn't going to improve your runout, and could actually make it worse.

In addition to runout, definitely do some spin-testing to diagnose the state of the bores. If your wheel wobbles all over the place, it doesn't matter that the outer tread is good and true. If you have a set of pin gages, you can test for bore diameter...tighter is usually better.

I don't personally mess with wheel balancing...maybe somebody else can chime in on that one? I've heard that you can use minute amounts of nail polish to add trim weight to the inside of wheels.

 

[mitso]

LOL - I liked your analogy. I definitely can see that... I am sure you have the process down and that matters.

I used the mandrel in the past and noticed that I made the wheel worse! So now I just try to clean them up rather than try to true them up.


I just purchased a few pin gages and will definitely check the bore size. That is something I have not done in the past but can see where it makes a difference.
What would you estimate as the maximum acceptable bore size?


We also have not done anything with wheel balancing in the past. I happened to read a post on it and thought it might help to reduce wheel wobble. The thread mentioned sanding down the inside of wheels to trim the weight. The nail polish approach seems much easier to manage, especial if new at it.