2018 Spitfire Mark III

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kcarchitect
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2018 Spitfire Mark III

Post by kcarchitect »

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Planning is underway for 2018, curious if anyone has ever done a reverse trike option for pinewood?
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Re: 2018 Spitfire Mark III

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These are the concept sketches that I'm using as inspiration. Hoping I can get enough weight positioned up high above that rear wheel.
Last edited by kcarchitect on Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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whodathunkit
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2018 Spitfire Mark III

Post by whodathunkit »

Kcarchitect that is one cool car design!

How wide is the tread on the single wheel for the rear ? 0.310 5/16 is = to 0.3125
The best track is 1 inch across the center from rail to rail!
http://www.besttrack.com/track_specs.html
And I have no idea what the opening slot size is for the starting gate pins.
Or the details for track you'll be running it on.

Seth, aka Noskills did a 3 wheeled Coca-Cola bottle car some time back with the single wheel out front...
Have no idea on how well it worked out on the track or if he ran it forward or backwards.
link to the topic and car: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6630&p=63551&hilit ... car#p63551


However maybe you could use a longer axle out of a semi kit, or a solid axle from a Pine car kit.
With two wheels with the outer hubs face to face in the center of the tread.
It would then be somewhere around 3/4" wide for the tread surface and would get you over the start gate cut out slot..plus fit inside the rails.

(Just an idea to look at in this design.)
And knowing you from your last car posting that was super cool.. the kids will love seeing this car design roll down a track!



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Speedster
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Re: 2018 Spitfire Mark III

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The opening slot size for the start gate pins is .440" (7/16") on my Best track. If the inside hubs on 2 wheels were removed a bit the 2 wheels could be glued together and it would look like a fat stock wheel with the spokes and lettering showing. The car will probably drift one way or the other without intentionally making it a rail rider and the rear wheel will not be dragging on anything. This vehicle might turn out to be really Fast.
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2018 Spitfire Mark III

Post by whodathunkit »

Speedster,
Thanks for the info on the starting gate slot!

I'm still scratching my head at your Fat stock wheel idea with the lettering to the outer sides of the wheel.

However the idea i had of placing the lettering sides of wheels together in the center of the wide wheel tread.
Was based on turning the inside hubs outwards to help keep the rear wheel more centered.
And the lettering from catching on the car body and low profile rounded center rails!
Your idea of a fat stock wheel with the lettering outward and not dragging on anything I just don't get it ..
but I like your idea to keep the wide wheel stock.. and show car looking.

But all this time knowing you from your post's and being one for speed !
I'm having a hard time comprehending why your going for looks with the lettering out with no true way to set wheel gaps to the car body.
It must be the inspector side of you.. or you haven't had your cup of cheer.

Or by chance you just forgot to say to use the cut off pieces of the inside hubs and glue them on to outside hubs as well to keep the Fat stock wheel looks.
Plus have a way to set wheel gaps and also have a way to keep air from getting into the wheel cavities... thing ! ;)



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Speedster
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Re: 2018 Spitfire Mark III

Post by Speedster »

Some of those tiny bushings from Knotty's concentricity gauge would keep the lettering from hitting the body. The 2 wheels without the inner hubs hitting each other measure very close to 3/4". That would give an 1/8" clearance on each side before the wheel would hit the guide strip. I think setting it up to rail ride the rear wheel should never hit the guide strip. This vehicle is probably illegal in any scout race both for Speed or Design but I think it would look REALLY COOL.
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whodathunkit
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2018 Spitfire Mark III

Post by whodathunkit »

I hear you Speedster,
The reverse 3 wheel trike concept is a cool design !

Here's a cool Star Wars land cruiser design that uses 3 wheels with one wheel out front.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OCq0NvVDHVc/ ... a0f91f.jpg

Don't know why i'm sharing this link .. it's just little something I ran across while on the web.
http://www.wheelchairmommy.com/wp-conte ... 22506.jpeg
Guess i'm sharing this because of the few fastener's seen in the center divider of track lane and the clever way the car seen far right gets around it.
It's just a little something in track designs that could be a hurdle to get over or around as well with this reverse 3 wheel trike design.

And yes kcarchitect, every now and then you'll run across some cool 3 wheel trike designs like this one.
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/08/8c/50/088c ... -derby.jpg

Guess you need to know the track you'll be racing it down first.
What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
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Re: 2018 Spitfire Mark III

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Speedster wrote: Fri Dec 22, 2017 2:49 pm The opening slot size for the start gate pins is .440" (7/16") on my Best track. If the inside hubs on 2 wheels were removed a bit the 2 wheels could be glued together and it would look like a fat stock wheel with the spokes and lettering showing. The car will probably drift one way or the other without intentionally making it a rail rider and the rear wheel will not be dragging on anything. This vehicle might turn out to be really Fast.
Image

Thanks for the heads up and measurements on the track slot, it isn't something I even thought about. I took this suggestion and used my wheel mill to trim the inside hubs back and thinned the width of a pair of wheels that I rounded out to match. I applied a little solvent based model glue to the inside of the rims (not the hubs) and fused the two wheels back to back. I inserted and squared up an axle to keep the inside hubs aligned and straight and applied a little pressure until is set up. I then used the wheel mill to round out and clean up the seam between the two wheels and polished the axle bore as usual. It turned out great and still fits with a single, standard axle on the car, although I did have to polish more of the axle than usual for the wider wheel.
Last edited by kcarchitect on Fri Jan 05, 2018 8:44 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: 2018 Spitfire Mark III

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Got a fair amount of work done on the car over the weekend. Did an initial glue up with scraps and cutoffs from two car kits to get the block large enough. After adjusting for the larger rear wheel I could see that I wasn't going to be able to keep both rear axle pegs and decided I really only need one anyway so I made the decision to just run a single. It also makes it easier to install the wheel and lets me use a standard axle with it. I did the initial rough cuts on the table saw and rough shaping on my belt/disc sander, the rest was just hours of hand time with my exacto carving knives. All the releif work and the canopy was done by hand as were the body lines and vent details. I'm using a scrap piece of paper wood over the rear weight assembly, with the body hollowed out and shaved wheels minus one axle I needed to add over 2.5 oz of tungsten to get me close to 5.0. I'm sitting about a half ounce under right now but still need to paint and finish it.


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kcarchitect
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Re: 2018 Spitfire Mark III

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Started getting some primer and filling some of the imperfections from my carving and shaping on the body. Should be ready to start the airbrush work after it cures out and I can wet sand it one more time!

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Re: 2018 Spitfire Mark III

Post by whodathunkit »

Oh Boy..It's looking good..
And the kid's are going to love seeing this car run down a track!
What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
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Re: 2018 Spitfire Mark III

Post by Speedster »

I'd like to see it go down the track too. Anyway you can make a video? It surely is a Beauty.
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Re: 2018 Spitfire Mark III

Post by whodathunkit »

kcarchitect,
In the photo just over your weights : Is that some of the paper wood veneer you were telling me about.
Look's handy.. I'm going to have to look into getting some to try out!
Image
Is it the adhesive backed type veneer?
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kcarchitect
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Re: 2018 Spitfire Mark III

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whodathunkit wrote: Sat Jan 06, 2018 6:41 pm kcarchitect,
In the photo just over your weights : Is that some of the paper wood veneer you were telling me about.
Look's handy.. I'm going to have to look into getting some to try out!
Image
Is it the adhesive backed type veneer?
Whoda, it's not adhesive backed, but this veneer is typically used for skinning metal doors to make them look like wood. I'm an architect and these are samples that we had in our library that were getting thrown out. I'm sure you could find a company online and order a sample ring. I think I have probably 40-50 of them in varying species, colors, and finishes. The roof of my hotrod car last year was a piece of ebony veneer, this piece is birch. It's great for giving the look of wood with very little weight and the flexibility to curve pieces too.
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Re: 2018 Spitfire Mark III

Post by whodathunkit »

Thanks for the info kcarchitect ,
I found some on line and placed an order.. cant wait to try it out on a project.

Have you made any more progress on the spitfire ? Hope you'll post a few more pic's of it.. it's looking really good!
What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
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