The Metcalf P Class Re-Build

[Albion]

OK neat....

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

At the risk of opening old wounds, that may already be healed. Very suprised about the K&S tube, been soldering the stuff for years , never a problem, maybe a duff batch?

I assume you were using , a BIG enough soldering iron, or using a torch so as to get the heat in there?

When racing slot cars, which often had oilites soldered into them, i would place the bearing on a heat resistant surface with a paper towel underneath the bearing. Place hot iron onto the bearing, and the towel would draw the lubricant out of the bearing (not the graphite of course). The bearing would then solder more easily. Afterwards you could add lubricant back into the bearing. Typically these bearings have a low quality lubricant in them, and doing this would not only help solder the bearing but improve life and performance of the bearing

A variation on this is: After you've cooked or vacuumed the oil out of the sintered bearing (an open cell structure to the metal is the mechanism that holds and distributes the lubricant to the moving shaft within the bore of the bearing), you refresh the bearing with the new oil by dunking the dry bearing into a small container of the oil, and subjecting that to a 28-inch vacuum. Wait for the foam to fall, break the vacuum, and you have a completely saturated bearing.

David,

[Albion]

At the risk of opening old wounds, that may already be healed. Very suprised about the K&S tube, been soldering the stuff for years , never a problem, maybe a duff batch?

I assume you were using , a BIG enough soldering iron, or using a torch so as to get the heat in there?

When racing slot cars, which often had oilites soldered into them, i would place the bearing on a heat resistant surface with a paper towel underneath the bearing. Place hot iron onto the bearing, and the towel would draw the lubricant out of the bearing (not the graphite of course). The bearing would then solder more easily. Afterwards you could add lubricant back into the bearing. Typically these bearings have a low quality lubricant in them, and doing this would not only help solder the bearing but improve life and performance of the bearing

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I NEVER claimed that I knew what I was doing... :):)

Then you'll fit in just fine here.

Speak with AUTHORITY, and they'll believe anything.

David,

[jeep4grog]

I NEVER claimed that I knew what I was doing... :):)

[toppack]

I have a Robbe Navy F-14 Radio (6 channels installed) with the dual throttles installed, so... Why not? I should get better control at slow and reverse speeds.

It's a static diver, with a snorkel and gas, why not finish it have dual trhottle control? I started life as an electrician... I like wires and stuff like that!

If it was easy, anyone could do it and it wouldn't be special.

Okay, Great, :)
I thought you knew what you were doing but Just thought I should check.
Those are Good sealed speed-controls. I'll drink to THAT!

[jeep4grog]

I have a Robbe Navy F-14 Radio (6 channels installed) with the dual throttles installed, so... Why not? I should get better control at slow and reverse speeds.

It's a static diver, with a snorkel and gas, why not finish it have dual trhottle control? I started life as an electrician... I like wires and stuff like that!

If it was easy, anyone could do it and it wouldn't be special.

[toppack]

Jeep4grog,
I see that you are using 2 speed-controls???
Are you trying to use motors for steering instead of rudder, or both?
Do you know that you can connect the motors in parallel on a single Speed-Control?
I have that type SC and it will handle the current of 2 of those motors with no problem.
Man, there's a lot of wires to connect up with 2 SCs! :D

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I may never know the answer. I purchased the brass at my local hobby store... and it sheds solder like a duck sheds water!

On to the next subject:
I have two sets of props. One the Raboesch (The #157 right and left) and a set from Harbor Models (their model # 1717 right and left). I have pics. The harbor model props are a bit larger and have a more pronounced pitch. Any suggestions on what set to use? It seems the Harbor Model props will give me more push with less speed.

As a side note, the Subdriver is getting busy too...

Hell ... I don't know.

Sea-trials will tell the tale as to which set works best.

David,

[jeep4grog]

I may never know the answer. I purchased the brass at my local hobby store... and it sheds solder like a duck sheds water!

On to the next subject:
I have two sets of props. One the Raboesch (The #157 right and left) and a set from Harbor Models (their model # 1717 right and left). I have pics. The harbor model props are a bit larger and have a more pronounced pitch. Any suggestions on what set to use? It seems the Harbor Model props will give me more push with less speed.

As a side note, the Subdriver is getting busy too...

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

No Mr. Merriman,

I have been working in maintenance long enought to know that!
The bearings were not in the tubes when I tried the solder. I think it's whatever that K&S brass was made of. I have some brass shim stock from another project and it can be soldered. Any brass I have from McMaster works fine.

Since I thought I was losing my mind (there isn't much left anyway...) I tried a few other pieces. No problem. I cant get anything to stick to that brass flat stock except the epoxy!?!?

Putting the Subdriver together today. Caps are in, adding the 2 ESC's and wiring.

Sometimes I find myself dealing with idiots. I now have some appreciation for your skill level. That won't happen again.

K&S typically uses 'cartridge brass', I don't know the alloy for sure, but I think the copper and zinc has a bit of manganese in there -- anyway, it solders good. But maybe they sent you some stuff packaged incorrectly?

David,

[jeep4grog]

No Mr. Merriman,

I have been working in maintenance long enought to know that!
The bearings were not in the tubes when I tried the solder. I think it's whatever that K&S brass was made of. I have some brass shim stock from another project and it can be soldered. Any brass I have from McMaster works fine.

Since I thought I was losing my mind (there isn't much left anyway...) I tried a few other pieces. No problem. I cant get anything to stick to that brass flat stock except the epoxy!?!?

Putting the Subdriver together today. Caps are in, adding the 2 ESC's and wiring.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

It's OK Dave I have caps I can install. I just wanted to check first. Some of the newer motors have them installed internally now and I didn’t want to double up.

I finished the shaft struts yesterday. It was a real interesting project...

I tried to solder these together, but couldn't get the solder to stay or flow. That K&S brass wouldn’t let it stick? Acid cleaning and/or sanding the parts didn’t help either. I tried brazing, but that was too hot for the thin brass and it kept collapsing and changing shape, next was some aluminum welding rod, that was a mess too. It wouldn't flow well, so I gave up and used JB Weld and that worked. Leanred a few thrings....

Good thing this stuff comes in 12" lengths. Gave me lots of material to practice with.

These are straight and the shaft rotates freely in it. All I need to do is give them a little grinding to finish them off. I think they will look pretty much like the originals once installed and painted.

Brass and other copper bearing alloys are the easiest to solder. Did you attempt to solder with those Olite bearings in the bearing tube? If so, the oil expanded with the heat and leached out and migrated onto the outside of the tube and contaminated the joint between tube and struts, spoiling the wetting action of the molten solder.

David,

[Kazzer]

When I did my S Class, I just used 1/8" brass rod as the strut, ran a 4BA thread on it (hey it's a British boat) and then drilled a hole into the bearing and tapped that out. No glue, no soldering - tight as a drum!

[toppack]

Yes they look very much like the originals,
Lookin' Good! :)