G&S Tire Grinder Provides a Cost-Effective Answer for Basic Truing Needs

In addition to creating and hosting the weekly Worldwide Slot Car Chat, Greg Gaub continues to benefit our hobby community by developing a number of useful 3D printed tools and accessories - most all of which he provides as free .STL files on Printables.com for users to print for themselves. In addition to helpful tools, Greg has created a unit that can convert almost any light scale into a magnet marshal, a multi-use setup block, and lots of other cool stuff. Greg's latest creation--which he developed withthe help of Dennis Samson and Giacomo Verlini--is a cost-effective tire-truer that will meet the basic needs of many slot car hobbyists.

Available as a complete, ready-to-use unit, a DIY kit with all parts included, a 3D-parts only, or as a hardware-only combination - the machine is intended to be a "good enough" machine to get casual racers started with their tire truing needs.The basic features include:

- One motor turns all axles

- Only two screws to remove/replace the entire grinding assembly for different grits

- Screws beneath the ball bearings to adjust parallel

- Spring loaded axle carrier to allow "grind and release" truing methods with ease

- Indicator knob for precise repetition of tire diameters as needed

- Consistent tension of o-rings due to double-pulley design

- O-rings can easily be moved side to side to accommodate various axle configurations

- standard 1/32 bushings snap into axle carrier, but V-shape still allows smaller or larger bushings or bearings to stay in place

- Distance between sanding drums accommodates most 1/24 and 1/32 wheels/axles

- sanding surface cannot contact axle pulley/o-ring
 

More information about the Grinder can be found HERE.

G&S Tire Grinder Pricing (not including shipping)
$150 - Fully assembled and tested machine, ready to get to work.
$100 - Complete kit of parts including all printed parts and hardware.
$50 - Printed parts only.
$50 - Hardware only.
PSU not included. Shipping extra. International orders welcome.
To place an order,  email Greg at ggaub@ggaub.com

Less $ Spent on Tools Could Mean More $ for Slot Cars

Let me be the first to say the hobby manufacturers do a great job when it comes to bringing us the products we need, as well as some helpful innovations in terms of tools and supplies. That said, many of the "specialized" products sold for slot car repair and maintenance, as well for general hobbyists, aren't as special as they seem, and low-cost replacements or temporary substitutes can often get the job done--at least as a start.  For example, here are a few items I've picked up at the local $1 store that have already proven to be helpful:

All purchased for $1 USD each. Pretty handy.

First--slot cars are small--and they are filled with an assortment of "bits 'n pieces" that will inevitably get lost if you don't have a place to secure them. Leave a small screw, washer or bracket laying on the workbench and you can be sure your cat will swipe it onto the floor and under some furniture. The blue plastic snack tray is less than full size and has handy compartments to hold stuff during car assembly or disassembly. Likewise, the clear plastic storage box has lots of small compartments to hold extra screws, magnets, wheels and inserts--and even some small bits like car mirrors and other spare parts.

Maybe they don't qualify as "precision" screwdrivers. But how much precision do you need?

My favorite find so far was the small set of "precision" screwdrivers that came in its own plastic case. The set of six includes four Philips-head and two flat head tools in commonly-used sizes. Are there better tools out there? Certainly. But for a single US dollar, these are damn handy and make a great backup set, in any case. Buy a few, and if you lose a set, you won't care.  The last item is just a set of three snap-blade knives; common as dirt, but 3 for a dollar ensures that you'll have one around when you want one. They are a must for crafting and building scenery when an Xacto knife isn't really required.

Here in the USA, these were all found for $1 each at the local Dollar Tree chain, where just about everything is a dollar. Similar items can be found at stores like Family Dollar or Dollar General--I would imagine that there are these kind of discount chains elsewhere across the globe. This isn't to dissuade you from shopping your local hobby supply, but with the money you save, you might be able to pick up that slot car you want a little sooner...

Slot Car Technology to Release "The Bench" V2 This Summer

For those who are focused on performance and want to know everything about the cars they build and race, there are helpful tools out there to help. I just came across this new testing bench that not only looks good but also promises to deliver a lot of info about your slot cars and engines.

The well-sized test bench will fit both 1:32 and 1:24 scale cars.

I'm not sure about the manufacturing process, but some of the parts look like they may be 3D printed--which is really great to see. I am continually amazed at how this technology has opened up so much creativity for the slot car hobby--where small-scale manufacturing allows us to test products and ideas and modify them quickly as they are brought to market. "The Bench" by Slot Car Technology is very attractive and appears to deliver a lot in a compact package. It's supported by a smartphone app that displays all the critical info.

The unit has adjustable power and appears to provide testing of acceleration, RPM, braking, voltage curve and most other critical performance factors. In addition, the manufacturer will be adding additional plug-ins to test tire break-in, magnetism and vehicle maintenance. The app images all appear in French, but I would think there would be an English language choice available via the settings; even if they were not, it seems to be easy enough to figure out. The projected price is about €220. To get all the information on the test bench product and its app, visit their English translated website HERE:

If Modern Endurance and F1 Cars Don't Drift Through a Turn, Your Slot Car Probably Shouldn't Either.

As I have been getting back into the hobby, it's inevitable that I hear the occasional back-and-forth between magnet and non-magnet racers, I often hear standard lines, like: "non-magnet racing is more challenging" or "Non-magnet racing takes more skill" or "non-magnet racing is more realistic."

First of all, let me say that I appreciate both kinds of racing. People should do whatever they like. Most of my cars retain their magnets because that makes them better-suited for running on my style of home tracks and for my guests (who aren't that experienced). I also primarily run Le Mans-type cars and modern GT cars, and expect them to stick to the track and not "drift" through turns. Think about it. Do you commonly see the back ends of LMPs or F1 cars fishtailing through a turn? Probably not--because the two main factors at play--tire grip and aerodynamic downforce--keep them glued to the track. That is how they are designed, and they are driven according to those principles.

Don't see much fishtailing through the turns here...

I was watching an excellent video about some of the more serious crashes in racing history and how safety has developed over time. At about the 5:30 mark, it provides an excellent explanation of how tire grip and aerodynamic downforce combine to keep race cars on the track, and how--when the downforce is suddenly lost--the results can be catastrophic, as they were in the case of Ayrton Senna, for example. To me, that seems to parallel similar results when a magnet car loses grip at speed. Time and time again I hear non-magnet proponents say: "the problem is, when a magnet car crashes, your car can get seriously damaged." YES. Just like in real racing.

Losing downforce (aerodynamic or magnet) usually has poor results.

To me, the removal of the magnet from a slot car would essentially be the same as removing all the wings and ground effects from a real race car and telling the driver to just rely on their tire grip to stay on the track. Since there are no aerodynamic effects at 1:32 scale, the magnet provides the essential substitute. Not a perfect one, but not bad either. I know many would suggest that simply adding weight (lead) is somehow a more acceptable substitute, but this attitude seems like a tired remnant from the "old days" of wood track commercial racing, before magna-traction was even a thing. Magnets and lead are both artificial--why pretend that one is better or somehow more "legitimate" than the other?

How did we get to the point where it's bad to have a magnet, but perfectly OK to add lead to your slot car?

I came across a forum comment from a magnet racer that said he thought it took more skill to keep a magnet car on the track at high speed--running that razor edge between maximum speed and sudden grip failure. That may be; the conception that magnet racers just plaster down the throttle and watch the car fly around the track is utter nonsense. Can high-speed crashes be bad? Absolutely--so magnet racers must learn how to drive fast without crashing. Conversely, it takes skill to learn how to run a non-magnet car quickly, to tune it for top performance and gain a feel for how it goes around a curve. That can offer its own fun challenges. Both take skill, but different types of skill. But to insist that one is somehow more realistic or takes more skill than the other just doesn't hold up under scrutiny.

That said, I can see where certain types of cars--like American muscle cars, rally cars or some vintage racers--can and should slide around the track a little as they as they come through sharp corners. For those types of cars, that looks realistic, and I would suggest that magnets probably aren't needed. In the end, it all depends how you enjoy the hobby; whether you're racing at home on a plastic track for fun, through proxy racing, or on a routed wood club track. You can take the approach that's required for each one and enjoy it without totally excluding the use of others, or claiming that the one you've chosen is the only "right" way.

Get Your Weekly Fix with Dave Kennedy's Slot Car News

 As I recently got back into the hobby, Dave Kennedy was a familiar name to me and I was happy to see that he had transitioned much of his presence from his Slot Car News blog to a really amazing YouTube Channel. Dave's original blog has transitioned to more of a commercial racing news source, and the content there is now handled by others (though he retains ownership of the site). Dave now primarily focuses on the 1:32 model slot car industry and provides weekly updates on new models coming out, new products, and other content that will be of great interest to most hobbyists.

If you want to know what's going on in the slot car industry, Dave Kennedy is your man.

With his extensive experience working for SCX, Scalextric and Carrera, Dave knows the ins-and-outs of the industry and best of all, isn't afraid to tell it like it is. He's done awesome videos featuring straight talk on subjects such as brand licensing, model production numbers, the basic differences in chassis and motors, and other topics that people often ask about. He explains why companies like Scalextric and Carrera think like "toy manufacturers" and not "slot car enthusiasts" - and how these factors shape the way the industry creates and sells products. It's fascinating stuff, and it's one reason why I look forward to his Friday uploads.

Besides the latest hobby news, Dave also provides a lot of useful and educational content that will be of use to slot car hobbyists--especially those just starting out. He offers helpful tips on the different brands of track, what different manufacturers have to offer, basic car maintenance and much, much more. While his expertise makes him compelling to experienced slot car folks, he doesn't assume you already know everything--and that's refreshing.

Dave also recently started doing some live-stream chat events, where he will happily talk about new developments and answer your questions. Check him out on YouTube at Slot Car News Official.

Retro Roundup: SCX SRS2 Series Slot Cars 1992-93

My Mazda 787B. I'm missing my dashed stripes... :-(

A while back, I highlighted a few of the Spanish Scalextric SRS (Super Racing Series) cars that I had acquired over the years. Those cars featured an advanced chassis, higher-than-average performance RX motors, and light weight (about 65 grams) to offer a little more to slot racers in the 1980's through 1991. With more of a pin-type guide and a fairly strong magnet, I found them to be excellent performers on my old home track, and were quite fast. While some people have swapped out their original guides for a more traditional type, I have not found that to be necessary to this point.

The XJR-14 in the Castrol (masked "Silk Cut") livery.

In 1992, SCX in Spain took the original idea and developed a new breed, called SRS2. While the original intent of increasing performance was maintained, the newer cars featured hard plastic bodies in place of vacu-formed Lexan bodies and also added front wheel steering to their modified SRS chassis. They also featured a normal guide blade in place of the original series' pin guides, and the tire and wheels were of a more traditional type as well.

The chassis of the SRS2 was a modified version of the original.

While the first SRS series featured a fairly wide range of cars, the SRS2 series included only a Mazda 787B (Mazda and Renown liveries) and a Jaguar XJR-14 (Castrol and Bud Light liveries). With their greater weight (now about 77 grams) they didn't seem to be as quick as the original SRS cars, but still offered good performance. Personally, I did not see much advantage to the steerable chassis, but it wasn't a detractor, either. While not comparable to some of today's more performance-oriented cars, they offered good fun for their time, and with a little tuning could be made reasonably competitive.

As you can see, the front wheels do actually steer. Not sure how much it helps.

My only disappointment is that the Renown-liveried Mazda I have (a replica of the 1991 Le Mans winner) did not include the dashed-line decals that separate the green-and-orange sections of the paint job. Based on photos of the slot car, they should have been included. I've tried in vain to find something in 1:32 scale that could work; being white and clear, the decals are hard to replicate without special printing equipment.

Magnets vs. No Magnets. Because Everyone Likes Options.

I am not going to get into a Magnet/No Magnet controversy. Among the knowledgeable hobbyists I know, most will say they have a preference for non-magnet racing, but in the end, they will also say that it is simply up to personal preference and that you should do whatever you like best, or what fits your particular situation.

For people like myself, whose track is also used by many inexperienced or even first-time racers, I find it better to keep the magnets on and turn down the voltage a little to ensure that any "kids" who insist on going full throttle don't wreck constantly and turn our track time into one big marshaling session. Racing with no magnets takes time to master, and that time is not always available.

Racing with no magnet may be something you'd like to try.

This video from Slot Cars NZ is one of the better introductions to magnet vs. non-magnet racing I've seen. Avoiding unnecessary zealotry, the presenter simply describes some of the added fun non-magnet racing has to offer--and then proceeds to compare both types of racing by first removing the magnets, then preparing the tires for better traction, cleaning the track and finally--adjusting his technique. As he moves through each step of the process, he uses a track timer to show you the effect each one has on the speed and handling. By the time he's through, his lap times are pretty close to what he was able to get with a magnet. It's an excellent presentation.

While I primarily use magnet cars on my home track, I have a few that do not use them, and they do offer an interesting challenge. Likewise, I like to have a few non-magnet cars on hand for wooden tracks, or for situations when they are not allowed for racing. In the end, we each should do whatever makes us happy and lets us enjoy the hobby. Cheers!

Stealth Mode: The Quiet Simplicity of The Idler Wheel Drive

I was watching a recorded episode of the Worldwide Slot Car Chat earlier this week and listened to an extended conversation regarding the ubiquitous Fly Vipers that not only changed the nature of modern slot cars some 20+ years ago but which seem to reside in almost everyone's slot car garage. Many people have multiple models of this car, since they were very popular and continue to be widely available at very, very affordable prices.

At first glance, this Viper looks like a lot of others.

Strangely enough, I don't own one. But I do own a Viper--a Carrera model that was among some of the first cars I ever purchased. Listening to the owners go on about the shortcomings of the Fly version--with its front-motor position, "drive shaft" and inevitable handling and tuning issues, I decided to dive into my storage box of cars and retrieve my old Viper and check it out again, as I knew it had very little in common with the Fly cars.

Aesthetically, it is wholly comparable to the Fly cars, with nice detail, sparse but decent-looking decals, and overall--leaving an excellent impression. Flipping it over and looking at the chassis reveals something different, however; when I showed it to the other people in our chat, they were surprised to see what appeared to be a sidewinder setup. They were even more surprised when I showed them a photo of the body removed--revealing an extremely simple idler drive (also known as a "friction" drive) with a rubber contact wheel in place of a pinion gear, contacting directly with the right rear tire to drive the car. You'll also note the two spring mechanisms in front of the motor that helps adjust tension so the drive maintains good contact with the rear tire.

Have you ever seen an idler-drive slot car? Here you go...

With so much discussion of pinions and crown gears, tooth-counts and related tech talk, it was fun to see the reaction to this ultra-simple setup. In truth, this car was always a pleasure to drive...comparatively quick on my old track and best of all--superbly silent. It was almost like racing in stealth mode, with no gear grinding or whining at all. In addition to this one, I also have two other Carrera models with the same setup, a green Jever Porsche 911 GT1 EVO 98 and the 1999 Audi R8R LMP. As I seem to recall, the Porsche was the fastest of the three, with the Audi a close second, probably due to the fact that it may have been a bit heavier.

Both of these cars are nice runners, too. The Porsche is the quickest.

Not really sure why Carrera decided to use this drive in its cars, or why it stopped. It may have provided some relief to mothers, who only had to listen to their children's shrieks of joy while playing--without the added gear noise. Obviously performance would be an issue, but on my old 50 foot track, with a generous amount of curves, these cars were still competitive...and a pleasure to drive.