Slot car racing is a thrilling hobby that combines speed, skill, and meticulous engineering. For enthusiasts looking to gain a competitive edge, mastering the art of motor blueprinting is crucial. Blueprinting a slot car motor involves precisely tuning and assembling its components to maximize performance. To embark on this rewarding journey, you’ll need the right set of Slot Car Motor Building Tools. This guide, drawing upon expert discussions from seasoned slot car racers, will outline the essential tools required to blueprint D and C-can motors, helping you build race-winning engines.
Essential Tools for Blueprinting Slot Car Motors
Building high-performance slot car motors requires precision and the right equipment. Here’s a breakdown of the essential tools, categorized for clarity:
Alignment and Precision Tools
Accuracy in alignment is paramount in motor blueprinting. These tools ensure each component is perfectly positioned for optimal performance.
- Armature Slugs ( різних розмірів): These precision-machined slugs, like Camen .530 & .525-inch slugs mentioned in discussions, are used to ensure the armature is perfectly round and balanced. Different sizes are needed to accommodate various motor types, particularly D and C-cans.
- Alignment Mandrels (D & C-can specific): Tools like the DRS C-can alignment mandrel are crucial for aligning the motor can and endbell. These mandrels, available for both D and C-cans, guarantee concentricity, reducing friction and improving motor efficiency. Goat Boy and JDS are brands mentioned for quality mandrels.
- Endbell Alignment Jig: The PureFast endbell alignment jig, though mentioned as hard to find new, is invaluable for ensuring the endbell is perfectly aligned with the motor can. These jigs help maintain the correct spacing and alignment for smooth armature rotation. Alternatives might be available from other manufacturers or on the used market.
- Can Squareness Tool (e.g., RGeo Magic Tool): This specialized tool checks the squareness of the motor can with the magnets installed. Ensuring the can is square is vital for consistent magnetic field distribution and optimal motor performance. The RGeo Magic Tool is specifically highlighted for its effectiveness.
- Dial Calipers: A good set of dial calipers is indispensable for precise measurements of motor components. Ranging from affordable to high-end (>$50 for a quality set), calipers are used to verify dimensions, check for wear, and ensure parts meet specifications.
Brush and Commutator Tools
The brushes and commutator are critical interfaces in a slot car motor. Proper maintenance and tuning here are essential.
- Brush Hood Alignment Bars (e.g., Slick 7): These bars, like the Slick 7 brush hood alignment bars, ensure the brush hoods are correctly aligned, allowing for consistent brush contact with the commutator. Proper alignment minimizes friction and optimizes current flow.
- Brush Radius Tool (e.g., Magnehone): A brush radius tool, such as the Magnehone brush radius tool, is used to precisely shape the brushes to match the commutator’s curvature. This maximizes contact area, improving conductivity and motor performance.
- Brush Hood Tool (e.g., Magnehone): The Magnehone brush hood tool is used for precise adjustments and maintenance of the brush hoods.
- Commutator Lathe with Diamond Bit: For more advanced motor tuning, a commutator lathe with a diamond bit is used to resurface and true the commutator. This ensures a smooth, round surface for optimal brush contact and reduces arcing, especially important for high-performance motors.
- Armature Comm Timing Tool (e.g., PRI): The PRI Armature Comm Timing tool measures the timing on each pole of the armature. This tool helps identify imbalances in armature timing, which can significantly impact motor performance. Balancing timing across poles is crucial for achieving a fast and efficient motor.
Spring and Tension Tools
Spring tension on the brushes plays a significant role in motor performance. Consistent and adjustable tension is key.
- Spring Tension Tool (e.g., Sonic Fiddlestick): The Sonic Fiddlestick is a tool for measuring and adjusting spring tension. Consistent spring tension on both brushes is essential for even brush wear and optimal electrical contact.
- Spring Dyno (e.g., Integy/Xipp Spring Dyno): For more precise spring tension measurement, a spring dyno like the Integy (or Xipp) Spring Dyno, originally designed for RC motors, can be adapted for slot car use. It offers more repeatable and quantifiable measurements compared to a fiddlestick, especially when dealing with consistent spring lengths.
Magnet Tools
Magnets are the powerhouse of a slot car motor. Tools for magnet optimization are vital for maximizing motor strength.
- Magnet Matcher / Gauss Meter: A magnet matcher or gauss meter measures magnet strength. This allows you to match magnets for balanced performance in a motor, ensuring consistent magnetic field strength.
- Magnet Zapper: A magnet zapper is used to fully charge or “zap” magnets to their maximum potential. While Ron Hershman suggests it’s not strictly necessary if a local raceway has one, owning a zapper gives you control over magnet charging.
- Magnet Honing Tools (e.g., Magnehone): Magnehone magnet honing tools are used to precisely size and shape magnets for optimal fit within the motor can. Honing ensures consistent air gap and maximized magnetic field interaction with the armature.
Soldering and Assembly Tools
Basic assembly and modification often require soldering and drilling.
- Soldering Iron (Quality Variable Temperature): A quality soldering iron, preferably variable temperature, is essential for soldering bushings or bearings into the motor can and for attaching wires and shunts. Investing in a good soldering iron ensures reliable and clean solder joints.
- Pin Vise or Dremel with Small Drill Bits: A pin vise or Dremel with small drill bits (like #55 drill bits) is needed for drilling holes in endbells, if they are not pre-drilled, for lubrication or other modifications.
- Drill Bits: A selection of small drill bits, especially #55, is useful for modifying endbells or other motor components.
Testing and Tuning Tools
To evaluate your motor’s performance, testing tools are essential.
- Variable DC Power Supply: A variable DC power supply is crucial for running in and testing motors at controlled voltages. A good power supply allows for precise voltage adjustments for break-in, testing, and tuning.
- Arm Meter (Armature Resistance Meter): An arm meter measures armature resistance. While Ron Hershman notes that armature resistance isn’t the only determinant of performance, it can be a useful metric for comparing armatures, especially when working with a large batch.
- Armature Balancing Machine (Advanced/Optional): For the ultimate in motor refinement, an armature balancing machine can detect and correct imbalances in the armature. However, as Ron Hershman points out, this is a significant investment and might be considered an advanced, optional tool.
Prioritizing Your Tool Investment
As Guy Spaulding suggests, if you’re starting out and can’t buy everything at once, prioritize your purchases. Essential tools for getting started and blueprinting motors better than “over the counter” include:
- Quality Soldering Iron
- Variable DC Power Supply
- Commutator Lathe with Diamond Bit
- Dial Calipers
- Slick 7 Brush Hood Alignment Bars
- Sonic Fiddlestick Spring Tension Tool
- Magnehone Brush Radius Tool
- Armature Slugs
- Magnehone Brush Hood Tool
These tools form a solid foundation for motor blueprinting. As you progress and refine your skills, you can expand your toolkit with more specialized items.
Learning and DIY vs. Professional Services
The forum discussion touches upon the choice between building motors yourself and seeking professional services. While Mike Fleming and Larry Mattingly jokingly suggest sending motors to professionals like Hershman to avoid “aggravation,” John Havlicek and Guy Spaulding champion the satisfaction of DIY and learning.
John Havlicek aptly points out that asking about tools in a “Motors and Motor Building” forum implies a desire to learn and do it yourself. Guy Spaulding emphasizes the gratification of being competitive with your own equipment, suggesting learning from seasoned racers but ultimately weaning yourself off dependency.
Ultimately, choosing to invest in slot car motor building tools and learning to blueprint motors yourself offers a deeper understanding of motor mechanics, greater control over performance, and the immense satisfaction of building your own race-winning engines. Equipping yourself with the right tools is the first step on this rewarding path.
