Attaching leads to guides

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Attaching leads to guides

Postby WB2 » Mon Jan 12, 2015 6:22 pm

When I got back into slot cars, I thought it was rather idiotic to use ferrules to attach the lead wires to the guide.
A while back, Slot It started using grub screws instead of ferrules. I'm starting to think ferrules weren't that bad.
Today I took the body off a Slot It Alfa and found those darned grub screws in the guide. What I found that torqued me off was that many of the lead wire strands had been cut by the grub screw threads.

I would imagine a better way is to slide the wire between the braid and the guide, then have the grub screw bear against the braid. Then again, will the screw threads cut into the braid?
Would tinning the wires help?

Does anyone have a magnificent way of doing this?
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Re: Attaching leads to guides

Postby HomeRacingWorld » Mon Jan 12, 2015 6:42 pm

I have been making sure the braid is pre-curved to accept the wire a little easier.

I use a toothpick and insert it in the guide/braid and contour the braid. The insert the wire where it rests into the braid.

Seems to work for me as I have very little tearing. Pre-tinning makes it a tough screw to install sometimes so I stopped doing it.
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Re: Attaching leads to guides

Postby TsgtRet » Mon Jan 12, 2015 7:48 pm

Depending on the guide I'll still use the ferrules or I solder directly to the braids.
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Re: Attaching leads to guides

Postby WB2 » Tue Jan 13, 2015 12:00 am

I just looked at the Slot It website. There is a nice little instructional download entitled "Assemblying the Slot.it CH-66 pick-up".
It details the use of the grub screw to hold the braid and lead in the show.
Slot It needs to show it to the nice little Chinese people that assemble their cars.
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Re: Attaching leads to guides

Postby Retro Racer 44 » Tue Jan 13, 2015 2:14 am

I use Harry's method and have never had a wire cut through because of the set screw, and I use 2mmx4mm ones. On the other hand, I have had several occasions when a ferrule will pull out of the guide and the car stop dead until you take off the body and repair it and put the body back on. Fellow racers aren't too happy if you ask to do that before the next heat, eh? I don't tin the guide end of the wire.
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Re: Attaching leads to guides

Postby FootScoot » Tue Jan 13, 2015 6:51 am

My opinion on this subject is the design of the guide. I think the braid should install from the front of guide like the commercial track type guides. That way we could use clips to hold the braid in and solder the wires to the clips. Or put the wires under the clip ends. I never have understood why 1/32 guides are made like they are. I use the grub screws on Slot It. guides and never have had a problem, I just use a piece of 1/16" piano wire with the ends rounded off to round out the braid and wire then install the screws. :)
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Re: Attaching leads to guides

Postby Reegs » Thu Jan 15, 2015 7:02 am

I still use the ferrules. After I put everything together I'll smear a bit of Goop across them and the guide. Glues the wire to the ferrules, glues the ferrules to the guide. Easily removed with needle-nosed pliers.
Any rubbery adhesive is good (Goop, Shoe Goo, whatever).
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Re: Attaching leads to guides

Postby Ky.Slot Racer » Thu Jan 15, 2015 7:38 am

I like twisting, then tinning about 1/8" of the wire, then I use SCC M2 x 5mm grub to secure. I have used this method even on stock guides with no problems.
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Re: Attaching leads to guides

Postby RichD » Thu Jan 15, 2015 8:37 am

I like the guides that use eyelets (ferrules), with some guides the eyelets want to pull out easily, in that case I replace them with oversized copper eyelets from Professor Motor.
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