<![CDATA[Rad! Scale Motorsports - Blog]]>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:37:33 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Standard track configurations]]>Mon, 09 Sep 2013 17:05:15 GMThttps://www.radscalems.com/blog/standard-track-configurationsThe HO slot car hobby is an interesting beast in that the variety of tracks we run on is literally infinite. There are many manufacturers, track configurations, materials and manufacturing techniques used for our tracks. I see this as a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing in that we have iconic tracks such as the KSR, HO Purple Mile, Mike Block's Suzuka and so on. It's a curse (in some eyes) due to every track needing to be learned individually and the lap times are not consistent, venue to venue.
1/24 scale cars have a couple of tracks that are essentially standardized in the King, Hillclimb (and others?). The advantage of this is that lap times can be compared around the world. Of course there are inherent differences in each hand-made track within a certain design, but a standardized design is a good starting point. If I remember correctly, Slot Car Bob attempted to standardize the HO racing world with what is now the Fray tan track (or something similar (please correct me if I'm wrong)). There are others that have a couple standardized tracks (Bowman's Champion for example). This concept goes back as far as Aurora's tub track.
What are your thoughts on a standardized track or set of tracks in order to compare lap times and set ups globally? Futile or the future?]]><![CDATA[The Fray (kinda) = Burning Man/the Olympics?]]>Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:54:16 GMThttps://www.radscalems.com/blog/the-fray-kinda-burning-manthe-olympics
I'm not sure how many of you know what Burning Man is, but living in the SF Bay Area and working in an industry that is largely populated by people younger than me, I have been familiarized with it. It is a festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada over the Memorial Day weekend that is full of art cars, semi- (or fully-) naked people, techno music, art installations and a giant wooden man that is burned in effigy to all the problems the people at the festival have in the real world. The population at the festival makes it the 3rd largest "city" in Nevada for a week or so, behind Las Vegas and Reno respectively. So many people from around San Francisco attend the festival that traffic in the area is markedly less.

I equate the drop in email and message board traffic during the Fray to that of foot and automobile traffic during Burning Man. It sure gets quiet on HOWL and the HO sections of Hobby Talk, SCI and other message boards.

I also equate the re-entry into the regular world after the Fray to be like olympic athletes following their performances every 4 years. I once heard Jonny Moseley talk about his life after winning his gold medal in which he wanted to do ANYTHING but go skiing. He had spent every moment of his life for many years working to that point in his life. Having won a gold medal, he put up his skis for a long time before even thinking of hitting the slopes again. I imagine many Fray competitors suffer from T-Jet fatigue after running their 45 year old toy cars for 2, 3 or more days straight, especially after "training" and preparing for the event for weeks and months.
]]><![CDATA[How to apply waterslide decals]]>Mon, 18 Jun 2012 17:13:43 GMThttps://www.radscalems.com/blog/how-to-apply-waterslide-decalsHere's how to apply these:

  • Cut apart the individual images from the sheet.
  • Dip the decal into lukewarm water for 1 or 2 minutes. Take the decal from the water and see if the image will move or slide on the paper backing. If not, return to the water for a few more seconds.
  • Once the decal will slide on the backing, put the decal and backing on a paper towel for a few seconds to remove the excess water.
  • Then bring the decal up to where on the model you want to apply it and slide the image from the paper backing onto the model. While wet, you can still move the image on the model a bit to position it just where you want it. If there are any air bubbles under the decal, gently push the bubble toward one of the edges of the decal with a wet Q-tip or edge of a paper towel to remove it.
  • When the decal is in position, simply let it air dry and it will stay in place.
Many hobby shops will sell various decal setting solutions that will help the decal conform to sharply curved surfaces. Solvaset from Walthers, Micro-Sol and MicroSet from Microscale Industries are examples of decal setting solutions. We suggest trying out the specific solution you wish to use on an unused decal from the same sheet applied to a piece of scrap plastic to make sure the solution will not react with the decal. If you wish to spray a clear coat over your decals, the clear paint you intend on using should be tested first using the same method. Some people use Delta Ceramcoat's clear varnish. Another method of sealing the decals is to dip them in Pledge with Future Shine.

Unused waterslide decals may deteriorate over time due to storage conditions such as heat, moisture or exposure to light. If you have an older kit, you may wish to test one of the decals on the sheet in water to see what kind of condition they're in. Use one of the markings you were not planning on applying to the model or use the small kit number or copyright info markings usually found on the edge of the sheet. If they break up when placed in water, they're getting pretty old. One way around this is to brush on a clear decal film. This is a liquid product made by several companies including Badger, Microscale and others and found in many hobby retailers and online.

One last trick: exposing an older decal sheet that's starting to turn yellow to bright sunlight for an hour or so will usually clear that yellowing right up.


]]><![CDATA[Hobby comes and goes]]>Wed, 30 May 2012 17:25:08 GMThttps://www.radscalems.com/blog/hobby-comes-and-goesThere are few people who stay active in this here slot car hobby of ours for decades. I can think of a few, Curtis Adams, Rick Philis, Bob Lincoln, Bob Beers and Henry Harnish come to mind immediately. I know there are many others, but they're escaping my brain at the moment.

I am a prime example of someone who has come and gone from the hobby a couple times. I started with slot cars back in the 70s with my Jackie Stewart set. That lasted a few years until junior high school when I needed money for bikes, movies and other new interests, so the slot cars were sold at a garage sale.

Then in the 90s, The Phantom Surfers released their "The Exciting Sounds of Model Road Racing" LP just as I was moving to San Francisco. I found a cool HO scale set at a sidewalk sale, set it up in the living room, Phantom Surfers blasting, and I was hooked again. However, I couldn't find any HO scale tracks, hobbyists or racers in my area, but about 10 minutes away was Slot Car City in Colma, CA. I ran there for a few years, enjoying 1/24 scale stock cars, sprint cars, can-am cars and drag racing. With the closure of Slot Car City, I sold my slot car stuff for a ridiculously low price and my interests grew in scale to RC cars. I tried that for a couple years, but due to living in one of the most expensive cities in the country, traveling to tracks on a regular basis was cost prohibitive.

Now in the early 2000s, I picked up a Super International track with cars, some other HO cars, pieces, parts, bits and bobs, as well as a wealth of information from those that I met online.

Where am I going with this? Well, as people fal out of the hobby for one reason or another (financial reasons, interests change, wives clean out the garage, kids grow up, etc), it gives us a chance to enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor and efforts, as well as introduce it to others who show interest.

While it sometimes might feel like pulling the boots of a fallen cowboy, I think it's more often appreciated by the person getting out of the hobby for carrying on their interest. Many times they may be able to continue to offer information and insight into their collection, as well as hints and tips for racing, painting, construction and collecting.

We are standing on the shoulders of giants and continue the lineage of slot cars, be they HO, 1/43, 1/32 or 1/24 scale. We are rich with information, historical vehicles, tools and equipment, as well as racing venues and competitors.]]><![CDATA[New products]]>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:40:51 GMThttps://www.radscalems.com/blog/new-productsI've found some really good rear tires for my Fray-style T-Jets. They wear evenly, stick well and come in a variety of sizes. They should appear in the Rad! Store pretty soon.

I've also seen some new decals from C&R that look awesome. They, too, should be available in the Rad! Store soon.

Also, there's a guy out here on the west coast that's making HO scale F-1 cars by hand. They're exquisite works of art that actually perform very well. We're getting ready to make a launch video for them and put the up for sale.

Very exciting times here in the slot car world. What's your favorite new slot car thing?]]><![CDATA[Distractions]]>Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:07:07 GMThttps://www.radscalems.com/blog/distractionsLife is full of distractions. When you're busy at work, slot cars can be a nice distraction. When you want to race slot cars, family life can be a distraction, either wanted or unwanted. When your personal life is stressful, sometimes work can be a nice distraction.

Why so philosophical? I just got back from hanging out with an ailing relative for a week. It was stressful, emotional and challenging, but absolutely necessary. It distracted me from slot cars and this site's maintenance. Thank you to those that continue to visit. I'm back and my energy is re-focused on this here hobby of ours.

-Cory ]]><![CDATA[Parts Are Parts, But Pieces Are Hard To Find.]]>Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:23:31 GMThttps://www.radscalems.com/blog/parts-are-parts-but-pieces-are-hard-to-findParts are parts, but pieces are hard to find is a saying I learned while working on IMCA modifieds on weekly basis. I'm not entirely sure what it means, but I always took it to mean parts, being bigger and more available, were abundant, while pieces were smaller and less readily available, and therefore harder to find.

For the people looking for parts and pieces for their Aurora, Johnny Lightning and Auto World HO cars, Auto World has many parts AND pieces available, including rivets and other more difficult to find pieces. Of course not all parts and pieces will fit all chassis, but many of these were previously unavailable.
ThunderJet Parts
X-Traction/AFX Parts
4-Gear Parts

Tires are something every slot car driver and racer needs. Needs vary based on track, class and desired result. Racing, restoring and modifying are the most common goals. Finding your favorite tire and wheel combination can be a fun challenge. Try some of these for inspiration and experimentation.
Balls Out HO Tires and Wheels - All kinds of good stuff.
SluggoSlots - Silicone covered foam tires (silifoams) for Tyco, Tomy and T-jets, as well as the pieces to fabricate your own.
Jel-Claws - Slip-on silicone tires for a variety of HO cars.
Heister's Penn Valley Tires/Super Tires
RT-HO tires and wheels - CNC machined rims, silicone and silifoam tires for racing.
Road Racing Replicas - Tires and wheels mostly for restoration and modification of T-Jets and AFX.

Pickup Shoes are key to getting those sweet, sweet electrons from the power rails to the brushes and armatures. Depending on your setup and track you're running on, different shoes work differently.
Model Motoring - Reproduction stock T-Jet shoes.
Wizzard - The E-82 is a favorite T-Jet shoe among Fray racers. Wizzard offers options for many other cars, as well.
BSRT - A wide variety of shoes and many, many other cars, parts and pieces.
AFX - The stock AFX shoes.

There are so many other pieces and parts in all the different classes of HO slot cars that it's nearly impossible to cover them all. Fill in the gaps. Let everyone know what I forgot. Tell us all your favorite tires, shoes and other pieces or parts. ]]><![CDATA[The Fray in Ferndale 2012 Multimedia Extravaganza]]>Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:54:54 GMThttps://www.radscalems.com/blog/the-fray-in-ferndale-2012-multimedia-extravaganzaHere is a collection of all of the videos of the Fray in Ferndale 2012 I could find. Please reply or comment with links to other Fray 2012 videos you know about.

Individual Competiton, A-Main.
Video by Lenjet1.
No audio in the car, title or screen shots (first 12 seconds).



Individual Event A-Main Heat 4 alternate angle.
Video by Rondo1234560.
Individual event, E-Main, Heat 4.
Video by Rondo1234560.



Individual Competition, G-Main, Heat 5.
Video by Rondo1234560.



Team Competition, St. Louis vs McKinlyville, Race 8, Heat 6.
Video by Rondo1234560.



Team Competition, St. Louis vs McKinlyville, Race 8, Heat 5.
Video by Rondo1234560.



Jeff Kraatz of the St. Louis team qualifying.
Video by Rondo1234560.
 


Ron Schmidt of the St. Louis team qualifying.
Video by Rondo1234560.


Team Inland Empire, is this you below?
]]><![CDATA[Slot Car Pit Boxes]]>Tue, 13 Mar 2012 04:08:51 GMThttps://www.radscalems.com/blog/slot-car-pit-boxesFor those of you that travel with your cars and tools from track to track, event to event, friend to friend, lugging your stuff all over in an organized fashion is important. Many have found fishing tackle boxes to be ideal for HO scale. There are some custom made wooden boxes, as well, for HO, 1/32 and 1/24 scale folks. Here are some do's, don'ts and interesting setups.

Do's
When storing cars for along time, keep the wheels elevated so they don't get flat spots.
Put a stopper on your oil when transporting it to keep it from spilling.
Keep it all organized. Remember the saying "A place for everything and everything in its place."

Don'ts
Don't toss stuff in the top and tell yourself "I'll sort it out later"
Don't bring everything you own. Keep it light, keep it simple.
When setting up at the track, keep your space tidy, compact and well-lit.

HO Scale
Plano
Whodat HO
Racers at the Fray in Ferndale
Scale Engineering
R4R Wood Products

1/24 & 1/32 Scale
Whitey's
Whodat
Slotcarracing.org
NTC

Build your own
http://www.slotside.com/tt/box.html 

Other Pitbox Conversations
Slot Car Illustrated
Slot Car Illustrated 2
2010 USRA Div 1 Pit Spaces
Old Weird Herald
]]><![CDATA[Where Will Slot Cars Be In 2027?]]>Sat, 10 Mar 2012 01:12:04 GMThttps://www.radscalems.com/blog/where-will-slot-cars-be-in-2027In the HO world, the last 15 years have brought the evolution of Fray-style T-Jet racing gain a really good head of steam and spur interest around the world, many manufacturers have come and gone, many, many tracks have come and gone, drag racing has made a reappearance, Auto World is making 4-gear chassis and silifoams became the norm for competition.

In the 1/32 world, since 1997 we've seen cars and tracks go digital, detail on bodies has been brought to a new high, and quite a few new manufacturers have emerged.

For 1/24 scale, between the late 90s and early 2010s, we've seen drag racing grow, retro racing has become a class, and collecting 60s and 70s cars is booming.

For all the scales, electronic controllers started showing up.

HO in the 1980s and early 90s had trucking, TCR and AFX, then the decline of trucking, TCR and AFX, the explosion of inline magnet car racing, and Lexan bodies became the norm.

I wasn't part of 1/32 or 1/24 in the 80s and early 90s so I can't really comment on that period, but I'd love to hear your stories.

What do you think we'll be seeing in the next 15 years of slot car racing? Digital HO? Mag-Lev? Wireless? ]]>