comm lathe ques.

[associatedude92]

Ok i have a really dumb question. Do you just put the diamond cutter on the comm and just gi forward until the black goes away or what??

[Grizzbob]

Actually, first you start the armature spinning,then SLOWLY move the bit to the comm till it only JUST makes contact(this is why blacking out the comm with magic marker is useful, so when the bit touches, you'll see a bright line form as the marker is ground off), then move it across the comm to finish a pass(personally I'll start closest to the windings, then move the bit away from them till it is clear of the comm completely). Then you can stop the lathe & check to see if there's any marker left(which means the comm is not trued yet, if there's still marker on it) & if there is just remark the comm & do it all again till you just see copper. And after that's done, then you should GENTLY clear the slots between comm segments with an Exacto blade of gunk & lightly run a ball point pen along those slots(that smoothes them out). Then spray it clean & it's ready to reinstall.... :cool:

[associatedude92]

Sweet thanks a lot!!!!

[associatedude92]

Ok another dumb question, what makes a soldering iron good. I know you want it to be 40W, but what else should I look for??

[associatedude92]

Ok nvm i got one

[Grizzbob]

Well, even though you got one anyway, I can still put up what I look for(for reference). By far, THE most important thing for an iron is its tip's surface area, which determines how fast it can transfer the heat it generates. Heat transfer is THE most important part of soldering, the faster you can do it the better the joint & the less chance of damage to the items being joined. That's why those big chisel tips on some irons are just perfect, because they're big & have lots of area to transfer heat quickly, so your items heat up fast & you get it done fast. Just out of curiosity, exactly what iron did you get?

[novellahub]

I have found the cheap $20 Weller irons with the chisle tip to be the most effective. It is a 40 watt version that can be found at most hardware stores. There is a 80W modle but that seems a bit overkill.

[associatedude92]

It says on the iron "Weller SP40L" it was only $20, but so far it seems pretty good.

[novellahub]

I have that one as my backup soldering iron. I use that one exclusively to build battery packs. The big chisel tip is perfect for that task. I use the the Radio Shack Digital Soldering station at the local track...

[associatedude92]

ooooo I used it yesterday to put deans on my T4 and my comm lathe. Hey Joe your going to the track tonight rite?

[novellahub]

I will be at the track tonight. I can show you how to use the comm lathe at the track before racing if you like. I have the Cobra Pro Com Lathe 2000 with a Diamond bit.

[associatedude92]

Well my chamilion motor i was gonna use that for practice since it needs to be cut and if i mess up hardcore it won't matter as much as my motors that actualy run, but I will still bring it so i can get some pointers.