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Old 05-14-2011, 05:13 PM   #1
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Default Flame on! A "trick" I probably will get flamed for!

I have been running into some slight motor issues. My front gets weak and starts stalling out when I dig deep and kills my climb. Ran into it with some machine wound tekin motors before I bought some HH hand wounds. Well I was reading up on cutting a comm and brush alignment. All very good stuff...all involves tools I don't have! So I took my tekins apart and sanded, yes sanded, my comm clean! Then I wrapped some sand paper around a screw driver and cleaned up the brushes. I used 1000 grit and made sure everything was very clean. Didn't take much at all off. Well the motor came alive again! WAY more power than it had before I did it.

So go ahead...tell me how stupid that is and what harm I just did to my motor! I am only posting up for my fellow cheap a$$es that may just try this for themselves! I have run this motor after this " trick" for about a month and found absolutely no detriment...still feels like it did when it was new!
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Old 05-14-2011, 05:26 PM   #2
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Nothing wrong with what you did in my eyes? I would have followed up with 1500 and 2000 for a smoother finish, thus more brush contact.
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Old 05-14-2011, 05:34 PM   #3
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Nothing wrong with what you did in my eyes? I would have followed up with 1500 and 2000 for a smoother finish, thus more brush contact.
Wow! Thanks! I figured the first thing everyone would slam was that it isnt perfectly square and that the brushes would not seat nicely.

I thought about going finer but it looked liked new with just the 1000 grit so I called it good! Now the big question....would you do it to a nice HH handwound????
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Old 05-14-2011, 05:38 PM   #4
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The idea behind the motor lathe is not only to create a clean surface, but one that is absolutely perfectly round. By using sandpaper you're obviously somewhat cleaning the surface, but in no way are you making it round.

Just not the right way to do it, really.
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Old 05-14-2011, 05:42 PM   #5
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I used to do something similar. I would put my armature in the drill press, and clean it with 1500 grit sand paper. It got the motors up and running better. But I have since invested in a motor lathe, and really enjoy using it. They can be found used for fairly cheap.
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Old 05-14-2011, 05:43 PM   #6
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The idea behind the motor lathe is not only to create a clean surface, but one that is absolutely perfectly round. By using sandpaper you're obviously somewhat cleaning the surface, but in no way are you making it round.

Just not the right way to do it, really.
Although true, the amount he removed with 1000 grit is not exactly that great of an amount of cause an issue, but you do bring up a valid point.
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Old 05-14-2011, 06:21 PM   #7
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The idea behind the motor lathe is not only to create a clean surface, but one that is absolutely perfectly round. By using sandpaper you're obviously somewhat cleaning the surface, but in no way are you making it round.

Just not the right way to do it, really.
At ECC this year I used a hotel sink to turn a stand up integy brush into a laydown brush for my borrowed super motor. Carved the rough shape with my knife and put the 4s to it under the running water. Worked great all weekend, the bearings might need some oil by now though.
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Old 05-14-2011, 06:22 PM   #8
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Remind me to point and laugh at you if I ever make it out your way.

Then we'll drink beers.
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Old 05-14-2011, 06:29 PM   #9
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Even s simple comm stick would have been a better otpion.



Just don't take sand paper to the HH motors, or people will cry.

Last edited by TSK; 05-14-2011 at 06:33 PM.
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Old 05-14-2011, 06:55 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EeePee View Post
The idea behind the motor lathe is not only to create a clean surface, but one that is absolutely perfectly round. By using sandpaper you're obviously somewhat cleaning the surface, but in no way are you making it round.

Just not the right way to do it, really.

While this is true, He used a 1000 grit paper he really did nothing more then lightly polish the surface if the comm was already close to true it wont make a drastic difference.. and if the comm is scored and damaged his polishing is not gonna make things any worse..

I have done this myself in the past and seen many a racer do the same thing, comm sticks, light sand paper and a cordless drill has brought many motors back to life..

Not everyone is a pro and needs all the super duper gear to keep a motor going...
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Old 05-14-2011, 07:05 PM   #11
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OMG! What a total n00b move! Way to ruin your motor! You make me sick! Argh!

Feel better now?
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Old 05-14-2011, 07:53 PM   #12
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While this method can appear to have OK effects, and often can be a last resort that will get you going again.....I certainly don't recommend it. Use a comm stick or a rubber eraser before you use sand paper. Even 1000 grit can remove a LOT of material and do lots of damage to your comm, it is just copper after all, which is VERY soft.....a comm stick is probably 5000 grit at best, but more importantly is put in the brush hood, so its held correctly against the comm and will not damage the slots. If you put even pressure on the comm, you should get it pretty clean.

Keep in mind, there is only so much copper on a comm, so using something like sandpaper will take off more copper than needed often.....thus decreasing the life of the motor further.

Some slot car guys have successfully used scotch bright pads to clean comms too..........its generally frowned upon though.

You did nothing wrong with the brushes.....do whatever you want to clean them, just try not to remove too much material and make the brush too short.

And a pink eraser cut down to fit in the brush hoods is cheaper than a sheet of 1000 grit.....will work on the brushes too.

In the end though, you did what you had to do to get your motor running......its your stuff, no harm no foul.

Later EddieO
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Old 05-15-2011, 06:42 AM   #13
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Next time most any hobby shop should be able to cut your comms. You don't have to own your own lathe.
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Old 05-15-2011, 11:20 AM   #14
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when i was into h.o. slot cars i would use a pen erasure to clean my arm's and brushes in them....unless your at a point you need a lathe and brush cutter/new brushes to get a refreshed motor....cleaning them way ya did is perfectly fine to do .........bob

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Old 05-15-2011, 11:56 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by 73bronco View Post
Now the big question....would you do it to a nice HH handwound????
NO! John has such good customer service to let his motors go to crap like that, send it back to him and he will cut the comm. on a lathe and install new brushes. then you would have more power out of the motor to.

not gonna lie, i have done this to an integy motor i had no feelings for but, i brought my HH hand wound back to John Holmes and had it cut and got new brushes.

Last edited by 2500hdon37s; 05-15-2011 at 11:58 AM.
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Old 05-15-2011, 12:03 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by TheSCorpionKing View Post
Even s simple comm stick would have been a better otpion.



Just don't take sand paper to the HH motors, or people will cry.
I used these regularly on my stock 27T racing motors to clean it up a bit between heats back in the day, but I haven't been able to find any lately. Who's got them for sale?
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Old 05-15-2011, 12:29 PM   #17
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I dunno if they are really made anymore......I dont use one, I don't think I even know where one is in all my crap, though I am sure I have one. Really, the eraser works the same pretty much, just gotta cut it to fit.

Racers Edge and Parma were the main sources for them for a long time, but neither appear to have them anymore...........I would imagine, ebay, amazon, or just trying the local hobby shops will net you one.

Later EddieO
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Old 05-15-2011, 12:36 PM   #18
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http://www.racers-edge.com/PRO_COM_C...D_p/rce479.htm

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Old 05-15-2011, 12:37 PM   #19
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I guess that's what I get for putting comm in the search engine instead of com.....

Later EddieO
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Old 05-15-2011, 12:40 PM   #20
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Yeah, I found it in the Electric drop down menu then Electric > Motor Brushes & Springs.
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