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Speed,Combat,Scale,Racing => Speed Talk => Topic started by: Dennis Saydak on August 04, 2013, 02:17:15 PM

Title: Wood Speed Pans
Post by: Dennis Saydak on August 04, 2013, 02:17:15 PM
Does anyone still use wooden speed pans? I'm thinking of building a sport/demo speed model with a basswood pan & metal skid. It would have maple engine bearers that go back behind the primary mounting bolts and aluminum engine pads like many stunt models. The main reason for this approach is I don't see a source for the old Harter pans and making one from wood would follow the top view outline exactly. I know a wood pan wouldn't be as rugged or as vibration proof as metal but they were used back in the good old days. Comments or other suggestions?
Title: Re: Wood Speed Pans
Post by: john e. holliday on August 04, 2013, 07:21:41 PM
It should work if you have the machining skills.   Need a metal skid on the bottom side as you probably already know.  I often thought of that for rat racing.
Title: Re: Wood Speed Pans
Post by: Joey Mathison 9806 on August 05, 2013, 07:00:41 PM
vintage speed pans may be in the works I transported the molds to Billy Hughes not sure of the details just yet but if he reads this I am sure he will give us the skinny. Joey
Title: Re: Wood Speed Pans
Post by: Dennis Toth on September 17, 2013, 06:08:24 PM
Dennis,
Do some searching on the "Hell Razor" design, I believe they used a wood pan design. There were several designs published around 1948 - 49. As I remember they used hard balsa and covered it with gaze bandage with a hard wood skid. The basswood should work, I would suggest covering it with epoxy and 1 oz/yd weight glass cloth. I think using the aluminum pads (ala stunt) is a great idea. I would think about using a full crutch with the maple running all the way back, then add the bottom pan part. Try to keep all the openings above the maple mount crutch. Sounds like a great project. 

Best,       DennisT