Questions on track braid

[Barc 1]

I posted this in the layout section as well,

I will be ordering some track braid from SCC sometime this week, and have a question on magnetic braid. Seems to me tracks with this would give some cars an edge as the low slung motors have a magnetic traction effect. As a no magnet guy, I am thinking of staying away from this braid. What do others think? Currently my Carrera track offers this magnetic assist and perhaps it is getting in the way of my proxy car set ups. This will be a big investment of my time and I want to try and get it right the first time. I have only used tape in the past and this will be my first try at braided track. My thinking is that non magnetic braid will offer the best testing for proxy car set ups.

Thoughts?

[Vision34]

We run on. NON magnetic braid we love it
cars are fast and stay on track we also run proffesormotor controllers with brake to slow the cars down in corners. We add a little putty or weight on the cars and they run amazing.

[HomeRacingWorld]

Well, I am all non-mag braid here and never regretted it.

[mattb]

Traditional slot car racing is no magnetic effect at all with the braid. SCC regular pre-taped braid is as good as it gets.

[War Eagle River]

Dan, you can put all the magnets you want in your cars and come race here! But...it won’t make any difference, we have tin coated copper braid, non-magnetic. Use what makes you happy!

Also, you know you double posted this topic, right?

[Barc 1]

Thanks, non magnetic it is. re double post. posted twice because if people don’t use the portal, stuff posted in the lumber yard get lost.

Next question 3/8 or 1/2 MDF?

[War Eagle River]

1/2”

[LegOutOfBed]

Unless you have a specific need for magnetic braid, avoid it - see all comments just above here ^^^^^^^^

The small case that can be made for steel braid is if a track is mainly for family use, and you want to be able to give some younger drivers a little help, you could leave some amount of magnet in their cars, while the rest drove "magless"

As for car motor magnets, apart from some after-market boxer motors, and a few "cobalt magnet" S cans sold by MB Slot? Avant Slot? (I forget which) and ScaleAuto, the magnetic down-force from motors is not really an issue.
ie, not an issue in any off the shelf cars you are likely to purchase. - This is partly because the potential down-force from motors is low, and partly because the steel braids usually have only about 60% the attraction to magnets that most plastic track brands have.

I suggest you go half inch unless you are really pushed with a weight issue for a tilting/lifting track; 1/2" enables you to create a deeper main slot, to cope with "wood guides" from the likes of Slot.it, which are 8mm blade depth.
It does mean a little more effort is required in bending for overpass/underpass, but a few days with a car jack will ensure inclines and declines, and camber can be created well.

[dinglebery]

The Scaleauto guides I have are 8.25mm

[Pappy]

Steel braid is expensive and another way for guys to cheat.

Slot Car Corner is the best braid I've seen for thickness and width. Some braids are to wide and some to narrow, Slot Car Corner braid is just right.

1/2" on the MDF

[mattb]

1/2 inch with a full 5/16 deep slot. You want to make sure the track will be good for anybody that uses it now or eventually if you move on. Definitely want to be able to run commercial 1/4 inch deep guides. Get 1/4 inch wide braid, not the narrow stuff. Pre-taped braid is one of the best advances ever for building a track. Using the tape, then laying braid is OK, but pre-taped is so easy to use.

[RichD]

On conventional railed tracks and to a lesser extent ones with magnetic braid I know for a fact that cars with certain motors that add downforce will have an advantage. Some years ago we were hosting a proxy race on a track with copper tape. The cars had already been qualified and we were several heats into the race when the track computer died. As luck would have it there was another club track right next door, but that one was Scalextric Sport. In any case the race was moved and we found that several cars that had FK-180 open can motors and had not been in the running for a top finish were now leading the pack.
We do have one Magnabraid track, but that has not been used for some time. The 25K Piranha motors from Slot Car Corner have neodymium magnets I believe and may add some downforce on that track.
If you are doing a braided track using the 3M tape makes it easy, whether you use the pre-taped braid or lay the tape yourself. Just be sure to paint the gains before you use the tape.

[Billy boy]

I just braided my track. went from copper tape to regular braid .pre taped braid from scc is the way to go. i run no mag with silicoln. Most tracks ive run on are regular no mag braid.love it.

[LegOutOfBed]

On conventional railed tracks and to a lesser extent ones with magnetic braid I know for a fact that cars with certain motors that add downforce will have an advantage. Some years ago we were hosting a proxy race on a track with copper tape. The cars had already been qualified and we were several heats into the race when the track computer died. As luck would have it there was another club track right next door, but that one was Scalextric Sport. In any case the race was moved and we found that several cars that had FK-180 open can motors and had not been in the running for a top finish were now leading the pack.
...

Out of curiosity Rich, what were the motors that gave that amount of downforce?

[chrisguyw]

On conventional railed tracks and to a lesser extent ones with magnetic braid I know for a fact that cars with certain motors that add downforce will have an advantage.
The 25K Piranha motors from Slot Car Corner have neodymium magnets I believe and may add some downforce on that track.
.

You are correct Rich,.................The 25K Piranha does indeed have Neo magnets, and these add significant downforce on any steel braided/plastic track. Depending on how the car is set for clearance, 40gms + is easily attainable...........sort of no magnet magnet racing.
On taped or copper braided tracks, there is obviously no "downforce" advantage for the 25K Piranha..............as an aside,.......for those that are involved in proxies with numerous rounds, the 25K Piranha, may not be the best choice......subject for another thread

Cheers
Chris Walker

[Barc 1]

I have a weight that I used when I ran 1/43 non mag proxies. If a car motor was able to lift the weight it was raced in another class. Unintentional magnet class.

Used this on my Ferrari with the Piranha motor and yes it picked this weight up. Would explain why it is one of the faster cars

[SpeedyNH]

the HO guys also have classes where the car isn't allowed to pick up a weight. some of my mag 32 friends use a magnet marshal.

[RichD]

The proxy race that I referred to took place quite some time ago, I checked my old pictures and Wayne's World was converted to wood by 2009. I did look over pictures that I took in 2009 of the Can-Am proxy cars and quite a few of those had motors like a NSR King 21 Evo, which is an FK-180 with a large opening in the bottom of the case. One car had a Slot.it Flat 6R.
SMR rules specify that the cars can't have traction magnets, but the issue of motors that could add downforce is not addressed. Area 51 is the only SMR track where magnetic downforce would be an issue. On tracks that do not have steel rails or Magnabraid those long can motors can have too much power, I have not yet put the 25K Piranha motor in a car.

[chappyman66]

Add my vote for copper (non-magnetic) braid. Even without the neo magnets in the 25K Piranha, you can run an offset pod and drop the motor far enough to get some magnet effect if you run smaller tires. It's all about set-up.
Running no mag is the only way to really be ready for a no mag proxy.