WRONG!!
The fact is, pacenotes is one of the most important part in rallying. Look at 6 times WRC world champion Sebastien Loeb for example, his notes is so detail, he can practically drive with his eyes closed! Having good pacenotes enables the driver to push more confidently in the Special Stages (SS)..
For today's post, i'm not going to talk about pacenotes, but rather, how to DIY your own pacenote book.. While it might not directly affect the driver's performance in the rally, having a proper pacenote book will help in making your rally experience easier..
Step 1: Gather the materials
- A4 size paper (100gsm at least.. makes flipping easier..)
- 2 thick A4 size card board (makes a good base for your pacenotes.. else the notes will seem flimsy..)
- Garden wire
- Wire cutter
- Broom stick
- Spray paint
Step 2: Prepare the notes and cover
- Since i'm a junior in pacenote writing, i've devised a template for each sheet.. it makes my life easier coz it help me organize the space on each page better.. it makes my notes neater too.. Besides that, at the top of each page, there are columns for Stage information such as Special Stage (SS) name, SS length, as well as page number/total of pages. It is important to note the page count so that you won't mixed the pages by accident.
- To get the template on the paper, i used a photocopier.. coz it's much cheaper and much faster.. (plus there's a copier in my company.. hehe.. i hope no one from my company reads this..)
- After preparing the templates, it's time to send the notes and the hard cover for binding.. if you have access to round shaped binding machine, then it'll be great.. else like me, you can bind it using the normal square binding.. (also available in my company.. kekekeke.. )
Step 3: Making spring
- The technique that we'll using for the binding is coil binding. The reason why this type of binding is chosen is because it has the ability to open flat on a desk and offer 360 degree rotation for easy note taking and flipping.
- The spring/coil making part is the toughest part of all.. the reason is simple: first you need to get wire with proper thickness for this; 2ndly, you need to estimate the length of the wire to use.. it depends on the size of the ring and the number of binding holes you have; 3rdly, it's very hard to judge the distance between 2 holes.. in my case, what i did was to roughly estimate the length, and the distance between the holes.. then after it's done, i'll adjust it according during the test fitting session.. :D..
- To summarize the whole process in 4 steps, you need to:
#1, Cut the wire accordingly.
#2, Roll it on a broom stick with a rough estimate on the gap.
#3, Test fit the spring with the prepared notes, and adjust accordingly
#4, Cut off excessive wire..
- Size of wire? Hot co-driver Christy Goh recommended bigger rings to make flipping easier, and thicker wire so that it won't go out of shape during SS.. i find her advise very useful.. :D
Step 4: Test fitting
- Test fitting is simple.. All you need to do is the spin the spring through the binding holes on your notes.. The spinning direction is either clockwise or counter clockwise depending on the direction of your spring.. But one advice though, please make sure to align your notes properly before binding to make it easier..
Step 5: Spray the momma
- But before you spray the momma, you need to sand-paper the sharp edge.. this is to prevent the razor sharp edge from cutting and hurting you..
- After the sharp edge is smoothed, you can start spraying the spring with your favorite color.. This is to keep the spring from getting rusty after being exposed to the harsh rally condition..
Step 6: Assemble the parts
- Putting everything together: the hard cover, the notes, the spring, to make sure that it fits and flips properly..
Step 7: Zhng your pacenotes with stickers
- Just for the extra ego boost..
The benefits of this pacenotes DIY:
- Being able to arrange the notes after recce.. By doing so you can group notes for consecutive SS together in one book..
- Note: Remember to wrap the edge of the wire with tapes.. This is important to keep the sharp edge from hurting you during the stages..
Well, that's all folks.. enjoy your DIY and Zhng-ed pacenotes..
No comments:
Post a Comment