THURSDAY TESTIMONIALS: Black Fabrica traction additive applicator bottles

0 April 27, 2017, 1:04 p.m.

Main Photo: THURSDAY TESTIMONIALS: Black Fabrica traction additive applicator bottles

By Mike Garrison
LiveRC.com

Whether it's wheel nuts, wings, tools, tracks, trinkets and/or anything in between, the LiveRC staff gives their testimonial and review of each every Thursday morning!

One of the most controversial topics in R/C racing is the use of tire additives, or “sauce.” Many believe that saucing tires is just part of the game, similar to go-kart racing, while others believe it's unhealthy for the hobby - and human lives in general. Many of the most effective tire sauces are made up of some very potent, often smelly, and downright gnarly chemicals. As Sticky Kicks says, “Do not apply on tacos.” Tire sauce is not something you want to consume, nor do you want to take a bath in it. The problem is that, often times, saucing tires is a very messy process that leaves your hands, pit table, and surrounding area drenched in a rubber-softening chemical potion. To clean up and simplify the process of saucing tires, Black Fabrica has released their new traction additive applicator bottles.

Black Fabrica Traction Additive Applicator Bottles
BFA006, $9 (3-Pack)
www.blackfabrica.com

Black Fabrica is a California-based company that is relatively new to the industry. They offer a variety of accessories, helpful tools, gizmos, gadgets, and more. The traction additive applicator bottles are sold in packs of three, with a price tag of only $8.99. Each bottle holds 30mL of tire sauce, and stands only 10cm high. The bottles are equipped with a spongy, pressure-sensitive applicator tip, and a threaded top to fill and refill with your choice of tire sauce.

I tried out the bottles while preparing for TLR Cup Series opener, which is happening this weekend at the Hobbytown Hobbyplex in Omaha, Nebraska. The tire setup of choice for the Hobbyplex is JConcepts Gold-compound Dirt Webs and Space Bars, which need to be broken-in and coated in Sticky Situation tire sauce. Since I plan on racing three classes worth of racing, I had a significant number of tires to prepare.

The bottles are small and don’t hold an enormous amount of tire sauce, but they do fit very nicely in most toolboxes. I filled all three bottles and performed three different tests with each.

Using Bottle #1, I applied tire sauce to my first tire to ensure the applicator sponge was soaked, and then turned it upside down for 24 hours to see if the sponge would hold up to the chemicals or start to leak. Bottle #1 passed with flying colors as the sponge stayed perfectly intact - it did not swell, fall apart or breakdown, and the bottle didn’t leak a drop. This test was very important to me as someone who has had entire pit bags ruined by leaking bottles of tire sauce, glue, and other liquids.

Bottle #2 came into play during the tire break-in process. I use the Gravity RC Offroad Tire Break-In Kit and a drill, and throughout the process I apply sauce to the tires and “burn them in” on a microfiber towel. I decided to apply the sauce using the Black Fabrica Applicator Bottle while the tire was turning on the drill at a medium speed; this is normally done with my wife’s toothbrush - but that is a rather messy affair. Nowhere in the description did Black Fabrica mention these should be used on tires spinning on a drill - perhaps because that is not what they were intended for. The applicator sponge is durable, but not quite durable enough to survive the spinning Dirt Webs.

Bottle #3 was my final test, using the bottle in a manner in which most people would associate with a sponge-equipped bottle. I simply used it to sauce over two-dozen tires as you would at the track. Using the applicator bottle was far cleaner than using a brush - as the bristles usually fling sauce in all directions - or a dauber, which seems to dump sauce by the truckloads all over your work area. The pressure-sensitive applicator top made it easy to apply and meter how little or how much actual sauce I was applying. The inner spring valve of the bottle can be removed for increased flow, but I preferred it with the valve installed. In the end, the process was considerably cleaner, I wasted far less tire sauce, and after all the tires were sauced the applicator bottle was still holding strong with no signs of wear and tear.

To finish off the product test, I decided to try washing out Bottle #3 as if I were going to refill it with a different kind of tire sauce that I didn’t want mixed with the last one. With the help of some basic Dawn dish soap and warm water, the sponge came clean, the bottle rinsed out, and I was good to go.

Pros:

Small and compact to fit in most tool boxes (which many traction additive bottles are too big to do).
Sold in packs of 3 for only $8.99.
Does not leak when stored upside down.
Pressure sensitive applicator tip allows good control of how much sauce you apply.
Bottle and sponge can be washed out and re-used with various tire sauces.

Cons:

Because the bottles only hold 30mL each, you may have to refill it a couple of times if you're running multiple classes.

Final word:
I prefer the Black Fabrica traction additive applicator bottles far more than any brush, spray bottle, or dauber. I will stick to the brush for high-speed application on the drill, but for normal saucing procedures these little guys are very helpful. Using the applicator bottles significantly cleaned up the process of saucing tires, I wasted virtually no tire sauce due to spillage, and there is no overspray or “fling-age.” I love how neatly they fit into my toolboxes, and how easy they are to transport with no worry of leakage. As someone who has to sauce a lot of tires I wouldn’t mind a little bit bigger bottle, but then again maybe that’s why they are sold in packs of three. If you are someone who sauces tires, but doesn’t like the mess of tradition tire sauce methods, order something off the McDonald’s value menu for lunch and spend the $8.99 you saved on these instead.

Rating: 4 out of 5