80 replies to this topic

[bishbosh]

We have recently moved house to the North Island and I'm getting withdrawal symptoms from all things slot car. I have my Top Gear set out on the garage floor, but it doesn't hit the mark after last year and the awesome time I had with CMRC.

I've had a practice with the router and seem to have the hang of it, I was not the most gifted of woodworking students back when I was at school. For me patience is going to be the key word.

I have a pretty big double garage but, although my wife is VERY accommodating, the cars will still have to fit inside, so I am having to go for a long thin area to work with. My idea at the moment is to get 2 2440mm x 1220mm x 9mm (perhaps 12mm?) MDF boards and work from there. There is a possibility to either extend one end by a metre. The 2 bends at the left hand end are supposed to change radius as you drive around. The track will run in an anticlockwise direction but I'll probably put in a switch so that there is an option to reverse the direction.

I have drawn up some scale plans on graph paper, but in order to share my idea I've done a rough outline on one piece of A4 so that it could fit in the scanner. Feel free to critique/amend the track. I'm hoping to have some space around the track so that I can have a pit lane and other scenery.

[gzminiz]

i think you will find the radii of the turns on the left side very tight for 3 lanes. Given rough spacing of 100mm means the track must be minimum of 300mm wide. With the 4 parallel straights there will be no room between them which would make the inside lane on the hairpin a radius of 100mm the max radius of the two changing radius would be 400mm. Additionally, the same lane is on the inside through all the turns.

You might want to consider a simpler modified figure 8.

Edit: should note I like the concept and with more width and another overpass it could be heaps of fun i reckon.

Edited by gzminiz, 01 February 2010 - 09:43 AM.

[Obsidith]

I like the layout only thing is its not that even between lanes with all corners but 1 being the same

9mm is pretty easy to work with have found but I havent even gotten my track working yet so im no expert

[Yngwie]

I agree with gzminiz. I think a modified figure 8 would serve you better in terms of flow as well as mixing up left and right hand turns. Also, save you space allowing for three lanes!

[munter]

If it has to be against a wall then 1.2 metres is too wide for easy marshalling.
Also dont think that you have to cram as much track in as you can.
I built a track with two straights and three corners that gave me a lot of fun....two lanes and I used two sheets of mdf end on end.
When I moved I had to sell it and apparently it is still in use however my point is that you need to build to your available space.



If you havent done a track in mdf before then I would keep it simple.
It is a simple process when you know but there is a sizable committment of time, money and labour.

ps where in the North Island are you ?

regards

[SlotsNZ]

Here's a couple of ideas Craig. Ignore that they are 4 lane plastic designs I just use the designer to get an approximation, - the width of the actual track bed is about what you want for 3 lanes routed, and the overall width is about what you have to play with.
Length can be adjusted to suit your space.






This 3rd one is the track that I mentioned in the thread "best tracks we've raced on", - in Australia. Hugh, and a bunch of your guys have been over there and raced on it too. There's a spot of video somewhere I can load up if you want an idea of flow.

[bishbosh]

Cheers for the feedback.

I went back down to the garage and re-measured and re-assessed and came up with something like what you've come up with on your 3rd design Mark. I think I got very 'into' the designs and got rather carried away. Keeping it simple certainly doesn't take much away from a track. I shall keep you posted, just now got to wait for that first pay-cheque from the new job Also the garage has moving packaging in it waiting for the moving company to take it all away.

Munter, I'm in Tauranga.

[gzminiz]

is it me or are 2 and 3 identical, just rotated and a little different in the over pass angle

[SlotsNZ]

gzminiz, on Feb 1 2010, 01:26 PM, said:

is it me or are 2 and 3 identical, just rotated and a little different in the over pass angle

It's just you - - - nah, kidding mate.

No.2 was me attempting to do something LIKE No.3 from memory, then a guy who used to distribute Artin in NZ, and had the original plan of that design from Roland in Sydney, sent it up to me . . just a little more complex in the crossover angles. That deisgn actually works well in Artin with the pre-moulded bridge sections that rise and drop - like the same track parts you get in Carrera which is also a "rigid" plastic.

Just happens that BishBosh also knows that guy (Hugh) quite well from racing against him last year, and I think Hugh's mobile track is almost an identical design, so BishBosh may have already driven it.....

[gzminiz]

ok, wasn't sure if i was just looking at it wrong, Wife says I am blind so I never know.

I used UR to design my routed track and just made it as close as I could using stock track pieces, then traced by hand and modified to suit. I miss designing the track. makes me want to do another..

[kalbfellp]

This track is build from 2 sheets of MDF.

[SlotsNZ]

Just thinking, if it's "pretty big double" and you have the length to play with, maybe you can wrap a small "L" around the inside end fo the garage and still fit the shorter car - "wife's grocery basket" on that side.

Like this http://www.burmac.co...rack/index.html

[Yngwie]

How about this.







Regards

John

[munter]

Now John, that looks &^%$*y good!
regards
John

[dangermouse]

One of my favourite tracks that one John, the build on SF is a good read as well, I am using it as a basis for my next track build, I would have made it (and should have ) but I didn't think I could fit it in the space I had. I am going to remove a some fibro sheeting that makes a false wall to make more room. Big tick on that one from me bishbosh.. http://www.slotforum.com/forums/index.php?...c=24649&hl=

cheers
DM

Edited by dangermouse, 18 February 2010 - 08:57 PM.

[Yngwie]

Munter, this is rallyhubÅ› track on slotforum. The scenery detail he has created is truly amazing.

Click here for the link

Ingenious way of storing the track when not in use also.

Edited by Yngwie, 01 February 2010 - 05:07 PM.

[bishbosh]

Quote

Just thinking, if it's "pretty big double" and you have the length to play with, maybe you can wrap a small "L" around the inside end fo the garage and still fit the shorter car - "wife's grocery basket" on that side.

This is a feasible option and one I'm going to explore further. I have the time to get the design right. I think it will be easier to visualise with the MDF on site, rather than the bits of tape stuck to the floor.

Thanks for all the input.

[gzminiz]

bishbosh, on Feb 1 2010, 07:01 PM, said:

Quote

Just thinking, if it's "pretty big double" and you have the length to play with, maybe you can wrap a small "L" around the inside end fo the garage and still fit the shorter car - "wife's grocery basket" on that side.

This is a feasible option and one I'm going to explore further. I have the time to get the design right. I think it will be easier to visualise with the MDF on site, rather than the bits of tape stuck to the floor.

Thanks for all the input.

It is even bigger feeling once you lift the mdf off the ground. Even if you van have a L permanently you could have the L fold/slide out.

[cliffy]

Well I thought someone would have posted this link by now...

Oldslotracer

[bishbosh]

Time for a bit of an update. I've been looking at as many references as I can regarding track design, from this forum, oldslot and others. I think that I'd like to keep it relatively simple as a first build, probably go for 3 lanes.

I got hold of 3 sheets of MDF and after some re-arranging of cars, bikes and other items I've come up with the following track space that I can fit and also an idea I quite like. Again and suggestions are very much appreciated. There is space to access the track from all sides. The garage is pretty big, but there are pillars down the middle supporting our house above.

Some of the bends could be drawn better but I hope it gives an idea. All being well I can start laying down the plan onto the wood and begin routing this weekend.