4 replies to this topic

[deefantom]

Hi all, I'm new here and haven't played with slot cars since I was a kid with an AFX set. I am now all growed up and a high school tech teacher. I am introducing slot cars into my teaching program for the kids. I will be making 1/24 cars coz they won't be so fiddly to make. I need to make a track for the cars and will be making a drag strip and an oval track to start with. I intend to use copper tape and have been reading on this forum and other places the pro's and con's of copper tape. It seems to me that tape is fine if you use the right stuff, but bad if you use the wrong stuff. Can anyone tell me what is the best tape and where I can get it?

[kalbfellp]

Copper tape is O/K IF the temperature is reasonably stable. Tracks in tin sheds have problems with the tape lifting. Tracks inside insulated building have a lot less problems.

The main brand sold in Australia is Venture tape used for stained glass craft work. The one with black backing is the best as the adhesive backing will conduct the power so joins are easy. It is also marginally thicker. Many glass suppliers stock it as do anyone selling supplies for stained glass work.

[slots]

Welcome to the forum, Deefantom. As kalbfellp said, you really need a stable tempurature to make tape successful. I'd recommend a routed track with braid. Just add a recess.to lay the braid in. Easy to repair as the only real problem is when a braid lifts and the repair is a little more contact glue or a hot soldering iron.

[deefantom]

Thanks fellas, I don't think the temperature will be a big problem as I am setting this up in a workshop with a 4" coldroom panel roof and breeseways. It gets hot in the summer but not oven hot like in a tin shed. Down the track I would like to build a 4 lane braided track but at the moment I just need something to get things rolling. I am building the dragstrip out of some mdf offcuts I have, it will be two lanes 15 metres long and the oval track will be on a mdf packing sheet 1.8m x 3.6m. I hope to have 4 lanes on the oval track which means the inside slot will have a radius of 450mm with the straights 1.8m long.

My budget is the problem, I have had to spend a fair bit getting set up to build the cars. I intend to only buy motors, gears and slot guides, everything else will be made in house.

But there's no point in having kids build slot cars if they can't drive 'em, hey!

Any advice is welcome.

[deefantom]

Gee, my signature didn't turn out real good did it? I'll have to have another look at that