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A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:56 pm
by woodman
I took my 9 yr. old grandson to the commercial track last weekend and. His first time ever and he is hooked now! :D
So....I'll build him and his little brother a little track on a 4x8 layout something that can fit in a bedroom and tilt up against a wall when it's all done....
It is a 3 lane 1/32 of which I have no cars as of yet...Al my cars have been for the big tracks all these years....So we will be looking for 3 or 4 used cars in the future...

This is my first using a flexible routing guide...So I got a 12' stick of plastic trim and made a quick drill jig for it..Image
I drilled 5'' spaces using a nail as a stop that registers off each hole...
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The bridge is next....

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:15 pm
by HomeRacingWorld
This is very nice to see. Shows just what you can do in a small space. Plus your use of the strip should really help others.

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:52 pm
by woodman
I tacked the strip down the center of the lanes for the happy medium in tight corners....
I had some scrap 1/8'' baltic birch plywood that I ripped down to 1 1/4'' strips... I then ran them through my drum sander to take the thickness down a smidgen so they would slip into the routed slots as a router guide for the other 2 lane slots....

As for cars.. Nothing fancy, but durable as these will probably see some abuse early on...This is not a track for womps...
I have a few old Parma controllers which I will need to replace the 1.5 and 2 ohm resistors with 45 ohms...

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:22 am
by Retro Racer 44
Looks good. I plan to make a lazy figure eight with two lanes that will fit on the coffee table so my Grand-kids can race. I have five, so they will have to learn to take turns.

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:25 pm
by woodman
I started this yesterday...moving along....
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Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:56 pm
by Ember
That's going to be a great little track. Lucky lads.

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:04 pm
by Fast Co.
Nice work on the track. It will be a gift your grandsons will never forget - nor outgrow ;)

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:25 pm
by TuscoTodd
WOW! That looks like it is going to be a LOT of fun for something that fits in a 4x8 foot print!
Like the idea of using the birch ply guide - definitely a nice way to keep things smooth and consistent. :)
Definitely looking forward to additional "progress" pictures!

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:03 pm
by HRWJim
Great looking track. They are going to have a blast. I have an idea for cars ...you have a pm. Jim

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:22 pm
by dreinecke
Great stuff!!!

Can you tell us more about the strip? Where you got it, what the sku was, etc?

Thanks!

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 4:01 pm
by woodman
The PVC strip is 3/8'' X1 1/4'' stop I just trimed off the OG profile and ended up with a 3/4'' tall pc. I got it from Home Depot...

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 6:19 pm
by woodman
A little more progress.....I am using scrap I can find in the shop....Wish I had a bigger pc. of 3/8'' bender board that stuff is nice....That and some thin mdf I had, the walls are going up....
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Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:11 pm
by SRQSloter
That is a nice little layout. He'll be diggin that. Nice job. :handgestures-thumbup:

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:19 pm
by TuscoTodd
That looks like it is going to be a LOT of FUN to drive with the various corner radii and elevation change!

:banana-dance: :banana-dance: :banana-dance: :banana-dance: :banana-dance: :banana-dance: :banana-dance: :banana-dance: :banana-dance: :banana-dance:

Re: A track for the grandson

PostPosted: Sun Mar 02, 2014 5:46 pm
by woodman
Thanks guys...it will be a blast for the kids....
A view from the bottom....The track is made from 1/2'' particle board... To prevent breakage occurring when each end was raised for the overpass I scabbed on the strips at the end of the cuts....
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Some Rustoleum oil based paint...Image