ideas for a two sheet portable track

[Johnnyfly41]

hello all,

I am looking for ideas for a two lane routed track using two sheets of 1/2" MDF. I have built a extensive routed road course before. It was a three lane 85' track, lost to a home fire and the ensuing flood brought by a very courageous volunteer fire department. It would have made quite a rally track after it dried out, with some incredible hills. I currently have no track, so, this is a way to get something going again.

My idea is a portable track that I could perhaps take to schools, events, trade shows etc. and still have some fun with at home until I can build another large track.

I welcome your ideas. Track sections can come together in T or a L or just two sheets end to end, any orientation would be fine. Just looking for a fun track to drive. naming rights go to the winning design !! :)

Requirements:

-two lane road course

-about 3.75" lane spacing, will be routed using flexible strip and braided for durability.

-Squeezes optional, but, probably not unless in the interest of space.

-no overpass

-At the junction of the two sheets, only two places where the track crosses the join line.

Shoot me your ideas and sketches, or, point me to tracks you are aware of that might fit the bill.

thank you,

John

[Wolseley Hornet]

[Ember]

Johnboy!!! Good to hear you thinking track again.

If you're thinking of taking it to trade shows and the like, is two lanes enough?

[Johnnyfly41]

I think so, it's a tradeoff really. I would rather have a better layout than add even a third lane and limit what the design can be.

Besides, at a trade show, it's not the cars that attracts the crowd, it's the properly attired and lovely female track marshalls...... :)

Probably put really short legs on the track as well....

j

[Nor Cal Mike]

MDF is heavy and it is brittle on the edges. I have built three portable tracks, one MDF and the other two were made with MDO which is a high grade plywood with a composite surface veneer which shows no grain and is used for outdoor sign's. The MDO costs more but it is far superior if you want to transport it around. It's lighter, flexible and not brittle They make MDO in single sided or two sided sheets, the single sided is cheaper. You can use 3/8" to cut weight and cost. I used 3/8 on my Traveling Big D oval.
My little carry around oval that was mentioned before was made out of 1/4" MDO. That stuff is impossible to find. I came across that single sheet i used for the Little D oval and haven't seen another anywhere I have looked.

Another way to build a lightweight track is to cut out the road ribbons from thicker stock, but trace those ribbons to a sheet of thinner stock then cut it out to fill in around the ribbons.

You can do a two sheet track. I think you want a road track too which is hard to do on a single 4X8 sheet. There are lot's of ways to make the joint. I like that L shaped track that Bibbster linked to.

[Johnnyfly41]

Thanks Mike, I think way back in the day I read some of your posts about your tracks. I have yet to actually lay eyes on this MDO product.

I have the two sheets of 1/2"MDF leftover from my original build of Pretzel City Speedway. So, kind of thinking of using those up. I wont be necessarily hitting the road with this thing, but, want some portability to be able to take it to some venues....

I should mention, I will route and cut out the actual track and it will be mounted to a frame likely made from 3/4" plywood cut into strips of 2.5-3" and gusseted with scrap 1/4" light plywood at the joints as needed. For a easy build, thats about as easy as it gets for strength with reasonable weight and using the materials I have around..

I like some elevation change and the free form of strip routing. I also find that slight banking helps the overall driving experience. I should mention, I dont use magnets. My last track used Plasti Dip as the surface and I really liked that. Good initial grip, easy on the cars, doesnt come off on tires, very very tough.

I am curious about that 1/4" MDO portable track. I assume you used sticks of some sort across the sheet so that it was still together after routing the slot ?

the road ribbon thing, I am sorry, I am just not getting a visual on my head as to what thats about. Thats ok, my cromagnon deficiencies, not you lack of explanation. I intend no offense to any cromagnon's reading this post.

j

I agree too, Bibster's L track got me leaning that direction. I have to resist the urge of just going end to end for longer straights

[Nor Cal Mike]

[slothead]

What about a thin, hopefully lightweight, track surface glued to a light-weight backing like 1" or 2" foam insulation. I have a quarter sheet of blue 2" foam insulation here now and I can lift it easily with one hand. Home Depot has 2" pink foam 4x8 sheets that weigh 10.5 lbs. Any sort of foam core sandwich will be strong and lightweight.

For a portable track with elevations the track surface could be the bottom of a box with a hinged sides that folded down in front and on the sides where the two two sections joined. The sides would protect the track from damage and then act as retaining walls to keep the cars on the table when set up. Think of this as 2 4x8 shipping crates that stacked on top of each other for transport, with handles on each end. To set up the track, use 4 plastic saw horses, set the 'shipping crate' on two of them, remove the top and lift out one section to set up on the other two saw horses and mate together. Fold down the crate wall by the start/finish line and have driver station hookups ready to go on what was the inside face.

Slothead

[Nor Cal Mike]

We use the pink foam extensively in scenery on my club's G scale logging railroad display. We have a guy in our club who is a retired Hollywood model maker and he can make that stuff look like anything. If a person were to use that as a base as slothead suggests and add wood ribbons for the roadway, he could build up elevation changes by gluing additional layers of foam. Lightweight mountains and valleys, oh my.

But it appears that Johnnyfly41 wants to use materials that he already has and has made up. He's really only looking for slot configurations. But I love hearing new ideas for slot car track construction, especially portable ones. This is one I may have to try some day.

[slothead]

I wasn't trying to tell JohnnyFly what to do, just thinking 'out loud' so to speak. I actually got out some paper last night and started drawing road course ideas on 2 4x8 rectangles joined like a T, just to see what I could come up with. One of the things I love about slot car racing is it's creative and is keeps you thinking.

Two weeks ago some students wrote an equation in chalk on the sidewalk in front of the library at my college. Saw it and have been trying to solve it ever since even though I don"t have a clue what it"s for. That's how my brain works.

Slothead

[woodman]

A lot of track can go on 2 sheets...Turn it into modular pieces...Design it here...
http://www.slotfire.de/sites_e/01_syste ... neiden.pdf

Or here.....
http://www.slotfire.de/sites_e/01_syste ... index.html

I can set up my modular track by myself....

[Johnnyfly41]

Hey guys,

I appreciate ALL the ideas tossed about, I really do. While true, just thinking of a reasonable size track that I could move if I wanted to, true portability, as in folding up, one man carry, thats not really so important. I found MDF to be a great material for a track, it just bends to one's needs pretty readily, machines like butter....

I am very interested in the alternative materials discussions, hard surface over foam etc. I also dabble in RC and folks are creating some pretty cheap flying machines out of the pink foams, fanfold etc. without even the need to buy the more expensive more durable foams for the RC hobby.

I recently used a material called Melamine for molds for pouring concrete countertops. Super thin formica like material over particle board. I used 3/4" but it's available thinner. For someone wanting perhaps a ready made surface, it comes in white and black at my Menards home improvement store.

I agree, my "straights" were never straight and a big sweeper is just too cool. My first track had really nice flow, completely convinced me that the flexible strip routing method was right for me and delivering a good driving experience. I also found subtle elevation changes added interest and realism to the experience. Subtle banking just made the driving experience more predictable. Doesnt have to be much. Flexible strip routing was way fun to do too. Pretty sure a T or L layout could yield a more interesting fun drive....

My tactic is just to keep coming up with dumb ideas until Ember cant stand it any more and hands me a fantastic design !!!! Hey, it worked for scenery !

haha,
j.

[WB2]

I'm curious if anyone has run on a Melamine surface.

David

[chappyman66]

[quote="WB2"]I'm curious if anyone has run on a Melamine surface.

Indeed.....me too, as you can often pick up slightly damaged sheets at Menards etc for cheap.
Almost broke down....found 3 pieces of 1/2" cabinet grade particle board in the bargain bin for $2 each with cracked corners etc......nothing you couldn't rout around. But the melamine and foam ideas are very interesting for a lightweight temporary track...