River Hills Raceway - Lancaster Pa - Build Log - Updated 2/3

[cobratroy]

Hey guys,

I've been quietly working on my track in my basement for the past year. I'm finally going to post some photos of the build. Building this track is a slow process. I'm new to this, so I'm slow! Working, spending time with my wife, raising three kids and their activities, takes most of my time. I only get a few hours a week to work on the track.

Here's the track specs:

Lane 1 = 72.2655 feet
Lane 2 = 72.2657 feet
Lane 3 = 72.2655 feet

Elevation changes = 0" to 27"

Specs:
- 3 Bridges
- 1/2" MDF Roadbed
- Copper Tape Lanes
- 3 Power Taps
- DC Power
- Trackmate Timing System

[cobratroy]

Our home is a 140-year-old farmhouse in the "river hills" area of Lancaster, Pa.
We had to get the basement into shape. First we repointed all the stone on the foundation of the house. Then put new legs and a new paint job on the oil tanks before I could even start building the track. Access to the oil tanks is going to be a little harder in the future. :D


Helper 1


Helper 2 - Both are very helpful in keeping wood from floating away. :D



Baseframes


I added panels around the baseframe to allow storage under the track. I have a few panels and doors to add yet.

[Wolseley Hornet]

Gosh, you're patient . . . all that tidy carpentry and you've got that brilliant plan gnawing away at your mind the whole time.

I see you've got part of the answer,though: move the TV down to the basement, so the family and the dog HAVE to come down to see you!

David.

[Fast Co.]

Very cool track design. I especially like that long sweeping curve in the center. Should be a fast, fun and challenging track. Nice carpentry work too. And neat logo. My only criticism would be that line of sight from driver's station 3 to the lower left section of your track may be impeded. Could you possibly move station #2 to the bottom of the lower left section and maybe move station #3 further to the right?
Steve

[cobratroy]

I designed the track in Adobe Illustrator and then printed it on 12x18 sheets of paper. I want to see the track in full size before I cut any wood, so my father and I quickly laid the track out on sheets of 1/4 plywood to get the "feel" of the track. I'm really glad I didn't skip this step. I made many adjustments to the flow of the track. I also made adjustments to allow space to "pop up" in the middle of the track to allow access to build the track on a back section. I don't have access to the backside or the right side of the track. I had to give up something to gain more square footage for track!

After this step, I made my final changes to the track in Illustrator. Tweaked to curves to get all three lanes almost exactly the same length. (0.0003" difference.)

[cobratroy]

Next I figured out the best places to cut the track design to fit on 4x8 sheets of 1/2" mdf.


I printed the patterns on 12" x 18" sheets of paper and then taped them together. If I ever do this again, I'll get them printed at a large format print shop. Taping them together was a long process.



Turns out 4x8 sheets don't fit down my basement stairs. No matter if you have the coolest wife in the world, and I do, don't use spray mount and then a jig saw in the kitchen to "rough" cut the sections apart to get them into the basement! Trust me... it's worse then getting caught with car parts in the dishwasher. :D



The one inch grid helped me line up the different sheets of paper.



I made my router base diameter the same as my lane spacing so I could place Luf's awesome lexan strip on top of outside lane on my track template.



After I routed the center groove the inside and outside were a breeze. I placed the 1/8" lexan guide strip into the center groove and then used that as a guide for the other two grooves.



I got better at routing as I went. It doesn't take much to "drift" off the lexan strip. Nothing that Bondo can't fix!

[cobratroy]

I would have liked to have the track cut at a CNC router company but the price was to high. It didn't take to long and I kind of like everything in the basement with a coating of MDF dust on it! :D


This is the first time I put the track "roughly" together. Amazing! It fits!


The elevations are all messed up on this picture. The backstretch is the highest part on the track and in the photo it's flat on the ground.


The curve on the right will climb up about 20" to the long backstretch.


The gap between the two sets of doors is where the computer and power supply will be going.

[goosenapper]

Very impressive design work and pre-planning. I've made mock-ups of tracks using sheets of graph paper, but never to full scale. Great idea!

If you ever need a body to man a controller and crash in to you at inopportune moments, I'm also in Lancaster. It's great to know that another 1/32 guy is local. :D

[HomeRacingWorld]

Well boys, this is one heck of a build isn't it?

Exceptional work here, great job.

Look forward to the progress.

[rbianchi]

See, guys who play with little cars can build things other than cars!! That looks really good and the racers aren't going hungry by the looks of those shelves in the back. Are you braiding or taping? I like braid. It works well and is easy to maintain. Good luck in your next stages as you sure are skilled and conscientious :clap: .

[cobratroy]

I had some issues with the grooves lining up perfectly. So I came up with this these solutions to the problem:



1. I drilled and countersunk for wood screws in both sides of the seams. Bevel both ends of the track.


2. I cut a length of a furring strip that's a little shorter then the width of the track.


3. Use wood glue and screws to attach the furring strip to one side.


4. Place a 1/8" Lexan strip into the center slot and align the track so the center slot has a nice smooth curve. Don't worry about the outer two slots at this time. Screw the other section to the furring strip. Let the wood glue dry.


5. This is what it will look like. Notice that the outer slots don't line up. I also widen the center slot a least 2 inches on each side.


6. With the lexan strip in place, press Bondo along both sides of the strip. Cover both outer slots and all the screw holes. Remove the Lexan strip after the Bondo is firm but not completely hardened.


7. Use a power sander to sand the Bondo smooth with the track. Reinsert the Lexan strip and carefully re-router the outer slots. You will have three perfectly smooth slots. I used glazing putty to fix any flaws remaining in the track surface.

[dreinecke]

First off, welcome to HRW!

Second - I think we are long lost brothers! Your build is excellent thus far and is similar to how I did mine with the paper templates. I really like the layout design as well.

It is obvious that the planning has been in progress for awhile. Your logo is fantastic and your bench work is very well thought out too. The cabinet doors for storage is a great idea. I plan on doing that at some point in the future as well.

I LOVE the old house (oil tanks...in today's world? That is a foreign idea out west here).

[cobratroy]

Continuing to attach the sections together. It's a long process!


Now the fun part! Elevations. I wanted all the corners to have some banking. This is where the 2x4 top of my base tables came in handy. I added bracing under the higher part of the curve and then used strong clamps to slowly pull the inside of the curve down a few inches. I put screws down through the track surface to permanently hold the track in place.


I used Bondo to fill the holes in the surface.


Final track elevations and the first coat of Primer.


I couldn't wait to see a car on the track! I wired a 9v battery to a parma chassis and let it go! Running very smooth!

[2FER SLOTS]

Great build thread :clap:
I enjoy seeing how you handle build issues as they arise....imagination :handgestures-thumbup: ....very important in the slot car hobby.
Nice use of a great basement,reminds me of here :lol:


I hope its a fun place for you all to go when the track is raceable....nothing beats running slotcars in a warm basement while the snow is piling up, or a cool basement when its 94 degrees outside.

Keep up the good work.

[RazorJon]

great looking track :banana-rock:

thats a nice rack of canned fruit, those peaches look tasty