AFX Speedway.

[dge467]

This is great! You are giving me some ideas on my next track.

[demether]

Really nice, we often forget that HO scale can also be used for nice 2lanes scenery race tracks. Good ideas and tips here; the white lanes idea is very interesting, the "virtual" best lane too.

Last but not least, the layout itself is interesting, and I can see that it will be full of challenge and fun. Very good balance between speed, fluidity and technic.

[downtowndeco]

Thanks much. It was really a conscious decision to build a 2 lane. It eliminated all 6" corners and most of the 9". I tested different track plans for a few weeks too. If I found any one particular corner had too harsh of a transition I re-worked it until I finally ended up w/something that flows very nice. Almost everyone does 4 lanes, which is fine if you have unlimited space, don't care about scenery & have a big group of guys to race with.

[downtowndeco]

Here's how I make the tire stacks. I made a master pattern, made a rubber mold & I cast them in plaster. I clean up the flash, let them dry & paint them. I am replacing all of the yellow & blue tires w/white & red. Only about 100 more to go. : )

[/URL]

I have never had a problem w/car damage (because of the plaster). I don't glue these down so if an errant car plows into them they just tip over.

[downtowndeco]

[/URL]

I laid the rest of the armco. It is hot glued in place. I also laid some red & white wood blocks I had left over from Little Monaco between the main straight & the pits to see how they would look. I think they are a little too large but at least I kind of got an idea of what a wall there will look like.

The armco will all get sponsor's advertising but since I am still undecided about what era & location this track will be situated I'm holding off on that for a few more days. While I'm on the subject I should mention how important I think advertising can be to placing & dating your layout. You wouldn't see the same ads at Le Mans 1968 as you would Long Beach in 2015. Keep this in mind when choosing the sponsor banners for your layout. Questions?

[downtowndeco]

Back to work. I'm going to add mowed grass to much of the layout, especially around the outside edges. I start by making a "pattern" of the area I want to add grass to using newsprint. I use chalk to feel/trace the edge of the guard rail/track.

[/URL]

I use my newsprint pattern as a template to to make a cardboard pattern. Here the cardboard pieces are test fitted into place.

[/URL]

I take the cardboard patterns outside & spray paint them either flat black or very dark brown. DO NOT GLUE THEM IN PLACE YET.

[/URL]

OK, how do I get from black cardboard to mowed grass? Stay tuned & I'll be back in a day or two to show you....: )

[downtowndeco]

OK. Next what I did was to coat the cardboard that I had spray painted flat black with full strength Elmer's Glue. Then I sprinkled on copious amounts of fine ground foam to simulate grass. I do this off the layout & over a sheet of cardboard or newsprint for two reasons. First off, I don't have all of this mess all over the layout & secondly, so the next day after the glue dries I can shake off the loose excess & pour it back in the tub to reuse it.

[/URL]

[/URL]

OK. I'm going to let the glue set overnight & then I have something new I want to try tomorrow. Stay tuned. Questions?

[downtowndeco]

You know those patterns you see on freshly cut lawns of golf courses, football & baseball fields & racetracks? It's simply because the grass lays one way one mowed from one direction & another way when mowed from another. Basically what you're seeing is the sunlight hitting the blades of grass from a different angle so it sort of creates a shadow. I wanted to recreate that for my layout so here's how I did it.

First I made a "mower" stencil out of cardboard. the strips are about 1" apart.

[/URL]

First I shook off all of the excess grass that didn't stick to the Elmer's Glue. Next I laid my stencil across my cardboard grass strip & misted it with spray adhesive. Do this outside, it stinks.

[/URL]

Next I sifted on a very light sprinkling of a darker color called "soil", which is really more like a very, very dark drab green. Again, remember we're creating shadow here. Remember to cover up the areas you've already done w/a scrap of cardboard as you work your way across your lawn.

[/URL]

I let it set for a minute or two, and again, tipped it over & tapped off the excess. It is now ready to glue to the layout. I used hot glue for this first bit but will probably use Elmers glue for the rest, as it gives me more working time.

[/URL]

I will have to go in and fill in the bits along the armco & do touch ups as I work my way around the layout but you get the basic idea. Questions or comments?

[TuscoTodd]

Now THAT is slick! Looks pretty darn sweet!
Thank you for sharing the tip/trick to that - I like it!
:text-goodpost:

[dge467]

Very cool tip! Thanks for sharing!

[vins123]

that is marvelous, thanks for sharing
Sylvain

[downtowndeco]

I'm working my way around the layout. Slow & steady but I'm pretty happy with the way it's coming out.

[/URL]

[vins123]

Hi
did you have time to work on your layout?
Sylvain

[downtowndeco]

More progress on AFX Speedway. I've been so busy with work recently it's been hard to get to it but I've got a couple more areas filled in. This "in between" stage is the messiest & least favorite part of a build for me.

[/URL]

I filled in the areas around the edges of the track w/black chalk & then sprinkled/pressed the grass material into it.

Just to remind you, this is what I started with.

[/URL]

If you have any questions ask away. Cheers!

[vins123]

Hi
it is really nice work, i have been following since the beginning,
Sylvain