[claes_l]

Well, now I have finally started to build my first real routed track. Maybe you remember that I had a poll about the design of the track in mid March. (If you look at that topic you will not see many of the images as I removed most of them to make some room for images of the new track.)
Thank you all who gave your comments and/or voted.

Finally after some more thoughts and "test driving" in my mind, I settled for the following design.

To be able to fit the track onto sheets of MDF of standard size I had to divide the track into eight pieces. I could then fit the entire track on just four sheets. The work started about three weeks ago with the drawing of the four major parts - one on each sheet. The drawing tool was made of a square piece of wood where holes were drilled at the proper distances (radii) for the "guide".

Drawing tool

Drawing of the upper left part

During the long weekend I routed these first parts almost ready. The only remaining things are the "interface" straights. I'm testing different elevations for the different parts and the first test can be seen in the following images. Though I think that the lower right part (at 260 mm) is too high and I will lower it to 200 mm. The top left part is at 200 mm and seems to be OK. The elevation of the top right part will be increased from 240 to about 260 mm.

The chicane:

Lower left part:

So far there have only been two "mistakes" during routing.

I hope that you will enjoy to continue to look at my progress. Next will be drawing the rest of the parts.

Kind regards,

Claes

 

[Ian B]

Claes,
looks great to me definately one to follow, I know how much fun this can be do a bit, photograph it, post it, the comments push you on to do more it's brilliant. What are your scenery plans?

Keep the photos coming

Ian.

 

[ronMcRain]

Hi there Claes ..

I like the flow of the track very much, seems fast and technical enough (to a mere layman at this).

And as such, I´d think the pit exit could be wee bit tricky and tight? Of course, there´s no radiuses or measures marked out and maybe you´ve figured it out being ok .. But if you omit the postpit esses or make it all to (only) one, more broadly flowing s-bend and/or straighten out the pitstraight few notch (more parallell to side of the table) it might work better ..

What size is this to be when finished?

.. cheers ..

-( R )-

 

[Nikko]

Great track design. Should be a blast to drive.

 

[claes_l]

Thanks for the kind words.

As some of the track will be elevated I plan to have some "cliffs" going from the ground level to the elevated parts. Then there will be grassy hills and slopes. Maybe it's easier to show a sketch of what I'm thinking.

But this is only a rough idea and it may be changed quite a lot when I'm actually doing the landscape. When one thing is done then it gives the input for the next, and so on … I use the same "method" when I construct our garden. ("Construct" is much too fancy for what I'm doing, but I think that you know what I mean.)

Then I will also build:

- a control tower and pit garages with VIP lounges on top
- a walk bridge (something along the lines of the Dunlop bridge)
- a start gantry with red and green LEDs that will be operated via the timing software

There are some preliminary drawings for these items. However, the pit will not be fully working. It will only be like a static display, so I'm not too concerned about the present tight radius (80 mm) on the way in/out to the right. Of course I'd want to have a fully working pit, but I feel that it's a bit too complex for me.

The tightest radius for the lanes is 160 mm, and that is for the inner curves before and after the start/finish. The largest radius is 760 mm (top right curve). The total width (at the top) is 3.42 m and the total "height" (to the right) is 3.82 m.

Kind regards,

Claes

 

[Nikko]

Sounds like you have similar hobby's to me. I am woking on a Japanese garden in my back yard. It is hill and I have to claim space by building terraces. More like construction than actual gardening or landscaping. You have a similar typ layout to mine as far as landscaping. Mine is going to be plastice track though. Keep us posted with frequent up dates.

 

[claes_l]

Hi Nikko,

Yes I like to work in the garden, but at the moment it's (nearly) only the track. The spring is quite late this year and it's not until this week that you could actually start to do some gardening.

I promise to keep up-dating this post as frequently as I can.

Kind regards,

Claes

 

[Fredrick Von Slottenhausen]

It looks like that track will be fantastic. It seems like a very well thought out layout. Can't wait to see more.

 

[claes_l]

Here comes a quick update. This week I have finished the drawing and routed at least the curves on all the pieces. I have made some of the pieces a bit too long, as the actual finishing points of the pieces that have the up/down slopes will shift slightly, due to the rate of the slope. Well ... the next step will be to make the supports for the slopes. Here are some pictures.

The track from the "lower" end

The bottom section

The hairpin, start and pit areas, and esses

Kind regards,

Claes

 

[DagaZ]

It look very nice indeed!! Keep up the good work and keep us posted with updates!

 

[ronMcRain]

You´ve made slots (as I see it) for the garage or where the pitbuilding probably will be? Is that for a specific building and if so, do you have any measures on it?

I´ve made a non-detailed mockup on one, but haven´t got any drawings to go after ..

Oh yes btw. .. looking very good so far !! And seems you have plenty of room to expand if needed ..

-( R )-

 

[claes_l]

Thanks DagaZ (Roland) and rain_man!

I have done some preliminary drawings of the pit building and here are the front, back and side view (all dimensions are in mm):

I will build it of 7 mm plywood.

rain_man - feel free to copy what you like. I'd be happy to give you more information if you want.

Kind regards,

Claes

 

[ronMcRain]

Great, thanx a lot, Claes ! Great info !

I figured out that my garages were a wee bit too narrow at 120 .. 150 mm seems more in order (SRA has 175, I read in a topic somewhere >> but not here? .. lost the link)
69 in roof/floorheight seems a bit low? I´m 6´4" and a "scale-me" would be 60. Not advisable for "scale-me" to bounce up´n´down if hometeam wins .. --- #1. edit & added afterthought, in case you´d like lights and stuff in the ceiling (of the garage) another 10 mm. might be handy?

First of I thought about foamboard since most of people here seem to use it (is´n it a bit wobbly?) Ply will be fine for me too, more sturdy (and if it works out ok, one could put some texture on the walls .. )

Ah, now I´ve also got me a digicamera but have yet to come in terms with it. But I´ll be posting pictures (if or) when I´ve made some progress ..

.. cheers ..

#2. edit : Found it !! >> Actually the measures were reg. the SRA Pit Wall (=350 mm.) but 1 pitwall for 2 teams should equal a two teams garage ..

-( R )-

 

[trulli98]

good effort mate i like the top section how it drives along that wall nice job son it will be great driving on

 

[juanslot]

69 mm are very little height.
69 mm 1/32 = 2,15 m.
The vertical clearance inside a building must be of 2,50 m
If small it beams but of 2,50 ms. The figures will seem very great.

I feel it. I do not speak English. I am Spanish. I have used an Internet translator. I hope to have helped to them. It is understood what I have written?
Greetings from Spain " ¡y Olé!"

 

[juanslot]

One forgot to me, the normal height of a door is of 2.03 ms. In scale 1/32 = 63 mm. The height of a terrace railing 1 m 1/32 = 32 mm The height of the threshold of a window is of 2,20 ms
I feel it. I do not speak English. I am Spanish. I have used an Internet translator. I hope to have helped to them. It is understood what I have written?
Greetings from Spain " ¡y Olé!"

 

[claes_l]

Thanks for the input regarding the dimensions of the pit building.

I totally agree and I will increase the heights, so its more to the proper scale.

Kind regards,

Claes

 

[juanslot]

I am glad of to have been able to help Claes. If you have some doubt more ask me.
Hopefully we pruned to see more photos soon.

I feel it. I do not speak English. I am Spanish. I have used an Internet translator. It is understood what I have written?
Greetings from Spain " ¡y Olé!"

 

[ronMcRain]

Ah yes, good point, juanslot. I´v got no figures (in 1:32) to compare with.

Yes, me also thinks a doorway should be sligthly more, perhaps a tenth more than avarege man. Le Corbusier made his "Le Modulor", the ideal man 1.83. And made accounts on scale and proportions according to that.

I´d say 2.40-2.50 is good (75 or slightly more), avarage clearence. Give room for all crossbeams, ventilation, pipes for pressured air, light armatures and thickness of floorbeams on top of that, than add on the next floor ..

Now, who makes the most proportional and real-looking figures in 1:32?

-( R )-

 

[claes_l]

I have finally been able to do some more work on the track. In the mean time I have done some gardening. Now I have nearly finished the left part and routed the straight between the left elevation and the hairpin, and the start/finish straight.

First an overview. I had to let some of the cars out from the temporary storage, as I could definitely hear a "growling" every time I came close to the cupboard and it kept getting louder and louder.

Now to some detailed pictures.

The "esses"

The pit and part of the start straight

The start straight and hairpin

Towards the finish line ...

Then a picture of the fast curve (highest point on the track). The guard rails are Ninco.

This was a quick update. I hope that I can do some more on Sunday, as it wil be more bad weather (rain).

(i.e.

)

Kind regards,

Claes