[tDI_Fahrer]

I think most people here know the Petit Spa tracks, well the original Ninco has to make place for a new wooden one. Since I have the big wooden track, we're addictid to wood! But the big track is so big, it can't be mounted for a very long time... so I'm rebuilding my smaller one... Link to the first one!

Last saturday Johan and I routed the whole track in a few hours, it is a 25m 3 laner with ideal lines and squeezes. The track space is made out of 4,6 MDF plates. In the meantime the "slots" for the wall on the track are rooted too! The track is meant for 1/32 and 1/24, the circuit is a little wider than a normal 1/32 track, so I won't have so much space anymore for scenery like on the first Spa track.

The track designed on the wood. My son is ready for it too!

Other side:

Details of the bends:

The routing is done, see the squeezes?

Other side:

Here the cars will have to follow eachother:

The chicane and through La Source:

To be continued!

G.

 

[Ian B]

Wow G,
this is brave move, but certainly one to follow if the others are anything to go by this is going to be GREAT! I can't wait to see it develop.

Regards

Ian

 

[Graymalkin33]

Speaking as someone who has never done a routed track or even knows what is possible on a routed track i guess i am best placed to maybe make a dumb (no preconceived ideas) question.

On the last picture where the 3 lanes bunch together is it possible to have the top lane go straight on. As if he were taking the racing line and the lower lane to take a more curved line through the bends. This in effect would mean some crossovers on some corners?

 

[slot king]

Always been a fan of your work and this is looking to be no acception!

 

[matrs]

Another superb track, I wish my garage was that size

Looking foward to the next installment of photo's

Cheers
Mat

 

[tokyoracer]

Geez that will be a stunning track!

 

[taxi]

And you say that I'm mad!

Looks good Gunther, the racing lines through the chicane and curves will be a real challenge. I'm sure you'll find room to squeeze some scenery in somewhere

cheers,

Rob

 

[Schauinsland]

I´m awaiting your next update!

The original Petit Spa was so great, but the flowing line of a wooden track looks even better.

QUOTE (Graymalkin33 @ 31 Oct 2006, 18:25) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>On the last picture where the 3 lanes bunch together is it possible to have the top lane go straight on. As if he were taking the racing line and the lower lane to take a more curved line through the bends. This in effect would mean some crossovers on some corners?

Yes, it could be done. The crossings just mustn´t be too long and sharp, so that the cars don´t accidentally change into the other slot. There´s so much possible with wooden tracks (as one can see here).

Prost!

 

[tDI_Fahrer]

I'm back!

On this foto everything is routed, even the "slots" for the walls:

Filling the holes caused by the nails of the lexan strip nails:

My son vacuuming before taping off:

Taping off the track before painting:

Maxim is already testing the track:

Everything taped off... man I hate this job with the material I had...

Finally, the painting can begin, the VFR is watching over me:

The result:

Drawing the curbstones with a wide large car in the hand to see the driftlines:

Drawing the grid and start/finishline:

Damn... I look forward to race the 1/24 DTM on the new Petit Spa!

I have taped off for two days for the two white lines alongside the track and the curbstones! Man do I hate taping off!!!!!

But the paint is drying now... tomorrow the red parts of the curbs... saturday the coppertape... and off we go!!!!

G.

 

[5erge]

Looking good, can't wait to see the final result.

Take it you used the Lexan strip for corners?, actually thinking of buying this myself now due to my bodged routing using other types of guides.

Cheers

Des

 

[Wingzero]

Great Looking track...too bad I dont have the space to undertake such a creation. Cant wait to see the racing that takes place on this track. Your race reports are always by far the best.

 

[Brad Korando]

The new track is looking good Gunther. I can't wait to see some video of those 1:24 DTM cars fighting their way through the squeezes! This will be a fun track for you to race on. Thanks for the pictures.

Brad

 

[Black3sr]

I like the garage floor myself. Don't see but bare concrete here. I do have mine painted.

Good looking track too.

bill

 

[tDI_Fahrer]

Thanks for the positive replies guys!

@ Black3sr: I don't get what you mean!

I'm back! It takes longer than I expected... the taping off keeps my busy (aaaargh... I hate that tape!). Taping off the rest of the curbstones and the white line:

Taped again

... for the red part!

Two layers of red paint and one day later it looks like this... not good! The red paint goes underneith the tape, although it is the same tape and the same paint as for the white parts:

White lines: the tape works better here!

The curbs are fixed and the grid is painted: It looks much better now! I hope I won't have to do this for the rest of the curbs!

This is what it looks right now: The red is painting right now:

Checking on the curbs tonight!

G.

 

[Slotrace.dk]

How about just paint the white lines at the mdf and then make small red squares and glue them ontop of the white? It will give you some bumps!

 

[JB05]

Looking awesome so far

Well done

Best Regards,

Mike.

 

[Black3sr]

I was referring to your nice tiled floor in the garage. The garages over here are usually just poured concrete

 

[tDI_Fahrer]

@ Back3sr: Aaaah ok! I was thinking you were very scinicle!

@ Slotracedk: I really don't want any bumps on the track! Curbbumps are good in real life, you have the choise to go over the bumps, but here you can't avoid them, you are forced to go over them. The curbs are placed on places where the cars will slide over them. When there are bumps on those places, they would just make the car flip over or damage the tires very hard.

What I did, is making the "tarmac" of the track in primer that is quite rough, and I made the curbs in gloss paint. So when the pilots drive smooth and don't drift to much, they will have more grip.

Bumps on this place would be very damaging!

G.

 

[Brad Korando]

One idea that I've heard to prevent paint from seeping under tape is to apply the tape and then a coat of clear finish. Finally apply the colored paint. The intent is that the clear finish will seal the small gaps under the tape preventing the color from getting under the tape. I haven't tried this technique out, but read about it in an article about painting plastic models. I suppose you may have to use a knife to score the edges of the tape after applying the last coat of color to prevent the paint from peeling off with the tape.

Brad

 

[tDI_Fahrer]

I removed the tape and I was happy to see I had less problems with the paint coming under the tape! I had to do some minor repaints and it was done! Now the paint-part is completely done I can give you a guided tour around Petit Spa 3! The photo's aren't that good, the cause is the light in the garage at the moment, but that will change very soon!

The grid: BMW M3 GTR, Porsche 993 GT2 and BMW 320i:

The first combo is the Raidillon, on the original Petit Spa it looked more like the real thing, but here I had to make some choises. The main reason for the rebuild in wood is that we can race 1/24's on my "small" track. If I made the Raidillion look like the real thing, I would have lost 2 meters on the straight and much more of the infield. So I had to cut down on this one! There are no squeezes here, squeezes direct after the start tend to cause problems at the start of the race!

The First straight, the Kemmel! The Porsche is slipstreaming behind the M3, the 320i has to let them go!

Les Combes, in combination with Rivage!
De GT2 brakes later than the M3 and leads in the breakzone of Les Combes:

Frontal view:

The three cars go from curb to curb through this combo. The M3 gets behind the Porsche, de 320 brakes late and gets closer:

The cars really have to go behind one another through Rivage:

Other view from the same situation: the slotlines are better visible here:

Accelerating in direction of Double Gauche (or Pouhon), de M3 goes over the curbs en gets from behind the Porsche to have the advantage in the Double Gauche:

Double Gauche: De M3 cuts short over the inside curbs and takes the lead. There is no squeeze here to make it possible to pass one another here:

Through Double Gauche, flatout in direction of Pif-Paf and Stavelot. The cars go left here to get to the APEX in this short corner:

The Porsche gets in the sliptstream of the M3, the 320 has to let them go:

Flatout in diretion of the chicane, the Source and Start-finish, the 320 watches the others go:

Through the chicane, behind each other:

Through La Source in direction of Start/Finish:

The 320 arrives at start-finish and watches the others go through the Raidillon again:

Here you see where the pitwall will come, the little 'slots' are ment to put the guides of the pitting cars in:

In the meantime I applied some copper tape, I'll continue that work tonight!

To be continued&#8230;

G.