[jmswms]

I must say that I've explored quite a bit, and there's very little information on making routed digital XLCs. Still, I thought I'd experiment with some. I took apart an old Scalextric XLC that I had lying around. I was hoping that I could use the flippers and electronics for the routed XLC. Took me a long time to figure out how to get the flippers out of an XLC--they have a screw on the bottom that must use a special tool in manufacturing. I found out that the Scalextric flippers are much thinner than the depth that I've routed. I tried to find a longer screw to put it into the MDF, but the screw is apparently a specialty size. I'll be puzzling with this for a while. The easy solution if to just drop in the whole Scaley XLC, but I'm doing magnabraid (instead of copper tape) so it's a pretty inelegant solution. Suggestions welcome!

 

[Lasp]

If you use longer change zon, its not neceserly with magnabrand for that place.
Remember dont copy the limitazions that are involved in the plasticitet tracks!
Think frealy ;-)

 

[Cvgshadow]

How about using the stock scaley xlc, but removing the rails. You could leave the flippers and electric in place and just continue the mangabraid run where the stock rails were. The depth of the gains might be different so you would have to pad them. You could blend the seam between the plastic and the mdf?

 

[injectorman]

Heaps of info in Scorpius thread and all on sale in the webshop. You can fit the actual assembly very quickly, then wire solenoid wires. 5 different types of flippers both and right.

Rick

 

[jmswms]

QUOTE (injectorman @ 21 Jun 2012, 12:52) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Heaps of info in Scorpius thread and all on sale in the webshop. You can fit the actual assembly very quickly, then wire solenoid wires. 5 different types of flippers both and right.

RickI see the flippers for sale on the site, but I don't see information on how to fit them to Scalextric system. I'm a bit electronically challenged, and I know that you, Rich, and others are rather gifted in this respect...

 

[injectorman]

No problems Bill. Basically the Peco switch motor is 2 coil packs in one unit whereas the SSD PCs have 2 separate solenoids per flipper. The SSD XLC PCB has 6 solenoid outputs ( 4 driver positives, lane 1 change and straight, lane 1 change and straight. These are colour coded and are simply wired the same fir a routed track remembering the Peco solenoid is actually 2. There's also a common earth for each lane which does both solenoids. Then there's the 2 power wire inputs which is just wired off the track braid.

Rick

 

[MrFlippant]

Slotfan1966 has an interesting solution: http://www.slotforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=48160

 

[SJW]

Here's another one : http://www.slotforum.com/forums/index.php?...5&hl=routed

I used this method to make an extended XLC and added it to my plastic track.

Steve

 

[jmswms]

QUOTE (injectorman @ 22 Jun 2012, 02:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>No problems Bill. Basically the Peco switch motor is 2 coil packs in one unit whereas the SSD PCs have 2 separate solenoids per flipper. The SSD XLC PCB has 6 solenoid outputs ( 4 driver positives, lane 1 change and straight, lane 1 change and straight. These are colour coded and are simply wired the same fir a routed track remembering the Peco solenoid is actually 2. There's also a common earth for each lane which does both solenoids. Then there's the 2 power wire inputs which is just wired off the track braid.

RickThanks Rick, but forgive me, that makes no sense to me at all. I'm sure for someone who knows electronics, it's crystal clear. I'm just asking what do I need to do to install it. I'm hoping that I just give it some power, and magically it works. I'm guessing that I'd have to do something else to do to connect the flipper to an infrared light detector? I'd need a much more detailed (and basic) how-to to figure out how to do this.

I'd just lay in the plastic piece, but it seems like a crude solution not in keeping with the level of scenery and workmanship elsewhere with my track...

 

[Michael363672]

Bill,

You could just take the sensor and electronics out of a sclaex changer and route the gaps for them in your track ?

That should be no trouble for your skills

Michael

 

[jmswms]

I'm intrigued by the solution by Slotfan. It may work for my first one, but the next four might call for a more elegant solution (perhaps using bits purchased from Scorpius, if I can get my mind around how it's done). There seems to be one tricky part to Slotfan's solution to me, namely, the cutting out and the soldering of the sensor, which I've excerpted below. That's some pretty delicate and tricky soldering, which might be beyond my skills...
QUOTE (Slotfan1966 @ 16 May 2010, 21:30) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I've been ask to describe how i build in the XLC in my routed Track. ...

Here you can see how to cut of the sensor and solder it.

Then i fixed the electronic with hot glue.

 

[Michael363672]

Hi Bill,

Did you keep scalex lane spacing ??

you only need the soldering skills if you have wider lanes ?

 

[jmswms]

QUOTE (Michael363672 @ 22 Jun 2012, 13:34) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Bill,

Did you keep scalex lane spacing ??

you only need the soldering skills if you have wider lanes ?My lanes are slightly wider than Scalextric...

 

[Michael363672]

To save on electronics could you taper the lanes in for the changers ??

 

[jmswms]

Epic solder fail. Well, I tried Slotfan's quick solution. Unfortunately, I think I just ruined the electronics. I can't seem to solder the sensor. I'm sure there's some trick that you electronic genius's know!

 

[chris99]

QUOTE (jmswms @ 23 Jun 2012, 06:17) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Epic solder fail. Well, I tried Slotfan's quick solution. Unfortunately, I think I just ruined the electronics. I can't seem to solder the sensor. I'm sure there's some trick that you electronic genius's know!
Hi Bill,

Yep, welcome to the club - chips certainly don't like too much heat.
Just a thought - when I soldered wires to a digital car chip, the copper solder pads had a layer of insulating lacquer (solder resist), so I had to uncover the metal by scratching the varnish off and then tin them - don't know if it's the case here though.

Cheers
Chris

 

[jmswms]

After many attempts to solder the sensor (ala Slotfan), I have given up. I also took it to a club race and had a couple of our club soldering experts give it a try. No success. I wouldn't advise trying it -- basically, I ruined an XLC.

I decided the easier approach was to re-rout the XLCs to make them conform with the exact Scalextric width. Hopefully, it will work. I still have to add the braid in order to test them...

 

[jmswms]

I found hand routed XLCs a bit problematic. I just don't have the tools or skills (or both) to get it just right. It kind of worked, but I decided (taking the suggestion of a friend) that routing the Scalextric piece for magnabraid would be the best solution. So, I took out the metal rails, filled in the gaps a bit with body filler, routed the plastic, and then put down the magnabraid. I'm much more satisfied with this solution as it will look more seamless and should work better than my hand routed MDF XLC. I'm sure a good CNC routed MDF XLC would work really well, but this is the "poor man's" solution...