New here, new build
Hi, first post so please be kind to me. Haha. My son has started getting into hot wheels cars and racing them. We have a small track but it doesn’t suffice. I’m off work at the moment with depression so to take my mind off things I have decided to build a track for him. I’m not the most DIY gifted person in the world but I think it would be a nice project to distract me.
i have a few ideas in mind just wanted some expert help.
For the start gate is a lift up start gate the best / easiest to make?
Is a 30 degree ish angle too high for the cars to transition to the straights?
And, Is there an easy ish finish line that I could build that shows the winner?
thankyou for taking the time to read and I look forward to your feedback
Discussion
I can attest to the quality and smooth ease of operation of 3D’s 2 lane start gate and finish line. I don’t know much about 3D printed parts besides micro rc stuff. But like those parts, these pieces are sturdy. I got my first tie race day!
Welcome. Definitely look at 3D Botmakers product. It is very reasonable, good quality and has good longevity. By the time you research your materials, buy them and do the labor you'll be more involved than the 3D product.
Drag track is very nice, ditto 72's comment on seamless. Check out some of the races here and build some cars, have fun with your son.
The Blue Connector track is plentiful on line and set's up quick...it's also the most compatible track for 3D Botmaker products...seamless is nice and fast, but it can be a pain to work with when setting up a track. The Blue Connector track is also compatible with the 6 Lane Raceway...check out the track directory and my track Quest Speedway...you could have 2 or 6 lanes of racing with that set-up and it cuts down on the DIY aspects of the build. Also, 3D Botmaker also makes feet/stand for the 6 Lane Raceway finish line that I'll be using with my Orange Monster track in December...enjoy the build and the racing...and Welcome to Redline Derby.
Peace and Speed - League of Speed
Thanks for the replies, it’s greatly appreciated.
I’ve looked at 3D Botmakers things and they do look good. May be a little out of my budget at the moment.
I have lots of ideas for all the aspects of the track it’s just a case of putting them on paper and then into practice.
With regards to the track itself i’m undecided at the moment whether to buy orange track (need to go to a couple of car boots first) or just use wood. If I do use wood, the problem I think I will have is for the transition part of track could be tricky.
It’s only for home use so needs to be able to be dismantled/folded. Again I have thoughts for that but need to work out if it will be plausable. Hopefully I can get my ideas down and post them to see if you guys think they would work ok.
again, thanks for the replies and look forward to speaking again soon.
- I have a Maxx Traxxs finish line New in Box. PM me and I'll send it to you — Mopar_Mafia
- I have some extra seamless track too if you need it — Mopar_Mafia
- My track that I built for my daughter, Little Bug Racing. Starting gate is made of three pieces of pine with a lexan front. 3/8” I believe. Simple to make and very cheap. Track itself is made from pine project board 8 feet long ripped into 8 3/4 inches. (Can’t get an exact measurement because I’m away at work) starting gate is simple for kids to use. — 41-14
- Door stop to fit the track in. Track is in three pieces. Scale 1/4 mile the way it sits with the option of extending to about 23 feet. — 41-14
- Finish line was modified to fit 6 lane speedway finish line from hot wheels. I usually use 3D Botmaker 4 lane finish line. But this was an outdoor race we held for the kids at the lake. And I didn’t want to risk the finish line getting wrecked. — 41-14
- Looking good — Mopar_Mafia
Bit of an update, sort of.
I’ve decided to go down the route of building the track completely out of wood. That does mean homemade start and finish lines. The reason i’m doing that is it’s going to cost more to buy the track pieces than the wood to build. I live in the UK so will be using cm’s (sorry, I would convert but can’t really be bothered at the minute, haha)
I will be using 0.6cm mdf for the track, with 0.5cm rails for the lane rails.
The base will be 30 cm wide and I will have 2 lanes to start, with the option of extending to 3/4 lanes if things turn out ok.
The drop will be a 120cm (4ft) section and I will be doing either, 4 sections each at 60cm (2ft) or 2 sections at 120cm (4ft), depending on how I decide to connect the sections together. I’ll just have a very basic finish line, so no fancy electronics and no mechanical, but I will be looking into those at a later date.
For looks/effect we’ll be covering the track pieces in grey/concrete looking vinyl/sticky back plastic to make the track both smoother and better looking.
I am looking at making the lower sections of the track interchangeable so I can perhaps add different layouts to change things up a bit, but again, that will depend on how successful the initial build turns out.
Taking everything into account I should be able to purchase the entire setup for around £30 which is less than $40, I don’t think that’s too bad. I’ll hopefully be starting it this weekend, fingers crossed.
Thanks for reading and any feedback is greatly appreciated
Got a very basic cardboard mock-up of my start gate sorted. Works quite nicely, will post a picture and maybe a video once I get my kids to sleep.
just be aware I am by no means good at making things, I am very much an ideas guy. Lol
Oh, and what do you guys think would be best to use to attach the pieces of wood together, nails, glue or screws? (Like I said, i’m a novice at this. Haha)
Pics of the mock up. Like I said, it’s very basic but I just wanted to make sure the front actually worked before I did the proper thing
and a quick video, you’ll have to excuse the shoddy demonstration, but the idea is there.
First section put together. Not entirely happy with the gate itself but it’s functional and I can always replace once I become more competent.
Hi! And welcome! Busy hands are definitely a good thing...and building a track and racing is a lot of fun!
A lift-up style gate is pretty easy to make. But, 3DMakerBot makes some nice stuff (both start and finish lines)...do a search for him on here.
As for the angle, 30 degrees is probably about right, but the angle can be whatever works in the room tgat you have.
If you are using orange trck, you might want to start looking for some seamless track...it seems to work best. I like Drag Track sections, but that makes the start and finish line a little trickier.
Whatever you do, have fun with it!