Does anyone know what is being used for crash barriers on the Katz Spa Ring (http://mr2bob.com/new_page_1.htm) or the Norburging (http://www.f1specialties.com/main/racetrack/general.html). I have been inspired by Jason Boye's work on the above tracks and am looking for material to build crash barriers.

Looks like the barriers on the Katz-spa-ring are 1/32 guardrails painted grey. Some folks use clear plistic (or white plastic) strips, or plexi-glass. A cheaper method would be the use the metal netting found on ordinary screen doors and windows, with nails or screws to make straight or curved barriers.

I'd bet the guardrail looking stuff is vinyl door trim. Check out the weatherstripping section in your local bigbox hardware store. The white concrete looking wall could be foam poster board.

Geez they did a great job with those tracks.

Screen door netting is an option, but I've been messing with that a bit and its pretty tough to make it look nice. I think a good alternative might be the stuff some folks use as a base for embroidery and cross stitching. (for doing chainlink fence I mean)

Trev

Another possibility is that it's 3mm Sintra plastic, which you can get at a sign shop. It's about $25 for a 4x8 sheet; you can cut it with a circular saw. Use a 1/8" router bit to route a slot where you want the barriers, and the Sintra will fit snugly in this slot.

-- Bill

I've used the extra blind slats from 1" mini blinds for retaining walls. Just add clips like the ones from the Aurora billboard kit or something similar and your good to go. They work well, firm enough to keep the cars in place, and enough give so they don't mess up the cars too much. rr :thumbsup:

Does anyone know what is being used for crash barriers on the Katz Spa Ring (http://mr2bob.com/new_page_1.htm) or the Norburging (http://www.f1specialties.com/main/racetrack/general.html). I have been inspired by Jason Boye's work on the above tracks and am looking for material to build crash barriers.
hi i am trying to build a race track can you tell me were i can buy the crash barriers and the fence? and how do you make it that there is roads? do you know were i can by bleachers? any tips and if you can tell me were i can by the stuff i would need like the crash barriers,fence to keep people off the track,bleachers it would realy help please get back to me on here or direct at toypark@aol.com

hi i am trying to build a race track can you tell me were i can buy the crash barriers and the fence? and how do you make it that there is roads? do you know were i can by bleachers? any tips and if you can tell me were i can by the stuff i would need like the crash barriers,fence to keep people off the track,bleachers it would realy help please get back to me on here or direct at toypark@aol.com

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What would rubber cove molding normally be used for? Just so I know what section to look in.

Trev

Thank you everyone for your input. More specifically I am trying to construct scale "Armco" you see around real life race courses. I have found some crash barriers / guard rails at ho train supply houses,
http://www.eurorailhobbies.com/erh/eurorailhobbiesdetail.asp?pageid=&erh_find=guard%20rail&MN=12&stock=BU-9719
http://www.eurorailhobbies.com/erh/eurorailhobbiesdetail.asp?pageid=&erh_find=crash%20barrier&MN=8&stock=F-180592
but was looking more for some form of rolled trim, as was mentioned the 1/8" rubber cove molding and as Trev asked, where is it normally found at Home Depot? I did find some vinyl trim at Home Depot (in the vinyl flooring section, stair nose trim) that I will have to cut down but should look pretty good.

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I am trying to construct scale "Armco" you see around real life race courses.

A racer after my own heart. :thumbsup: This Armco subject has already crossed my mind when I get to that point with my track so this whole thread has been very worthwhile.

There are several realistic looking options, for HO barriers, fencing etc. in our opinion...some of the best are:



1) Window screen works great for the “catch fence” look but shop around and find the grey plastic (Vs. metal) stuff….looks very realistic and is more user friendly for HO.

2) You can always use the plastic guard rail that comes with almost every set, just paint them for a more realistic look….and cut off the snap tabs and mount them direct to the table.

3) Check out the wooden trim section at the local home store…..there is a piece of wooden transition molding (not sure of the name) but when you glue two pieces back to back, then paint it flat gray it looks just like those giant concrete barriers you see around road courses and street circuits, or separating the pit row from the track on smaller ovals.

4) Storm door molding/weather strip works pretty well, but I always thought it looked more to 1:32 scale then HO.

5) Vintage Aurora, Tyco K&B etc. bill boards and/or hay bail look good.

6) Evergreen plastic makes a gray plastic strip (approx. 1.5” wide) that when painted flat white and glued to Evergreen gray plastic square tubing (painted brown) gives a good “old guard rail post” look. Also allows you to do billboard style graphics like in your first sample pic.

7) We make silicone hay bails molded in a strip so it looks good in front of buildings etc. and it can be used for track berm as well.

8) Christmas time allows for cheap purchasing of shrubbery for a vintage look…I posted several times on this very board that the dollar stores had it.

9) Another vintage look is the old cut in half tires painted white and glued to the table just inside the turns.

10) Actual Styrofoam cut into small pieces glued to the outside of the bull ring simulates the new “foam” barriers you see on oval these days.

11) I have even seen pics (somewhere?) with a sand/gravel run off (actual fine grade sand used) just like you see on most road courses………guard rail/fencing/barrier on the back side as well……makes for a very realistic look.



Hope this helps


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www.SlotCarJohnnies.com (http://www.SlotCarJohnnies.com)

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it easy to sujest the idea and give the idea doing it is a hole nether story. i am not going to start exspreimenting if it not on the market there must not be a demand for it.

Maybe now we know why NASCAR doesn't have a track near Brooklyn...

I found most of the posts on this thread very informative. Thanks for the suggestions.

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Here is a picture of AFX guard rails painted silver with the snap on bottom connetors cut off. I used a black foam board around my tracks this allowed me to push it down into the foam board and glue it

http://www.vabeachho.com/images/MKIVdecals.jpg

I also used the old AFX billboards but made a white sticker to go over it with the sponsors I wanted. Because I used the foam board around the track I was able to move the board back away from the edge of the track and to mount it all I had to do was slice into the foam board with an exacto knife and slide the billboard in.

http://www.vabeachho.com/images/LeMansCars3.jpg

Roger Corrie
Virginia Beach, VA

Man thanks for that link to the Nurburgring track. I have never seen that website. I saw that track in the Scale Auto HO Journal years ago and it, along with Jason Boye’s LeManzaco that was in issues of SARN magazine (Scale Auto Racing News). They both were the inspiration for me to build a realistic looking HO track. 15 years ago I used to study the black and white photos of the HO Nurburgring intensely trying to visualize the whole track. That’s so cool to finally see it color in all those photos!! Wow!

I too would like to know where those guys got that guard rail material. I don’t believe it is fabricated. It does exist somewhere.

I did the guard rails on my track with the method of snipping off the clips of Tyco guard rails, painting them white and mounting them into the ¼” inlays between the track. They are spaced @ .25” from the track edge. This allows cars racing in the outside lanes to move around a little and offers no advantage to the outside lanes. It works pretty well, but the white paint comes off since the plastic is flexible and the rails come out of the drilled holes when cars hit them. They also distort a bit when pushed into the holes in the wood. They look wavy as you look down the straight away. Good for a vintage look but not for a modern look. But it was a good way to make use of the tons of guard rails I have! Only a few turns on my track have guard rails. Most are open to avoid “rail riders" and advantages to outside lanes. Elevated sections and the pit road wall areas have walls made from painted basswood or balsa stock. Really easy.

Gravel traps are done with Woodland Scenics fine ballast and the powder epoxy that is water activated. Done correctly, it does not come up and is like sand paper. You can add rake marks for realism.

The long, tall fence along my main grandstands and other areas is from an old “Nerf” Ping-Pong game. Worked out perfectly. The hard part of making screen fences is tying the fence to the poles with tiny wire. I use twist-ties from garbage bags and strip off the paper. Then twist around the poles with needle nose pliers. It is very tedious but looks real. You could use glue but....not very realistic.

Well I just got the official word from Jeff Hurley (Hurricane) who raced at the Katz-Spa-Ring over the weekend; the guard rails on that track were scratch built by Jason Boye, which would mean the ones on the Nurburgring HO circuit were also scratch built. Bummer. Time to get creative guys...

if anyone wants to see the very latest photos (2-27-05) of the Katz-Spa-Ring circuit, visit the HO Section in my Photo Galleries:

Planet of Speed Bench Racing Galleries (http://planetofspeed.net/PhotoPost)

Scott

OK back to the original question here about crash barriers-

After digging around my old BBS image archives for something else during lunch, I came across this little ditty. These guard rails/barriers are made exactly like the ones asked about. This image even inculdes part numbers! Viola!:

http://www.planetofspeed.com/discus/messages/2785/979.jpg

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were can i buy the guardrail: plastruct #bfs6? does any one know of any one who can custom build a track for me? with lights,grandstand,garage, some thing like a datona. if any one knows of any let me know

Slott V, you have found the solution.

Although the Plastruct website (http://www.plastruct.com/Home.html) does not give access the their catalogue you can search. The part number is for a 3/16 inch "I" beam, but I think a “C” channel would be more suitable. I guess either would work, what ever your preference. Evergreen Scale Models http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/Shapes.htm) has a similar products. The prices shown are pretty similar. Plastruct offers their products in both styrene and ABS, the ABS is slightly more expensive. Evergreen in styrene only

Walthers (http://www.walthers.com) sells Plastruct stuff but the inventory is listed under Walthers numbering system. You can view product inventory on Plastructs web site but it is painfully slow.

Hey at least we have part numbers. I couldn't believe I found that picture on my server. :thumbsup:

hi do you or do you know some one who builds custom slot tracks? with lights and bleachers? if you do it can you getback to me if you know any one or a company can you give me there name,number you can get back to me at toypark@aol.com or on here. thanks

Not to be negative, but doubtful you'll find someone that does this as a service. This stuff is very time consuming and usually very rewarding doing it yourself, granted you have to learn how to do it. That's what bulletin boards are for man!

Brad Bowman will make you a custom routed track with all the detailing like the Katz-Spa-Ring if you've got the cabbage. And you'll need a lot of cabbage! :cool:

http://www.bradstracks.com

plastic rain gutter screen works great. you can get it at any hardware store. just use small nails for posts and it looks like chain leank.comes in a roll just cut with sisors to get right height.