I have a 8 months old son and now I have to move my track from my basement to garage so my son toby will have play room there. My friend and I are running out of ideas on how to make portable track. I still use my one door garage but only on slot car racing day i wanna to be able to bring out my 4 by 12 track myself and set it all up easily but no ideas on that.. HELP!! Any website on that? any pictures?? any ideas will be apprecaited..

I dont want to do anything with my track - i like the way it is now.. all i need is some ideas like maybe folding table under it or add some wheels or umm some kind of poles under and can fold it ? and wall warts there instead of plugging it every time i set up the track - anything...that i can push it back to the wall and park my car in garage with no problem..

Thanks!
Wes

How about folding it like a ping pong table? Split in the middle and folds down and up? as for the wall warts hard wire a receptacble to the table itslef and just run a single plug back to the wall so all you have to do it push unfold and plug her in and reattach where the track has to come apart for storage/movement? I am going to do the same at the new place with the extension ( anothe rdoor sized piece but lighter so I can fold it up) so Definatly let me know how you work this project out.

P.S. If you need wiring help I can do a quick schematic or diagram how to do it as I am sure some of the other guys can do on the board.

Coach

I have a 8 months old son and now I have to move my track from my basement to garage so my son toby will have play room there. My friend and I are running out of ideas on how to make portable track. I still use my one door garage but only on slot car racing day i wanna to be able to bring out my 4 by 12 track myself and set it all up easily but no ideas on that.. HELP!! Any website on that? any pictures?? any ideas will be apprecaited..

I dont want to do anything with my track - i like the way it is now.. all i need is some ideas like maybe folding table under it or add some wheels or umm some kind of poles under and can fold it ? and wall warts there instead of plugging it every time i set up the track - anything...that i can push it back to the wall and park my car in garage with no problem..

Thanks!
Wes

What about winching it up flush with the ceiling when not in use? I know a chap who did this with a half-size snooker table....

dw

What about winching it up flush with the ceiling when not in use? I know a chap who did this with a half-size snooker table....

dw

i have a garage opener so its in the way.. i was thinking of that..

Wes

How about folding it like a ping pong table? Split in the middle and folds down and up? as for the wall warts hard wire a receptacble to the table itslef and just run a single plug back to the wall so all you have to do it push unfold and plug her in and reattach where the track has to come apart for storage/movement? I am going to do the same at the new place with the extension ( anothe rdoor sized piece but lighter so I can fold it up) so Definatly let me know how you work this project out.

P.S. If you need wiring help I can do a quick schematic or diagram how to do it as I am sure some of the other guys can do on the board.

Coach

i will get back to you on wiring help. thanks!

It's already on a table, right? Then just put some wheels on the existing table legs. As far as the power thing, just mount a power strip (like whats probably under your comp. desk) on the side, these are usualy 10 bucks or less.

Now the thing i'm wondering about is...How are you going to get this up from the basement? We don't have too many of those out here in Cali.

Now the thing i'm wondering about is...How are you going to get this up from the basement? We don't have too many of those out here in Cali.

my house has two floors - my basement is same level to garage.. I have a big entertainment room where my tracks are and all i have to do is move it to garage its on same level.. thats all. and thanks for the ideas..

Wes

my basement is same level to garage..


Big problem solved, my work here is done!! ;)

Big problem solved, my work here is done!! ;)

yeah LOL.
Wes

A 12x4 foot table and one person "portable" just don't go well together unless you built it ultralight from the start. Mounting it to the garage wall on a hinge would work, if you have enough clearance to still park your car in there. You could get real fancy with folding legs or just us a socket + screw in legs for the non hinged side.

If you can tolerate a 2-person setup requirement then you could mount some sturdy grab handles on the ends so 2 people can carry it. Setting it up in the garage would be as simple as placing it on some saw horses, using screw-in table legs, or mounting folding table legs to the table bottom.

I took a couple of old closet doors and mounted them end to end, horizontally on the garage wall. I attachedsome 2x4 legs, hinged so the when the tables are lifted up, they fold against them. I rigged up an old fashioned screen door latch into the wall and the edge of the table, so when it's folded up, the latch will keep it in position against the wall. My track isn't secured to the tables though. I don't park my cars in the garage, so when I set up a track I can leave it there for a while. I just throw a couple of old sheets over it to keep the dust off.

Assuming you have a standard 30"door to go through - attach casters to the back edge, and folding legs underneath. Flip onto back edge, fold legs, and roll it where you want.

we ran a bar down one side of my friends table and then we mounted so t gas pipe that we had cut in half so it had a grove in the t part the single end we mounted to a stand off on the wall then we had the track hinged so we could tilt it up against the wall but if we wanted we could lift it off the hinge system and set it on tables in the center of the garage so if we had a croud we could all get around the table

Marshalling a track with the long end across from the drivers stations attached to a wall would be a pain. You'd have to make sure all of the turns were at the ends of the table.

thanks for ideas.. anyone have any pictures with step by step?? just wondering.. I am leading more toward on something to do with wheels, and some kind of frames that will allow me to move it - i ll be creative on this one. thanks guys for ideas..

Wes

I have a 4x8 table with handles on each end and it sits on saw horses. When not in use it stands on its edge on a strip of carpet with bungees holdin it against the wall 2 people can move it very easily. Have even thrown in the bed of my pickup and took it to some cubscout meetings. My layout is ho scale. For a larger track you could do like the model railroad guys and make it modular.

If you can tolerate having to rebuild your table you can use a lightweight construction technique. Instead of 1x4 (or 2x4) frame and 1/2" or thicker plywood, use rigid foam insulation with minimal framing as the primary structure for your table. What frame there is would be a smaller sized lumber, either 1x2 or 1x3 of a better quality, straight wood like poplar (or 5 lam 5/8" plywood strips). The top would be 1/4" plywood or luan glued to the top of the foam and frame. Basically, you're building a big foam filled single sided hollow core door. I would glue luan to the bottom, just for added stiffness. Attach the track with RTV instead of nails or screws.

bigun426 and afxtoo - hmmm now i am starting to like the idea.. i will probably start the project this coming weekend or next weekend.

thanks!
Wes

Attach the track with RTV instead of nails or screws.

Afxtoo - how do you attach them with rtv? I am planning to go to home depot and get all stuff for my project this weekend. Do you glue them underneath the tracks? just glide the glue out like "s" and all under the tracks correct?

And also thanks guys for so many different ideas and i cannot wait to finish it.

Wes

Yes, just make a squiggle bead and set the track into it. Maybe set a little weight on it while it sets up, just enough to sink it a lttle bit into the RTV and compensate for any track flex but not enough to squish the RTV out. If you are using a luan or 1/4" plywood skin over foam board you can use also mount the track using #3 wood screws after you countersink the holes in the track.

Make sure you use the denser blue, green, or pink foam board, not the white stuff like you'd see in a throwaway cooler.

When you're working with foam board make sure any adhesives you use with it are certified to work with foam. The Liquid Nails brand of adhesives sells a latex product specially designed for foamboard and it works great. Don't use any solvent based adhesives.

Yes, just make a squiggle bead and set the track into it. Maybe set a little weight on it while it sets up, just enough to sink it a lttle bit into the RTV and compensate for any track flex but not enough to squish the RTV out. If you are using a luan or 1/4" plywood skin over foam board you can use also mount the track using #3 wood screws after you countersink the holes in the track.

Make sure you use the denser blue, green, or pink foam board, not the white stuff like you'd see in a throwaway cooler.

When you're working with foam board make sure any adhesives you use with it are certified to work with foam. The Liquid Nails brand of adhesives sells a latex product specially designed for foamboard and it works great. Don't use any solvent based adhesives.

thanks for the info.. i got it.. will head to home depot soon.

thanks
Wes