Does any one know where i can find a 1/16 cobalt router bit? I managed to rout out lane 1 with a (many) HSS bit. Long story short DON'T Do IT!!! I was warned, I ignored. I need to use it in a hand held router. Which rail system should i go with all along i planned using tye wire, but now i'm having second thoughts. Because i do run magnet cars, nothin real fancy yet. But if i would get into the faster higher downforce cars would the tye wire cause a problem? Or if i go with rail will the little plastic strip and glue hold?

Here is what I'm building.
Since last time it snowed.

Routerbitworld.com , That is where I got mine...

thanks rodstrguy,
$11 bucks and low shipping sweet.

Your welcome! Just a hint... Get a couple of more, they will break, two passes works best on the slots and use tie wire. Works great. I will soon be posting picks of my track as soon as I finish laying the tie wire and finish painting.

I have not heard of cobalt router bits. I know of carbide bits. Which bit did you order from routerbitworld? I have be testing doing a wire track as well. I am using a 1/16" carbide bit that I purchased from Eagle America (which just snapped last night). I am also testing with rebar tie wire, 14 gauge galvenized wire, and 17 gauge galvenized electric fense wire. So far, the only wire that I can get to stay in the power slot is the 14 ga wire. The tie wire and 17 ga are too small. I don't want to have to glue the wire in, it needs to be force fit. I am also testing using a full size router and a cheap trim router. Have not determined the best yet. Very interested in your progress.

I meant carbide. It was late when i wrote the post. Sounds like you are cutting real wide your router bearings may be burnt. i did a test piece with tye wire and it stayed. 1/16" router bit=.0625, 16 gauge tye wire=.0598,
14 gauge wire=.0747. I would suggest mikeing out your actuall groove.

My router bearings may be worn (that's why I bought the trim router).
Guess I don't understand how a .0598 piece of wire stays in a slot the slot .0625 wide. If you use a magnet cars on this, it will probably pull out the wire. That's why I went to the 14 ga.; it stayed in the slot. How much above the track surface are you trying to hold? I want the wire to be just about .007 to .010 above the track surface. I know that will be hard to hold. But one test track that I did, Tjets ran okay, but anything with magnets would 'stick'. I had the wire too high.
Just order the 1/16 bit from routerbitworld. Love the $1 shipping. This one states it is 2 flute. My other was just 1. Hope it works better.

Rick, I suggest painting the track and that helps hold in the wire. It becomes a force fit. I actually had to clean out some of the grooves to install the wire when the paint gets in the groove.

What do you do about paint the the guide slot? Also, how do you control the rail height if paint gets in the bottom of the power slot? I can see where this can help add to the sides of the power slot, but would make height tolerance variable. I would really like to use the tie wire or the 17ga fense wire as they are easier to work with; not as stiff as the 14 ga.

Since most of my guide slot was cut with a two pass method it is a little wider than 1/16 of an inch, where paint or wood putty get in the way I use a small strip of sand paper folded over and clean out the slot. Rail height is cleaned out with a Dremmel tool.

For anyone still shopping for the 1/16" carbide router bit, check MLCS products at www.mlcswoodworking.com (http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/) . They have the straight bits for $7.00 and free shipping in the U.S.

hello everyone,
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this.....
I'm new to this forum and this is my first post and i'm not sure if this is the right place to post this.....

But I've been approched to make a custom routed track for some local guys, and I've searched the web for different sites for information. And hope that I can find guidance on making this track.

Getting the track layout isn't a problem. I know my way around Cad and have a CNC table router ( 4' x 8' ). I also don't have a problem with getting or finding the perfect cutting tool for any width or depth as my in my day job ( actually 2nd shift ) is a tool grinder. We manufacture endmils and drills on cnc grinders. That being said...

What is the best type of material to make this track from?
>Expanded Foam PVC?
>MDF
how thick should this track be and why? ( So I can understand what the end user is trying to achieve.
I can get both types of material in the following thickness: .25",.50",.75" and 1"

One issue that keeps arising in forums and sites that I've been reading is the depth of the contact slots and guide slot isn't consistent enough. I've found away that I can make the bottom of the parallel to the top surface.

Any help and guidance with his near future project is appreciated and will be a great help. Am located in north eastern Indiana, if this works as good as some of my past projects, I'd be willing to offer my services with reasonable costs..

Thanks in advance.. :thumbsup:
Don

Don,
Sounds like you have the perfect set up for doing track routing and the correct tooling.
Not that I know what others are using, but I am experimenting with 1/2" MDF only because I can get it from Home Depot. I don't have access to expanded foam PVC, unless its there and I don't know it.

And yes, my frustraction is getting the power slot at the correct and constant depth. Then other frustraction is what item to use for the power slots, that is, wire, copper tape, braided wire, etc. and how to hold it in place so magnet cars don't pull it up.

Interested in you status as I am in north eastern Ohio. Might be interested in getting a track done from you.

Keep us posted.

Rick

Rick,

My apologies for taking so long to reply, but as i mentioned above I work 2nds, And thanks, but one can't ever have the perfect setup, but one can have everything to make a difficult job easier.

This forum has brought back some childhood memories, as my brother and I received a slot track for christmas when we were about 9 and 10. But I believe it was 1/24 scale..... Can't remember the make of the car, but it had a white body with a rear wing that had linkage attatched to the motor and as you pulled that trigger the wing would move as the motor moved when more power was applied... well anyway...

1/2 MDF is approx $28 - $30 per 4' x 8' sheet
.25 exanded foam PVC is approx. $45 per 4' x 8' sheet.

I can cut either in a single pass although I'd have to machine the mdf slower. I also can machine the power grooves with ball endmill or flat bottom ( ball endmill so the round wire could seat and have more surface contact with the glue, Or a flat bottom mill for the same reason)

I have an attatchement ( that is spring loaded ) and has a nose piece that rides against the surface of the material allowing the bottom of the cutting tool to remain parallel with the surface of the material.

I've seen on some sites with large cnc routed tracks that they are starting to use something called a dog bone to keep multiple sections together and aligned. I've used this same process for many years now when making large signs. Btw I good conversion software to convert raster images to vector so i can rout out or duplicate any image, text or shape into wood or plastic to give your walls, buildings a more realistic look and feel. I also have been expermenting with machining jpgs semi 3d and adding some backlighting, allowing light to pass through... it makes for an unbelievalbe look scaled to any size... it seems im getting of the subject here.........I think one could use this expanded foam pvc for the walls that divides pit road or the outer perimeter of the track also. And attach it to the substrate or the edge of the track its self.
I've got a lot of ideas but I guess its the end user and their $$$ situation and how detailed they want and need.

Anyway any help or feedback as in what to ask this guy when i get ready to do his track will be appreciated...

Don't hesitate to ask if it can be done... am sure it can.. just a matter how easy and how soon its needed.

And i apologies for rambling on...

Don :thumbsup:

Finally, received the 1/16" bit from routerbitworld. They had notified me that it was on back order and then again when it shipped. So, good service from them. The bit is made by Freud and is two fluted. I ran some test with it last night and was very satisfied with it. It cuts very clean with no burning. The slot I tested was for the power wires. I believe this bit is a lot better then the previous one I has as the slot width is right on. With this, I will be able to use the rebar tie wire perfectly. If I paint the board after routing, it will make the slot even tigher. Thus, the wire will stay in place while the glue set. I think I'm on the to big step and get a full sheet of MDF and start laying out my design.