I made a few sections of chain link fence the other day from a lint trap and some nails, and although I am pleased with the way they turned out, I know there is room for improvement. I need to get the correct sized nails and maybe sew the nails on instead of weaving them into the metal, but still pleased for a first attempt. Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts on this. The lint trap was $2.50 at Home Depot in the plumbing section I believe.

I did basically the same thing except I used aluminum screening and used thin wire that I harvested from garbage bag twisty ties to "sew" the screen on the nails. I then cut a slice in some old Tyco tires and glued the tires on the end nails, so if case a car hits them it will not be a plastic on metal situation. I drove the nails in a little lower than the top of the fence and then ran a bead of superglue gel down the back of the nail so it would lock everything in place. Like yours, I think it is a good look and adds to the scenery.

Thats a good idea with the twist tie wires. Maybe I will redo mine like that.
The lint trap I used is aluminum I believe and I was able to cut it very easily with a normal pair of scissors.

Florist wire. Comes in colors, silver/gold/green/black/and others. Sold in craft and garden shops. (cheap)... Many uses around the house all year .... and around the track. One paddle lasts forever and I found a simple twist or crimp attaches screen fence just fine. nd

I have a craft store right down the street and a florist a block from my job, so I guess I might have to take a trip to pick up some wire.
Thanks

Thats a really great idea

I have a craft store right down the street and a florist a block from my job, so I guess I might have to take a trip to pick up some wire.
Thanks

Grab the Wife some flowers too.. ya never know what slot goodies she will find...lol

I found this ready-made chain link fencing at hobbylinc. I haven't personally seen it, but it looks pretty authentic. A little pricey, but it would probably give you a more realistic look. Here's the link:
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/blm/blm4210.htm

Ive seen that one before. It is nice, Ive also seen one on Ebay that was handmade that was real nice too. I actually rethought my ideas today and came to the conclusion that I can use the same lint trap for the fence and nails for posts for ease of installation, but I can buy some thin tubing from the hobbyshop to sew across the top to make a rail to hold the fence a bit straighter. I wasnt going for absolute realism, just building a barrier to protect the bleachers and the fragile figures from a deslotted projectile. Especially when I have friends that claim they are gonna wipe out the bleachers on purpose because I always seem to win....:thumbsup: I guess it is the hometrack advantage..;)

Well, you better build a good fence, or keep the speeds down.
You wouldn't want this to happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUnvd7-hZRE

Nice video, That fence took quite a hit!! Actually yesterday I launched one of my quicker T Jets over the shorter of the two fences but it didnt break anything. The figures arent glued down yet so they just fell down, no biggie. Im thinking of rasisng the fence a bit higher now.
I kind of like watching the slot cars crashing sometimes. Most of my cars are runners anyhow. I have a diecast Gran sport Corvette body on a Tyco 440X2 chassis and I crashed into a buddies T Jet,not on purpose of course, I could have smashed it into bits, luckily I didnt, he would have been pissed.:cry:

Well, you better build a good fence, or keep the speeds down.
You wouldn't want this to happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUnvd7-hZRE

And thanks to that we have had restrictor plate racing for the last 22 years. :mad:

Still think they should just move the stands back and LET THEM RACE.

Hmm.. let rethink this... All this because a tire blew out. Maybe they should make the tires out of asphalt and pave the racetrack with rubber.. No more blowouts!! :jest:

Yeah, maybe they should have Goodyear make a new tire that everyone has to race with.... oh..... wait a minute.........

I made a few sections of chain link fence the other day from a lint trap and some nails, and although I am pleased with the way they turned out, I know there is room for improvement. I need to get the correct sized nails and maybe sew the nails on instead of weaving them into the metal, but still pleased for a first attempt. Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts on this. The lint trap was $2.50 at Home Depot in the plumbing section I believe.

If you want an easier and cheaper way to get realistic looking chain. Buy a box of round toothpicks, cut the ends off, and drill the holes where you want to place the "posts". Then take some window screen from an old window and cut it to the height you want and paint it with silver craft paint. A whole layout of fencing can be done with that $2.50 and you can cut to any size you want. In 1/43 scale the racetrack wall is around 4 feet high, so that works out to 1" and then 2" for the 8 foot fence protecting the fans. Just stick the toothpicks in congrugated plastic that garage sale signs are made from and you have both a retaining wall and chain link fence combination. Just an idea.

Craft stores have the mesh the old lady's make their homemade dish scrubbies out of. I believe $1 will get you a sheet big enough to to cut into strips that should do at least 4 or five 15" corners. It's light, Strong enough for mag cars, and is the closest "Scale" appering out of all. Except Walthers makes actual Chain Link fence kit for railroads, about $20 will get you enough for 1 or 2 corners. and what they use in the kit for the mesh of the fence, is the same stuff as the "Scrubbie" material. Post are fanceir though. Got the razor wire security top. Gates, little signs to hang on it like "Stop", or elecric shock-warning, real nice. no trespassing

"If you want an easier and cheaper way to get realistic looking chain. Buy a box of round toothpicks, cut the ends off, and drill the holes where you want to place the "posts". Then take some window screen from an old window and cut it to the height you want and paint it with silver craft paint. A whole layout of fencing can be done with that $2.50 and you can cut to any size you want. In 1/43 scale the racetrack wall is around 4 feet high, so that works out to 1" and then 2" for the 8 foot fence protecting the fans. Just stick the toothpicks in congrugated plastic that garage sale signs are made from and you have both a retaining wall and chain link fence combination. Just an idea."



That is a great idea. I just wonder about the strength of the toothpicks to a good impact. I like the idea for the wall too. Im gonna have to make some of that. I also have made my own gaurd rails out of vinyl cove molding and some track clips I have left over from an old set of AFX sponsor logo guard rails. I found the original AFXs to be very weak, so I put the vinyl behind them to make them more stiff. I also used the vinyl by itself to make a free standing guard rail without the nubs the Tyco ones have that have a habit of catching on your wheels and wings.

I went to the pet section at our local Wal-Mart and purchased the filter netting for aquariums. I use it for Late Model "windshields" and for chain link fencing.

Gary
AKA LeeRoy98
www.marioncountyraceway.com

"If you want an easier and cheaper way to get realistic looking chain. Buy a box of round toothpicks, cut the ends off, and drill the holes where you want to place the "posts". Then take some window screen from an old window and cut it to the height you want and paint it with silver craft paint. A whole layout of fencing can be done with that $2.50 and you can cut to any size you want. In 1/43 scale the racetrack wall is around 4 feet high, so that works out to 1" and then 2" for the 8 foot fence protecting the fans. Just stick the toothpicks in congrugated plastic that garage sale signs are made from and you have both a retaining wall and chain link fence combination. Just an idea."



That is a great idea. I just wonder about the strength of the toothpicks to a good impact. I like the idea for the wall too. Im gonna have to make some of that. I also have made my own gaurd rails out of vinyl cove molding and some track clips I have left over from an old set of AFX sponsor logo guard rails. I found the original AFXs to be very weak, so I put the vinyl behind them to make them more stiff. I also used the vinyl by itself to make a free standing guard rail without the nubs the Tyco ones have that have a habit of catching on your wheels and wings.

Acually the round ones are pretty strong...and they don't really take the force of the hit from the car, the walls get that.....basically it's only there to stop the car from bouncing over the wall. And they hold up to my 1/43 Artins and SCX's at high speeds, so I think they can handle even the fastest little car that AFX or Tyco has produced. And if you want added stability, go to the dollar store and get a box of large size matchsticks for barbeques, you know the kind that are really long...put a couple of them directly behind the "toothpick posts" for extra hold. Works great. Below are some pics of my setup, although I use "poorman's safer barrier" which is just 1/4" styrofoam with nails put in to hold the styrofoam in place, painted grey, and my chainlink fence stuck in the top and hot glued in place.

And if you want added stability, go to the dollar store and get a box of large size matchsticks for barbeques, you know the kind that are really long....


Ahhh the dollar store, I love those places. We have one here that is called 5 dollar deals. Nothing over 5 bucks. I find all kind of useful stuff there.

Your fence looks real good. Im gonna give mine a re-doing I think.

Ahhh the dollar store, I love those places. We have one here that is called 5 dollar deals. Nothing over 5 bucks. I find all kind of useful stuff there.

Your fence looks real good. Im gonna give mine a re-doing I think.

I buy almost everything you can think of at the dollar store up here. Skewer sticks for the top cross members of large fenced areas, a used $5.00 fake christmas tree for all the trees, three old screened windows that were here when I moved in, flower arrangment positioning foam run over a 60 grit piece of sandpaper, (they come in all sorts of dirt, grass, and weed type colours), styrofoam packing material from our new kitchen set we got for christmas, and banners from a flyer. My whole track scenicked the same way as the pics above will cost me about $8.00 worth of material.

Whenever I finally get my track to where I want to settle it in permanent, I'm gonna use dry wall tape.
It's cheap, easy to size, durable and when painted silver, gives a great square wire fence look.

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/101/l_856ac958327e4824b5d492f255f0e2be.jpg

All the other suggestions about posts and solid walls at the bottom will just make it look better.

Just my 2 pecos,
Rich
www.myspace.com/northtexasslotcars :thumbsup:

The sheetrock tape looks promising, if painted. It comes with an adhesive coating on both sides which would otherwise collect dust and lint. You could paint it black and attach it to some lexan of the same height if you wanted a real, magnet car capable crash wall and didn't want to deviate too far from the scenic aspect. After all, how many real race tracks have glass walls? Putting the mesh over the lexan would be a reasonable compromise between crash worthiness and aesthetics.

I used aluminum screen as it is duller looking and not as SILVER as regular screen. I also cut it on the "bias" to get the diamond look rather than the square look. I used solid brass welding rod laying around the shop, painted Testors aluminum color for the poles. I bent the tops at a 45 degree angle. Seemed to look ok, and definitely held the cars at impact. Did all the corners on a 110ft. track with the materials below.

Welding rod = free
aluminum screen = approx $3.00
Testors paint bottle = $1

I used solid brass welding rod laying around the shop, painted Testors aluminum color for the poles. I bent the tops at a 45 degree angle.


I have plenty of welding rod around too, and I thought about bending the tops of my posts over like the real fences to "catch" the cars if they climb the walls. I have a project for this weekend.
Do you have any pics ?

Welding rod...er ....coathangers

Whenever I finally get my track to where I want to settle it in permanent, I'm gonna use dry wall tape.
It's cheap, easy to size, durable and when painted silver, gives a great square wire fence look.

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/101/l_856ac958327e4824b5d492f255f0e2be.jpg

All the other suggestions about posts and solid walls at the bottom will just make it look better.

Just my 2 pecos,
Rich
www.myspace.com/northtexasslotcars :thumbsup:

That sheetrock tape looks like the fencing they have at a dirt track in Tulsa. It isn't chain link, more like 4"X4" or a little larger 1/2" welded wire. That has possibilities. Super cool cars too NT.

Thanks! That's exactly where I've seen such fencing before, at a couple of local dirt tracks.
What I like about it is you can roll off as much as you need all in one piece, no seams.
The weld rod/ coat hanger thing with the lower concrete look should look pretty good.

Rich :thumbsup:

I have plenty of welding rod around too, and I thought about bending the tops of my posts over like the real fences to "catch" the cars if they climb the walls. I have a project for this weekend.
Do you have any pics ?

I'll look for pics. What I'm talking about, was on my track back in the 80's. But, I know I have some pics someplace. I'll definitely post them when I locate them.

That sheetrock tape looks like the fencing they have at a dirt track in Tulsa. It isn't chain link, more like 4"X4" or a little larger 1/2" welded wire. That has possibilities. Super cool cars too NT.

Galvanized Welded Wire Mesh will give a similar look and will resist the most punishing of crashes.

Chain link fencing is one of the things I cheaped out on from an effort perspective. Just window screen hot glued to 6p finish nails. One of these days, I'm going to go back and tie it on with flower wire. Nonetheless, it does a good job of protecting the fans (and my cars)

http://photos.robertwaynephotography.com/img/v6/p11860305-4.jpg

I used balsa wood posts and the plastic window screen. I have about $5.00 in my bullring fence. The impact of a car has knocked out a fence post but the car stayed within and a little hot glue back like new. My posts are a little on the oversized side but the fence is soft for the mostpart for the cars to hit. It is not real reflective and cars are visible through it.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/hotrailz/FENCEINSIDE.jpg

Hada - That's the look I was thinking of building on my next project. I was thinking to use 3/32" aluminum tubing for the posts - that would scale to 6". I'm wondering how to top off the tubing.

Hada - That's the look I was thinking of building on my next project. I was thinking to use 3/32" aluminum tubing for the posts - that would scale to 6". I'm wondering how to top off the tubing.

Fill the end with Liquid Nails or Squadron Green Stuff. Let dry and give the ends a little sanding stick treatment to get a smooth surface. The 1:1 real deal isn't fancy so your tubing shouldn't be either. Keep it simple. :wave:

While doing research I came across this link on Making Cylone Mesh Fencing

http://www.auslot.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6395

Walther's Cornerstone Series is coming out with a new chain link
fence in August. It's the most realistic to date that I've seen. You get 80" of fencing with (2) gates for $12.58, a good price to quantity ratio. Here's the link: http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/wrr/wrr3125.htm

Walther's Cornerstone Series is coming out with a new chain link
fence in August. It's the most realistic to date that I've seen. You get 80" of fencing with (2) gates for $12.58, a good price to quantity ratio. Here's the link: http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/wrr/wrr3125.htm

Looks awesome!

It's on sale at Walther's for $9.98
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3125

The local pizza place uses these screen type sheets between the box and the pizza. They come in 12"x12".
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/tycobro/DSCF3756.jpg

Though I think it's scaled more towards the 1/32 stuff.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/tycobro/DSCF3757.jpg