For a couple of years now I wanted to make a wooden track. I first experimented with a 12 metre one lane rallytrack and when I was satisfied with how everything worked, I decided it was time to replace my 30 metre Scalextric track with a wooden setup!

Somewhere in May of 2008 I began with a design and now, 10 months later, the track is almost finished. I did not work on it every weekend, there were some (long) pauses due to other time consuming things, so that is why it took me longer that normal.

My goal was not to build a scenery track. While I love those beautiful tracks, I do not have the patience to build one myself. I prefer racing with a couple of friends :)

So I decided to make a clean, practical racing setup. I decided on a three lane track with a couple of squeezes. At first I wanted to make every corner "squeezed", just like in real world racing, but I decided that it would not be a nice track to do some battles on, since we would be constantly putting our deslotted cars back in the slot. I also wanted to have something that would keep the cars on the table after a deslot and I would want something to prevent a view below the table, so I could use that as storage space (and did not have to invest that much time in a good looking construction).

Since I have very good experience with copper tape and since I wanted a non-magnetic track, copper tape became my choice. I bought the roller thingy from the guys from Old Slotracer (great help!!) to put down the 190 metres of tape. My track is painted with blackboard paint (the kind you can write on with chalk). It gives me perfect grip: not too much (bumpy cars), but enough. You do need to keep the track clean from dust, cause that will deminish the grip. But it drivers perfectly, IMHO.

The track is as good as finished. Time sensors still need to be installed, but the light bridge (LED operated) is already fucntional.

Here are some pictures of the current state of the track.

http://gallery.me.com/cenobytez/100196/IMG_0510/web.jpg

http://gallery.me.com/cenobytez/100196/IMG_0514/web.jpg

http://gallery.me.com/cenobytez/100196/IMG_0516/web.jpg


Click here to view a pictorial of the complete construction! (http://gallery.me.com/cenobytez#100196&bgcolor=black&view=grid)

Wow, that is awesome, nice work! I especially like how you cinched the lanes together in a few places so no one can pass, pretty interesting idea....

Nicely done... that is a beautiful track.

This track looks like a very professionally produced track that would be right at home in a large (very large) store. It has a very clean or Sano appearance. It makes me want to plan a trip to Holland... :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Simply Perfect.

CB, that's a great looking track. Looks like really good racing!
So, are you gonna put a TrackMate system on it?

Rich :)

@NTxSlotcars: maybe I'll use the TrakMate software? :tongue:

No, the hardware is very simple: only a LED-powered lightbridge and photoresistors in the track, no IC's or stuff. I tested this setup on my previous track and it works like a charm. I know this is not a universal setup because it lacks the circuitry (it only works with 2 of the 3 old PC's I have lying around) but as long as it does the job, it's :thumbsup:

Here's a picture:

http://gallery.me.com/cenobytez/100196/IMG_0533/web.jpg

great looking track, and really well built. The only issue (I 'm very good in finding issues...lol) is the visibility of the track on the big elevated parabolic, left from the driving stations. On photos, it seems difficult to follow the cars on this part.

Perhaps a lexan wall should fix this problem ?

@Demether: I encountered that problem myself and solved it already. The side wall of the table is lower than the rest of the side walls (measured from the track, I mean). On the pictures it still looks blocked from view, but it's actually very good visible from the drivers stations (the picture is taken farther away).

I had the same problem coming out of the tunnel after the long straight: the car was invisible due to the high sidewall of the table in the sharp curve behind the tunnel. I lowered the sidewall an inch and solved that problem too.

The biggest problem at this time is the paint: I used black board paint, because I had good results with it on my previous rallytrack. But now it seems they have changed the composition of the paint, making it conductive! So now I have a short in the circuit: the positive tape connects with the negative tape from the adjacent lane... :freak:

I hope to solve it by making an interruption in the paint between lane 1 & 2 and between lane 2 & 3 and repainting it with non-conductive paint.

Fantastic 1/32 track layout Cenobyte! Many of us only wish we could have that much space to work with, but you have done a fantastic job with space and the layout. Thank you so much for sharing - definitely encourages us all that are thinking about doing a wood layout some day too.

PD2:thumbsup:

Thanks PD2.

Nice avatar: I'm a big Corvette fan too! :thumbsup:

Beautiful track and excellent craftsmanship :thumbsup:

Thanks PD2.

Nice avatar: I'm a big Corvette fan too! :thumbsup:

I own two 1963, split window String Rays. Love the 60's Vettes the best, but the '63 is probably the most unique due to the split window setup. So yes, I'm a BIG Corvette fan.;)

PD2:thumbsup:

Thanks for the compliments, guys! :hat:

@PD2: Beautiful cars, these split windows! I am also the lucky owner of two Corvettes: a 2000 Torch Red coupe, which is my daily driver during the summer and a '93 Polo Green ZR-1 (check out my website (http://www.cenobyte.nl) to see these beauties). While I love all generations and models of the Corvette, this "King of the Hill" is one of my favorites. Even so, that I had the Team Corvette ZR-1 logo tattood on my right arm :cool:

I'm really looking forward to August '09, because we will be leaving The Netherlands for a trip to Canada and... Carlisle! Can't wait :thumbsup:

That is excellent.You did a great job,.I sold my 57 Vette.I had it 25 years.I sure do miss it. Carlisle is one of my favorite spots.I'll be there tomorrow. Tom Stumpf

Cool guys! Yes, Carlise is almost like Bowling Green, when it comes to Vettes. I really like all generations, except for this one. From my perspective, I think Chevy doing away with the roll/flip headlights on the new generation Vettes was like removing the Vette's badging. Other than some of the C1's, no other Vette has been with out the hidden headlights - just really not diggin the new style.

PD2:thumbsup:

Cenobyte, you will have to try h0 racing on your great track ! just use that guide on a tomy turbo or 440x2 with silicon tires, and enjoy :

http://www.horacepro.com/guides.html


:thumbsup:

H0 racing looks like a lot of fun! I once had a H0 car and converted it myself, but that was some time ago :)

The problem with the conductive paint is solved by creating a 'gap' in the paint between all lanes. It was a 2 hour job with the Dremel, but now the track runs as it should!

Cenobyte, you will have to try h0 racing on your great track ! just use that guide on a tomy turbo or 440x2 with silicon tires, and enjoy :

http://www.horacepro.com/guides.html


:thumbsup:

OOOOO! Thanks Dimitri! I was hearing about these and had yet to find them! Now I could really run my 1/32, 1/43, and HO cars all on my 1/32 track!!! How sweet!! As soon as cash gets flowing again I've got to pick some of these up and try them out! Thanks for posting the link!

PD2:thumbsup: