Laying Copper Tape over Track Rails and Testing

Laying copper tape over rails is a PITA, but definitely worth it when it comes to power consistency. I've got one lane done and took a minute to test with a Carrera BMW M6 GT3. The track is just basically functional - I haven't set up the driver stations yet (those will be located at each end of the "U") so I'm getting whiplash standing in the middle, trying to follow the car with the stock controller and a 2-foot connection wire. The video is shot from a wide-angle webcam I just installed to see if I can get a complete track view.

 

For now, I'm collecting some of the components I'll need to finish things up, some driver station hardware from Slot Car Corner, two adjustable power supplies, additional wiring and other odds and ends. Obviously there's still a lot of scenery work to do, but at least I'll be able to do some testing and tuning as that work proceeds. As noted previously, this is a1:32 Artin track is 50.25 ft (each lane) or 15.31 meters.

 

SJ EP 13 - Track Build Guide #7 - Stone Walls and Bridges

In the case of The Schweizering, part of the slot car track runs up into an old city enclosed by a medieval-era stone wall. In this video, I'll show you how I did this, and how you can create garden walls, retaining walls, a bridge or even a building on your own track. As you'll see, I had a little bit of fun in the opening scene...

As far as materials, this can be done using rigid insulation foam, a few simple tools and some basic paint effects, like dark washed and dry-brush highlighting. After the demo, I'll show you a few new additions to the racing garage and also highlight some awesome upcoming slot car events - one in the USA and one in Brussels. Check out the video HERE.

 

 

 

SJ EPISODE 12: Track Build Guide #6 - Terrain and Land Forms

Does your track skittle through a desert, roll through the hills or climb a mountain? If so, how do you create that environment? In this episode, I'll talk about the various methods that can be used and show you how I go about creating and shaping the land forms used on my track. There's a lot to cover here, as it's kind of an old-school method, but one of the benefits is the low cost, as old newspaper and plaster cloth won't do much damage to your wallet.

After the demo, I'll talk about the possible pitfalls of getting hobby advice and also ask for your thoughts on slot car content you enjoy and how you might use Facebook groups.Check out the episode HERE.

 

 

SJ EPISODE 11: Track Build Guide #5 - Curbs & Cobblestones

Since part of our track runs through an old medieval city, much of it features cobblestone surfaces. While there are some labor-intensive methods of achieving this look on the track itself (primarily etching a pattern into the plastic track with a soldering iron)  I'm using something simpler for the street curbing and walkways. In this video, I'll show you how I do this with some Google image searches for a cobblestone pattern and some basic computer graphics. Add a little weatherstripping and you've got some nice curbs.

After the demo, we'll also take a look at a new addition to the garage, highlight some European YouTubers and see how you can enjoy worldwide content using YouTube's Auto-Translate feature. There's so much good slot car content out there, and language doesn't have to be a barrier to enjoying it! Check out the episode HERE.

SJ EPISODE 10: Track Build Guide #4 - Guardrails, Barriers and Walls

You pay good money for your slot cars - and you don't want them flying off the track and getting busted into pieces. That's why we use various kinds of safeguards, like crash barriers, guardrails and other types of walls to ensure those slot cars stay where they belong. In this video, I'll share a couple of ideas I use to create good-looking items that will help protect your cars with a big, beautiful wall. LOL.

After reviewing those techniques, we finally dig into our Mail Bag to answer some questions (both the questions and the answers are all in fun) and I also talk about what we're seeing these days in terms of slot car content. There's a lot going on. Watch it HERE. Enjoy!

Track Building: Driver Visibility Comes First

As much as I love building scenery, we have to remember that the point of having a track is to race cars...and to do so effectively, you need to be able to see them on the track. So after test-fitting this building for the high side of the track, I decided to make it a single level with roof deck instead of a 2-level building with deck. I just didn't want to obscure the racing sight lines with too tall a structure - and it will simplify construction, too.

 

This did allow me to raise the ceiling height a bit, too - to something more like a scale 10 feet high rather than a standard 8 feet.  I am trying to document the construction of this scratch building, but it's quite complicated and also will require some specialized engineering to allow access to the interior for placing figures and other bits.

My solution was to allow part of the building to swing open for this access, which will be possible after the gondola platform tower (for the sky lift) gets lifted off - which is another part that will be constructed separately.

Other than the grandstand/pit building, it's probably the most complicated structure on the track. Lots more work on this to come, but wanted to show some progress.

SJ EPISODE 9: Track Build Guide #3 - Making Borders

You don't want your slot cars rubbing on a guardrail if they drift around a curve. You need some space - and that's what track borders are for. My problem was that I didn't have enough of the stock Artin borders...so I had to figure out a way to make my own. That's the basic point of this episode.

The solution I offer here is pretty application-specific; all the joints in my track are getting filled and painted, so the fit between track and border just has to be "good" not "perfect." If you're keeping your track's stock apperance, you'll want to be extra careful with trimming and fit to ensure it looks neat. After that, I share a vintage car that's new to me, as well as some thoughts on "Datsun Mania." It's all in fun.  :-)
You can watch it HERE.

SJ EPISODE 8: Building a New Track Part 2 - A Table for Your Track

Everyone's slot car track needs a place to live. Where you gonna put it? In this video, I share a brief overview of my own track table - its overall layout and construction type, practical considerations, and testing prior to finalizing installation. Though I don't get much into carpentry details, a big part of this project involves building the cabinetry that provides support for the track and plenty of storage.

Afterwards, I share a couple of new purchases and then some thoughts on new manufacturer offerings and a group slot chat you should definitely drop in on. I think this will be a pretty popular episode. You can watch it HERE.

SJ EPISODE 7: Building a New Track Part 1 - Planning

The new track build series kicks off with what I hope will be a fun and interesting group of videos that will help take viewers on my personal track-building journey. As mentioned previously, I want to start at Ground Zero and proceed through the entire process, and in this first installment, I review some of the most essential considerations that slot track builders will want to think about before they start laying parts and pieces out on the table.

In the video, I cover issues like what kind or racing that will take place, the space available, building a table for the track, power and control, and basic approaches to scenery.  I also note some other topics that might be considered do's-and-dont's, but really are items that you should think about before going to far. Everyone's tastes and preferences are different, so feel free to make your own rules as you go! The video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH5Owd2g7pFJ1USpI_ntriw?sub_confirmation=1

SJ EPISODE 6: Back in the YouTube Saddle Again - with The New Track

In the much delayed Episode 6, I talk a little bit about my absence from YouTube and some of the life changes I've been going through (retirement, grandfatherhood). Thankfully there's been plenty of great slot car content on YouTube over the intervening months, so that's a good thing.  I also explain how and why I've temporarily set the track control tower project aside to work on a new priority - namely, a track to race on. We'll get back to the tower in a bit, but the main goal now is to take my subscribers on a trip to see how the track is planned, built and completed - from A to Z.

After we get a look at where things stand now in construction, I spend a couple of moments taking about some things and people I've come across on YouTube and Facebook. I always enjoy giving a shout-out to people who are taking the time to share their hobby activities, as well as their ideas and tips that can add to our enjoyment.  Hope you like the episode - you can find it HERE.

Welcome Back...with The New Track

 Yes, it's been way too long since I posted here or put out a video...but a lot has happened over the intervening months.I spend much of the Summer vacationing and traveling, then received a nice retirement offer from my employer that was simply too good to turn down. Of course, a lot of planning and paperwork goes along with the territory, and that took a lot of time and effort as well.

Add to that the fact that I became a first-time grandpa in late September and you can understand that I've been a little busy. That has been a lot of fun for me, but now that the holidays have come and gone, I'm ready to devote some serious time to the hobby.

Over the last month or so, I've started on construction for the new track - it's very similar to the last one I had. The New Schweizering features more R3 and R4 turns, has a better flow and some additional adjustments to not only improve flow but also to provide better support, electrical systems for lights and wiring, and scenery improvements. I'm re-using some components from the old track (like the castle) and rebuilding most everything else from scratch.

I've got  a few pics here, but since construction has begun, I've been documenting most of it through some videos and photos, so you'll be seeing some of that here and on my Facebook site. YouTube videos are coming as well, so be on the lookout!

SJ EPISODE 5: Adding Scenery Details with Computer Graphics

In Episode 5, I switch things up a little bit to show you how I use some graphics programs to create details for my buildings, like interior walls, decorative items and even TV monitors. I use an older Miscorsoft program called PhotoDraw, which I've had for about 20 years--it's really intuitive and easy-to-use; while it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of something like Photoshop, it handy for simple projects like this. You could also use something like Corel Draw, or even a inexpensive desktop publishing program for this work.

This is the first time I've used OBS as a screen-capture tool to demonstrate these techniques; the process is a little different from the "hands on" work I normally show. In some cases, I could record my audio as I went, and in some spots had to do a voiceover, which required some timing. All in all, I think it worked out OK. At the end, I'll also show a couple new additions to the garage. Keep the comments coming - the feedback really helps! Watch the episode HERE:

Shooting How-To Videos: Short or Long?

One of the questions I am trying to work out while putting the Control Tower Project together is how to best present the construction process.  At the outset, I thought the best way to do this was to break the work up into smaller, bite-size bits, sorting the process out into logical parts and then sharing it over a 10-15 minute video (plus the other segments I normally include, like Autorama and commentary.)

 

So far this has worked fairly well - I think - and the comments section on each of the videos seems to indicate that this approach is pretty helpful. As I approach my next video, however, the process takes a little twist as I start doing screen captures while I am using my graphics software to demonstrate some of those techniques for creating interior details. This will take a little more time.

As a result, I will be asking for more viewer input and comments in an effort to further refine the video presentations going forward. There are many ways to do this; Dave at SLOTR often uses some higher-speed video to make the construction bits a little briefer. At the other end of the spectrum, Boone often takes an hour or more to detail his scenic construction techniques. Both ways work and as a result, both of these guys are deservedly popular. I'm interested to see what viewers think.

 

EPISODE 3: Tower Trimming, New Cars and What I've Seen & Heard

After some delay - due to moving my video location to my workshop and also because of chores associated with the Memorial Day holiday - I was able to get Episode 3 posted on YouTube. I had a chance to start working on the Control Tower rebuild, show off a few recently-acquired cars, and talk about some great hobby content I've come across lately. I think it's important for our hobby content creators to support each other - the Seen and Heard segment is my way of doing that.

As I was editing this episode, I began to consider more fully how I would demonstrate the various steps in the reconstruction of the tower. While I don't want to turn it into a long Gone With The Wind project, I need to balance clarity of process with some level of concise presentation. For parts of the project that are repetitive or tedious, I can speed up the footage and use creative editing to help. On the other hand, that calls for a separate voice-over track vs. simply talking through a segment in real time while you're doing it. I'll get it figured out...  Check out the episode HERE.

EPISODE 2: Control Tower Rebuild, a Classic Scalextric Car, and a Track That Wasn't

Well, after you've done one YouTube video the challenge becomes - what do you do to follow up? Well, Episode #2 covers a Control Tower refresh project that I'll be working on, a Scalextric Blast from The Past, and my efforts toward setting up a small, temporary "test track" which isn't working out to my satisfaction.You will also see my attitude expressed regarding the inevitable "unboxing." Hope you enjoy the nod to Jimi...seemed appropriate considering the subject matter.
 

As you might expect, the process of putting these videos together is getting a little easier, as I familiarize myself with the mechanics of editing. It's also given me a chance to critique my presentations, which need some polishing...I'm a little out of practice and I've found myself falling into some bad habits, which will benefit from awareness and elimination. I have to say I'm pretty happy with my initial reception - almost 2,000 views of the first video and 250 subscribers isn't bad. Just have to focus on delivering useful and entertaining stuff as I hope to help grow the hobby. Check out the video HERE.

To Vid or Not to Vid? That is The Question.

I’ve talked before about the explosion of slot car video content on YouTube recently, and I suppose it’s only natural to consider jumping into the pool myself to test the waters. Just last week, Rahul and his cohorts on the weekly ConquestRacing Club live stream took an episode to consider why more people should start broadcasting videos and discuss how to get started.

I've had fun participating in live streams and online chats like the Worldwide Slot Car Chat.

First, let me say that I think it’s great that there’s so much content available out there. If someone is new to the hobby, they will find a lot of helpful information, and overall, a very positive attitude about the various ways people can enjoy slot cars. “Find your own way” seems to be the prevailing attitude today, and that’s a healthy thing – because it is sometimes possible to get bad advice, or advice based on someone else’s ideas of how one should pursue the hobby. Being open to learning or hearing different viewpoints is something to be encouraged, yet we don’t want to be lemmings, either – jumping headfirst into every trend or product that‘s the “flavor of the week.”

So, sure – I’ve considered adding original videos to my YouTube Channel. I probably would not do too many live streams, as I like to post videos that people can watch on their schedule, not mine. Besides, there are already so many live streams each week to help build community. Even posting every week is probably not something I can commit to -- lots of other slot car YouTubers post once or twice a month, and that seems reasonable. After 20+ years in the hobby, I know firsthand it’s easy to get burnt out after periods of intense activity, and I’d like to avoid that.

Like Dirty Harry said: “A man’s got to know his limitations.”

So it seems the first thing is to find a niche – and I think I can sort that out. Definitely don’t want to cover the same ground everybody else is staking out, so there won’t be a lot of unboxings (at least not of the same car that everybody else is showing) or news (I let people like Dave Kennedy handle that) or in-depth technical stuff. I’m not a hardcore racer, but I do like to tune cars and have a few build projects on the shelf. Scenery is also big for me – and I think I can offer some interesting content there. By nature, I can be a contrarian, so don’t expect me to follow every trend or tired old saw that people insist you MUST comply with. I'm also a cheapskate, and I like to show you ways to save some money.

Of course, a big chunk of content will include a step-by-step the rebuilding of my next slot car track, The Schweizering, which I hope to get started on - as soon as I can get the hibiscus plants out of my allotted basement space and into the garden. I also need to move some other items to the garage.

For now, I’m working out my video space and getting the technical aspects together. I think I have some decent cameras and mics to make it work. Lighting is also a consideration. Just figuring out how to get it all together is the big job. But it will happen.

Silverstone Visitors Can Now Race on a Scalextric Replica

Soon, visitors to England's famed Silverstone circuit can experience some small-scale excitement by trying their skill on a small replica of the course that will be open to the public next month at the Northamptonshire track’s on-site museum.

 

Constructed by The Racing Room, which designs and builds slot car layouts, a specialized team of modelers built the track and created all the highly-detailed scenery. Currently the impressive layout is one of the highlights of the Silverstone Museum’s ‘On Track’ exhibition, which runs during the Easter holidays from April 1-16. You can read more about the track HERE on Motor Sport.

Settling on a (newish) Track Layout

So after collecting the various sections of Artin track that I needed and making some final alterations, I think I’ve settled on a layout for my next track. Not surprisingly, it’s not so different from my previous track, which was removed about 3-4 years ago. The layout – a U-Shaped affair with a raised “Alpine” run on the left, a grandstand/pit area and long straight at the rear center, and an “Old City” section on the right, is essentially the same. Lane lengths are the same - just a hair over 50 feet, or 15.25 meters; as always, I resist the inclination to stuff as much track as possible into the space.

I’ve adjusted things a bit to give some more room for scenery in a few spots—so things are less cramped. Most importantly, where all the curves in the old track were R1s and R2s, the R2s have now been left out (I no longer have them) and R3s and R4s have been substituted. As a result, some of the curves have been loosened up a little to make things flow a little better. I lost about a half-section on the long grandstand straight, but this let me fit a 90-degree R3 turn at the end, which should be an improvement over the R2 turn I had before. There is also one less “squiggle” on the downhill ride from the highest section – which still remains the most technical section of the circuit.

The "Alpine" portion of the track will be similar to the prior design, with some changes.

Overall, the levels of each section will be much as they were before, although the alpine section may not be quite as high it was previously (it was almost 16 inches above the base level of the track). How high depends on how things “feel” during construction and how much room is available around the edges of the space. I’ve moved some scenic elements around for better placement and track visibility; the planned sky lift/cable car feature will be there (non-operating, sorry) and the configuration of the Old City will remain pretty much as before. I’d also like to add a small water feature, purely for visual interest. As before, the pit lane is non operational--the track will be analog, as are all my cars.

The "Old City" portion of the track will be configured much the same as this one.

In the end, the simple fact is that I loved the track the way it was previously, and the tweaks involved in the new design are there to make it slightly smoother and to improve sight lines. Actually, the biggest difference in the tracks will be the underpinnings; the old track was supported by a collection of small tables (of differing heights) a small 3-drawer dresser and some hollow-core doors. Track supports were cobbled together out of cardboard boxes, 2x4 cut-offs and other bits of wood and styrofoam. Once plastered in, it looked good and all held together quite well – but there was little if any pre-planning for electrical, lighting or time keeping, which were rudimentary, at best. Everything underneath was hidden by large panels of foam core, which looked OK and were removable, but certainly not sturdy.

This might give you an idea of how my first track was supported. Pretty sketchy.

This time around, the track will be supported by proper cabinetry, with plenty of room for storage, doors to hide everything. Power, wiring, timing and audio will be fully integrated into the track and designed for easier hookup and maintenance. Pretty sure I will be using SmartRace here as well. As the prior effort was just cobbled together as I went along, this one will be planned more carefully from the start. This will take some time and effort, but I do not lack for tools.

One of the biggest jobs is to clean the space out and prepare it for construction—currently it is home to leftover project lumber, some furniture, golf clubs, a small refrigerator, a window AC unit, table saw and an old Barbie dollhouse, among other things. But where will I put all of that? As Some in the garage, some in the attic, and some in the trash bin, I guess.

 

"Figuring" it out - Making Your Slot Car Track Come Alive

If you’re creating a scenic slot car track, there’s one thing you can add that will really bring your layout to life—and that’s adding some people. Whether it’s dozens of figures to populate a grandstand, a busy pit crew, some vigilant track marshals or just spectators wandering around, adding figures to your track really adds a lot of fun detail that can can look good and even tell a story.

Expert modeler and figure caster John Kit shows off some famous race car drivers.

For many years, the selection of figures that would be applicable to a slot car track was pretty sparse. Scalextric, Monogram, MRRC, Strombecker and Carrera provides very familiar (and limted) poses that could be placed around a track. While there were a few other options available, like a few metal cast figures and the inevitable Airfix/army man conversions, the available choices were mostly of vintage types—with 1960’s era Racing helmets and bareheaded pit crews, watched by spectators in old-fashioned clothing. Even the TV camera crews looked like something out of a 1950’s television studio. If you were modeling a modern track, it was a little anachronistic.

In the 2000s, things got better, as Carrera, Scalextric and a few other manufacturers updated their figures to more modern-looking examples—with helmeted pit crews and fewer spectators wearing mid-century era suits and ties or dresses. While it was an improvement, the prices could be pretty steep. Some advanced modelers employed old school resin casting and conversion methods to great effect, providing some extra variety and unique poses they could use on their own track.

You'd have to admit these Carrera figures are an improvement over the old stuff :-)

In recent years, however, the advent of 3D printing has caused an explosion in the number and variety of poses available to the modern track builder. Today one can find literally thousands of varied spectator poses as well as a wide variety of pit crews, drivers, track staff and many other useful types. These figures can be purchased painted and finished or unpainted, depending upon your preference and skill level. For those who own s 3D printer, there are a wide range of choices available in ready-to-print .STL files that you can output in any quantity you like. Many of these files are freely available on websites like Thingiverse, and others can be purchased on popular sites like Cults3D. Try searching for things like "figures", "people", "crowd", “man", "woman" – but be prepared to wade through lots of fantasy figures, etc. to find what you like.

Some examples of figure files available from Dolphin Studios on Cults3D.com

The results you get will vary, depending on the type of printer you have and your level of experience. FDM, or filament printers, use large spools of plastic (usually PLA or polyactic acid) and are capable of printing pretty good figures if you learn how to dial in the settings (temperature, layer thickness, support structure) just right. It took me a while to fine-tune my own settings, but once I figured it out, the output was quite good.

Resin, or DLP printers, use a different process that exposes a UV light-sensitive resin layer-by-layer to create a figure on a build plate. Like the various types of plastic available for filament printers, there is a wide range of resins to choose from, depending on your needs. Also, working with resin can be a little tricky, since it requires careful handling and disposal. That said, resin printers can provide a higher level of quality than filament printers—and this is one reason why it is the most popular printer for those who print very complex and detailed fantasy and gaming figures. As always, getting the print settings just right and learning by trial-and-error will lead to good results.

Some of the track spectators I have printed on my filament printer. Time to paint!

My own experience has led me to use both free and purchased print files for most of my figures, which will supplement the dozens and dozens of vintage and more recent figures I had collected over the years. I have both FDM and DLP printers, though I have mostly used the filament printer up to this point, since I have been able to get its figure output to be very consistent in a short period of time.

To see some really excellent track figures, creative ideas and discover some good resources, there are a few Facebook groups you may want to check out:

Scenic Slotcar Figures

Scenics & Slot Tracks

Boone’s Slot Car Garage

STNE Scalextric Trackside NE

Over the coming months, I’ll highlight some of my own figure projects and provide some pointers on getting the most out of your printer, as well as some examples of conversions and repairs I’ve made when the printer’s output was a little less than perfect.

Now Hear This! And Watch, too...

Most of us in the Slot Car community tune in to hear the latest news each Friday from Dave Kennedy. Though he's recently undergone some medical procedures and is still recovering (successfully, it seems!) Dave is still taking some extra time to drop in on various chats and keeping us up on what;s happening. Inspired by the President's annual State of The Union address, Dave decided to take a few minutes to talk about what's happening in the hobby--the good and the not-so-good (it's mostly good) as well as where things seem to be heading.

Along the way, he offers some insights about digital, how track scenery adds to the hobby and its enjoyment, the rise of 3D printing and cottage-industry manufacturers, and some other topics of interest that will be sure to capture your attention. As always, his observations are grounded in real industry experience, practicality and common sense. Check it out!