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.

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.

 

Planning a Pit Building for The New Schweizering

Although it will be awhile before I can actually start construction of my track, I know enough about the overall design parameters that I can start building some of the major elements that will go into it. The major element here will be the grandstands and pit building, which will be built primarily from scratch while integrating the four Artin Grandstands I have into its upper level. The planned structure will actually be made in three separate sections, as all the buildings on the track will be removable and stored when the track is folded up against the wall. During setup, they can be dropped into place and the electrical connections for lighting can be plugged in.

This is the preliminary plan for the 3-level pit / grandstand structure.

Since the backstory of The Schweizering is that it is an all-new Swiss racing circuit featuring modern, state-of-the-art structures and amenities, I had to come up with a suitable design. Some of the buildings (including this one) will feature large-scale graphics showcasing some of the great Swiss racing drivers of the past, like Jo Siffert, Clay Regazzoni and many others. As usual, I construct these buildings primarily out of foam core, supplemented by cardboard and some bits of wood. Since there is a lot of glass--particularly in the central control tower--I've got plenty of acrylic sheet on hand, too. Integrating the Artin grandstands is pretty simple; the top level of the structure essentially gets "built around" them.

I think the large scale graphics on the side of the building will have a lot of impact.

I construct the building from the ground up; I used corrugated plastic board for the facade of the pits, as I like the subtle ribbed texture it has. I sprayed it with a silvery nickel metallic paint, to give it a contemporary, modern look. Foam core makes up the side and interior walls, which are covered with self-adhesive wall sheets I created on an inkjet printer in various color combinations. The photo below shows the individual wall sections ready for assembly; when ready, I'll print and place the interior back walls but the interior lighting will have to go in first. As you may note, the building is only about 6.75" deep, which just barely accommodates most slot cars; this is due to space limitations but should be adequate from a visual sense.

Here is the facade of the pit garage with the interior walls ready for assembly.

For interior lighting, I'll be using some LED strip sections in bright white, which should work well for the pit garages. I'll probably use a warmer white lighting in the VIP suites and the upper grandstand sections. While it's not rocket science, planning and running the lines to keep connections to a minimum and maintaining portability takes care. As I move forward on construction, I'll try to show as much progress as I can and even take some videos.

Another Conversion Prospect: Ferarri 250 LM

While I know there are ready-to-run versions of the Ferarri 250 LM out there (at about $70 or more a crack) I have so far held off from purchasing one.  There have been many times in the past when I could have purchased a car when it first came out at about $50 or so and delayed long enough that it went out of production, became slightly rare, and subsequently was only available at a premium price.

It's an old kit from the 80's but complete and in like-new shape.

To that end, I picked up this nice MPC kit from the early 1980s which I intend to convert to a slot car. I have a few extra chassis available that might fit; I could also go the 3D printed route, I suppose. I don't need it to be a racer, but just run smooth and fast enough to keep up with most of my other classic Le Mans cars. The kit itself is pretty well detailed, and seems to fit together pretty well - so hopefully my skill will be up to the task.

Recent Updates from The SLOT Garage

Been offline for a week or so trying to get caught up at work after my daughter's wedding in Cleveland on June 5th. It was a wonderful weekend that included a rehearsal dinner cruise on Lake Erie, a ceremony and reception in Cleveland's Grand Arcade and lots of dancing, revelry and great fun. Now that the wife and I can "return to our regularly scheduled programming" I have had a chance to get some things organized toward building my next track as well as expanding my slot car collection.

Some very nice additions to the GT stable.

Among my recent acquisitions are three sharp Scalextric GT cars, two Aston Martin GT3s and a Porsche 911 RSR. For the most part, I collect Le Mans-type cars, LMPs, Classics, Group Cs, IMSA, GTP and GT cars, so these fit right in. The Scarlett & Mustard-liveried Aston was my first purchase; I really wanted the black Darell Lea car but could not find one--naturally, it turned up on eBay about a week-and-a-half after I bought the first car. Thankfully, it was at a good price. I like the Proton Porsche, too--although I am a little embarrassed to admit that, as a whole, I've never been a big fan of the whole 911-based body family (GT1 excluded) but the RSR has some subtleties that make it a nice fit with other current GT cars, especially with the right livery, and this is it.
 
One other thing you might notice in looking at these three cars--and this is another secret nitpick--is that I hate black wheels. I know they are dominant in racing cars now and have been for a while, but I never liked the look of a "black hole" inside a wheel well; it just looks ugly and unfinished to me. If I have to, I'll settle for a well-outlined tire (with lettering or a stripe) and even a charcoal-gray or dark pewter rim or wheel...but I always try to avoid black if I can. Of course, with some cars, like a classic Porsche 917, there's no alternative - but I guess that's life.

A couple of classic GT kits for conversion.

I also have a few scratch-build projects/conversions I'll be working on as time allows. One is an old Lindberg Aston Martin DP212 static kit which is not very well-detailed but decent enough to use for a slot car. It's not a commonly-known Aston Martin but was raced at Le Mans in 1962. It will need a lot of work to convert, but it's an opportunity to turn what many might call a sow's ear into a leather purse, if not a silk one. The other conversion project is an Aoshima Toyota 2000 GT snap kit which has all the detail the Lindberg lacks; there are a couple of nice liveries I can choose from, including a Shelby-prepared SCCA racer from 1968 - (see below).

It's All About Fun at The Scale Car Garage

 A decade or more ago, when I was more actively running my cars and track, there were a fair amount of slot car YouTube videos online. Obviously there are even more today--but one major difference is that it's not just individual hobbyists uploading race videos, but help folks sharing their knowledge about how to build and tune cars, create tracks and scenery, print 3D parts and accessories, and much more. Better yet, most of these people have created their own video channels, so the number and quality of what's available is really better than ever.

John gives a visual tour of his own home track, based on the famous track at Spa.

One of my current favorites is John Kit, whose Scale Car Garage show appears on his Fast Sports Channel. John's videos are fun and packed with helpful and easy-to-understand information. He's covered diverse hobby topics like car building, casting car bodies and track figures, and shared a number of interesting slot projects he's been working on--including adding scenery to his own track, Kit's Spa. Another great thing about John's videos is that he doesn't assume his audience are slot car experts, so he doesn't use a lot of hobby jargon that many newbies might not understand.

Watch any of his videos, and it's easy to tell John enjoys his hobby as well as sharing it with others. It's also nice that over the years, he's taken the time to share his hobby with his daughter, who's become quite a talented car builder in her own right!

Whether you're a seasoned slot driver or a newcomer to the hobby, I encourage you to drop in at the Scale Car Garage and catch some of the action. I'm sure you'll have a good time.

Another Source for 3D Printing Slot Car Body Files...

While I am greatly intrigued by 3D printing, I have yet to dip a toe into the technology yet; not so much because of cost (though good printers have become rather affordable now) but due to the fact that I have so  many other projects to do first --like build a new track--that I don't feel like committing to the expense right now. I have visions of the printer and software just sitting in my workshop and on my PC while I get up to speed learning how to use it, and I figure I can do this later.

Still, I've picked up enough knowledge to understand the possibilities, especially by watching various episodes of the Worldwide Slot Car Chat, where it's common to see awesome 3D creations on display. There are of course a number of sources for model files for cars, figures and track accessories; I just wanted to highlight one I recently came across - available on www.cults3d.com and offered by a seller HORA80.

A Maserati Merak - offered by HORA80

Understand that these are not the printed bodies themselves, but the 3D files you will need to print your own. You'll still need to run them through a slicing program and set them up for whatever 3D printer you (or a friend) own, and actually output your own body. That said, the range of files and cars available here is pretty stunning: Sports Cars, Racing Cars, Off Road SUVs, Classic American and European Cars, Commercial Vehicles--just about anything you might want. The site says that all model files are prepared to be printed at different scales and the file has several versions with different wall thicknesses to facilitate printing.

Something you don't see every day...a 1972 Ring. Bros. AMC Javelin

While I cannot personally vouch for the quality of the model files (it looks like over 1000 may be available) I can only point out that there have been almost 4,000 downloads and sales of over $30k. With almost 1000 followers, it would seem to follow that HORA80 has probably established a pretty solid reputation as a source for good 3D print files.  At $9.80 USD a file, it seems pretty reasonable way to get a car that's may not be available any other way except for printing your own. 

If you do decide to give them a try, be sure to let me know how things worked out!