|
Checkered Flag in Hand
Posted 09 July 2020 - 05:59 PM
Steve, the boys of "Doghouse Raceway" thank you for this great little track. We usually get together once a week and occasional Saturdays (until you know when) for some great fun, fellowship, and racing. And thanks to Jay for "saving" this track that we have had for the last 7-8 years.
Don
Don Weaver
A slot car racer who never grew up!
The supply of government exceeds demand.
L.H. Lapham
If the brain-eating amoeba invades Washington
it will starve to death...
Race Leader
Posted 09 July 2020 - 09:38 PM
It is so nice that this track has survived and has been enjoyed now for 33 years. Thanks for posting this.
Race Leader
Posted 09 July 2020 - 09:59 PM
More progress on Ernie's track. It is all cut out now so my wife and I carried the pieces out on the front lawn and spread them out to get a good idea of whether it was all going to fit together. Ernie designed it on a cad program but I am old school and cut it out by hand so there is more slop involved. But it looks like it should fit together well with a minimum of adjusting on the straightaway lengths, they have all been left untrimmed.
Edit to add- We are in the usual Bruce County July drought, thats why the grass is all brown. Should be green again by the middle of August, we can't be bothered watering.
Rookie Keyboard Racer
Posted 10 July 2020 - 05:30 PM
Steve,
Thanks for building that DogHouse track, and sharing your skills and passion for slot racing. That is a fun little track that I have raced on many a time. Once this Covid mess clears up I look forward to heading back and having some more fun there.
Race Leader
Posted 10 July 2020 - 08:08 PM
Thanks David, nice to hear from you.
Race Leader
Posted 14 July 2020 - 09:29 PM
Continuing work on Ernie Mossetti's track. I have a bunch of pictures to post but I have been putting in a lot of hours so no time to get them up here. Did a quick video yesterday Track is ready for joint sanding and about 14 of the 22 total sections will be ready to route the slots.
Mid-Pack Racer
Posted 15 July 2020 - 07:24 AM
Race Leader
Posted 15 July 2020 - 01:47 PM
I wish I still had it. Looked threw all the stuff that Brian Crosby's widow gave me and I have not found it.
Rookie Keyboard Racer
Posted 16 July 2020 - 11:59 AM
still having trouble posting pictures but i will give it a try,it was a track you built for me in the 90"s called the Roadilvie,was an awsome track
Race Leader
Posted 16 July 2020 - 08:17 PM
Just click on the more reply options button in the lower right hand corner. You might have to reduce the size if they are too big. I would love to see a pic of that track, I really liked it but never built another. Thanks for posting
Race Leader
Posted 18 July 2020 - 08:31 PM
Just a few pics to show progress on Ernie's track. Was hoping I would have the basic wood work done by now but it has been really hot up here lately. The main problem is the floor in the shed , it goes up and down and all over. So I had to take everything apart and rebuild as much as I could in the mostly level part of the shed.. On the corners, I am laminating 2 layers of 1/4" MDF but not gluing it on. So when I get down to Ernie's location if the corner is out of wack i can just take the screws out and adjust it. Most of the corners will be built like this, the shed is just too uneven to do anything else. I will do the final sidewall trimming in Ernie's store.
Rookie Keyboard Racer
Posted 22 July 2020 - 07:23 PM
Hi Steve, do you have an opinion on biscuit joints?
Only reason i ask is I sometimes use them for other projects so though i'd try it on my practice runs for my track build,
using them on 1/2" MDF is ok'ish, but its about as thin as you can get away with I'd say, but they are good for eliminating
having 2 layers of MDF to work around, like cutting out a flat corner & it comes out at 8'6" diameter in one section.
Obviously i wouldn't say this sort of joint would be strong enough for a banked turn, though the joints are remarkably strong considering.
Quick example test piece... anyone else considered using these type of joints or are they a big fat no no?
Grand Champion Poster
Posted 22 July 2020 - 08:23 PM
Biscuit joints were used on our old track, 15 years ago.
I wouldn't recommend their use 
Age scrubs away speed!
Posted 22 July 2020 - 10:11 PM
Biscuits are good for joining two pieces of non-structural wood, but they don't provide a very strong joint.
Posting Leader
Posted 22 July 2020 - 11:12 PM
I did something similar but maybe a little stronger. Each track section has a 2X4 under the joining edge. When both track sections were smooth, meeting properly and clamped, I drilled 1/2 inch holes thru both pieces at the outer edges, and drove 1/2 inch dowel rods thru both pieces. Then I drilled and put 2- 3/8 bolts thru both pieces. Even without the bolts, the joint is strong and alligned with no play at all. The time and talent to do the joint is minimal!
Matt Bishop
Race Leader
Posted 23 July 2020 - 05:44 AM
It really does not take too long to build proper joint blocks. You do need a thickness planer but only for about an hour so renting one would be an option.
Biscuit joints are fine for permanently joining 2 pieces together but will not withstand any twisting or bending.
If you want a real quick easy 2x4 joint:
Pick some straight ones lol. Cut two of them the same width as your track. Glue them going vertical flush with the end of the track pieces you are going to join together. Put a 1/2" bit in your router and use an edge guide to cut a slot just below the track surface on the face of the 2x4. Cut a narrow piece of 1/2" mdf to use as a spline, clamp the track pieces together with the spline in place, drill and bolt tegether and you are done.
You will have to plane the faces of the 2x4's to get a tight fit. Dont glue the spline in place, and I found that a 1/2" router bit is a bit tight for most 1/2" mdf splines so you usually have to sand the splines a bit to get the right fit.
Race Leader
Posted 23 July 2020 - 06:21 AM
It seems to me you are just adding a flat piece of mdf in order to make the section wde enough to cut an 8'6" diameter corner in it? I am sure a buiscuit joint would work fine for that for a flat corner. When you cut a wider diameter corner than the piece you are cutting, just add a temporary extension to the board by screwing some scrap mdf to the centre of the sheet and drill your radius hole in the extension.
Race Leader
Posted 26 July 2020 - 08:35 AM
A few more pics of the progress on Ernie's track
Made an inside corner out of 4 layers of 1/8" masonite:
The 1/8 will not go around the tightest radius corners on the track. Broke every time. I found a lumber distributor that had a product called bendable plywood and that did the trick. Poplar would be stronger but at least this stuff is available.
Spent the last couple of days buildind the bridge sections and leveling it. The uphill sections start with a corner exit then a 11 foot straight and then a 180 + degrees corner and the on to the bridge straight that is going to be be flat and level. So there is no sudden rise or drop anywhere the downhill slope will be made similar, with a very gradual elevation change over an 8' straight and 3 corners.In the picture above you can see that the last section of the sweeper corner starts the uphill part of the track. The 2 corners after the sweeper are also slowly rising but in total these corners only go up about 1 1/2 inches, a very gradual rise in that area.
Race Leader
Posted 26 July 2020 - 10:15 AM
Race Leader
Posted 29 July 2020 - 09:51 PM
Race Leader
Posted 03 August 2020 - 09:56 PM
I have delivered the track down to Ernie's shop and I have sidewalled the main straight and it is all bolted together. On wednsday I will go back down and put the walls on the bridge section and level it all up. Then sanding and a giant clean up to get it ready for paint. This is going to be one awesome roadcourse.
I will try to do a walk around video after it is all done and cleaned up on wednsday. It fit together great, really happy about that.
Posting Leader
Posted 03 August 2020 - 10:33 PM
Steve:
What was your (or Ernie's) thinking on putting the sweeper curve under the bridge as opposed to putting it over the bridge? It seems to me that putting a straight under a bridge is always better (from a turn marshal standpoint) than the other way around. Nonetheless this looks like an awesome track that I hope I will get to race on someday.
BTW... My Wife and I are considering purchasing a RV so (just warning you) who know where we will show up next!!
Jay Guard
IRRA Board of Directors (2022-Present),
Gator Region Retro Racing Co-Director (2021-Present)
SERRA Co-Director (2009-2013)
IRRA BoD advisor (2007-2010)
Team Slick 7 member (1998-2001)
Way too serious Retro racer
Posting Leader
Posted 03 August 2020 - 10:34 PM
Steve, that is great.
Matt Bishop
Race Leader
Posted 04 August 2020 - 10:51 AM
Steve:
What was your (or Ernie's) thinking on putting the sweeper curve under the bridge as opposed to putting it over the bridge? It seems to me that putting a straight under a bridge is always better (from a turn marshal standpoint) than the other way around. Nonetheless this looks like an awesome track that I hope I will get to race on someday.
BTW... My Wife and I are considering purchasing a RV so (just warning you) who know where we will show up next!!
Track was designed by Ernie and he did a great job. The sweeper has such a wide radius that not much will fall off. It is kind of a toss up as to what would be better though. Thanks for the replies.
Backmarker
Posted 04 August 2020 - 01:52 PM
What a nice track!
