Track Construction This section describes the process of building a complete HO scale raceway, This relationship is maintained for the remaining wires, They're in stock to ship. I use Kilz Original Oil-Based Sealer, so a 1" screw will pass through the Homasote sound board and provide just over 1/4" of bite into the plywood. Track Landscaping The track as described above is now ready for day-to-day racing. it's red, along with photographs of each phase of the construction, ThunderJet 500 Release 2 Jewel Case Slot Cars ThunderJet 500 Release 2 Clam Pack Slot Cars XTraction Release 2 Jewel Case Slot Cars XTraction Release 2 Clam Pack Slot Cars Champ Cars Coming Soon Tomy has entered into a new partnership with the Champ Car Racing Series. At this point I've completed the track wiring for Lane No, Tomy has done a great job producing these sportscars. The picture below shows the first Custom Terminal Track placed in position, 7 car driven to victory in the 1966 1000 Km of Nurburgring by Phil Hill and Jo Bonnier, The legs however are not glued to the upper table frame, 3 Flathead Wood Screws. I use a 5/16" drill bit to make holes that the #6 spade lugs will slip , Tomy AFX itself is just slightly over 1/4" in thickness. Once the heads are painted it will be to spot any missed holes that 't have a screw securing them to the table top, See the Landscaping section of this web site for detailed information and step-by-step instructions for creating a raceway that looks like an actual race track, Heavy weights can be placed on the table top to hold the Homasote in while the glue dries, (1) 4x8 Sheet of 3/4" A/B Exterior Plywood (1) 4x8 Sheet of 1/2" Homasote Sound Board (8) 1x4 - 8 Foot Lengths of Dimensional Lumber (2) 1x8 - 8 Foot Lengths of Dimensional Lumber * (2) 1x8 - 6 Foot Lengths of Dimensional Lumber * (2) 4x4 - 8 Foot Posts Cut to 33" Lengths (4) Threaded Leveling Feet (1) Box of 2" No, It is the same design as described in the Tables section, sidewalls and leg assembly.
Front wheel sets use the normal stock front axle and are a press fit, I normally holes in 3-4 sections of track at a time and then carefully fasten them using the wood screws, Four (4) small holes will need to be drilled in the table directly beneath the track sections that will form the start/finish line. HOPRA Lane Color Codes are as follows: Lane 1 - Red Lane 2 - White Lane 3 - Blue Lane 4 - Yellow Lane 1 is the outside lane closest to the driver's stations, 8 Flathead Wood Screws, You may want to wait though until you've completed an entire section of track before using marking pen. This is the connection block I will be wiring first. This is very important, The picture below shows the Lane No, The 4x8 foot table is 48" x 96" which provides for a 1-1/2" border on all four sides of the table, 1:24 1:32 1:64 (HO) The photograph above illustrates the differences in slot car scales, Starting from my mounted power terminal track I the until the entire pair of lanes is mounted. The red, MicroFTP, The second release of Auto ThunderJet 500 and XTraction slot cars have just arrived. I by mounting an 8-Position Barrier Terminal Block near each of my Custom Power Terminal Tracks, it's just too heavy and you'll end up dropping it and cracking the retaining walls, The photo-cells included in the Lap Timer 2000 sensor assembly are the small rectangular variety, You don't want any large gaps between track joints that would cause the car to bounce as it passes over a joint, This is the best kit to date, Lap Timer 2000 Installation My Lap Timer 2000 4-Lane Interface Kit is also being installed on this track, Standard HOPRA lane color-coding is used to simplify the installation.
About fifteen years ago I decided to build a dedicated 4-lane HO slot car track.
This web site is an ongoing project of mine, You don't to scratch or damage them, the driver's stations will be painted to match the track's lane color coding, Track power will be applied at two locations around the raceway. The Ford GT-40 Lola GT came with that original Model Motoring set are long gone , Since then I have built several other racing circuits and continue to add to my collection of HO scale race cars, The picture below shows their original mounting locations.
HO Slot Car Racing Home Page Copyright © 1999-2007 by Gregory Braun, See the Body Kits page for details and to place your order now, Updated: 19th, Complete Track Wiring Kits and Fused 3-Wire Driver's Stations can be ordered on the For Sale page. A good oil-based sealer makes later painting a much easier task. See the RTR Slot Cars section for the Tomy available as well as Tyco/Mattel NASCAR models, Before final mounting, Use your Web Browser's Refresh button to view new sections added since your last visit. It is approximately the same size as most plastic kits, These holes should be drilled between the slot and the power rail, The power tap will be placed along the fastest straight on the left side of the diagram below, Order yours today, This HO slot car runs on Tomy A/FX. Pro-Track CNC Aluminum Wheels I am now stocking the new Pro-Track line of CNC-Machined Aluminum Wheels is several styles, Super International Sets Back In Stock. The picture below shows the marked positions on masking tape, The size of the itself provides a 1-1/2" border on all for sides of the table. Ford GT40 Body Kits Arrive, Print HO Slot Car Racing I have been racing and collecting HO scale slot cars since the early 1960's. Exiting hairpin the cars negotiate a 90 degree right-hander, The table pictured above used 1x6 inch lumber, Heavy power supplies and a computer can be placed on this shelf without it sagging. if your table is not too large or too heavy, The Homasote used for table top is very porous and requires two coats of primer to completely seal it, I used a 42" stairway tread for the shelf, All rights reserved, Track layout designs were created using Tracker 2000 and then cleaned up using Screen Loupe and Microsoft Paint, My Fused 4-Lane Track Wiring Kit includes Fused 3-Wire Driver's Stations to complete the track wiring phase of this project. and I'm not sure that the adhesive alone will protect wires for that length of time. 8 wood screws. 1 Driver's Station mounted to the table frame, Pro-Track Foam Rear Tires or AJ's Black Jacks can be used, See the Resin Body Kits section for more details, These cars decorated to look similar to the Home Depot and Lowe's cup cars, The edge of the 1x4 frame was coated with Elmer's Exterior Wood Glue before attaching the plywood sheet, The first in the series is the No, Ninco and Carrera track, or the For Sale section to purchase a complete 4-Lane Fused Track Wiring Kit, is to have someone help you turn the table on it's side, Here I use 1/8" Nylon Cable Clamps to mount the individual sensor lead wires and 3/16" Nylon Cable Clamps to fasten the interface cable to table, The legs are painted with a dark gray enamel, software disk and CAT-5 Network cable interface. This location that both open-wheeled Formula 1 cars as well as full-bodied cars will break the light beam properly. Note the 1" No, 3 Flathead Wood Screw directly to the left of the hole, Restoration and Track Layout Design will be added over the upcoming months, All of the track building supplies illustrated in the picture above are available on the For Sale page of this web site, 3 and 4 inserted in order after it, The extra height it provides is well worth it, so to speak, I also fit #6 spade lugs to the ends of the wires to allow for a neat and tidy underneath the table, You can tune the joints as you work to create a smooth running track, The 8-position barrier terminal block mounted in the center of the cross brace is where track power will be applied to the table. The picture below illustrates the cantilever construction principle I use to reduce load spans and increase the table's overall rigidity, BSRT Lexan Body Fixtures are Back, Track Mounting Now it's time to begin mounting the track to the table, They are 1" thick and cost only a few dollars. The next wiring step involves running a pair of red and black wires from the driver's station barrier terminal blocks to the track power blocks described above, A countersunk hole is made using the track mounting nail holes found at each end of Tomy AFX track sections. but it's a good idea to place a dab of contact cement or use a piece of black electrical tape to hold them firmly in place. screw heads will all but disappear when the heads are painted black, Protect the area where the painted retaining will the floor too, All rights reserved, On smaller tables such as this 4x8 footer it's often better to place two drivers stations along each of the 8 foot sides of the table. Failing to do this leads to all kinds of grief later when you try to figure out why a specific lane's driver station does not seem to be controlling the lane, so two pieces laid against the side of the retaining wall provide a perfect straight edge for track mounting, the red protruding through the upper-most hole on the left side of the photograph is connected to the upper-most position on the barrier terminal block on the right, Once the four holes have been drilled the sensor leads can be fed up from the underside of the table, Here's an inventory of what was required to build this 4x8 foot table. The red and black wires running from the driver's station barrier terminal block attached to the first two points on the block, connection block for Lane No, It takes the guesswork and tedium out of mounting any HO Lexan body. This shelf fits neatly under the table and provides a convenient spot to place the track power supply, With the plywood sheet in place the table top now be fastened to the 1x4 frame using 2" No. Although the cable clamps hide this fact. HO Slot Car Racing Home Page Best viewed at 600 x 800 pixel resolution using Microsoft Internet Explorer Copyright © 1999-2007 by Gregory Braun, The photo-cell leads are run to a small junction box that will be mounted under the table in a later step. sides and leg assembly, I'm a professional MS Windows programmer, The legs are attached to the table frame cross bracing using 6" long 3/8" bolts, A second option, If you have a trouble light put a small screw eye in the underside of the table top to hang your light from, New Tomy Chaparral 2D Coupes Arrive The new Tomy Chaparral 2D Coupes have finally arrived, Remember, The ChampCars are only the first of what promises to be a very exciting year for Tomy A/FX, It covers well and dries quickly. The Astron 10 Amp 0-30 Variable Power Supply and Parma 45 Ohm Turbo Plus Hand are shown towards the back of the table, The table top is fastened to the outside table frame as well as the supporting cross braces, Simply extend the length and width if you will be building one of the larger tables described there, Tomy importer ran out of this popular set over the holidays and had to re-stock. just enough to make a secure and flush joint, With the photo sensors mounted and secured to the underside of the the sections can be turned back over and inserted in the layout, With the power tap positions calculated all that remains is to select the location of the start/finish line. white and blue.
otherwise you'll be forever climbing out from under the table to retrieve tools and supplies, a complete landscaped layout with pit lanes and a large paddock area to display my growing collection of slot cars, The photograph below shows the completed 1x4 frame leg assembly prior to mounting the plywood top and Homasote sound damping, and prime the bare wood, HO racers will be proud to own and race these classics, lane number 1 lead is inserted in the first hole closest to the retaining wall with the following for lanes 2, The adhesive used on Racer's Tape is very sticky. The smaller barrier terminal blocks flanking it on either are for drivers station hookups, One wire from lane's power rails is connected to the corresponding barrier terminal as pictured below, The layout as designed is 45 inches wide and 93 inches , The customer that layout is being built for requested that the overall layout be flipped along the lateral axis to better fit into his room, Tyco and Life-Like track. A few turns of the hand that I use is all that's required to make the countersunk hole the proper depth.| Both Tyco and Aurora several variants of these classic Sports GT racers in authentic liveries, I haven't had time to paint one yet, The tape also the holes and keeps dust from entering bottom side of the track directly above, The next picture illustrates the wires passing through the table's frame and how they're attached to the driver's station terminal barrier block, My track wiring kits include complete step-by-step instructions and do not require any soldering or prior electrical experience to install. Track Wiring Now it's time to wire the power tracks and hook up the driver's stations. 99 To find out more see the Auto World section for details and all of the Auto World slot car releases available. | four GT Prototype Super G+Plus cars and guard rails are shown directly in front of them. and reduces the amount of work that be carried out lying on my , The red and black wires running horizontally at the top of the picture above are coming from the Lane No, Don't forget to order an 0-80 Allen Wrench if you don't already have one in your pit kit, Screen Loupe, All subsequently mounted sections will be attached to this cornerstone, Note the screws used to fasten the plywood sheet to both the outer edges of the table frame as well as the two parallel cross braces used to mount the table's legs, The picture above illustrates countersunk hole like prior to having a screw placed in it. | With the power track wiring mounted and secured we can now move on to the driver station hookups, See Power section for wiring schematics. | | | but much of the information provided here also applies to larger 1:32 and 1:24 scale slot cars as well. Pay close attention to the track joints as you work. Its 42" width is actually large enough to hold up to four Aston power supplies if you'll be using individually powered lanes, Slot Car Scales Explained This web site is dedicated primarily to HO slot car racing. | |
If you would to add authenticity to your layout though, 6 Spade Lugs * 1x8 inch lumber should be used for the side retaining walls, I painted it dark gray to match the table frame's legs. Now it's time to fill the exposed screw holes with wood filler.
The BSRT G-Jets Here, You'll be crawling around under the table to wire and having hundreds of spikes will make that phase of the project bloody and very dangerous, The Homasote is bonded to the plywood table top using only glue, The first thing to do now is to the track out on the table and test the fit, each with two mounting holes, Acquiring the lumber, The gap between the inner and outer lanes can be minimized by later mounting the inside track sections flush with the outside pair of lanes, The artwork pictured above first in a Tyco sales catalog from the early 1970s. Very little material needs to be removed to create the countersunk hole that the screw head will rest in, The Homasote will be green in a later step to replicate turf. The length of the screw that you use may differ depending upon the thickness of your table, I made my countersinking tool using a standard countersinking drill bit with a 1/4" shank mounted in a small machinist's T-Handled tap wrench. dimensional lumber is actually 3/4" when finished, Also try to have everything you'll need the table with you. This allows the table top to be removed from the leg assembly easier transport and storage, A series of two high speed turns by another short straight lead back onto the main straight, The Rear Wheels also fit any Tomy or Aurora A/FX chassis and include 0-80 set screws. but that was only because the customer requested it. The first section of track laid is the most important, and the primer coat applied late that afternoon, New sections that focus on HO Slot Car Racing, They're now back in stock, 2007 This web site is best viewed at a screen resolution of 600 x 800 or . This is the same raceway that appears on the For Sale page, The photograph below illustrates this step, that the screw heads have been using a Sharpie Marker.
In the picture below the outer track sections that make up the hairpin turn have been to the table top. This produces a neater wiring job, Again I follow up with a protective layer of Racer's Tape and staples, Phil Hill and Jo Bonnier were teamed up to drive.
The cars actually look much better in real life than my photos, The other table sizes described there use the same construction principles as the table illustrated here, I like to start with the longest straight, The photograph above shows the photo-cell sensor assembly and the junction box that will be mounted under table, then yellow, it has simply been "flipped" to the customer's specifications, The picture below shows a driver's station prior to painting and mounting, Screws are at 1 foot intervals to securely the plywood to the frame and make a strong. can order them directly from me, 2 and 3 are mounted on opposites sides and at opposite ends of table, so protecting them with a layer of 's Tape is required, Each Driver's Station comes primed and ready to paint to match track's lane color coding. The table described above can be completed in a single weekend. Be careful though and get a friend to help, This is where the photo-cells will be to count and time laps. but car failed to finish the race due to a failed generator in the 8th . The drivers stations for the center lanes. The "flipped" layout as shown above has the cars circulating in a clockwise direction as they race, while lane 4 is the inner-most lane. This particular is comprised of over 90 sections of track. I've found that the best results are achieved if you start by mounting an entire 2-lane portion of the track first, It provides a fast lap with a challenging infield section, but the customer this table is being built for had an unusually narrow stairway and landing leading into his basement. I use a red and black wire for each lane to make polarity connections easier, O-Ring front tires are , I have an online Order Form now for the products and parts I discuss in the various sections of this web site, the retaining walls are painted with white enamel and the table top is painted using a dark shade of green to replicate turf, New Formula 1 Body Kits There gorgeous vintage Formula 1 cars from the early downforce era are now available as kits, You can also use the shelf to hold a computer if you want to locate it under the table and out of the way. You'll recall that I attached them to the table frame before the table top was mounted to reduce the amount of carried out lying on my back, I use 1/4" Nylon Clamps to secure the wires to the table, The second pair of wires running diagonally away from the primary power tap are then connected to the secondary power tap as shown below. A well-made slot car table should last 20-30 years, The next step of construction involves applying the plywood table top, See the Lap Timer section of this web site for more information about my Lap Timer 2000 Software and photo-cell schematics, The Ford GT40 Body Kits have arrived.
Tomy AFX track sections, 1 is located on the right side of the table braces in the photo below, New Tomy NASCAR Stock Cars Tomy has just released two new NASCAR-style stock cars running on the Super G+Plus chassis.
These two locations were selected to supply power evenly around the track, so 1x6 lumber was used instead, The remaining track wiring all needs to be done from under the table. This is a truly new HO slot car that may very well define the future of slot car racing, The BSRT G-Jet finally been released, The No, Auto World Release 2 Just Arrived. 8 Flathead Wood Screws (1) Box of 1-1/4" No. Shadow and Porsche 917K in the illustration were all produced during that same period, All frame joints are glued and fastened using No, so the picture below will have to do for now, That's almost 200 holes that will need to be countersunk and fastened with a screw, I also use a small strip of 3" Black Racers Tape to protect the wires at the point where the wires protrude from the track above, It needs to be square with the table and properly positioned, fender washers and wing nuts. If you have suggestions for additional content please feel free to contact me, With the plywood glued and fastened to the frame with screws all that remains is Homasote sound damping layer. The track will be mounted to the table top using 1" No, I make my Custom Power Terminal Track the first section laid, Tomy has exciting plans for many new product releases throughout the year, There should be a one-to-one relationship between the power rail wires and the barrier terminal block, Four (4) will need to be drilled to pass the wiring and fuse block through table's side frame, Read all about it in the Track section. I normally design my smaller raceways with the drivers stations lanes 1 and 2 along one side of the table, 99 each, For this particular table two driver's stations hookups are mounted at each end of the table frame on the leg support cross braces, Anyone who has ever trimmed and mounted a Lexan body by hand will appreciate this fool-proof , See the Power section of this web site for a complete discussion of the importance of applying power evenly around your raceway, 8 Flathead Wood (4) 3/8" Bolts 6" in Length (8) 3/8" Fender Washers (4) 3/8" Wing Nuts (1) Gallon of Elmer's Exterior Wood Glue of Red Devil Wood Filler (1) Package of 3M Sand Paper (Fine/Medium/Course) Gallon of Kilz Original Oil-Based Primer (1) of Rustoleum Dark Gray (Glossy) (1) Quart of Rustoleum White Enamel (Glossy) (1) Quart of Rustoleum Hunter Green Enamel (Glossy) (4) Disposable 2" Paint Brushes (1) 9x12 Heavy Duty Drop Cloth (4) 4-Position Barrier Terminal Blocks (3) 8-Position Barrier Terminal Blocks (28) 3/4" No. Before I move on to the remaining three lanes I like to test my work, Most of the track wiring is installed before the plywood top is attached, you may want to consider landscaping. with the second power tap on the short infield straight, The Custom Power Terminal Tracks that I build have four (4) one-foot lengths of wire soldered to the underside rails. but inside pair of lanes as yet, The car on the far right is an HO slot car, 9 car was entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for 1966, but my love for the hobby continues to this day, These wheels can be fitted to both Tomy and Aurora A/FX chassis, If you have an automotive creeper use it, Track can simply be butted up against 1-1/2" sandwich to assure alignment, or with the table turned on its side, computer connector. gradually accelerating down the infield straight before slowing for a decreasing radius turn, The final step in the construction phase mounting the retaining wall that will surround the outside edge of the table and prevent cars from leaving the table and hitting the floor. This web site was designed and developed using Microsoft FrontPage. I used slotted metal shelf standards and movable shelf support arms to hold power shelf, 6 Wood Screws (40) Feet of Black 14 Gauge Stranded Wire (40) Feet of Red 14 Gauge Stranded Wire (48) 14 No. and lanes 3 and 4 along the other side, Programmer's IDE. On Sunday the entire table can then be painted left to dry. The long straight on the right side of the diagram feeds into the slow-speed hairpin section, Take your time with this phase of the track construction, Track The layout for this project is my standard 4x8 foot 4-lane raceway built entirely from Tomy AFX track sections, Here's an inventory of the Tomy AFX track sections required to build this raceway: (28) Tomy AFX 15" Straights (6) Tomy AFX 9" Straights Tomy AFX 6" Straights Tomy AFX 3" Straights (1) Tomy AFX 15" Radius 1/8 Circle Turns (18) Tomy AFX 12" Radius 1/8 Circle Turns (23) Tomy AFX 9" Radius 1/8 Circle Turns (6) Tomy AFX 6" Radius 1/8 Circle Turns The picture above shows all of the track building that will be used for this project. and I've found that mounting the countersinking in a power drill invariably leads to holes that are drilled to deep, They have a small plastic lens on one of the flat sides that needs to be placed facing up through the holes drilled in the track, The picture below shows the completed table. With the entire table primed and sealed all that remains of the table construction phase is painting the table top, The Ford GT-40. The remaining track will need to be mounted to finish up the track mounting of construction, A pair red and black wires are attached to the driver's station barrier terminal block and routed to the primary power tap, Small 3/16" holes will also need to be drilled in the track itself, so take extra time make sure it's right, With a piece of masking tape in place I mark the location of the holes I plan to drill. The Table The table for this raceway is my standard 4x8 foot plywood table with 1x4 framing and 4x4 legs. The plastic bags in the foreground contain my Fused 3-Wire 's Stations and a Lap Timer 2000 Computer Interface Cable Kit including the photo-cell sensors, If you're working alone do not try to turn the table on its side by yourself, Print. cutting it and constructing the table itself can be done on Saturday, It can get dark under the table and having a good light source makes the entire wiring phase easier and go much smoother, The power supply shelf shown above fits entirely under the table itself and does not extend out beyond the track's retaining walls, Microsoft Paint, Don't fasten them down to tightly though. The Lap Timer Sensor Leads also need to be dressed and protected. If you're building a table by all means to use 1x8 dimensional lumber, The kit includes four (4) photo-cells that are to be placed under the track. Visit my Software Design web site to download my software applications and utility programs. The slot car on the left is a 1:24 scale slot normally raced on commercial wooden raceways and Carrera track, The picture below show these same two read and black wires as they are attached to the main power tap. Even a 4x8 foot table can get pretty heavy once the plywood table top has been attached, This table has a 1/2" layer of Homasote sound board covering a 3/4" piece of . Track wiring supplies and four of my Tomy 15" Custom Power Terminal Tracks are shown on the far left side of the table. |