Search found 1241 matches

by Vitamin K
Fri Mar 29, 2024 1:27 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 9
Views: 153

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

Honestly, the more I think about this idea, the more I like it. I mean, if I'm going through the trouble of DIY'ing a custom track, it sort of makes sense to add a feature that I wouldn't easily get elsewhere. +1 As mentioned over in the other thread , there is "something satisfying about engi...
by Vitamin K
Fri Mar 29, 2024 12:35 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 9
Views: 153

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

Another option could be a 5 lane track with the middle lane used for a camera car to give interesting perspective on the race, but...nah. :mrgreen: Honestly, the more I think about this idea, the more I like it. :scratching: I mean, if I'm going through the trouble of DIY'ing a custom track, it sor...
by Vitamin K
Thu Mar 28, 2024 7:13 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 9
Views: 153

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

Good news! The seller is sending out a replacement set of tracks to me! They actually told me that I could go ahead and keep the damaged ones. :O I guess technically if I could massage the damaged tracks into service, I could build another section of track to bring the whole thing up to 52 feet whic...
by Vitamin K
Thu Mar 28, 2024 5:52 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 9
Views: 153

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

I've contacted the ebay seller, though, to see if they can help me out somehow :cry: Curious how that turns out, considering that it seems like they depleted the remaining inventory and might lack replacements? At the same time, these track segments were in production for many years, so there's bou...
by Vitamin K
Thu Mar 28, 2024 5:27 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 9
Views: 153

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

Well, I finally got around to doing a full inventory of the track segments. Three of the four boxes were in excellent shape, with new and unblemished segments. One, however, had clearly been re-packed and the pieces had suffered damage at some point. The ends on one side of the tracks were dinged (o...
by Vitamin K
Thu Mar 28, 2024 1:53 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 9
Views: 153

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

Well, I dragged the boxes out to the living room during my lunch break today. (Yes, my wife is thrilled). Didn't get them all unpacked, but the ones I looked at look very good. Here's a close up of the tracks. https://i.imgur.com/YE744b0l.jpg And here's a picture of me testing the bendability. (It w...
by Vitamin K
Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:42 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Mulling a track build...
Replies: 41
Views: 1134

Re: Mulling a track build...

Moving further stuff to this thread: https://www.derbytalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=8955
by Vitamin K
Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:40 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 9
Views: 153

Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

So, I've wanted some kind of Pinewood Derby track for some time now. Partially because I want something better to run our Troop races on, partially because I have some big ideas of running community event derbies, and maybe even some kind of local league when the kids are old enough to be out of the...
by Vitamin K
Wed Mar 27, 2024 4:45 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Mulling a track build...
Replies: 41
Views: 1134

Re: Mulling a track build...

Welp, went ahead and ordered some. Now I guess I'm committed. Looks like the inventory is now depleted. I wonder if this thread contributed to its rapid sell off... :thinking: Hopefully you got a sufficient quantity! I certainly would not have found it had you not pointed it out! At any rate, I hav...
by Vitamin K
Wed Mar 27, 2024 1:33 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Mulling a track build...
Replies: 41
Views: 1134

Re: Mulling a track build...

VK - looking forward to those "pics of what arrives"... :eager: Good news! My track plating arrived! Bad news, it happened in the middle of the workday, so I haven't been able to take any pictures yet. Couple of things to report on, though: - The aluminum is nicely flexible, and I don't t...
by Vitamin K
Tue Mar 26, 2024 8:40 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Mulling a track build...
Replies: 41
Views: 1134

Re: Mulling a track build...

Not sure how much weight the wood will add, but hopefully I can build a sturdy enough shelf. If you use birch 5/8 plywood as a backer about 55lbs a sheet, probably going to need at least 2 sheets as a bare minimum to back the track and seam it properly plus whatever supports... Thus I would guess w...
by Vitamin K
Tue Mar 26, 2024 9:01 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Mulling a track build...
Replies: 41
Views: 1134

Re: Mulling a track build...

I plan to build a heavy duty shelf in my garage to store the lanes while I'm making time to work on the track and later the track itself. It would be nice if the whole thing laid flat. Nice, indeed. It would likely require the heft of several people to safely shelve a 4-lane 42' foot track in its c...
by Vitamin K
Mon Mar 25, 2024 1:05 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Mulling a track build...
Replies: 41
Views: 1134

Re: Mulling a track build...

mimicking the Best Track curve seems like it would require cutting the aluminum track section..? Why? I'd imagine the Best Track approach would involve something like mild brake bending in the desired location... You may be right. I was thinking more in terms of how Best Track does it, with a short...
by Vitamin K
Mon Mar 25, 2024 11:15 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Mulling a track build...
Replies: 41
Views: 1134

Re: Mulling a track build...

This sounds like it would give me a permanent Microwizard sized curve section which seems like the worst of both worlds? At least as far as storage or transport goes? On the other hand, mimicing the Best Track curve seems like it would require cutting the aluminum track section..? Be nice if I could...
by Vitamin K
Mon Mar 25, 2024 9:58 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Mulling a track build...
Replies: 41
Views: 1134

Re: Mulling a track build...

Do you have any information regarding how the curve is bent? There's something on the challenger track plans about a template, but it doesn't seem to be in the PDF. I'd hate to destroy the lanes attempting to bend them. :O Sorry, I posted all of the information that I have on that track. It does me...