Search found 1253 matches

by Vitamin K
Fri Apr 05, 2024 1:50 pm
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Construction
Topic: Cutting the DFW notch?
Replies: 24
Views: 1039

Re: Cutting the DFW notch?

60,80,100,120,150,180,240,320,400, for woods.. [emoji38] So pretty much anything over 40 up to 400… :thinking: Let me restate… if I were to buy one grit size especially for grinding out the DFW notch with this little sander, what might you recommend? (It needs to be effective, but not too aggressiv...
by Vitamin K
Fri Apr 05, 2024 6:55 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 27
Views: 901

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

I think that these plans will prove quite useful as a rough guide to follow for the starting section measurements and such. The basic design of the starting gate is not bad either (gravity powered, like I prefer).
by Vitamin K
Thu Apr 04, 2024 10:28 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 27
Views: 901

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

You don't happen to know where I might find a diagram of the Freedom track sections? This earlier post points to the location of Micro Wizard's assembly manual, which has a diagram showing where the section joints reside on an assembled track. This post shows a picture of the first mated joint, rai...
by Vitamin K
Thu Apr 04, 2024 9:45 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 27
Views: 901

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

I had originally thought to build the first section of the track on a more flexible base, while having the other sections be more rigid, but now it seems to make sense that I would, at the very least, need to have the first and second sections of the track flexible. For consistency, I think the enti...
by Vitamin K
Thu Apr 04, 2024 8:35 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 27
Views: 901

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

the minimum recommended length for the Challenger track is 46.5', due to how fast the track is, which it attributes to the polished aluminum surface. Track speed will be primarily governed by the height of the starting pins above the flat, usually in the neighborhood of about 3-1/2 to 4 feet high f...
by Vitamin K
Thu Apr 04, 2024 6:12 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 27
Views: 901

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

In a few places in the plans, it states that the minimum recommended length for the Challenger track is 46.5', due to how fast the track is, which it attributes to the polished aluminum surface. But I'm wondering if maybe they suggest so long a track because it literally uses two of the sections on ...
by Vitamin K
Wed Apr 03, 2024 9:04 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 27
Views: 901

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

No real progress to report yet (getting ready to travel this weekend), but I did find some footage of a "Challenger" track on Youtube.

Is it me, or the starting ramp as shown in the standard design here really long?


https://youtu.be/EGWNptT34X0
by Vitamin K
Mon Apr 01, 2024 9:39 pm
Forum: Car & Semi-Truck Construction
Topic: Cutting the DFW notch?
Replies: 24
Views: 1039

Re: Cutting the DFW notch?

BTW, what belt grit(s) do you find most useful with this little belt sanders for derby-car construction purposes? It came with one 80-grit belt... I think I have 150 grit in there right now, which is good for shaping small bits of wood. Much finer grits, btw, are great for sharpening metal tools (w...
by Vitamin K
Mon Apr 01, 2024 6:30 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 27
Views: 901

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

I also need to figure out what I'm going to mount the first section of the track to, since that one will need to flex. Maybe 1/4" plywood or even 1/8" masonite? (with wooden crossbeam supports at the end and various locations along the length. Have you considered just making another "...
by Vitamin K
Mon Apr 01, 2024 4:47 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Mulling a track build...
Replies: 43
Views: 1552

Re: Mulling a track build...

Looks like the inventory is now depleted. Not so fast! Another 20 sets have been listed (3 of which sold almost immediately). Well, seeing as how they had another set they could send me to replace the damaged ones, they must have had a few more at least. :mrgreen: Sent from my moto g(9) play using ...
by Vitamin K
Sat Mar 30, 2024 9:28 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 27
Views: 901

Re: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)

Took some time to lay out the damaged tracks to see if I could still make them workable. To flatten out the dents in the groove side of the track, I packed the groove with densely folded paper, put them between two pieces of 2x4 and banged away with a mallet. I wasn't able to get the groove perfectl...
by Vitamin K
Sat Mar 30, 2024 9:17 am
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 27
Views: 901

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: It would be a cool feature... I would probably build a custom 'train car' where the camera is mounted on a frontal car in front of all the racing cars ...
by Vitamin K
Fri Mar 29, 2024 1:27 pm
Forum: Do-It-Yourself
Topic: Vitamin K builds a Track! (slowly)
Replies: 27
Views: 901

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: 27
Views: 901

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: 27
Views: 901

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...