Transition Template

DIY tracks.
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woodman
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Transition Template

Post by woodman »

My brother and I built a single lane test track using the aluminum plating that he got from Scoutstuf.org. The plans we used were from the PDF that you can download from the same site. The problem that we have is that when we got the plating the minimal instructions in the box said to use the included template for the transition, except for there wasn't a template.
Therefore I used the plans from the PDF. I just blew up the file on my computer and printed it out. When it was all said and done and I had the track together I realized that the transition was way too much of an angle rather than a nice curve. So I was wondering if anyone had the a template of their transition that they could e-mail or snail mail to me.
I would be happy yo pay for the postage if need be. By the way this is a "Challenger" track, i.e. a straight slope then a long flat rather than a curved slope.
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Cory
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Re: Transition Template

Post by Cory »

woodman wrote:So I was wondering if anyone had the a template of their transition that they could e-mail or snail mail to me.
I probably still have the paper template that came with our aluminum plating. Never been used. If I can find it, you're welcome to it. However, it is also a very abrupt transition -- it might be exactly what you have now.

We deviated from the Challenger plans and designed our own curved section. We have 2 sections of drop instead of 1, and our transition piece is VERY gentle -- it is the arc of a circle with radius of about 37 feet.

We are very pleased with our transition.

Be glad to explain where the value of 37 feet came from and/or to explain how we ended up drawing the arc onto the plywood. Both took a little bit of doing.

Added 2:49 PM EST: I re-did the analysis assuming only one straight piece prior to the transition and assuming the starting end of the track is 48" high. In this case, the transition piece radius will be about 266" inches, just over 22 feet. That's still a fairly gentle curve.

Our track has six sections, but if I only had five sections altogether, I think I'd go with that instead.

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"When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."
Last edited by Cory on Wed Feb 11, 2004 12:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Cory
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Re: Transition Template

Post by Cory »

woodman wrote:My brother and I built a single lane test track using the aluminum plating that he got from Scoutstuf.org.
I don't see it listed there as of this morning, which is just as well. When I bought it, it was much less expensive to buy the plating directly from Beta Crafts. The ScoutStuff markup was about 30% if memory serves, which translated into over $100 for our 4-lane track.

Added 3:20 PM EST. Correction, the plating is still there at ScoutStuff.org, it's hiding behind the Electronic Finish Lines link. They want $140 for six pieces of aluminum, i.e. enough to construct a one lane track. I think it was $120 per lane two years ago. But two years ago it was $90 per lane from Beta Crafts.
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