Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

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sprntrcr

Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by sprntrcr »

I recall seeing plans at some point for a pit area rack to hold cars during the derby. It was a tiered setup. If anyone has a link to something like this I would appreciate it.
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Pinewood Daddy
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by Pinewood Daddy »

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/Ite ... item=17103

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/Ite ... item=17105

I've seen a simple piece of 1x3 used to keep the cars from rolling.

Last year I made a table covering with marked boxes from some anti-slip carpet padding. It just folds up and put it away!

Image

It may not be the greatest looking but it was functional and setup & break down was simple.
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by Mr. Slick »

Here are a couple of images . . . (they are HUGE so it will take some time to download. . . sorry.)

http://www.pwdracing.com/racks/PwdRacing_Rack_1.jpg


http://www.pwdracing.com/racks/PwdRacin ... joined.jpg

and if you zoom in towards the top of the track you see a single 4' unit in this image.

http://www.pwdracing.com/photos/track/T ... ags-L.html


Basically 10 inch deep by 4 feet long shelves with a 1x2 front edge. The sides are 1x3's, the back 1x3 is vertical and the front one has a slope of about 30 degrees. . . the slope is determined by how deep you want the final shelves to be. . . shallower slope means wider table. The shelves are on 1x2's that are between the front and back 1x3s. Secure the shelves with a screw at the front and back of each side in to the supporting 1x2. A 4 foot wide, 2 foot tall 1/8 inch sheet of masonite attached to the back uprights keep it all nice and square.

A piece of masking tape across the top of the 1x2s can be labeled with the car numbers for easy reference. . . I put 15 cars per shelf.

Multiple shelf units can be joined with a couple of bolts through the end 1x3s . . . see above image.
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by Pinewood Daddy »

WOW!!! That's some setup!!! Some cool cars too!!!
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by Dad of 3 »

Last Year I believe it was Piantedosi sold an aluminium one. I don't see it on their website now though. At $150 it was a little pricey. I built one myself out of wood. Sorry I don't have pictures. Think of bleachers on a very small scale. I used plywood cut in stairsteps for the sides reinforced with 1x4s. Then I used some old hardwood flooring scraps cut in 32" lengths x 1.75 inches wide. I put 8 strips on each rack so each rack holds 32 cars. They are a little heavy but I couldn't justify the price of the aluminum ones though.
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by Mr. Slick »

Here is a $20 alternative from BSA. . . a cross between the head on rack and the side rack. :D

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/Ite ... item=17103
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by Pinewood Daddy »

Mr. Slick wrote:Here is a $20 alternative from BSA. . . a cross between the head on rack and the side rack. :D

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/Ite ... item=17103
I posted that at the top of the thread. :mrgreen:
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by Mr. Slick »

I knew I saw it someplace! :oops: Is it still Monday?

I'm looking at doing some new racks based on a 2'x4' table that folds in half.

I'll have photos next week if all goes well this weekend.
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by Pinewood Daddy »

Mr. Slick wrote:I knew I saw it someplace! :oops: Is it still Monday?
No biggie!
Mr. Slick wrote:I'm looking at doing some new racks based on a 2'x4' table that folds in half.
I thought about building a wooden display but it has to be stored someplace (my garage), so I went with the mat. It may not look the greatest but the cars can't roll off of it and storage takes seconds and no space.
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by pack529holycross »

I am plannning to use the plans provided by BESTRACK to create storage cases for our track, with one modification - I am planning to make the lids overlap style ( think shoebox lid ) rather than flat and hinged. I am planing to put a 2 inch lip around the perimeter of each lid, so that when you flip them over and lay them on the cases, they can be used as an impound area. Havent completely worked out the height issue yet ( the cases are only about 12" high ), but I have an idea. If you are planning to build the cases, all you have to do is cut the lid 2" wider than the floor, to insure that the material used for the edge of the lid clears the cabinet. This arrangement will help to prevent water from getting inside the case as well, since the lid's lip covers the opening 2" below the top of the case.


Nicholas
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by sprntrcr »

Thanks for all the input guys... Really got me thinking now. The wooden display racks are real nice, but I hadn't put much thought into storage...hmmm :| Already have two wooden BestTrack boxes in my garage now. With only 3 weeks until the derby I think I have bitten off more than I can chew anyway for this year. I just ordered one of the scout stadiums but it says 4-6 weeks delivery, so we might end up with what we had last year. A smaller version of Pinewood Daddy's setup made out of cabinet liner and masking tape. Only this year I'll have enough liner so that each pit can be bigger :lol: or just get a piece of the carpet liner...
I don't imagine the scout stadium will hold up too well after a few setups and breakdowns, but perhaps I can get some ideas from it at well. Not like I haven't blown $20 on worse things than this before. :roll:

I can think more about it and add it to the list for next year along with the solenoid starting gate and Christmas tree.

Image
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by pack529holycross »

IF you already have the Best Track Boxes, then I recommend that you use them side by side as your impound area. Here are a few pictures of the boxes we just built. We added internal corner braces plus some lateral supports to the exterior to insure we didnt have issues later. We also framed out the base and the lid with 1 x 2 poplar - that gives the base alot of strength, as well as giving you an automatic 1" lip around the lid. You can fit about 40 cars on the lid of one box with no problem. If you only have 40 cars, you can stack the boxes to get your surface to a better height. We have at least 60 kids this year, so I'm having to devise a way to elevate the surface for us old timers. My motto - use what you've got as much as possible!

Nicholas

Image

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Last edited by pack529holycross on Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:26 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by gpraceman »

You need to shrink those photos down some. Around 640 x 480 is a good size. With large photos everyone had to scroll around just to read the posts and see all of the photo.
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by pack529holycross »

sorry bout that ..refresh your browser for better sized pics.. oopS!

Nicholas
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Re: Pit Area Plans - Help Needed

Post by Go Bubba Go »

sprntrcr wrote:...With only 3 weeks until the derby I think I have bitten off more than I can chew anyway for this year.
This idea heads off in a little different direction, but one of the nicer setups I have seen for the car pit area is a 7 inch long section of thick rail for each car, where the car just sits on the rail with the wheels elevated off the ground to prevent rolling concerns.

The first time I saw a setup like this was at the Lima race in September. The picture below shows a variety of different stands (wood vs. plastic, wider vs. narrow, painted vs. bare).

Image

You could do a similar thing fairly quickly, and use 8" sections instead of 7" in order to leave 1" at the front where you could put the car number.

At least one of the teams at Lima didn't use wood, but rather spines from plastic picket fencing sections (see right side of picture - they even put a logo for the event on their stands and put some no-slip padding on the top of the rail - VERY NICE). I went by Home Depot to check it out, and it turns out a number of spines get knocked off the pre-built fence sections and are sold for scrap. I think I got 9 or 10 3 foot lengths (enough for 40 car stands) for a $9.00 "scrap charge".

I still have to cut ours, but when I'm done they all should fit in a small box or bag for storage.

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