Test Tracks - lattice wood

DIY tracks.
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ciodude
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Test Tracks - lattice wood

Post by ciodude »

Several of you have mentioned using lattice strips (both real wood and plastic) as the center guide for home and test tracks. I've been all over our local Home Depot and Lowes and neither of them sell it. Where are you getting these lattice strips?

Thanks in advance.
parrot_racing
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Re: Test Tracks - lattice wood

Post by parrot_racing »

Ciodude, I couldn't find them either, maybe a fencing supply store or regular lumber yard may have them. I cut my own out of 1/4" masonite, worked pretty well.
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Randy and Son
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Re: Test Tracks - lattice wood

Post by Randy and Son »

Should be able to go to the area of the store (Lowe's, Home Depot, Menard's, etc.) that carries wood molding. The same area that has the kind of molding that goes along your baseboards and around your doors. There will be different width strips of pine that are referred to as lattice strips or lattice molding. (They should come in oak too but you're not building an heirloom. :wink: ) Sometimes I think they might be referred to as mullions also.

Anyway, here is a link to a Lowe's product.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=p ... 6-L0026612

There should be different sizes available (not just at Lowe's). Look in the moldings aisle.

Randy
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ciodude
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Re: Test Tracks - lattice wood

Post by ciodude »

Ahh I did not look in the molding section, nor did anyone I asked direct me there. Thank you for the part number, I'll look again after the holiday.
quadad
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Re: Test Tracks - lattice wood

Post by quadad »

Thanks Randy for posting the link. I just wanted to add another perspective though. I have looked at similar product in local warehouse stores, its really nice and I would prefer it, but if what you are building is a test track and not a Pack track, then it might be too expensive for you, as it was for me ($61 for enough of Item 209626 - which is 1 5/8" x 8' - for my 3-lane test track).

My alternative was fairly cheap 2' x 8' 1/4" plywood which I cut and sanded. Turned out pretty nice (once I sanded it).
Last edited by quadad on Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ichiban
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Re: Test Tracks - lattice wood

Post by ichiban »

Should be able to get the correct size width and height lattice for around $0.75 a foot.
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GravityRacer
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Re: Test Tracks - lattice wood

Post by GravityRacer »

Finger-joint pine "door stop strip" is an alternative. It's going to be pretty tight, cheap, and the mill-marks would be small. I would use the solid pine version, myself. Also, it's smaller across than a center guide strip, but that's minor, depending on your rail-riding requirements.
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Re: Test Tracks - lattice wood

Post by GravityRacer »

quadad wrote:Thanks Randy for posting the link. I just wanted to add another perspective though. I have looked at similar product in local warehouse stores, its really nice and I would prefer it, but if what you are building is a test track and not a Pack track, then it might be too expensive for you, as it was for me ($61 for enough of Item 209626 - which is 1 5/8" x 8' - for my 3-lane test track).

My alternative was fairly cheap 2' x 8' 1/4" plywood which I cut and sanded. Turned out pretty nice (once I sanded it).
I did this for guide strips on the two PWD tracks I built. It was a lot of work to sand the sides smooth after cutting it on a table saw, but it was a labor off love for the Cubs...
Teeeman
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Re: Test Tracks - lattice wood

Post by Teeeman »

I can't find the weatherstrip I used on the Lowes website, but I found a symmetric, flat door bottom or side weatherstrip...

vinyl, extruded, came in 8 foot long sections and is 1-1/2" wide...


it worked very well.

Don't remember price but it was not cheap ($8/strip, took 6 strips I think to make a 3 lane, 15' running surface track... eeek!).

But I was not wanting to rip wood and then spend hours sanding.

Wish I could find the exact part... sorry! I stumbled on it in the store...


http://derbytalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=2821

-T
"I dunno..." - Uncle Eddie, Christmas Vacation
quadad
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Re: Test Tracks - lattice wood

Post by quadad »

I actually had to re-sand my plywood because of the poor/hurried job I did the first time. Even in a freezing garage (didn't want the mess in our basement), I made two piles of guide strips, clamped them alternately with my collection of (10-11) clamps and "put it to them" very quickly with a 3" x 21" belt sander and followed up with some finer stuff on a palm sander. It couldn't of taken more than 45 minutes for me to do this, and that was in the cold and I had to constantly switch the cords into my one extension outlet (was too lazy to get a strip).

This was for my 3-lane, 32-foot track.

Not bad for ~ $50 savings (more money for HF tools ! :lol: ).
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