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Home built aluminum tack

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:43 pm
by docbar
Has anyone ever built an aluminum test track . What I was thinking of using is some 1/4" x 4" comes in 12' lenghts. Then 1/4'x1 1/2 wide for thr lane guide. The place I can buy from will roll the bottom at the proper angle and maybe get them to aquare up the ends. I would make plates to mount from the bottom to hold the sections together. Give me your honest opinion I can take it. :x

Re: Home built aluminum tack

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:59 pm
by pwdarchitect
Does sound good to me. I was thinking about making one myself in a similar fashion but for a 42 foot long length and be able to somehow pin the sections together. I used to work for a steel/metal supplier and i can still get employee pricing on the raw materials. Just haven't found the time as of yet to get it done.

I think that you would be good to go with a 1/4"x3 1/2" wide bar and screw the 1/4"X1 1/2" flat stock to the center. you could build the supports out of wood if need be. if you you the 6061 alum. it'll be a little stronger that the 2024.



http://www.ryersontull.com/stocklist/St ... le&ID=1675

Jim

Re: Home built aluminum tack

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:41 pm
by docbar
Do you think it needs to be 1/4" thick? Would you consider maybe 3/16 or 1/8. The price is not much more. The place I was looking at buying from is a fabrication shop and should be able to put roll in it and mill the ends square. I can do all of the drilling and tapping.

Re: Home built aluminum tack

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:55 pm
by pwdarchitect
the reason for the 1/4" is to ge the 3 1/2" lane spacing. You could go to the 1/8" or 3/16" thickness if you needed. The raw materials are usually sold by the pound. I thought that the 1/4" would hold out better from deflection.

Jim

Re: Home built aluminum tack

Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2006 3:31 pm
by docbar
I agree and will let you know how it goes. For now it will have to go in the attic and the climate should not effect alum. Had considered staimless but a litttle exspensive.

Re: Home built aluminum tack

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:56 am
by Mr. Slick
might I suggest buying the extruded aluminum, for those of us without the tools shops, Beta Craft Industries sells individual sections. 93" section for less than $16. Has center guide and a nice alignment system using pins between track sections.

I believe their web site is something like betacrafts.com

Re: Home built aluminum tack

Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 7:54 pm
by Hot Rod 1
The Beta Crafts 450 Challenger is really nice with super alignment.

Re: Home built aluminum tack

Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 7:56 pm
by John Shreffler
This might be slightly off topic, but .....

Hot Wheel racing was (and still is) big in Puerto Rico. I have seen pictures of the tracks. They pull coils of aluminumroofing gutter through a special die (exactly like seamless gutter) that makes a long four lane track. They punch a hole in the end, and 6 guys pull it with a chain through the die, down a long hill. The winners of races are allowed to destroy (literally) the losing challengers. The track is so cheap, that they just leave it on the ground, where it is soon scavanged to become somebody's roof.

There is a lot of money changing hands, so much that the government made it illegal. But, according to my sources, it still goes on.