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Post by sjracer on Dec 31, 2010 22:20:00 GMT -7
Can anybody give me a blueprint to make a cabinet for my dragstrip. I like the way the slot cars inc track has side panels and I was wondering how high above the race surface it came.
I was also curious about the best material to use ( there a decent deal locally on 23/32 cabinet plywood? but it seems to resemble mdf and I was worried about condensation from the basement or gagrage ruining it). I also wanted to know where to run the different wires for the power taps and drag tree pro 3000 timing system. Thanks in advance
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Post by allstarhr on Jan 1, 2011 7:04:29 GMT -7
I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but I took some wood trim from Home Depot/Lowes and ripped it on my bandsaw so it looks like Armco guard rail. Then foam taped it to the track surface. It's been there over 5 years and hasn't come loose once. You can see it at wdwaho.com I remember the trim being used alot to hold screen wire on old porches many years ago. It has three humps and is about 3/4 inch wide by 8' long. Cheap stuff. Think it cost more for the foam tape... I run low voltage so the cars aren't as consistent and it puts the car back in the race. High voltage and all run pretty close together and then it's just a reaction time race. The reason I bring that up is you may need higher guard rails if your running 40 plus MPH while I can easily get away with 1/2" high where the speed is rarely over 23 MPH. Apparently someone got hurt a few years ago when a car came off the track up in the NE at over 70 MPH. I heard he missed a few weeks work. Hard to explain that to the boss... got run over by a HO car.
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Post by sjracer on Jan 1, 2011 8:54:01 GMT -7
Thanks but could you give me more info on the six cabinet bases that it is mounted inside of? I also notice it is in what looks to be stationed inside a room and not a drafty unfinished basement so that's why I'm curious about material.
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Post by allstarhr on Jan 1, 2011 10:36:14 GMT -7
The bases are regular kitchen sink cabinet bases. The sink bases are a few bucks cheaper since there are no top drawers. We measured down 11 inches and cut the sides and back out of the four middle ones, and for the two end ones we cut the backs out and then just one side so the end view would be of a finished cabinet. The room won't support a 1/4 mile track but if it would have, I could have saved money by using a base every 8-12 feet or so.
The track itself is 3/4" MDF and routed but first it was screwed down to an excellent 2x4 base. That makes it a little over 4" thick and the track was lowered down inside the cutdown cabinet bases so the track surface sits 6 inches below the top of the typical kitchen cabinet. I screwed some additional 2x4's below the track base onto the sides of the cabinet bases so it had additional support. The cabinet bases are presswood so I wouldn't trust it to support everything buy itself. We have stood on the top of the track with the lids closed when working on the big screen and curtains, etc. Nothing is going to move... I'm not light...
I put 3 six foot long, piano hinged 3/4" plywood lids on top of the bases so it can be used as a work top and also keep dust, too small grandkids, etc. out. If you do that don't forget to come up with a way to keep the lids up securely. When they fall closed it's with a bang and could hurt someone severly. Mine have safety chains to hold them up. I also just put locks on the lids so one of my grandkids won't open it and forget to put the safety chains up. I have 11 grandkids from 17 down to 4 weeks old and they all live close.
I think the track build is still showing on fulltiltspeedway.com under 1/8th mile dragstrip. Good pictures. If you want one built and Kevin will build anymore, he's a great guy to work with. My only regrete was not spacing the lanes further apart.
Hope this helps. We sure have fun with this one.
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Post by TGM2054 on Jan 1, 2011 11:08:38 GMT -7
If your looking for cabinets to put your track on like allstarhr did. Goto the kitchen and bath area of your local home improvement store. In the back you can find discontinued or slightly damaged cabinets cheap. Less expensive,quicker,and easier than making your own. If you still want to make your own the wood your talking about will work fine. Thats what most of the less expensive furniture and cabinets are made of. Just don't let it sit directly in water it'll fall apart.
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Post by sjracer on Jan 1, 2011 16:58:30 GMT -7
I was planning on having a friend build them. About a month ago at Home Depot a 4 x 8 sheet of 23/32 cabinet board was on sale for about $24 so I figured on buying 2-3 ( for the side rails) and a few 1 x 4 's from the cull area as braces, upside down T shaped so I could attach legs to it. I read some where, where somebody used a box of laminated floor boards and I was consider that for the inside. My track is a 9 inch wide TKO 24 ft and I'm build ing a 16 ft shut down area. I want to build it a durable yet inexpensive as possible.
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Post by swamper on Jan 1, 2011 17:36:02 GMT -7
sjracer
Look on the ho clubs section on this web site and look at swamper dragway. I used a sheet of mdf board to build my track. I have it setting on 2 4x6 tables that I bought at target. Hope this help you to build your track. Make sure you put a few coats of paint on the mfd board to help seal it from moisture.
Randy
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Dusted
Pro Stock
Big Boyz Toyz
Posts: 413
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Post by Dusted on Jan 7, 2011 9:08:18 GMT -7
very nice job allstarhr. That solves my problem since we use the garage for family holiday dinners. My cabinets are 16.6 ft so should work out great thank you very much for sharing i have been trying to figure out where i would be able to set mine up  Attachments:
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