But what about bending the straights to force the banking?
I think I saw Shoe do this, but it would take some math to cut the straights at the correct angle. Would it be easier to route in place after he wood is cut and fastened?
Thanks...
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HomeRacingWorld |
Banking oval? |
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So I know I can take the MDF and simply make wedges and fasten it like that.
But what about bending the straights to force the banking? I think I saw Shoe do this, but it would take some math to cut the straights at the correct angle. Would it be easier to route in place after he wood is cut and fastened? Thanks... "They Didn't Say You Couldn't" - Smokey Yunick
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Nor Cal Mike |
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Harry,
Method depends on how much banking that you want I suppose. The more banking you want, the more need for laying the MDF out for a squeeze increases. You can get by on mild banking with simple wedges but higher degrees of banking requires a squeeze. I like the squeeze method myself. It will give you most stable (structurally) curve and the transition into the curve is more natural. IMHO. If you go to a furniture or appliance store, you can get a piece of corrugated cardboard large enough to make a 1/1 mock up of the turn you wish to create. Cut out the cardboard into a 1/1 "U" shape. Make a mark at say 3 ft from the center of the radius (thru the axis) on both legs of the U. Then squeeze the U at the ends to create a banking of the cardboard. Experiment with the banking by varying the squeeze until you get the bank that you want. Make a note of how much squeeze was necessary and the distance from the axis that you took that measurement to get the amount of banking that you want. Next, lay out the same curve on your MDF. Layout the legs with the amount of spred spread that you selected earlier. Use the same distance from center of the radius as you measured from on your cardboard. It is easiest to lay out the squeeze by making a center line through the axis running parallel the to legs of the finished U (after banking). Add 1/2 of the squeeze distance to each side of the center line. You will get a "V" with a rounded bottom. Pull the MDF legs together with a bar clamp to the same measurements that you noted earlier. You will wind up with a banked curve with two parallel legs. Fasten it to your frame work or table and you have a banked turn. You can go back and fill in with wedge pieces to add support. Harry, I'm sure I gave you more info than you were asking for but what the heck, I figured it might help someone else not as experienced as you who may read this. If at all possible, I suggest routing your slots while the MDF is laying flat. It can be done after banking but the router tends to rock back and forth on the banking which means the operator has to be really on top of keeping the router square with the surface. Also, depending on the degree of banking, you may have to adjust for slot depth because the router base may not sit completely down on the compound radius banked curve. Here is a pic of my router on the banking during my current remodeling of Lost Coast Raceway. Following is a pic of the finished routing. Mike A
Last Edited By: Nor Cal Mike
07/06/10 02:11 PM.
Edited 6 times.
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HomeRacingWorld |
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Outstanding sir...thanks much for the help.
Do we have the best folks in the hobby here? I think so! And nice track by the way, that looks like a blast! Check out those chicanes...those will make you check up! "They Didn't Say You Couldn't" - Smokey Yunick
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slider2 |
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Yup, yer right sir. You've got a great and amazingly talented group of people in your extended family here. NorCalMike's new track is a grand example
(though I haven't really figured out which direction he runs yet) and the Hellanbach Speedway is certainly no slouch on the podium in the great race track
category.
I might suggest routing it flat and then pulling it up for the banks. On my modest routed track. I think that I remember (at my age, my access to my memory bank account is sporadic at best) that I routed on a flat sheet of 3/8 MDF, then cut the roadway out. Followed by screwing it down to a 1/4" ply full table top and added the banks with risers. I was able to get a full 1" difference between the inside and outside edge of an 8" wide roadbed on a switchback "S & a half" turn on a hill climbing section, with between a 7" to 8" radius on the inside lane. This is without undercutting at all. Thinking about it later, it was probably too much of a bank on a tight turn, because the inside front wheel of a 1/32 slot car is off the ground all the way around. It does transfer the load to the outside wheel rather nicely though. Oh yeah, if the corner and beginning of the straight are routed on the same piece of wood, the curve from the banked portion to the flat straight will level and even itself out more naturally than if I tried to do it myself using "pie-cut" sections of roadbed. It also insures that that the slots are lined up in what otherwise may have been a rather complex puzzle to put back together. Also, if it is a steep, cup shaped bank, the router base will not sit flat across the track, but ride on the outsid edges. The disadvantage is that not only is it more difficult to control, as Mike stated, but the slot depth will vary as you go around. Possibly by as much as an eighth to a quarter of an inch, depending on how steep the bank is and it's radius. If it were me, I'd probably route it flat.
Greg
Last Edited By: slider2
05/21/08 06:48 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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Nor Cal Mike |
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It is actually two tracks in one package. The three outside lanes of Lost Coast Raceway are a tri oval. The inner three lanes make a road track. Both oval and
road courses share the middle, yellow, lane for a total of five lanes. The inner lanes diverge into the infield road course then rmerge into the oval. You can
change direction of course of the shared yellow lane (road or oval) via a pair of non powered (no solenoids), AC2car style lane changers. No real time lane
changing. It's set up either road or oval. The road track will run in either direction. The oval would too but why bother?
Back to banked turns. They really aren't hard to do. They just add an extra step to the process. I also suggest paying attention the transitions from the straight into the banking. The most gradual you can make it, especially on the exit is best IMHO. Mine are a bit too abrupt on entry. Mike A
Last Edited By: Nor Cal Mike
05/21/08 09:00 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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super8mm |
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"The oval would too but why bother?" Hahaha - good point - they go counter clockwise on the ovals right? Or should I say LEFT?!!!
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Nor Cal Mike |
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slider2 wrote: Right you are Slider. I lost about 1/8" routing through the bank. I had to compensate by dropping the router down by that much. If you want to
maintain a constant depth it could get tricky routing through the transitions because the depth variance increases at about the same rate that the banking of
the transition also increases. So to maintain a constant depth, you would have to screw the router depth down as you routed. It wasn't a biggie for me
because I had a lot to play with ( This track remodel has 1/4" MDF skim sheet over the 1/2 " original sheet). Now if I were routing into a single
piece of 3/8" material, it would be a lot harder. I routed everything extra deep for use of big Sprints Plus wood guides.
Mike A
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hot shoe 1 |
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Making a banked turn is a piece of cake.
Cut back a few degrees out of the turn radius. Then pull the straights back into parallel. Do all your routing before making the bank.
Keep in mind that your not cutting out inches of the turn but degrees, like slices of a pie. And a little goes a long way. On my track above I cut the turn back from 180 degrees to about 170. That gave a 22 degree banked turn. Here's a little banking chart that will get you in the ballpark.
And you don't need any fancy protractor gizmo. I usually mark the outside edge of my turn radius in one inch increments, starting from the 180 degree mark and up about one foot into the turn. Then, with a straight edge, using the pivot point in the center of the turn and the marks I made around the outside I make a bunch of lines radiating out from the center. Then you can better judge how much you want to cut out of the turn.
hot shoe
"I must be behind on my cheatin' " |
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Deepsouth14 |
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I used the same system as 'Shoe to produce this 8 ft. wide banked turn. Just try not to make the transition back to flat too
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HomeRacingWorld |
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There it is. Thanks Shoe. Thanks guys...thanks to all. Appreciate your guide Mike!
Deep South...I guess I am getting old...I did not know you did your track like that. Nice tip on banking the straights. "They Didn't Say You Couldn't" - Smokey Yunick
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ScenicRacer |
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I have a question about the stress points. Lets say I want to do a 45 degree bank and I back out my degrees to 127. Will I be bending that MDF too much that
it will break when pulling the straights into their paralell positions?
Scenic Racer
Talladago Speedway |
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