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Oval test track (go kart track) 4' by 8' - New York

Posted: Tue 8. Jan 2013 14:41
by Vintage 1/24
I started a discussion on the Home Racing World slot car oval track forum: Slotless MagRacing Oval but I think this is a better fit over here on the MagRacing Forum.

Over the next post or two, I will repost some of that thread into a summary 'journal' of how my test track was built (with a few pix and a video)...

It starts about here ->

I have been playing with a simple test track made our of 1/4" MDF board - and it really is *much simpler* than routing a traditional wood slot car track. I used a Dremel cutoff saw ("The Keld Method") and added a "foot pad" so it only lightly cuts the MDF board to the depth of the wire (very thin 22swg piano wire). I just drew pencil lines on the MDF and free-handed the cuts - it just gently scores the surface - but it works great, the wire fits very tightly in position - barely needs glue.

Embedded Wire –
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I also have done a few preliminary tests and I already have a modified 1/28 scale Ferrari which weighs 144 grams following the wire. The MagRacer cars are light - only 70 grams total. It seems like I may be able to make the leap to something like a brass chassis 1/24 scale slot car - which weigh in around 150 grams... Too early to tell but promising so far. More magnet, more tire, and thicker wire, seems very plausible at this point, if one wanted to run fast brass chassis cars based on 1/24 hard body kits for example.

French curves - Freehand "Routing", and Some Toy Cars –
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Anyway, I was racing on NYE 2012 on a bare track that I built in a day, and it was working pretty well. Then I spackled and painted the surface and "lost some magnetism" - that is - I think I went a little too thick on the spackle and paint, and it worked *less well*.

Yesterday I sanded off the spackle/paint layer, and further tweaked a lane change, and then I put a little electrical tape on the hard plastic rims for *some* level of traction - AND - it is actually working the way it should!!

BTW it is so easy to rip out a wire, cut a new groove/score, and put a new wire in place - or replace a wire completely... Much, much easier than re-routing a slot. The Dremel saw trick is the way to go IMO.

Run a slower car or two on the track, and you can work your way through the traffic by making lane choices and picking driving lines - pretty cool experience. I will say the little cars are moving pretty quickly around the short track now - and it is definitely a "chewing gum and walking at the same time" experience - you have to drive the throttle and make steering input choices (sometime 2-3 choices in less than 4 feet, at speed, on the tiny straightaways of my "go kart" test track).

It will keep you focused, if nothing else. And yes, you can drive back onto the track after a spin out - although *without reverse* sometimes you have to marshall - in actual racing with multiple drivers I think you will certainly have to marshall cars.

Also you can give a car the "chrome horn" when it is on the same driving line in front of you... a whole new kind of on-track harassment!

My next step is to paint it, provide a little detail, and shoot a video and then figure out how to post that.

Re: Oval test track (go kart track) 4' by 8' - New York

Posted: Tue 8. Jan 2013 14:43
by Vintage 1/24
Have been turning laps again - this time with paint...

Slotless 4' by 8' test track on the ping pong table
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Scale go kart track ready for some racing –
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The small 1/32 cars and super short track, made me think of a local racing kart track that closed almost ten years ago.


Those are "1/24 scale" go karts –
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Racing lanes and racing lines –
The track is built with two lanes, an inside and an outside - it also has a *racing line* at each end.
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The 'kart" in the middle is on the *racing line* - it is the fastest way around.
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The racing line returns it again to the outside lane on the next straight.
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The track also has a lane change (out-to-in and in-to-out) on each straight - so it is extremely "busy" during a sub 3-second lap - making decisions less than every 3/4 seconds...

I am learning a bit.

I shot these with an iPhone, and I also shot some video...

Re: Oval test track (go kart track) 4' by 8' - New York

Posted: Tue 8. Jan 2013 14:51
by Vintage 1/24
Some laps on the 1/24 scale 'go kart' test track...

First tests from a short track -



I think the track is actually starting to get "rubbered in".

Re: Oval test track (go kart track) 4' by 8' - New York

Posted: Wed 9. Jan 2013 00:22
by racerpaul
Vintage 1/24 wrote:Some laps on the 1/24 scale 'go kart' test track...

First tests from a short track -

I think the track is actually starting to get "rubbered in".
Hey Vintage!

I saw your posting on HRW and now here... sounds like you had a fantastic and unique NYE!

Very impressed by your efforts. Will be watching closely... this type of table top racing holds a multitude of opportunities for the builder of cars and tracks... in the pioneering stages for sure.

Guys like you, NorCal Mike, Old Goat and others are on the cutting edge of innovating this genre'.

I had an idea to create a USA Mag Racing Forum but at the suggestion of KELD, for now it is a good idea to focus information sharing on this forum.

I did, however start a category for USA Mag Racing on our North East Modified Slot Car Racing Forum for discussion amongst us 'Mericans.

Find it here: http://modifiedslotracing.forumotion.co ... in-the-usa

Regards and Greetings form Bellport, NY USA!

Paul

Re: Oval test track (go kart track) 4' by 8' - New York

Posted: Thu 10. Jan 2013 02:49
by Joel, LeNoir
......
if one wanted to run fast brass chassis cars based on 1/24 hard body kits for example.
..


Vintage..... You think a 3.7 volt battery will handle this? I will be testing out a bunch of small can motors to see if I can make my cars faster. I believe I will need this to make up for the added weight of slot car wheels/tires & resin details.

Re: Oval test track (go kart track) 4' by 8' - New York

Posted: Thu 10. Jan 2013 16:34
by Vintage 1/24
Joel, LeNoir wrote:......
if one wanted to run fast brass chassis cars based on 1/24 hard body kits for example.
..

Vintage..... You think a 3.7 volt battery will handle this? I will be testing out a bunch of small can motors to see if I can make my cars faster. I believe I will need this to make up for the added weight of slot car wheels/tires & resin details.
You will be adding very little additional weight with the add ons you describe, and with real rubber/silicone on all four corners it should offer better traction and be more fun and faster off the corners. It should be plenty quick with the original motor.

I ran a converted RC car that weighs *double* the weight and it steers just fine. It is all in the testing, and I do *believe* that in principal this can be scaled up - way up.

I think I can make a much heftier "double weight" 1/24 scale car, probably with two 3.7 volt batteries, more motor, and proper running gear, maybe even more magnet - BUT I am taxing my steering coil right now. The short oval test track requires steering input every .5 or .75 seconds, and with a bit more speed and grip than stock, I am finding the coil is running hot - even hot to the touch after a hard racing session. This might have to be addressed if I increase the size and mass of the car.

I wonder if others have warm or hot steering coils?

I also think a stock chassis could definitely be stretched to work on a light weight 1/24 scale vehicle using all the original parts - the stock 1/32 chassis is very close to the dimensions (wheelbase and pan width) of a "Womp Womp" chassis right now - so a little stretch will surely work...

I really encourage you to "play" - run the the new chassis car and tires, and tell us what you learn.

All that said, you owe it to Wes and yourself to run these things as they are developed from the "factory", and start with mods from there...

Re: Oval test track (go kart track) 4' by 8' - New York

Posted: Thu 10. Jan 2013 19:52
by Leonabi76
When I was running both RC and slots I encountered that I over-ran many of my cars. Which, as you have found, would cause components to get really hot. Even to the touch! So, being a computer geek, I decided to use PC memory heat sinks on on the varied components to bring the temp down. Here is a link to some on the auction site: . http://tinyurl.com/ram-heat-sinks

I have these in particular, but just search for "Ram Heat Sinks" and tons of items will pop up. I'm not sure if being copper will affect the coil, but there are sinks made from other materials as well. If you use this let me know how it handles the heat.

Abi

Re: Oval test track (go kart track) 4' by 8' - New York

Posted: Thu 10. Jan 2013 21:43
by Keld
I am not sure how much harm that does, when you send power into a coil it will always be hot.

At the beginning I observed also that it was hot.
I do not know if it still gets hot, but I think I have been better to switch at the right time and do not keep the coil activated for too long of a time.


Remember you lose power to the motor as long you are activating the steering coil ;) .

Re: Oval test track (go kart track) 4' by 8' - New York

Posted: Fri 11. Jan 2013 01:49
by Double Naught
Just thinking about changing motors, made me wonder how much amperage the speed control can handle. I don't remember seeing any specs. Does anyone know?

Paul

Re: Oval test track (go kart track) 4' by 8' - New York

Posted: Fri 11. Jan 2013 14:40
by Vintage 1/24
Keld -

You can definitely "cook" windings - from the slot car racing world you may be familiar with the dreaded smell of a toasted armature during competition...

I understand about using steering sparsely - in fact - I even find "blipping" the throttle, so full juice is momentarily available for the steering, can sometimes be helpful... My test track is very small and the steering inputs happen very quickly - one after the other, and lap after lap - so it is probably a bit exceptional. When it comes to track design, spacing out the lane changes if possible is probably the larger point.


Double Naught -

All good questions. I think if someone really wants to take this upscale they might just source a small RC car and deconstruct and reconstruct based on some of the MagRAcing parts and what they have learned from hands on personal experience with the system.

If you do change motors you might keep it small and low draw, given the "grip" and handling of the chassis and the track, I am not sure you can use a lot more motor without affecting all the other bits in the system - I think it is a well thought out and balanced little toy right now as delivered. More motor will need more grip, and that will primarily come from the tires and things like axle bushings and chassis tuning - similar to the word of competition slots but different.