Because I've worked with wood for most of my life and years ago, I used to do model railroading. One thing that I think may help you or anybody else is to add more cuts instead of 3 per half section. Its the same for bending wood. More cuts equal a more precise bend which will allow for a better flow. It kind of goes with the deeper the bend the more slots you make. Whereas shallow bends would only call for 3-5 cuts. It worked for the wood and the train tracks so it should work for slot track as well. Try it out and let me know! Good video though!!
Sir: Thank you very much for responding to my inquiries in such an expident time frame. In fact, all my questions were answered with detailed examples with specifics. I never expected a reply within 24 hours. Thanks again for the time you spent addressing the pros and cons of Scalextric verse Carrera. I am going with your professional advise and will go with SCALEXTRIC. Please continue with the excellent videos. And now, time to watch another video presented by you.
This is so cool Boone, noticing a need and getting out there and working a solution. I have been a fan of some of the great railroaders on YT, lo and algo here I am. Already charged to learn the art, bravo!
I have a suggestion.......how about instead of using your hand on the top of the track what if you used a piece of tubing [like 2"-3" diameter pvc or some such] which I think would minimize the chances of a kink or too sharp bend in one place?
You should have used a heat gun on the plastic before you bent the track and you would have accomplished a more uniform rise. I use a pizza warming oven and it creates a smooth transition when pressed into a curved wooden mold. It hardens as it cools being held in place and looks factory made.
To aid in bending maybe you can add more slots to weaken the structure and increase the radius of the transition. Maybe apply some heat by use using a hair dryer afterwards and use a wood form to aid in uniform bending.
Yes I agree, my technique has changed on this some since I made this video. A little heat , more cuts , and a wedge to help stabilize the track when bending are all part of it.
Just about to start to build a table for a circuit, but whilst that is in progress I have a few cars that need some attention any tips on that would be great. Great channel 👍
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage thanks for reply mate I'm buying pretty much all my cars from ebay all 80s and they all seem a bit tatty got the Sierra Cosworth, Mini's, Rover v8 amongst others
You can also change turn radius removing the metal rails on say 2 different radius cut one turn I like just a hint of a turn So one 90°turn one third cut off and maybe a 25 ° section whole or a small section. Doing it right glue and the rails hold it fine .
Use stuff from your kitchen dude.. A rolling pin and a few thicknesses of wood works great for "tight" bends, and a glass 1 gallon jar(ask your favorite bartender), any round bottle of booze, even an unopened 1, 2, or even 3 liter soda pop bottle work awesome.. If you have a hair dryer, apply heat to the plastic to make it more pliable..
Hi Boone, new subscribers here! Loving the work you have been doing, truly impressive to see what is possible with these layouts. Any videos on how to go about creating the multiple levels to the layout, AKA, how to build the climbs!
Thank you for subscribing to my channel.. And yes it is amazing to see the layouts that are being built. Some of them are true pieces of art. I haven’t made a video of that yet. Unfortunately when I started making the videos for my channel I had already had this done. Hindsight is 20/20 sometimes. Wish I would have started filming from the very beginning. But I have plans to show things that I have already done on and things that I have not on smaller sections that I plan on building. They will be small boards that I’m going to build up in the future. Didn’t think about building up multiple levels to show but after thinking about it, I believe that would be a great idea that you have. So keep watching the channel because this is something I will be doing in the future. Thank you again….
Initial thoughts here...what if, after you made your cuts you used a heat gun to warm up the piece of track and bend it using a coffee can or pvc piping of various sizes to make nice smooth bends?
Yes that would work. A smooth round surface would be a good idea. I didn’t show using heat mainly because if you heat the track too much it can pull the rails out of there place. But yes heat does help. Just be careful not to get too hot
If you want to pursue that idea in a more professional way - maybe make a curved jig/mould, heat the track and press it in - possibly with 20 small cuts minimum to help the curvature. As the comment said below - more cuts!
Go ahead and keep it up. Soon you will need a bigger man cave. 😂 LOL. THANKS FOR THE TIPS! IM STILL playing with my tape measure??? "Oh the possibilitys"
Thank tyou for the brilliant ideas and advice. I have a question for you or your subscribers please. I have made some serious gradients etc using your technique, but my track is over 15 years old and is badly tarnished. I tried White vinegwer, scourers, metal polish but ended up with P240 grade very fine emery. The track now works but how can I stop it tarnishing again. I wondered if a fine coating of 3.1 oil or contact cleaner would protect it for the future? Thank you again. David ( a 72 year old teenager in Britain)
Thank you David..... to help prevent your track from tarnishing you are going to need to seal the exposed surface of the rails. It’s not the best thing to sand the surface of the rails, but sometimes we have no choice... and in your situation it looks like youy only fix that would work was the sanding method . From the factory the rails have a very thin nickel plating that protects the rails from the elements. With sanding the rails this is now removed, so how do you protect the surface... well to protect the rails you will need to use a light oil. Some guys out there will use WD40 , problem with this is that over time WD40 will actually dry out the track and cause bigger issues for you down the road. Some will use ATF but that again will start to harm the plastic as well with time. What I suggest is a oil called MX3 oil , it will protect the rails and it contains lanolin that prevents the oil from evaporating. To apply I use a soft rag and apply a few drops to the rag and using my finger wipe the rails. Try to keep it off the track surface if you can because it can effect your grip. This will help protect your rails. After a couple months you are going to need to take a dry cloth and wipe the rails and then reapply... or when you start to notice the color change on the rails. If you start to see the rails dark in , this is a sign of carbon build up from the braids on the cars , because of the electrical sparks .... if this happens try to adjust the braids on your cars and wipe the rails and reapply the oil.... I think I covered it okay. This is what I do to my track and it works great. I have heard of other cleaning methods that are used as well, but this one when explained to me awhile back made the most sense.. thank you for your question and for watching the videos........ Boone
I must start by saying that I’m not an expert with slot cars but I was able to eliminate the corrosion problem and improve the electrical connectivity by applying very thin self adhesive copper tape which I was able to purchase quite online. It was a little time consuming to apply but was well worth the effort. I hope this is helpful for you.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. Question? What / why did you choose Slectxric 132 over Carrera 124? I welcome your comments and suggestions. I am still in the process of ascertaining which system to purchase. I welcome and look forward to your professional opinions. Thank you SIR!
Thank Brian. There are a couple reasons why I went with Scalextric. First was the size of the footprint. Carrera requires quite a bit more room for a good size track layout. Second, I like the assortment of different track pieces that Scalextric has over Carrera. Carrera’s tightest corner is equivalent to a R2 on Scalextric , and you can use the old classic track with the new system with the adapter track section. This opens up a very large variety of different track pieces. Third... Scalextric is made from a softer material that makes manipulation of the track a lot easier. Fourth... Scalextric has been around since the beginning of the slot car ... unfortunately through the years we have seen quite a few companies stop producing track or they have gone out of business. This point gives some piece of mind that Scalextric will be around for awhile. Fifth.. I didn’t plan on running 1/24 scale. Unfortunately with scale comes additional cost. Sixth.... kinda a personal thing... I like the look of the track better than Carrera, even though I do not use the factory aprons used with the track, don’t really care for the look... lol... seventh..... Scalextric is easier for me to find parts for from my neighborhood hobby shops.... but saying all of this, I do like Carrera as well. One thing that I do like about Carrera is the different types of digital lane changing track. They have a larger selection and it seems to flow better than Scalextric..... these are the main points that helped me decide on Scalextric.... hope this helps
How about using auto wheels (no rubber) to achieve 13 14 16 or better radius for both ends. jig auto rim for stability. This will do inverted also. Sliding clamps for pressure and set in hot sun. The sun heats rim and plastic for a nice smooth curve. I do this with AFX track and works good for me. Slow and easy makes great results.
Can you do this with Carrera track? My husband and i just bought some basics to get started. I don't understand if or how Carrera track can be customized in this way. Are we limited to the curves, bumps, and banks that Carrera fabricates?
Yes you can do this to Carrera track but you will need to use some heat when you do since the plastic is different from Scalextric track, just take your time and heat the area you want to manipulate slowly. But you should have success
It can be used on Carrera as well, but you are going to need to use some heat to soften up the plastic track. Scalextric is a softer track than Carrera. You can use a heat gun or you can use boiling water as well. It can be a bit tricky to get the temps correct so just be aware and take your time.
No , I haven’t tried that out. Only concern about that would be to make sure the sand is sealed down to the track.. could do some serious damage to the car if some of the sand worked into the gears or motor
Hi Boone Great video, even my mrs said it was interesting. I recently bought a piece of sport track made into an old hump bridge. Unfortunately it’s not good and a bit lumpy. Would you be able to do a video on this or would it just be using the same technique as you used in this video? How would you cope with the precise angle for the bridge side and lugs on them? Dave
Thanks Dave… pretty much the same technique would be used. As far as the sides , all I can say is take your time and make sure your bend is straight across the track , if it’s at an angle the track will be off some. Also when you go about doing your bend instead of using your hand , try to use a piece of wood or even polystyrene shaped with a curve to it as your guide for the bend. That way the track will have a smoother bend for the hill. I might revisit this video to update this technique and add a few different ideas…
Good question Darell... sometimes getting a old track running again is like trying to bring Frankenstein alive... first thing is to check out the track. Make sure your connections are clean and tight. Sometimes you might need to bend the connections to tighten up the rails when they attach, they tend to loosen over time. Best way is to attach the track together and take a flat blade screwdriver and press against the joining area of the rails. Male / female ends. The track rails themselves might need to be cleaned. Over time they will tarnish or even rust. If they are tarnished use a metal cleaner and scrub the rails clean. Try not to use sand paper if possible. The rails have a finish on them to help from rusting and if you scratch that surface it will be more prone to rusting. If they do have rust, then sanding them is your only choice, but try to use the finish grit that you can to avoid too much damage to the plating on the rails. If you have to do this , just be sure to be diligent about keeping them clean in the future and you should be ok. Any wires that you have , look for wear and possible broken wires. Clean the connections as best you can. An electrical spray cleaner works pretty good for this.... as far as your cars go. Check the brushes first, make sure they do not have a build up of grime and dirt. If they do , I have found that an old tooth brush works good for getting them cleaned up. Make sure you don’t scrub the brushes but to Pull in the direction of the brush , like combing hair.second take off the body of the car and check and clean the connections, sometimes a wire might be touching each other and that can cause issues. Also at this time check the soldering on the wires that they haven’t come loose. If they have come loose, solder the connections.. A little trick you can do if you do not have any bearing oil is some transmission oil. Put some on the wheel bearings and the motor bearing.use a toothpick . You don’t want a major oil spill on your hands ,And if you do not have brush lube you can put some transmission oil on the brushes , ,just a small amount with your finger. this will help get some electrical current flowing. And helps condition the brushes as well...If this doesn’t work you might have a bad resistor by the motor or other internal issues.... Hope this helps... I kinda got long winded but it’s hard to write it all out and not show you... lol... maybe a future video....hhhhmmmm.... thanks again and thank you for watching ..Boone
Can you elaborate on flat surface lake. Are you talking about making a lake on a board with no ground surface scenery? Or are you laying down polystyrene and then creating a water effect? If you can give me a little bit more information I will do my best to help you out.
Thanks for the tutorials. I’m gearing up to make a great layout. My weakness is electrical. I have a Scalectrix Digital race track that races 6 cars. I have added track. I’m concerned about getting enough electricity throughout the track and don’t know how to boost & distribute power above and beyond what came with the original set. Power pick-ups. Any advice?
Thank you Victor , first off I would go through all of your track connections and make sure you have a nice tight connection with the rails, if they are a little loose this will have an effect on how the electrical current moves throughout your track. If loose adjust your connection, many good videos on this... if you still have issues after this then jumpers are an option. Just make sure you keep your wires organized so you don’t cross them from negative to positive. This can cause issues with your digital system and cause damage. A third opinion is to use a copper tape for the surface of the rails. This will keep a constant flow of current, it has its downsides. mainly all your track will be connected and changing your layout takes a lot more effort.... I do plan on a series of videos going through a lot of these types of questions in the near future. Plus , I’m not sure what type of digital system you are running, but your system may have an option to run a second power transformer. If it does and you are running one, I do recommend using the second as well. This can give that little extra push of current.
Thanks, I haven’t had the rails buckling , but I try not to bend the track to that extreme where they would buckle. If you wanted to push the limits, I would cut additional times on the track to help with the bend , also support the track when bending as to reduce the buckling. I have tried to use heat but have noticed that the rails have a tendency to come unattached from the track..
@@Scaleracing_Center you wouldn’t happen to be the slot car shop in Tacoma would you?? Have a mutual friend that has been wanting me to stop in at your shop , Willie from Maryland,,,, I do need to make the trip. Live on Whidbey so it’s a bit of a trek.. I have a few cars that I have built lately that I need to get the correct wheels under , and would love to see your shop
Boone, I've enjoyed your videos and have learned a lot! I recently bought a lot of used track for my layout and I'd like to see you tackle a couple of problems I'm having with it. First, what techniques would you use to flatten track that is wavy/warped? And, I got a lot of 30* banked r2 curve that is too radical for most of my cars. Any way to flatten it out and still be usable? Thanks in advance and please keep the vids coming!
To flatten out track use a block of wood and place in the area of the bend, then lightly start applying pressure on the area round the bend. Work it slow . To flatten banked curves.... the track is altered to make the bank from the manufacturer, I don’t think you could get it to lie flat , but you may be able to relax the bank some . You might have to cut the support on the underside of the track like I did in this video.
Possibly, I plan on building separate scenery boards showing different ideas that won’t exactly work with my layouts. A train crossing is a good idea for a scenery board
Does it work the same with carrera 124? I haven’t received my set yet so I’m not sure how carrera track is reinforced? Thanks for all your great videos
Thanks Dennis, it should work very similar, but Carrera track is made of a more ridged material. You most likely are going to need to use heat as well so that the track will bow and not crack or break. I have heard of people placing the track into hot water to soften up the track so it can be manipulated into the shape you need. Hope this helps
Hi Barry, and yes I have bent the track the opposite direction. Fallow the same instructions but bend the opposite direction. I have found that it is easier to bend the track this direction due to the fact that the bend is moving away from the track surface and buckling is not as big of an issue. Main thing with either one of the bends is to take your time and pay attention to the bend, if it looks like it’s going to buckle, stop and evaluate the track. One fix could be to add more reliefs to the underside of the track , or you need to move the bend down or up track to make the bend more gradual , But the more extreme of a bend will bring the rails closer together and close the slot between the two rails. To fix this , take a hard plastic glass bone or a spreader and work the pinched areas. Hope this helps and thank you Boone
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage thanks Boone I'm a 70 yr old ho slot car guy just getting into 143 scale. I got a hold of a bunch of artin track with 6 cars should work the same as 132 gonna try it while I still can keep up great videos my friends
Could you do a video on power taps for long tracks. There are some on line but not simple enough for this old dude to understand. Also so a video showing your first steps on your layout
@@calpearce6283 that’s great stuff Cal. I have done some testing on HO and 1/43 scale guardrail, built much like the style that I have done a video on. I do plan on making this video at some point… lol… and I hope to produce a few videos to show how to build a few things in the smaller scales at some point. Thank you for watching my videos and have fun with your new setup
@@calpearce6283 yes, I do plan on a video covering this subject. Plus I need to install a few on my layout as well. Just waiting on finishing up the little bit of major scenery that I have left to do and then this video will be at the top of my list. I do have a collection of pictures that I took during the build up of my layout, and a video showing this would be a neat thing to do. I’ll play around some and see what I can come up with
G’day Boone, have you had any experience with painting scalextric track? I’m dabbling at the moment, but thought I should check with someone who knows what they are doing! Thanks mate
Hi Mick... I have played around with it a little and plan on a video covering this soon. Biggest thing with painting the track is the prep work to the track so it will last.
Hi Dwayne , I do have the video “ A Little Trip Around Deception Raceways “ , if you haven’t seen it yet , take a look , think this might be what you want to see
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage Thanks for vid. We will be improving our approximately 90 foot long scalextric track between now and next year's summer camp and hills are the first thing on the list.
Hi Harald , to bend the track straight use a flat block of wood and place the track on a flat surface. place the block on the rise of the bend and apply pressure. this will flatten out the track. once you have bent it as straight as you can using this method you might need to fine tune the rest by hand... hope this helps
@@haraldfors746 if it is bent at one of the openings of the underside of the track , you could try a small blade screwdriver With Tape Covering The Blade.... this will help not to damage the rail.... now work the bend slowly and push on the area , make sure the track is on a flat surface.... if the rails are pinched together , use a hard plastic blade that will fit between the rails and work back and forth to restore the rail distance
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage looks like a lot of fun, I haven’t had a racetrack in a long time, I had an AFX speed steer, and a Smokey and the Bandit trackin the childhood years, it’s nice to see folks like you keeping the spirit alive.
Because I've worked with wood for most of my life and years ago, I used to do model railroading. One thing that I think may help you or anybody else is to add more cuts instead of 3 per half section. Its the same for bending wood. More cuts equal a more precise bend which will allow for a better flow. It kind of goes with the deeper the bend the more slots you make. Whereas shallow bends would only call for 3-5 cuts. It worked for the wood and the train tracks so it should work for slot track as well. Try it out and let me know! Good video though!!
Good point
Sir:
Thank you very much for responding to my inquiries in such an expident time frame. In fact, all my questions were answered with detailed examples with specifics. I never expected a reply within 24 hours. Thanks again for the time you spent addressing the pros and cons of Scalextric verse Carrera. I am going with your professional advise and will go with SCALEXTRIC. Please continue with the excellent videos. And now, time to watch another video presented by you.
Thank you Brian
Love this channel, been thinking about building a track. Didn't realize how detailed you can make them. Should be a fun project with my grandsons.
That’s awesome…. Great memories for you and your grandson for many years
This is so cool Boone, noticing a need and getting out there and working a solution.
I have been a fan of some of the great railroaders on YT, lo and algo here I am. Already charged to learn the art, bravo!
Thank you Dave
Awesome! Thank you so much for ALL your videos!
Thank you Steve
I have a suggestion.......how about instead of using your hand on the top of the track what if you used a piece of tubing [like 2"-3" diameter pvc or some such] which I think would minimize the chances of a kink or too sharp bend in one place?
Great instructions I like rally’s and f1 racing.
Cool , Im gonna use a cushion and a rolling pin , but yuo got me going
Going to try this on my NINCO track.Very similar like scalextric.
It should work, thank you for watching Joe
Thanks for the tip! Will be trying that on my next layout.
Subbed. Nice to see another slot car channel
Cool, feels a little silly that I didn't though of it myself but thank you! That was brilliant 🙂👍
Thank you Johan
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage don't mention it man, it's always nice to see someone else who's passionate about Scalextric 😀🥂
Awesome!
Thanks William
You should have used a heat gun on the plastic before you bent the track and you would have accomplished a more uniform rise. I use a pizza warming oven and it creates a smooth transition when pressed into a curved wooden mold. It hardens as it cools being held in place and looks factory made.
Yep that’s the way I do it now . 😂 this was one of my first videos I put together. A few steps I have changed since then.
To aid in bending maybe you can add more slots to weaken the structure and increase the radius of the transition. Maybe apply some heat by use using a hair dryer afterwards and use a wood form to aid in uniform bending.
Yes I agree, my technique has changed on this some since I made this video. A little heat , more cuts , and a wedge to help stabilize the track when bending are all part of it.
I should make an update video covering this
Thanks mate
Your welcome buddy and thank you 😊
Great vid 👍
thanks so much
Your welcome
Just about to start to build a table for a circuit, but whilst that is in progress I have a few cars that need some attention any tips on that would be great. Great channel 👍
Thanks Trist... tell me more about your cars that need attention. Just a general tuneup or restoration
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage thanks for reply mate I'm buying pretty much all my cars from ebay all 80s and they all seem a bit tatty got the Sierra Cosworth, Mini's, Rover v8 amongst others
You can also change turn radius removing the metal rails on say 2 different radius cut one turn I like just a hint of a turn
So one 90°turn one third cut off and maybe a 25 ° section whole or a small section. Doing it right glue and the rails hold it fine .
That’s a cool trick , thanks Scott
Thanks for sharing Boone, this has given me some good ideas. To bend in the reverse direction is it the same process?
Thanks nice video 👍🏻
Thank you
nice vid. thanks for the info :)
Use stuff from your kitchen dude.. A rolling pin and a few thicknesses of wood works great for "tight" bends, and a glass 1 gallon jar(ask your favorite bartender), any round bottle of booze, even an unopened 1, 2, or even 3 liter soda pop bottle work awesome.. If you have a hair dryer, apply heat to the plastic to make it more pliable..
Good points. Thanks,
Hi Boone, new subscribers here! Loving the work you have been doing, truly impressive to see what is possible with these layouts. Any videos on how to go about creating the multiple levels to the layout, AKA, how to build the climbs!
Thank you for subscribing to my channel.. And yes it is amazing to see the layouts that are being built. Some of them are true pieces of art. I haven’t made a video of that yet. Unfortunately when I started making the videos for my channel I had already had this done. Hindsight is 20/20 sometimes. Wish I would have started filming from the very beginning. But I have plans to show things that I have already done on and things that I have not on smaller sections that I plan on building. They will be small boards that I’m going to build up in the future. Didn’t think about building up multiple levels to show but after thinking about it, I believe that would be a great idea that you have. So keep watching the channel because this is something I will be doing in the future. Thank you again….
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage Great, looking forward to seeing your new videos!
Initial thoughts here...what if, after you made your cuts you used a heat gun to warm up the piece of track and bend it using a coffee can or pvc piping of various sizes to make nice smooth bends?
Yes that would work. A smooth round surface would be a good idea. I didn’t show using heat mainly because if you heat the track too much it can pull the rails out of there place. But yes heat does help. Just be careful not to get too hot
If you want to pursue that idea in a more professional way - maybe make a curved jig/mould, heat the track and press it in - possibly with 20 small cuts minimum to help the curvature. As the comment said below - more cuts!
Go ahead and keep it up. Soon you will need a bigger man cave. 😂 LOL. THANKS FOR THE TIPS! IM STILL playing with my tape measure??? "Oh the possibilitys"
Hahaha…. If I could only get more room…. Thanks
Try rolling it over a propane bottle or similar. you'll get a smoother bend.
Yes good point
Thank tyou for the brilliant ideas and advice. I have a question for you or your subscribers please. I have made some serious gradients etc using your technique, but my track is over 15 years old and is badly tarnished. I tried White vinegwer, scourers, metal polish but ended up with P240 grade very fine emery. The track now works but how can I stop it tarnishing again. I wondered if a fine coating of 3.1 oil or contact cleaner would protect it for the future? Thank you again. David ( a 72 year old teenager in Britain)
Thank you David..... to help prevent your track from tarnishing you are going to need to seal the exposed surface of the rails. It’s not the best thing to sand the surface of the rails, but sometimes we have no choice... and in your situation it looks like youy only fix that would work was the sanding method . From the factory the rails have a very thin nickel plating that protects the rails from the elements. With sanding the rails this is now removed, so how do you protect the surface... well to protect the rails you will need to use a light oil. Some guys out there will use WD40 , problem with this is that over time WD40 will actually dry out the track and cause bigger issues for you down the road. Some will use ATF but that again will start to harm the plastic as well with time. What I suggest is a oil called MX3 oil , it will protect the rails and it contains lanolin that prevents the oil from evaporating. To apply I use a soft rag and apply a few drops to the rag and using my finger wipe the rails. Try to keep it off the track surface if you can because it can effect your grip. This will help protect your rails. After a couple months you are going to need to take a dry cloth and wipe the rails and then reapply... or when you start to notice the color change on the rails. If you start to see the rails dark in , this is a sign of carbon build up from the braids on the cars , because of the electrical sparks .... if this happens try to adjust the braids on your cars and wipe the rails and reapply the oil.... I think I covered it okay. This is what I do to my track and it works great. I have heard of other cleaning methods that are used as well, but this one when explained to me awhile back made the most sense.. thank you for your question and for watching the videos........ Boone
I must start by saying that I’m not an expert with slot cars but I was able to eliminate the corrosion problem and improve the electrical connectivity by applying very thin self adhesive copper tape which I was able to purchase quite online. It was a little time consuming to apply but was well worth the effort. I hope this is helpful for you.
Hey Boone Nice
Besides that have you used the Blow-dryer what you’re thoughts slightly heat the track to bended it as well !
Yes that would work
Thanks for sharing, how i must bend a strait flat part to connect with a banked curve?
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Question? What / why did you choose Slectxric 132 over Carrera 124? I welcome your comments and suggestions. I am still in the process of ascertaining which system to purchase. I welcome and look forward to your professional opinions.
Thank you SIR!
Thank Brian. There are a couple reasons why I went with Scalextric. First was the size of the footprint. Carrera requires quite a bit more room for a good size track layout. Second, I like the assortment of different track pieces that Scalextric has over Carrera. Carrera’s tightest corner is equivalent to a R2 on Scalextric , and you can use the old classic track with the new system with the adapter track section. This opens up a very large variety of different track pieces. Third... Scalextric is made from a softer material that makes manipulation of the track a lot easier. Fourth... Scalextric has been around since the beginning of the slot car ... unfortunately through the years we have seen quite a few companies stop producing track or they have gone out of business. This point gives some piece of mind that Scalextric will be around for awhile. Fifth.. I didn’t plan on running 1/24 scale. Unfortunately with scale comes additional cost. Sixth.... kinda a personal thing... I like the look of the track better than Carrera, even though I do not use the factory aprons used with the track, don’t really care for the look... lol... seventh..... Scalextric is easier for me to find parts for from my neighborhood hobby shops.... but saying all of this, I do like Carrera as well. One thing that I do like about Carrera is the different types of digital lane changing track. They have a larger selection and it seems to flow better than Scalextric..... these are the main points that helped me decide on Scalextric.... hope this helps
thanks!!!
How about using auto wheels (no rubber) to achieve 13 14 16 or better radius for both ends.
jig auto rim for stability. This will do inverted also. Sliding clamps for pressure and set in hot sun. The sun heats rim and plastic for a nice smooth curve. I do this with AFX track and works good for me. Slow and easy makes great results.
Sounds like a great idea
Can you do this with Carrera track? My husband and i just bought some basics to get started. I don't understand if or how Carrera track can be customized in this way. Are we limited to the curves, bumps, and banks that Carrera fabricates?
Yes you can do this to Carrera track but you will need to use some heat when you do since the plastic is different from Scalextric track, just take your time and heat the area you want to manipulate slowly. But you should have success
Hello Sir Boone
Can this same technique be used on Carrera track? Enjoy your work 🏁✌️🏁
It can be used on Carrera as well, but you are going to need to use some heat to soften up the plastic track. Scalextric is a softer track than Carrera. You can use a heat gun or you can use boiling water as well. It can be a bit tricky to get the temps correct so just be aware and take your time.
Hey Boone have you ever tried putting spray adhesive on track and then sprinkling sand on it to make a dirt road
No , I haven’t tried that out. Only concern about that would be to make sure the sand is sealed down to the track.. could do some serious damage to the car if some of the sand worked into the gears or motor
Hi Boone
Great video, even my mrs said it was interesting. I recently bought a piece of sport track made into an old hump bridge. Unfortunately it’s not good and a bit lumpy. Would you be able to do a video on this or would it just be using the same technique as you used in this video? How would you cope with the precise angle for the bridge side and lugs on them?
Dave
Thanks Dave… pretty much the same technique would be used. As far as the sides , all I can say is take your time and make sure your bend is straight across the track , if it’s at an angle the track will be off some. Also when you go about doing your bend instead of using your hand , try to use a piece of wood or even polystyrene shaped with a curve to it as your guide for the bend. That way the track will have a smoother bend for the hill. I might revisit this video to update this technique and add a few different ideas…
How do you get a track and cars working properly. Layout has been setting assembled and unused for years. Thanks, Darell
Good question Darell... sometimes getting a old track running again is like trying to bring Frankenstein alive... first thing is to check out the track. Make sure your connections are clean and tight. Sometimes you might need to bend the connections to tighten up the rails when they attach, they tend to loosen over time. Best way is to attach the track together and take a flat blade screwdriver and press against the joining area of the rails. Male / female ends. The track rails themselves might need to be cleaned. Over time they will tarnish or even rust. If they are tarnished use a metal cleaner and scrub the rails clean. Try not to use sand paper if possible. The rails have a finish on them to help from rusting and if you scratch that surface it will be more prone to rusting. If they do have rust, then sanding them is your only choice, but try to use the finish grit that you can to avoid too much damage to the plating on the rails. If you have to do this , just be sure to be diligent about keeping them clean in the future and you should be ok. Any wires that you have , look for wear and possible broken wires. Clean the connections as best you can. An electrical spray cleaner works pretty good for this.... as far as your cars go. Check the brushes first, make sure they do not have a build up of grime and dirt. If they do , I have found that an old tooth brush works good for getting them cleaned up. Make sure you don’t scrub the brushes but to Pull in the direction of the brush , like combing hair.second take off the body of the car and check and clean the connections, sometimes a wire might be touching each other and that can cause issues. Also at this time check the soldering on the wires that they haven’t come loose. If they have come loose, solder the connections.. A little trick you can do if you do not have any bearing oil is some transmission oil. Put some on the wheel bearings and the motor bearing.use a toothpick . You don’t want a major oil spill on your hands ,And if you do not have brush lube you can put some transmission oil on the brushes , ,just a small amount with your finger. this will help get some electrical current flowing. And helps condition the brushes as well...If this doesn’t work you might have a bad resistor by the motor or other internal issues.... Hope this helps... I kinda got long winded but it’s hard to write it all out and not show you... lol... maybe a future video....hhhhmmmm.... thanks again and thank you for watching ..Boone
try a hair dryer on hot... warm it evenly be careful .
I try it with Carrera 143, it was wobbling and shrinked
Hey Boone my name is Joel and I was wondering how I could do a flat Surface lake for my Ho scale slot car track. Could please help me out.
Can you elaborate on flat surface lake. Are you talking about making a lake on a board with no ground surface scenery? Or are you laying down polystyrene and then creating a water effect? If you can give me a little bit more information I will do my best to help you out.
Thanks for the tutorials. I’m gearing up to make a great layout. My weakness is electrical. I have a Scalectrix Digital race track that races 6 cars. I have added track. I’m concerned about getting enough electricity throughout the track and don’t know how to boost & distribute power above and beyond what came with the original set. Power pick-ups. Any advice?
Thank you Victor , first off I would go through all of your track connections and make sure you have a nice tight connection with the rails, if they are a little loose this will have an effect on how the electrical current moves throughout your track. If loose adjust your connection, many good videos on this... if you still have issues after this then jumpers are an option. Just make sure you keep your wires organized so you don’t cross them from negative to positive. This can cause issues with your digital system and cause damage. A third opinion is to use a copper tape for the surface of the rails. This will keep a constant flow of current, it has its downsides. mainly all your track will be connected and changing your layout takes a lot more effort.... I do plan on a series of videos going through a lot of these types of questions in the near future. Plus , I’m not sure what type of digital system you are running, but your system may have an option to run a second power transformer. If it does and you are running one, I do recommend using the second as well. This can give that little extra push of current.
Hi, thanks for this great video. Do you think banked turns can be made the same way?
You can use this technique to make bank corners , but only slightly banked, if you bend too much the rails have a tendency to pinch together.
Nice track layout, how long did it take to build that settup ? Thanks 👍
Thank you Mark.. the layout has taken about 9 months to build up to this point.
Great video Boone. Just wondering if whilst bending track you've experienced the rails buckling?
Thanks, I haven’t had the rails buckling , but I try not to bend the track to that extreme where they would buckle. If you wanted to push the limits, I would cut additional times on the track to help with the bend , also support the track when bending as to reduce the buckling. I have tried to use heat but have noticed that the rails have a tendency to come unattached from the track..
If you do buckle the rail slightly a US $ coin is a great tool for manipulating the rails back into shape.
@@Scaleracing_Center you wouldn’t happen to be the slot car shop in Tacoma would you?? Have a mutual friend that has been wanting me to stop in at your shop , Willie from Maryland,,,, I do need to make the trip. Live on Whidbey so it’s a bit of a trek.. I have a few cars that I have built lately that I need to get the correct wheels under , and would love to see your shop
Boone, I've enjoyed your videos and have learned a lot! I recently bought a lot of used track for my layout and I'd like to see you tackle a couple of problems I'm having with it. First, what techniques would you use to flatten track that is wavy/warped? And, I got a lot of 30* banked r2 curve that is too radical for most of my cars. Any way to flatten it out and still be usable? Thanks in advance and please keep the vids coming!
To flatten out track use a block of wood and place in the area of the bend, then lightly start applying pressure on the area round the bend. Work it slow . To flatten banked curves.... the track is altered to make the bank from the manufacturer, I don’t think you could get it to lie flat , but you may be able to relax the bank some . You might have to cut the support on the underside of the track like I did in this video.
Can you do a video of making a slot car train crossing
Possibly, I plan on building separate scenery boards showing different ideas that won’t exactly work with my layouts. A train crossing is a good idea for a scenery board
Very surprised the rails have not kinked. Perhaps sports track is better then classic but classis track often kinks
Not sure 🤔 I’ll have to check it out
Boone!
😂
how do you do the over the top of the hill track
Thanks Paul
Could you do that with Carrera track too.
Yes , but you are going to need to use some heat to soften the hard plastic track… a heat gun or hairdryer…
Does it work the same with carrera 124? I haven’t received my set yet so I’m not sure how carrera track is reinforced? Thanks for all your great videos
Thanks Dennis, it should work very similar, but Carrera track is made of a more ridged material. You most likely are going to need to use heat as well so that the track will bow and not crack or break. I have heard of people placing the track into hot water to soften up the track so it can be manipulated into the shape you need. Hope this helps
Hi Boone, have you bent track the other way to create a hump? If so, how do you deal with the rails wanting to buckle?
Hi Barry, and yes I have bent the track the opposite direction. Fallow the same instructions but bend the opposite direction. I have found that it is easier to bend the track this direction due to the fact that the bend is moving away from the track surface and buckling is not as big of an issue. Main thing with either one of the bends is to take your time and pay attention to the bend, if it looks like it’s going to buckle, stop and evaluate the track. One fix could be to add more reliefs to the underside of the track , or you need to move the bend down or up track to make the bend more gradual , But the more extreme of a bend will bring the rails closer together and close the slot between the two rails. To fix this , take a hard plastic glass bone or a spreader and work the pinched areas. Hope this helps and thank you Boone
Do you do the same thing to bend down slope track
Yes it’s the same process, just be careful with the rails, they tend to pinch together as the bend increases
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage thanks Boone I'm a 70 yr old ho slot car guy just getting into 143 scale. I got a hold of a bunch of artin track with 6 cars should work the same as 132 gonna try it while I still can keep up great videos my friends
Could you do a video on power taps for long tracks. There are some on line but not simple enough for this old dude to understand. Also so a video showing your first steps on your layout
@@calpearce6283 that’s great stuff Cal. I have done some testing on HO and 1/43 scale guardrail, built much like the style that I have done a video on. I do plan on making this video at some point… lol… and I hope to produce a few videos to show how to build a few things in the smaller scales at some point. Thank you for watching my videos and have fun with your new setup
@@calpearce6283 yes, I do plan on a video covering this subject. Plus I need to install a few on my layout as well. Just waiting on finishing up the little bit of major scenery that I have left to do and then this video will be at the top of my list. I do have a collection of pictures that I took during the build up of my layout, and a video showing this would be a neat thing to do. I’ll play around some and see what I can come up with
G’day Boone, have you had any experience with painting scalextric track? I’m dabbling at the moment, but thought I should check with someone who knows what they are doing! Thanks mate
Hi Mick... I have played around with it a little and plan on a video covering this soon. Biggest thing with painting the track is the prep work to the track so it will last.
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage I’m going to trial a mix of blackboard paint and oil based white. I’ll let you know how it turns out
I wonder if this would work on Carrera track too?
@Evading Grid I have Carrera track. I'm going to try it, but I'll use a heat gun on it to soften it up first.
Dude your nails please - I am British and you are chopping up my childhood with icky hands.
😂.. sorry about that.. I’m a aerospace painter by trade so sometimes my hands and nails take a beating.
could you please show a copy of total layout
Hi Dwayne , I do have the video “ A Little Trip Around Deception Raceways “ , if you haven’t seen it yet , take a look , think this might be what you want to see
is there a dog chewing on something in the room?
😆 yes…. My dog started in on his bone when I was filming, didn’t realize how loud it was till I started the editing
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage Thanks for vid. We will be improving our approximately 90 foot long scalextric track between now and next year's summer camp and hills are the first thing on the list.
What about going down?
Same concept just reverse the bend,
Is that occasional background noise a dog chewing a bone?
My dog most likely, he likes his soup bones
How i gonna bend it back
Hi Harald , to bend the track straight use a flat block of wood and place the track on a flat surface. place the block on the rise of the bend and apply pressure. this will flatten out the track. once you have bent it as straight as you can using this method you might need to fine tune the rest by hand... hope this helps
Thank you i will try but the rail inte middle how to fix. Them
@@haraldfors746 if it is bent at one of the openings of the underside of the track , you could try a small blade screwdriver With Tape Covering The Blade.... this will help not to damage the rail.... now work the bend slowly and push on the area , make sure the track is on a flat surface.... if the rails are pinched together , use a hard plastic blade that will fit between the rails and work back and forth to restore the rail distance
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage thank you for the help
@@haraldfors746 ??.
This guy needs a hobby
Hahaha, this is my hobby
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage yeah, that was the joke, glad you found something that makes you happy, I do artwork and play guitar. Peace bud.
@@pukefacetoilet that’s awesome.... I haven’t dabbled in my art for some time, turned this into my new canvas
@@BoonesSlotCarGarage looks like a lot of fun, I haven’t had a racetrack in a long time, I had an AFX speed steer, and a Smokey and the Bandit trackin the childhood years, it’s nice to see folks like you keeping the spirit alive.
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