Figure of Eight Test Track - Printable Version

Figure of Eight Test Track - Printable Version

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Figure of Eight Test Track - BAracer - 3rd-Dec-21

At proxy events over recent days it has become evident that in order to compete, I need a little routed wood test track at home to actually run and tune my cars on the appropriate surface before sending them off. So my latest idea is to sort out a figure of eight layout.

A couple of questions...

1. Ignoring and board size (at this blue sky stage) what would be the optimum radius curves to have? I am looking at Scalextric charts and thinking somewhere around R2/R3?

[attachment=19780]

2. In the World Wide Chats, everyone says use the cheapest latex paint for the track surface. What paint type does that translate to in the UK?

Has anyone got any better idea for a little tuning test track, or can show photos of any?

Cheers

RE: Figure of Eight Test Track - Steve A - 3rd-Dec-21

Intrigued, why figure of eight if it is just for test track? It adds bridge or x over and only usually needed to make two lanes equal length.
Understand you will need to test car on RH and LH corners, but should you consider a "S" bend, or nest two corners together to achieve RH and LH corners without figure of eight? Just my thoughts having made a small routed Top Gear track as a test track and found that the cross over was most difficult bit.
Steve

RE: Figure of Eight Test Track - LMP - 3rd-Dec-21

I think you’d be better off factoring IN the board size, then using a (scalextric) track designer to design a layout on that board, and then route it.

Agree with Steve above, a figure eight will give you nothing except construction hassle. You don’t even need two lanes if it’s purely for testing. The tracks your proxy cars will race on will have a mix of curves so you should try and include a mix too. You should at the least have a fast corner, a slow corner, and an s-bend with change of direction.

I used ordinary DIY emulsion on the two small routed tracks that I’ve built. Run cars on it until it grips up and you’ll be fine. Both tracks were built for around £50 in materials.

RE: Figure of Eight Test Track - woodcote - 3rd-Dec-21

Good thinking Thumbup

1) A small figure-8 is only going to be a good test of stability and rear end grip - unless you have space for a decent straight to test behaviour under acceleration and braking. There’ll be a difference in handling through a tight corner and a very wide corner, so something in between might be the best compromise. I’d go as big as possible in the space - so more than an R2 size (a tight corner). That gets the rear end sorted (run both clockwise and counterclockwise) - and then a trip to a club track to fine-tune on straights and different corners.

An alternative to a figure-8 is just a circle / skid pan. The data from a skid pan is 100% about the car and the track, 0% about driving ability or style. Once rubbered-in, if you keep the track dust-free, you have very precise data on what each individual tweak does to the handling of the car.

2) Latex = emulsion https://theblokecave.co.uk/what-is-latex-paint-in-the-uk/ although Christ Frost’s BSCRA track building article suggests not to use emulsion: http://www.slotcarracing.org.uk/trackbuild/part3.htm

RE: Figure of Eight Test Track - JasonB - 3rd-Dec-21

One advantage to a figure of eight is that it has an equal number of right and left hand turns, and if it's solely a test track you wouldn't need a bridge, a simple crossover would be fine.

As for the radius of the curves, I wouldn't stick to just one.

As above latex is emulsion paint.

RE: Figure of Eight Test Track - CMOTD - 3rd-Dec-21

(3rd-Dec-21, 10:16 AM)woodcote Wrote: 2) Latex = emulsion https://theblokecave.co.uk/what-is-latex-paint-in-the-uk/ although Christ Frost’s BSCRA track building article suggests not to use emulsion: http://www.slotcarracing.org.uk/trackbuild/part3.htm

BSCRA clubs cover their track in sticky Goop which destroys emulsion/latex paint over time. For our tracks emulsion is just fine, mine is in perfect condition after many year's use. Some clubs put a thin layer of matt varnish over the emulsion and this also works well, club racing is harder on the surface than home circuits so it protects it better.