[Ntxslotcars]

Just curious, seems kinda dead around here lately...

[KensRedZed]

Hi Rich.

Small membership base. But growing quickly now that the most interesting man in the world is here. 

I'm making an HO drag strip for testing cars. New tracks and everything.

What's new with you?

[woodcote]

Eleven hours ago, I was most definitely asleep


Maybe dreaming about the chance of some T-Jet racing on the bullring this summer...

       

       

[Model Murdering]

Here's how it works .... here.

Like the vast majority of us, I have to manufacture the time to play with little cars. Not always an easy task. The formula for manufacturing time is as follows.

  Imagine going to the circus (do they still have those?), and watching the juggler keeping all those plates spinning, while riding a unicycle, with the poodles jumping though hoops, and the clowns tossing banana peals, all in proximity. If I can keep all plates spinning, dodge all the banana peels, and not step in dog doo, I have made precious time. Heaven help any who disrupt my slot cave when Im working on "made time".

Seriously though, I enjoy the ebbs and flows of slotting. Recognizing that some of the mindless in-betweens are a good time to engage my last three brain cells; to think, plan, and ponder my builds.  I often do my best slotting, hanging on a ladder painting, or letting the lawn mower drag me around the yards.

Interestingly, I tend to post in a follow-up fashion, during the lulls and voids. When I'm not posting, rest assured that mischief is afoot

[JasonB]

I'm here.  

I don't always have a lot to say, but the times when I'm quiet are when I'm doing my best work.

[Ntxslotcars]

Thanks guys!

Im inviting folks so hopefully it will pick up.

Bill, you may remember this...

Me and Doba used to count how many "thread kills" we had.
Not as an honor, but a frustration.  It was never intended.
We noticed that one of us would comment on a thread, and maybe because the answer we had was completely thorough,
or because the question we asked could not be answered?  
At any rate, we noticed the number of threads started stacking up with our name at the end.

Anyways, over the last week, I started having flashbacks.

Don't be shy!!!

[KensRedZed]

It's 9pm my time. 2am in the UK, and almost everyone is fast asleep. Best time to wander the halls and leave graffiti on the walls. 

Speaking of walls. Here's the new wall of drag-racing. 15 feet, 3-inches. Green tape at the starting line, and 7-foot finish line. A 9-inch piece of track at the end of the 7-feet had the tabs bent on both sides for a dead spot. No power beyond 7-feet.

   

The lights hanging from the wall are moved over the center of the AFX track when it's folded down from the wall.

   

The lights are also handy for the drag-race track. Nice view from the starting line. Who's foot is that?

   

Creating an isolated short at the end of the shut down section should create braking for the car?

[Top Down]

Dragstrip shutdown area: Here's one I did earlier.

From the top, on the left the rail is ripped from a straight to create a dead electrical section in the direction of travel, here to the right, where I've attached a shorted out 3" straight that can be seen in the right hand photo. You can just make out the tops of the 'staples' I inserted across the rails to create the short.

          

From the underside, the left shows the complete 'shutdown' strip. The 'staples' were bent up from bits of the rail ripped from the dead section. On the right the dead section and shorted out piece were glued together. The 'U' shaped staples were inserted alongside the rails after first pushing a knifeblade (preferred) or jewellers screwdriver through just enough to allow 'wiggle-room' so the staples fit tightly against the rails.

No soldering was required. 

A dab of superglue at the centre spot of each is just for peace of mind. They are such a tight fit they shouldn't come out though.  

             

The markings on the track surface are partly to help identify the shutdown strip in a boxful of regular track, to show the direction of travel and mark the start of the braking zone. It was extremely effective in reducing the shutdown area and bringing cars safely to a halt on our 1/64th scale Quarter Mile (20.625'.)

[dvd3500]

I bought a Triumph Spitfire in November that needs a complete strip down before restoration and had to scramble getting parts from the UK before Brexit and for some reason without the club I just haven't been slot racing much.
Also a lot of my time was spent on the official Scalextric forum and that was down until just recently which also sort of made me wander...

Things may change though.. :-)

[KensRedZed]

Thanks a million for the photos and explanation, Top Down. 

Rich. The most active or enthusiastic users are often the last name on most threads. The HO section here has picked up steam for some funny reason. 

DVD3500. Spitfire? Nice car! Got pics?