TRANSFER. STEEL STRIPS
BOUGHT A STRIP OF 1" X 1/16" X 36" MILD STEEL FROM LOWES...
AFTER A TON OF GRINDING, FILING AND SANDING, WITH A LITTLE BUTTER I WAS ABLE TO FORCE IT THROUGH THE TRACK'S CONNECTOR SLOTS...
IF WANTED I COULD WELD SOME ANCHORS ON THE BACK SIDE SPACED AWAY FROM THE STRIP WITH WASHERS TO ATTATCH TO A WOODEN BASE ;
LEAVING A LITTLE OVERHANG CREATES THE CONNECTORS ;
Discussion
LEXAN strips cut to size... heat in an oven then lay them over something with a 10"ish radius to form while they cool... barrel ? small tire ? [test with a small piece of lexan scrap]...
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I bent the steel strips easily in my hands with my thumbs
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to mount lexan or steel strips, drill 1/16" holes through each strip's ends, countersink the holes, use 6-24 or 6-32 screws with countersunk heads,
glue the spacer washer to the track's base in the correct spots...
drill through the washers and the base, then nut and screw through the transfer strips, spacer washers and base...
anchor the transfer and slide the hot wheels track onto the ends...
hmmmmm..... industrial strength Velcro on each end ?
WOW, I stopped by the sheet metal shop to check out some steel strips to make some transfers... they had a 22.5" x 20" sheet of 16 GA. mild steel scrap...
they sheared it into [18] .950" wide strips...less than $10.00... slides easily into hot wheels orange track slots...
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I intend to cut them to 20" leaving 2" of a 24" track section open at each end...these will be to slide your track connectors into...
a flat washer will be welded under each end of the strips to space the strips away from the anchor straps... letting the H W slot tabs slide by...
... Any input would help as I don't run the orange track...
how wide should the anchor straps be ? 4", 5", 6", 8" ?
what size holes to anchor it to your base ?
I intend to ship them to our racers straight, and have the racers that want use them bend them to match their track's incline...
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flat prototype [racer bends to his track specs], I like the yellow with racing stripe track because it is very forgiving when arched...
.under side view shows gaps for the connectors, you may need to cut the taper off one end of your connectors, i'll make the next batch with 2" gap at each end ;
proto-type transfer sent to the DENTON testing facility... results TBA...
Transfer strips have arrived and some initial testing done...
http://www.redlinederby.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1749&p=26040#p26031
That's awesome, Smitty! That's a true solution right there so long as you can fashion something that keeps those steel strips in place - magnets or screws that go into the base?
I suppose you have fancy bending tools, right? Just wondering if this can be accomplished by someone without a garage full of tools...? Of course, now I'm thinking about what other materials are rigid but can be bent easy and attached...hmmmm...