February 17, 2021
#418
Gentle reader,
I last wrote about progress on our building our own downhill (and uphill!) course for 1:64th scale diecast cars generically known as "Hot Wheels" at the end of last November. Here is the link:
The Robb Collections: Plenty of Materials Have Been Gathered To Begin Construction of Diecast Cars Race Course Chapter FIVE
I had seen some black with orange stripe Hot Wheels track on various other diecast racing channels and since we had decided to avoid the BLUE DOTS which occur with modern twelve inch long track sections by using vintage track. So, I did a search for black Hot Wheels track on eBay and found this, it is the seller's photo:
The long black pieces are two feet long. Below are previous mock up photos prior to getting this black track.This is before Nancy brought home car fulls of material which was being thrown out from her work. Obviously, this is with no supports which would show the great height the entire setup will be. 
Another angle of the same setup. Note how the Crash Racers grey straights interweave with each other.
A little more three-dimensional in this mock up now sitting upon the base.These will be the bottom section of Crash Racers track. I am making as much of the support from heavy duty corrugated carton (cardboard boxes).
I used the circumference of the standard figure-8 Crash Racers curves traced onto double wall cardboard. I cut four of them out and glued them to the curves with clear E6000 glue.
I made shallow parallel grooves every 1/2 inch the entire length of the cardboard support walls. This is a woodworking process called "kerfing". Except in wood, usually plywood, shallow cuts are made through the first layer of the plywood in order to shape it into a curve.
I cut five square pieces of cardboard and glued them inside the two curved walls and on the ends. This strengthens the assembly. Once all the supports are made, a mock up will be made of all the track pieces and each support's final location will be marked on the base and all the supports will be glued to the base.
In an earlier article, I showed how I have used various sized craft sticks to strengthen the Crash Racers and Hot Wheels tracks. This should mitigate the need for wood to support them across spans.
I have since removed the short tongues which would slide over the curve's tongues. They were interfering with the curves thicker tongues.
I used most of the two-foot long black track. I found that an old fashioned paper cutter is ideal for cutting Hot Wheels (and probably Crash Racers as well) to any length one wants.
So, I cut two of the two-foot long pieces the same length as the shorter pieces. I did this since the shorter pieces also have shorter walls.
We have one similar to this image I found online. Except ours is so old it does not have the finger guard like this one. Anyway, use the measurement guide on the cutter, have the track upside down and press it flat with your fingers, holding firm, and it will slice cleanly and squarely through the track.
This is a NOS Hot Wheels Sizzlers Dual-Lane Speed Brake & Esses Pak which I was fortunate to find on eBay.
The box shows it's age but the contents are new. The box appears to show it being used as a starting gate.
This is a photo of the FIRST set we bought which has seen better days. The black things are "pedals" one presses with a hand or foot. They send pressurized air through the clear tubes which activate the black levers protruding from the side walls. These squeeze the oncoming cars to slow them for the esses.
They are better seen in this photo. However, as a start gate, the orange buttons push down and then reset the orange devices sticking up in the center of each lane.
I will be adding something glued to the orange stops to make them a little higher. Some cars have too much clearance beneath them to be held in place as they are.
The esses and day-glow curve as well as the Sizzlers dual lane curves will be painted black to math the Hot Wheels track.
The little car you see is a K.I.T.T. self-powered version of what vintage Sizzlers cars are. We have three of them. See:
We plan to race them and possibly Crash Racers cars UPHILL on the course. The K.I.T.T. cars have rollers on the ends of the their front bumpers which help the cars transition from Crash Racers track to the dual lane Hot Wheels curves.
We have two more of the 15 degree wedge pieces for the Sizzlers dual lane track just in case we want to increase the angle of the second curve.
The grey (or is it gray?) end of the Crash Racers track piece is the same piece as the beginning of the Crash Racers portion of the track as seen in this print. That end seen will connect to the first left hand Crash Racers curve.
Why are we using such a compact layout if we have so much track?
We wanted to use as much of our track as possible without having it run all over a room. We don't have a garage such as 3D uses for his KOTM and DRC courses, we only have a corner of our family room. So, it needs to be compact but it will be quite the elevation drop from the start gate to the exit at the bottom.
We have tested various angles to determine the minimum speed needed for most cars to transverse the curves completely but not so steep that they want to leap over the top of the curves.
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Scott
February 17, 2021
#418
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