# Lurker coming out of the shadows



## breaume (Feb 7, 2007)

I have been lurking around for a few weeks and thoughtit was about time to introduce myself. Sees like a nice bunch of folks around here.

Anyway I have never really been into slot cars except a little when I was a kid. My sone had a cheap life like track that I decided to build a table for and know it has turned into a great father - son project. He is only seven but I am trying to involve hime in just about every phase that I can. We are having a blast.

My first attempt was this layout. but after 1 1/2 months of some real trouble areas where the track just wold not line up and the elevations seem to cause problems for the kids. We decided to tear it down and rethink our layout. 












This is our new layout that we are waiting for the rest of the track peices to arrive in the mail. I am hoping that it may be a little easier for the littel ones. I used the 12 and 15 inch turns to help with it. He really likes how the x-traction and t-jets slide around that is the reason wiggle in the middle. Not the most technical course but should be a lot of fun for the family.











One of the things I wanted to add to it this time was some kind of sound barrier to quite down things. the Homasote was proving difficult to find so I came across SilentStep at home depot. it is an underlayment for lamenent flooring it is about 1/8 in thinkness and covers 50 sq feet for $34.00. then I covered that with woodland senics vinyl grass mat. We plan to landscape as time goes by.

I will keep you posted on the progress. :wave: 

Brian


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

Welcome Brian!

Looks like you have things well underway. Definatly keep us posted on the progress, one of the really neat things about hobby talk is fresh eyes sometimes give even the most seasoned slothead new ways of thinking and it grows. thanks for the tip on the sound proof, I just cleared the area for the new 4x16 Arrowhead point, ( New name will come ) finally getting away from my 23ft door track ( That my wife keeps covered with boxes anyways..lol).. I have been marking notes on all the greta ideas others have shared and still haven't come to a conclusion on any track design.. Might be a good project for wes.. lol...


Dave


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## breaume (Feb 7, 2007)

I will let you know how that sound proofing works when the track has been set up.



> That my wife keeps covered with boxes anyways..lol


I stole my wifes scrapbook area that she and her friends used to build this track. I promised her that woul dset up the track with a table cover she could put over it to scrapbook. I am still trying to work that out.  

We have not thought of a name for our track yet either. But the wife calls 'Money Pit Speedway' LOL


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## doubledeuce (Jan 16, 2006)

Welcome to Hobby talk! I too was a closet reader for months. LOL!!


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Another victim*

Yes, Welcome Brian & son. This group is pure fun! I learn something new here almost every day. Judging from the pic you have great benchwork skills. Looks like a great setup with more to come!

An old school wheel controller will help keep the kids in the groove and interested 'til their skill level improves. It's a simple matter to wire one up in series with your Russkit style controller. You only need to wire through one side of the wheel troller (the resistor side). I hide mine under the benchwork, so's not to embarass the junior racers. It's very easy to increase the performance as their skills quickly develope. The training wheels will be off soon enough.

As Coach so eloquently stated, but I'll paraphrase; We need fresh meat! I've never been associated with a more creative and dedicated bunch than the gang here at Hobby talk. Definatley a stand up bunch!


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Welcome to our little corner of HT! :wave: 



breaume said:


> We have not thought of a name for our track yet either. But the wife calls 'Money Pit Speedway' LOL


 
:lol: Your TM (Track Manager = wife) ain't seen nuthin' yet, hey!

Just wait til your collection has grown to 100, 200, 300 cars and the track table has trippled in size to match, eh! :thumbsup:


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## Scafremon (Dec 11, 2006)

Nice entrance from the Shadows!

Your current track and the one planned look very nice. 

Regarding the underlayment, I'm curious to hear from you if it makes much of a difference. I think I used the same product on a track I built for a friend. Unfortunatly, I have no idea if it did much good, because I had nothing to compare it to.


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## breaume (Feb 7, 2007)

thanks for the welcome everyone.

Scafremon
that is what I used. I will report back when I have the track set up again. I am waiting for a shipment of turns. just from tapping on it with my fingers and a screw driver it definitly seems to make a differenc.

Brian


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## breaume (Feb 7, 2007)

> Your TM (Track Manager = wife)


LOL
Also know as 

My Finacial Advisor or The War Department


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

Welcome Brian, the thing that stinks about this place is when you think you got the "layout of a lifetime" someone posts a picture of theirs, and you get more ideas, and start ripping and redoing your platform, lol.
Not to mention, you'll get to see all the new releases, and the things people are selling and building.........it's an addiction, learn to hide things from your wife, one guy one here (I can't remember) has his cars all over the house, little displays so to speak, and he rotates the cars in them so his wife don't know whats new. Creative is the whole bunch.

Scaf, the roll of green stuff? Looks like the under the christmas tree platform stuff, I just bought some at Country Junction (best store in the world, if you get to eastern Pa., find one of the 3) on clearance for 1.50 a roll.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Welcome indeed. Some great pix, just keep them coming and don't forget to join us on the Wed night chat, 8PM est until......... :thumbsup: rr


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## Scafremon (Dec 11, 2006)

sethndaddy said:


> Scaf, the roll of green stuff? Looks like the under the christmas tree platform stuff, I just bought some at Country Junction (best store in the world, if you get to eastern Pa., find one of the 3) on clearance for 1.50 a roll.


I don't think that would be the same stuff, although it may also work for deadening sound. This stuff also would not look real good under an xmas tree.



I considered using it for my track, but decided against it. One reason was cost. It would have cost me like 5 T-Jets to add it to my track. Second was that most of it is not under the track, so it is even more expensive. Lastly, I knew I would want to cover all the exposed areas of it with something else, since it wasn't the look I wanted for the non-track areas.

Having said that, if I wanted to cover all the infield and border areas with 1/4" mdf like I did on "Rich International Speedway", I may have considered using it again. The padding underneath both track and infield allowed you to kind of adjust heights when screwing things down.

I don't think my friend even knows that there is a sound proofing underlayment between the topside and the table.


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