# Texas Heat.



## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

Hi Guys. 

I know we have a few Texans and Southern slot heads here, I have a question, first off for those that don't know I am a Canuck I grew up and lived most of my life In canada with a BAsement I coudl fill with slot car track.. now I live in North Texas.. What I need to know is can I build a bigger track then the hollowcore door I use now in my garage without spending 3 grand to air condition it? Will the track take the heat in there? or am I just gonna have to resign myself to take what ever space the lord and master sees fit to pursue my hobby?   

Thanks...

Dave


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

AfxToo said:


> I know the plastic track expands and contracts with heat and humidity rusts the rails. But you can't be the only person in your situation. How did the door track make it through the summer in the garage?



It was in my office lol..So I didn't have any reference. But Man I want to set a bigger setup got two more new cars in to-day from scale auto and I am itching for a 7-8 foot straight away instea dof the hungoraring.. LOL.. I feel like a grandma somedays.. HEck my big track in the 80's was 72 feet of running room and th etrack record was 8.7 seconds.. this track you can't even get to register lol...

Still thinking...

Dave


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## doctorslotcar (Jul 25, 2004)

Last year I set up an out door track here in GA and the only problem I had was direct sunlite. I had to replace a few pieces and several heat warped into some great road hump pieces that I utilized on my landscaped 2 lane,I used a stiff small paint brush and applied dielectric compound lightly to the connections and covered it when not in use. We also added shades to all sides of the sun porch to deter the sun from redesigning my layout.Born in Souix Lookout Ontario myself.I miss the Fishin there man.


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

*Texas Heat, Garage Track*

Hi All..

I actually made a trip to visit the Slot Father to-day in Plano, I was blessed to have fellow slot heads willing the share the knowledge of building a Track inthe Garage.. ( Never got names and thought crud what if they where Hobby Talk guys, I"ll feel like a idiot..) But crux was it has to be A/C'd wasn't too bad of news.. thing was my Wife made me look at new houses AGAIN! on the way home and now she is trying to decide if I"ll be paying 260 G's for the next house.. Grrrr.....thats slot money she's spending does she not understand?

Dave


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## Captain Fred (Feb 19, 2000)

I live just North of Houston. It gets pretty hot down here. I have a Tyco track set up in my garage, which is un air conditioned. It's been sitting out there off and on for most of the past year. So far, I haven't had any problems. I have open rafters with ridge & soffet vents. I also have no windows out there, so no direct sun. I also have a good size fan in the summertime. I can open both the front & back doors and get a good little breeze going when it's hot out.
I hope to have some climate control out there this year. I'm thinking about sectioning half of it off and installing a window AC in the track side of the room. I've been able to live with it so far.


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## okracer (Mar 11, 2002)

hey im in norman oklahoma north texas might not be too far a drive lets race lol


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## Captain Fred (Feb 19, 2000)

If any of you guys are ever planning a trip to Houston, me and TxStreetRacer live North of the city, fairly close to each other. If you're driving down I-45, you'll pass right thru my area. Shoot me a PM. Maybe we can do a little racing here.


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

> HEck my big track in the 80's was 72 feet of running room and th etrack record was 8.7 seconds.


Wow that's kind of slow- What cars were you running? My track is 83 feet and change and cars run from 6 seconds with Tyco's to low 4 second times with Hot Stock G2's or Patriots with an 18 VDC power supply. Yo must have had a lot of curves in that layout!

The only time you will experience trouble with expansion and contraction is if the room temperature changes severely and you nail or screw down the track. If it is a constant temperature range there shouldn't be any issues. Humidity can cause dust to affix to the track though but regular cleaning should prevent electrical contact woes.  

-Scott V


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

Slott V said:


> Wow that's kind of slow- What cars were you running? My track is 83 feet and change and cars run from 6 seconds with Tyco's to low 4 second times with Hot Stock G2's or Patriots with an 18 VDC power supply. Yo must have had a lot of curves in that layout!
> 
> Gee for a writer I write poorly, should read 6.7 seconds and it was a G-plus 917 shaved out and the chassis lightned ala. Sammy Ryan. LOL..also Silicones where illegal at the time for us as half our drivers drove bone stck cars and some of us were pounding them bad enough. I remeber one guy who could barely break 10 seconds in qualifying but always finished in the top 6, Slow and steady I guess..lol.. Track was weird in a way I had some massive straights with 12 inch hairpins at the end of the back ( actually middle) straighaway but he front straight although over 14 feet long ended with a 9 inch slide track into a 6" chicane..was a bit of a bugger to drive somedays ( had races Sunday afternoons and I was a bartender at the time lol)..
> 
> Dave


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

*Possible Solution?*

The only time you will experience trouble with expansion and contraction is if the room temperature changes severely and you nail or screw down the track. If it is a constant temperature range there shouldn't be any issues. Humidity can cause dust to affix to the track though but regular cleaning should prevent electrical contact woes.

I just had a thought.. ( Duck he's thinking again...) what if I hard wired every section. and used a expanding foam to fill in gaps over the course of the summer? could paint the track over the next winter and that might solve the expansion woes.. Its moot anyways the new house will have its own 16-12 Hobby room stricktly for the track.. yee ha...But might be worth a look for this summer ( will be 7 months till the build is complete our lot hasn't been released yet.) Also might be a decent artical for ho world or such for future guys in my situation.. Its not like I don't have enough track kicking around right now..

Dave

Hey I actually put grass on my door track today, color me amazed..painted final coats on two cars, laid the grass..cleaned off the track lol..and its only 10:30.. maybe I should go work...hmmmmmmm nope test the track time...


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

I think the biggest problem with expansion and contraction of any material is when it is attached to another material with different properties. Same with the rails installed in PVC routed tracks. If PVC routed tracks are subjected to big temperature changes, people have reported problems with the rail moving out of the grooves. If you attach a plastic sectional track to a wood table in a room where the temperature range is a lot you will experience warpage in your plastic track as the wood does not expand or contract like the thin plastic.


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## MAD MAN TIMO (May 5, 2005)

you could build a wooden one and not leave your cars in there.


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