2009.09.29, 09:50 PM
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#16
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rcptracks.com
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 1,279
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PridgeoK
I've been playing around with the track a little in sketchup and kind of like the idea of a 30 degree angle to mess up the track a bit. Obviously, I lack the math to really make it work well - you can see my test track doesn't mesh right when I tried joining it up. LOL! Some fine-tuning is required, for sure. Could make for some interesting track angles instead of the standard 45/90/180 corners. These are based on the mini-96 template, but would work equally well with the wide format track.
How about rolls of RCP with no puzzle joins whatsoever? It'd be pretty cool to have a strip of like 25' by 4'wide of true-blue RCP foam! Or even have the join strip on the sides like I drew in the attachment.
Kev.
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drac has drawn up some rcp designs using 30 and 15 degree transitions. I believe he used small straight sections to make everything line up when going full circle. Maybe he can post up some of the drawings.
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2009.09.29, 11:50 PM
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#17
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Goodrich MI
Posts: 6,164
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My 30 degree set for 50cm tiles was shown in this older rcp thread.
http://mini-zracer.com/forums/showth...ght=rcp+degree
If I recall correctly it was really 22.5 like slot cars use for half of a 45 curve.
It was concieved to theoritically allow some of the existing sets to be phased out and obsolete... things like
wide curves,
the angled 45 set,
chicanes, etc...
It also allowed lots of curvy track layouts, and gives somethign more than the typical 90 and 180 degree turns... and when you put a straight in every other section it can make a super sized curve.
The 5 sections of 10cm straight to make a full 50cm square, was the filler section set. Relying on the flex in the track to take up anything less than 10cm
If your thinking about doing these, I could get back to work on the CAD file I had... it was a special file for my RCP track builder set for autocad... I should still have it.
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2009.09.30, 12:15 AM
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#18
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 236
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RCP Infrared Timing Bridge
Ya - probably not the most practical design for a timing bridge... but I was playing with bridge building for the infrared lap counter I have and thought that fitting something to the RCP screw-holes and using them as anchors would be a good way to fit it to the track without using so much real-estate like I currently do with my wooden bridge. Since I made the RCP template, it was an easy jump from there over to using some RCP rails as the bridge pieces, so here's what I came up with (see the images).
Basically, it's just standard rail pieces with a hole bored through the center for the cables to fit through... some inset cut-outs for the timer sensors to fit in, and some supports fit to the screw holes somehow.
I'll probably re-do this with some corner pieces instead of the straights to try to get that rounded bridge look, which might be good for reducing those extra-lap-reads on the lane next to where the bridge is set up. Similar idea to what Reflex did with their tire bridge, but with RCP corners.
The modularity of RCP would let the bridge expand to extra lanes simply by putting in another straight bridge piece in there, as long as the thing could somehow stands upright just with the RCP rail joins.
Might work! Might be more expensive than using some cheap wood... but hey - it was fun designing it nonetheless!
Kev.
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2009.09.30, 01:51 AM
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#19
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 236
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Right! I remember that thread. Those diagrams must have been where the idea sparked for me to try out in Sketchup - props for that concept to Drac, for sure!
I tackled the RCP corner rail bridge idea pretty quickly, so it isn't extremely well done, but you can get the idea of what I was trying. And it actually looks like it would work really well... I mean... if you can figure out how to bore a hole in it for cabling without making it look too nasty. For the life of me, I can't figure out how to get a curved hole drawn through the piece in Sketchup (maybe the pro version might be easier or I'm just going at it the wrong way)... But ya - the corner pieces look like they could work really well as a bridge in my opinion!
Kev.
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2009.09.30, 07:29 PM
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#20
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Goodrich MI
Posts: 6,164
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I could not find my file with the 22.5 degree for 50cm, but I did find the file with the 30 degree sections for 30cm if you need them... I forget what all the resonaing was behind the 30 vs 22.5 choices. But I currently believe 22.5 might be the better way to go, since it also doubles up as better 45 degree tracks... after all, the slot car companies have been useing 22.5 for years.
While I had no interenet access for most of the day today, I re drew this...
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2009.10.03, 09:34 PM
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#21
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 236
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Tinkered a bit with the idea of some obstacles that attach to the walls of the RCP... not sure whether it'd be just as easy to do this with some small cones like people use for protecting the 90* corners, but made out of RCP it would be consistent material and would probably be easy to make. Would have to think of a better bracket idea to attach them to the rail screws maybe - I just thought this would be something to help them remain stationary after a car bails into them.
Also found out that the RCP corner bridge idea plus an extra straight rail is basically a perfect fit for a 3-tile-wide infrared bridge, at least with the mini-96 the sizes look almost ideal. Not sure if the wide 50cm track would be quite as easy to make fit. Even if you don't use this idea, I might need to buy some extra corner rails and give this a whirl myself.
Kev.
Last edited by PridgeoK; 2009.10.03 at 09:39 PM.
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2009.10.04, 03:45 AM
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#22
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EMUracing
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NYC
Posts: 7,417
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I would like to see runoffs for the straights. A high grip outide border that can be slightly wider than the normal rail (plastic outer wall so you can glide on it, and goes over the retention hole... slight bank, with high grip surface). I can draw out a simple diagram in MSpaint if you need, but right now its a little late. The rail pins would have to be attached from the bottom and the rumble strip/runoff could be designed for a minimum of two or three tile lengths. It would be a way to slightly widen some 2 tile sections and shouldnt protrude more than what the standard border would...
Also, if you incorporate the type of bumps that PridgeoK drew up...
Rather than use them as obstacles, use them for rumble strips on the inside of corners. So that you are less likely to line up to hit the inside of the corner. At less of an angle of course. Just a couple inches oustide of the corner...
__________________
EMUracing
Micro RC Syndicate /DG Designs /GSR /Reflex Racing /Fast By Faqish /MurderTown Racing
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