So, I've been wanting to build a track for non mag cars. All the while, and for no apparent reason, I was struggling with routing 3 slots for each lane and how to go about the rail.
Then it hit me that I don't need a rail since it's strictly for non mag racing.
That said, let me ask this.
Can I simply route one slot for the guide pin for each lane, then use a pinstripe tool with an attachment to ride in the rail to apply adhesive backed copper foil like what's used for stained glass?
If so, how would I get power to the copper? Would I simply drill holes in the rails and come up from the bottom and solder on leads and file them down or?
Is there any conductive foil tape available that would allow me to simply feed the leads through a hole and simply by sticking the tape on top of it it would conduct?
I have been way over thinking my approach it seems.
Go check out Old Slot Racer for all the how to's for a routed track. Apparently HO cars need a slide guide to work on a track with copper tape though. Keep us posted.
at least it did when I almost bought it on the bay... I had not trailer, so I did not hit BIN. apparently, Autoworld bought it and reworked it for their store. When it was for sale, it was copper tape with the thin metal underneath for magnetic traction.
One would assume that the HO cars they run at the AW store don't have slide guides.
Which leads me to believe perhaps, by some stroke of luck, my wiper set up will work.
HO cars work better with some degree of magnetic attraction to give a more reliable shoe/wiper contact.
Even Tjets have a small degree of this.
The way to counter nil mag attraction is to add weight to chassis.
Brass cars (incl TycoPro) do just this.
Using wipers (or preferably braids) would help on the wide smooth copper tape.
We occasionally run HO cars on our track The tracks is built to the normal standards for the 1/32 and 1/24 we usually race, it's routed MDF with copper braid.
The standard HO cars run OK with their standard pin guides.
I think what I am building, will have some magnetic force from the motor coming through the brass a small bit.
I weighed what I made versus stock, and without the arm/mags/brushes/tubes in, it's already a gram and a half over the stock weight. The brass chassis is full brass, so it's pretty heft.
My wipers so far, are just fine on contacting, and I have yet to install the motor, so I'm hoping, I'll be ok on making contact.
I think what I am building, will have some magnetic force from the motor coming through the brass a small bit..
Maybe I've misunderstood what you are saying, but just to clarify
Magnetic downforce depends on the track being attracted to a magnet.
If there's some steel in the track then you can have magnetic downforce.
MDF, copper and brass are all non magnetic, so if that's all there is in the track there will be zero magnetic downforce whatever magnets there might be in the car.
I think you did fine Al's, I think I failed to get what I trying to say completely across.
My comment on having some magnetic force through the brass is based on my digital scale, with a metal surface. I put a regular say, mega g on there, and it brings a negative 6-7 gram reading when it's on there just before the guide pin touching.
The car I built, doing the same thing, nets about negative 2 grams, so there is some magnetic pull coming through, which say on my sectional track will give magnetic downforce.
My comments were directed to bananasmoothies comments that cars tend to hold down a bit better with some level of downforce, in that there is some magnetism coming through my brass car, albiet useless for what I am wanting to build.
I think I tried to say too much, with too little...
I do wish, to build a track, that is absent of all magnetic intervention while driving the brass cars I am building. I wish for nothing more than weight, skill and some silicones to keep it on the track.
I thought of some sort of electro magnet set up also. One that is a thin brass wire or something under the copper tape. When turned off, it's nil to magnetic down force coming from a car, for racing brass type cars. But, flip a switch, it sends some current through the wire hidden under the copper tape, and the same track could be used for true non magnetic, or for modern inline cars.
My thoughts are, some kind of wire like used on arms. It can take current and make it magentic, which if you are running modern inlines, they are with heavy downforce, so it wouldn't take much to to react with the magnets in the car. Long shot, but I tend to brainstorm alot.
I enjoy vintage type brass/non mag driving the absolute most. But I also do enjoy racing modern inline cars as well. So I just thought one track, kill two birds with one stone.
Probably wouldn't work, but it's a cool idea I think.
I do wish, to build a track, that is absent of all magnetic intervention while driving the brass cars I am building. I wish for nothing more than weight, skill and some silicones to keep it on the track.
You can. A routed MDF track with copper braid or tape gives zero magnetic attraction with any car. That sort of track construction is common in the larger scales.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncdslots
I thought of some sort of electro magnet set up also. One that is a thin brass wire or something under the copper tape. When turned off, it's nil to magnetic down force coming from a car, for racing brass type cars. But, flip a switch, it sends some current through the wire hidden under the copper tape, and the same track could be used for true non magnetic, or for modern inline cars.
My thoughts are, some kind of wire like used on arms. It can take current and make it magentic, which if you are running modern inlines, they are with heavy downforce, so it wouldn't take much to to react with the magnets in the car. Long shot, but I tend to brainstorm alot.
.............
Interesting concept - lets think it through a bit further
Tracks are not (significantly) magnetic, they are attracted to magnets.
The magnets in cars would be attracted to an electromagnet as long as the polarity is the right way round (get it wrong and they repel)
The repulsion problem could perhaps be overcome by making sure all the cars have the same magnetic pole facing the track (there's no standardization on that at the moment because with ordinary track either pole will attract )
Electromagnets normally consist of a coil of wire with many turns. Although a single wire carrying a current does produce a magnetic field, unless vast currents are used, that field is so weak it will provide negligible magnetic traction. Of course it is theoretically possible to have loads of coils all round the track, but is it practical?
another option may be to build your brass cars with the motor not showing through the chassis bottom, then just build a standard steel railed track.
Any conductor (even non magnetic brass) acts as a shield to magnetic fields.
To illustrate - a standard Tjet still has enough magnetic field below it to activate my track's reed switches, yet a brass panned TycoPro chassis won't, despite having resonably strong motor mags.
Can I simply route one slot for the guide pin for each lane,
Yes. I have run on a couple of tracks that utilized foil tape with no issues. One was set up for non-mag racing and the other had steel wire under the foil tape for mag cars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncdslots
then use a pinstripe tool with an attachment to ride in the rail to apply adhesive backed copper foil like what's used for stained glass?
As mentioned, check out a taping tool and build or modify as you need.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncdslots
If so, how would I get power to the copper? Would I simply drill holes in the rails and come up from the bottom and solder on leads and file them down or?
Yes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncdslots
Is there any conductive foil tape available that would allow me to simply feed the leads through a hole and simply by sticking the tape on top of it it would conduct?
I would solder the power connections. I would also solder the tape overlaps, especially if you decide to run your track in both directions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncdslots
I have been way over thinking my approach it seems.
Better to over think in the beginning than to rework as you go!!!!
> Any conductor (even non magnetic brass) acts as a shield to magnetic fields.
**********
Nope, not true. To shield against a magnetic field you need a ferromagnetic material -- like iron or nickel. If a magnet will not pick up a material, it can't be used as a shield.
Materials like brass do not 'conduct' a magnetic field. And it is that conductance that is needed to shield against a magnetic field -- something like a short-circuit.
Increasing the distance of the magnet from whatever you are attempting to pick up (or suck down against) has a profound effect on the force. If I remember right, increasing the distance decreases that force as a function of the SEVENTH POWER! Which means doubling the distance would reduce the force by a factor of 128!
That doesn't take into account the business of magnetic saturation. A ferromagnetic material can only 'conduct' so much magnetic flux. If you try to put more into it, the flux just leaks out into the surrounding air. So that means that the maximum attraction you can get between a magnet and a piece of ferro-whatever is limited. When a magnet is very close or up against, the steel or whatever is probably saturated, so pulling the magnet away will not reduce the force of attraction all that radically.
I'm going from memory here. I'm no way an expert on all this stuff. But there is a lot more to magnetism than most people suspect.
HO cars work better with some degree of magnetic attraction to give a more reliable shoe/wiper contact.
Even Tjets have a small degree of this.
The way to counter nil mag attraction is to add weight to chassis.
Brass cars (incl TycoPro) do just this.
Using wipers (or preferably braids) would help on the wide smooth copper tape.
Hi,
I'am new to this forum but I have something I would like to share with you.
It's our home made routed HO track with copper tape(foil) 1/8 inch (=3,2mm).
See more on
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I did some modifications on the AFX mega G car.
Mod1) Add some lead on the front and rear of the chassis.
Mod2) Replace the pickup shoes with copper wire (I used NSR 4824 Ultraflex silicone motor wire) mounted to the brushholder with the tip of a toothpick.
Routed track for non mag question
I had not trailer, so I did not hit BIN. apparently, Autoworld bought it and reworked it for their store. When it was for sale, it was copper tape with the thin metal underneath for magnetic traction.
Yes it works AFX mega G car on copper tape
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