The world of scratch building is completely alien to me...but it looks fun! How do I dip my toe into the water? 

Start building up the necessary equipment? What are the basics I will need?
   
Just buy a kit and buy the equipment I need for that particular one?

Are there easier ranges of kits to start on and difficult ranges of kits to avoid trying to learn on? 

Anything else...?

I did post the chassis build for this car on another thread, but, I had trouble updating it to show the finished car (likely user error !!),...so,...I am posting in a new thread.
 
This was an old (almost complete) kit that  I have had for ages, and rather than but more stuff, I have decided to make an effort to build what I have.
 
I did want to improve the performance of the car, but wanted any changes to be such that I could return the car to stock..(don't ask me why)
 
Anyway, the main chassis elements that I wanted to address were...the ability to freeze the drop arm, and allow for some guide height adjustment, and, add some weight via side pans. Both were fairly simple mods., and are easily reversible.
The motor did get a good overhaul......trued comm, static arm balance, zapped magnets, and I replaced the molded in rear axle bushings with some single flanged oilites.......much better !!
 
This is a shot of the completed roller..........
 

 
 
The body was not totally complete, and I did have to add/make a few bits.......I always struggle with how far to go, do I keep it stock, or add a bunch of details, so, this one is somewhere in the middle. I am still contemplating adding a small aluminum rear spoiler that I have made...we will see.
 
The car was airbrushed with Tamiya Light Blue Pearl, and clear coated with Tamiya Semi Gloss.....I think it looks much more period correct than the high gloss stuff. I did get a bit of decal "silvering"...but, I don't mind that much as I was using 50 year old decals.
 
She be done !!....still debating adding the small aluminum rear spoiler
 
Cheers
Chris Walker
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

I have an old battered REPSOL Porsche 962 and the headlights have broken.   I can't be bothered to do much but an open hole is too much even for for me.  So I have printed a replacement glass.   The files are available on Thingverse.  The first is the original (V5) and OK if you are happy with an opaque glass, as some 962's seem to have.  
V6 is a uniform thickness one for printing in transparent PET-G,  thin enough you should be able to print it as a single wall.  I have checked and it does print single wall but I only used normal PLA.   I have just sent off for the clear stuff and while it will never do for purists I'm not one so may do for me.  Watch this space.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4251008

Team

I'm wondering if there is any benefit to be had by buying a Truspeed controller for home use, on the basis that: -

I get familiar with the 'feel'
I get familiar with all the knobs

and will feel more comfortable with using them at WHO Digital events.

Or is it the case that being unfamiliar with the track layout at each WHO will override any benefit of being familiar with the controller?

[Obviously I will probably struggle to find any available at the moment...]

Just read a article that because of confinement and lockdown that there is a surge in model railways and slot cars . Can't be all bad then .

Steve

Hi
       I have been playing around with slot ca\rs ever since I had my first Scalextric Set 31 way back in 1963.
       Am a founder member of the East Devon Slot Racing Club that has now been in existence for the last 30 or so years. 
       I am slowly working through my collection of slot car magazines from the 60's and 70's scanning them and posting them online.
       I enjoy scratch building both models and tracks, but a number of my models are off beat, designed for fun, not for racing. My collection of scratch built Slot Monster Trucks  get used on my two scratch built "off road" tracks.

   

I read Alex Zanardi's 'My Story' a few months ago and really enjoyed it. I was intrigued to see BMW Motorsport have published this new interview with Zanardi on their website today: www.bmw-motorsport.com/en/topics/magazine-article-pool/alessandro-zanardi-corona-bmw-markenbotschafter

It's a very calm and humble look at the Coronavirus pandemic from someone who lives in northern Italy and who has been through some very difficult times in his life. It's well worth a read.

   

Can i suggest that, now the notifications are not working, everyone checks the portal/forum header for any PMs before going onto the forum. I've sent one that the recipient will not know about. I go straight to 'recent' when I log in.

Maybe PMs could have a section at the top with the others to show there is one waiting to be read?

Hi ,can anyone help ,posted somewhere was a thread where someone advertised they made a 3D chassis for the Scalextric MG Lola but I for the life of me I can't find it .Help please 

Steve

There was recently a heated discussion in other areas of the interweb about equal lane length on 2-lane analog layouts.

My personal opinion is that for home use, on 2 lanes if you are concerned about one lane having an advantage you have a race and then swap lanes and add up the results.

The argument for nearly identical (getting them 100% the same is kind of impossible) is that the racing is closer.

Personally I have gone to mostly digital racing at home so this is a non-issue for me and when I race at the club you race every lane so it makes no difference.

While I can understand the wish I see some people agonizing over track layouts trying to get lanes to match.

I just feel in a given space, getting a decent layout in place is more important than a "lane advantage" that can be negated by swapping...

I simply don't see this making a huge difference at home but am I just being a silly grump?

Of course, if one really is into having equal lengths far be it from me to stop you..... at the end of the day even if 51.89% like things one way there are still a heck of a lot that may like the other and that is fine...
:-)

Thoughts?