Indoor 1/24 Rock Crawler Course

[WickedFog]

I am currently 3d printing a bunch of decorations and obstacles for my crawler course. I figured I would go ahead and start sharing some of the stuff I am working on in one spot. So far I have printed about 30 individual logs anywhere from 3/8" to 1" diameter...

The logs will be piled up to make transitions and things around the layout.

For the last couple days I have been working on a rolling bridge that will roll side to side. The video below is the finished pieces and initial testing.

After the vid I did some more tests. What I learned...

1. The bridge is too heavy, so I am removing all the weights.
2. The bridge will be spanning a gap, and will be on an angle to make things a little more more interesting.
3. As I figured, PLA is slippery. Paint should solve this, but even then, I think I will be adding some anti-skid tape to the driving surface. That will make moving from one side of the tube to the other much easier.

I think it is going to be a really fun obstacle after I get it dialed in

 

[STONER RC]

That's pretty cool crawler feature! Nice job. That crawler is so small and cool. I so want one for winter. The bridge almost looks like a 55gal drum cut in half. You should get a small long pan and have it span over water. Then you can have "wet bridge nite crawl"

 

[WickedFog]

That's pretty cool crawler feature! Nice job. That crawler is so small and cool. I so want one for winter. The bridge almost looks like a 55gal drum cut in half. You should get a small long pan and have it span over water. Then you can have "wet bridge nite crawl"

This bridge will be going over the center of what will kinda be a figure 8 in the course. I may put a water feature on the course, but probably in another area.

 

[Tunedfrog]

This is really cool WF.

 

[WickedFog]

This is really cool WF.

Thanks. I have been meaning to get some foam going to start getting the course designed, but I keep thinking up ideas for scenery and obstacles. I need to get these done before doing any foam work. I am also changing my table sizes from 2' x 4' to 32" x 56" to give me a little more room to work.

Next up will be a little camper by where I think the start of the course will be. This won't just be a crawler course. I plan to make the scenery pretty cool as well.

 

[Tunedfrog]

Before I started building RCs in my shop, it was my train room. I ran HO scale and N scale. I use to use limbs from an artificial Christmas trees to make my little trees for my lay out. My popsicle sticks, trust me, "I have THOUSANDS of them" makes for great scenery or stuff like bridges and what not.

 

[WideOpen]

Before I started building RCs in my shop, it was my train room. I ran HO scale and N scale. I use to use limbs from an artificial Christmas trees to make my little trees for my lay out. My popsicle sticks, trust me, "I have THOUSANDS of them" makes for great scenery or stuff like bridges and what not.

I love trains and slot cars too! I need a 40x60 ft. shop just for all this "scaled down real stuff" - surely cannot refer to them as "Toys"!.

 

[Tunedfrog]

I really miss my train room actually, just no room for it.

 

[WideOpen]

Great concept WickedF - consider a larger radius if your printer can handle it.

I really miss my train room actually, just no room for it.

it takes up soooo much room; so does Slots....

 

[WickedFog]

Before I started building RCs in my shop, it was my train room. I ran HO scale and N scale. I use to use limbs from an artificial Christmas trees to make my little trees for my lay out. My popsicle sticks, trust me, "I have THOUSANDS of them" makes for great scenery or stuff like bridges and what not.

I used to scratch build trucks and things in N scale out of styrene. I also made hundreds of tree armatures out of twisted wire. I used to do that for hours at work while my machine ran. I think the most branches I ever put in one was 130 wires. It was about 2-1/2" tall. Was pretty proud of that one, but it got lost in a move. I also still have a 1/10th scale semi load of N scale lumber and styrene.

 

[Tunedfrog]

I still have box of slots stuffed in storage.

 

[WickedFog]

Great concept WickedF - consider a larger radius if your printer can handle it.

it takes up soooo much room; so does Slots....

I had it drawn with about a 50% bigger radius, but the size of it was getting too big for my space. I am kinda glad I did shrink it because once I get the grip problem fixed this should work really good. I sat and played with it some more. Will post up another vid tomorrow.

I still have box of slots stuffed in storage.

I have a few 1/24 slots with the "turbo" controllers. Those were a lot of fun.

 

[WideOpen]

I had it drawn with about a 50% bigger radius, but the size of it was getting too big for my space. I am kinda glad I did shrink it because once I get the grip problem fixed this should work really good. I sat and played with it some more. Will post up another vid tomorrow.

I have a few 1/24 slots with the "turbo" controllers. Those were a lot of fun.

Right On Brother -you're the pro!

 

[Doom!]

Awesome job, this is going to be massively fun to watch it all come together. I have always been a fan of miniature anything and everything. When you have the spare time scratch building can be quite enjoyable. I want to make a mini course, but it will have to be extreme heat tolerant, because my garage is the only place I have enough room.

 

[WickedFog]

Awesome job, this is going to be massively fun to watch it all come together. I have always been a fan of miniature anything and everything. When you have the spare time scratch building can be quite enjoyable. I want to make a mini course, but it will have to be extreme heat tolerant, because my garage is the only place I have enough room.

Thanks!
Yeah, that wouldn't be impossible. This bridge would be a pile of goo in a hot environment since it is just PLA. Other 3d printing filaments can withstand the heat better. You would be fine using natural stuff like rocks and wood and plasters though of course. I wish I had a garage. This thing would be nuts!

 

[Xraycer]

I love trains and slot cars too! I need a 40x60 ft. shop just for all this "scaled down real stuff" - surely cannot refer to them as "Toys"!.

This is my 16'x6' 1/32 I haven't used in years. I've been wanting, for quite some time, to get back on it, but the rails needs lots of tlc to get to optimum performance again. I'll get back to it one of these days. I've got over 100 cars that's itching to come back to life!

 

[STONER RC]

This is my 16'x6' 1/24 I haven't used in years. I've been wanting, for quite some time, to get back on it, but the rails needs lots of tlc to get to optimum performance again. I'll get back to it one of these days. I've got over 100 cars that's itching to come back to life!View attachment 130365

Dam I wish I had a basement again. That's awesome. I also have a slot track. But it sits in box. LOL Love those little whipper snappers. It's a big pain to wet sand all those rails. Getting them in prime shape again. I got some wing body slots I take to track with group 20 and 21 motors. Love slot car racing. Little blurs.

 

[Xraycer]

Before I started building RCs in my shop, it was my train room. I ran HO scale and N scale. I use to use limbs from an artificial Christmas trees to make my little trees for my lay out. My popsicle sticks, trust me, "I have THOUSANDS of them" makes for great scenery or stuff like bridges and what not.

One year, I've scored a bunch of every green trees during a post Xmas clearance. Got them for next to nothing!

Dam I wish I had a basement again. That's awesome. I also have a slot track. But it sits in box. LOL Love those little whipper snappers. It's a big pain to wet sand all those rails. Getting them in prime shape again. I got some wing body slots I take to track with group 20 and 21 motors. Love slot car racing. Little blurs.

Sorry, that should be 1/32. I had 1/24 on the brain because of this thread.

Getting that track back into shape will require a poop load of elbow grease! There are 4 lanes, and all the lanes are painted with spray paint, so the arduous cleaning process will severely ruin the paint....and make a huge mess! This process will also require me to be in that bent over position, so I know it's just going to kill my back and shoulders. This is why I've just procrastinated on this task for years.....just not looking forward to it.

....but it got lost in a move.....

I'm betting that the Mrs. "accidentally" placed that box with the rubbish pile

I still have box of slots stuffed in storage.

What scale?

 

[WickedFog]

I'm betting that the Mrs. "accidentally" placed that box with the rubbish pile

Were you married to her too? Yeah, that is basically how that went down.

 

[STONER RC]

Oh man. Better get a masusse lined up. For when you decide to tackle that project.bud
I think all wifes are like that. Mine did the same. To my track and air hockey table. Turned them into catch all and laundry folding tables