Are you ready to take your slot car racing to the next level? Imagine designing and creating your own custom track pieces, tailored to your exact specifications. With Printatrak, this vision becomes a reality. Dive into the innovative world of 3d Printed Slot Car Parts and discover how you can craft tracks of any length, radius, or angle you desire.
Printatrak is an ingenious project featuring two core 3D models designed to revolutionize slot car track creation. Both models are meticulously engineered to be fully compatible with Scalextric slot car systems, ensuring seamless integration with your existing cars and accessories. The track designs incorporate precise slot centers and tab holes, and are optimized for use with readily available copper adhesive tape for conductivity.
One of the Printatrak models is dedicated to straight track sections. Its parametric design allows you to effortlessly adjust a single numerical value to generate straightaways of virtually any length exceeding 40mm. This adaptability empowers you to fine-tune your track layout for optimal racing performance and creative freedom.
The second model caters to curved track sections, offering unparalleled customization of your raceway bends. By simply modifying the inside radius and swept angle parameters within the design file, you can produce curves ranging from gentle arcs to tight corners. For example, pre-configured minimum values include r58 & 22.5 degrees, r214 & 11.25 degrees, and r370 & 5.625 degrees, providing a starting point for diverse curve configurations. After adjusting these values, the model regenerates, ready for you to save as an STL file, slice, and then bring to life with your 3D printer.
These versatile Printatrak files are publicly accessible on Onshape.com, a cloud-based CAD platform. For hobbyists eager to explore 3D printed slot car parts, Onshape offers free access upon registration. Simply register as an educator – a designation perfectly suited for self-learners and DIY enthusiasts – to gain access without subscription fees, provided your designs remain public. The cloud-based nature of Onshape eliminates the need for software downloads, streamlining the design and modification process. To begin, visit Onshape.com and search for “Printatrak”. Remember to select “Make a copy” to create your editable version and unleash your track-designing creativity.
The creator, “race runner,” envisions Printatrak as the cornerstone of an open-source slot track community. The hope is that enthusiasts will collaborate to expand the library of 3D printed slot car parts, making custom track designs accessible to everyone. While the initial designs focus on flat track sections, “race runner” is already developing exciting expansions, including 10-degree banked tracks and 5-degree cambered tracks, slated for future inclusion in the Printatrak library.
“Race runner” is also seeking community engagement by offering to print prototype track pieces using the Printatrak files. Interested individuals can request printed samples in exchange for covering the postage costs once the parts are ready. This initiative aims to foster collaboration and showcase the potential of 3D printed slot car parts. The build process and resulting track pieces will be documented on a blog and featured on Thingiverse.com, further contributing to the open-source spirit of the project.
Embrace the future of slot car racing and explore the endless possibilities with 3D printed slot car parts and Printatrak. Design your dream raceway and contribute to a growing community of passionate creators.
