98 replies to this topic

[LaMbChOpZ]

It's almost that time of year for me to be finished PJAS testing and building a coaster, but this won't be any ordinary coaster! This coaster is guaranteed to be displayed at my school's Celebration of the Arts (like an art show featuring hundreds and thousands of works by students), with this coaster, my friend's coaster, and supposedly a 3rd VV coaster in the planning phase, it was time to make a coaster I can do easily and spend enough time focusing on every little detail.

For those who do go to expo's, this will be just like one for me, except with friends, family, and teachers who don't know I build with K'Nex.


So I'll cut the chatter. I only have the design done for the ride, with dimensions (not finalize, but it's approx. 2.5 feet by 6 feet, heigh is undetermined as of right now). I am including scenery, but that will be added after the ride is finished. With that, I give you my latest design plans:

[Blackkitty]

The Cotangent of A?

anyways looks nice. Hope to see this built. You have potential and starting with something smalish like this is good. Just don't go too crazy with details that seems to be your flaw.

[2015ASM]

^Celebration of the Arts

Well your blueprints look very well thought out and I don't doubt that your going to make an awesome creation from this. Good Luck!

-AsM

[ickus305]

When I set-up ReAction as a sit down, I had things laid out the same proportionally, but I set-up at 8 feet long and 3(ish) feet wide.

Good Luck with things. The first step to a good project is good planning.

[pkiknex25]

The loop is supposed to be the other way. Not that it really matters though.

[LaMbChOpZ]

The Cotangent of A?

anyways looks nice. Hope to see this built. You have potential and starting with something smalish like this is good. Just don't go too crazy with details that seems to be your flaw.

Thanks! This won't be small, however. I might have to increase the dimensions by a foot, but that's not going to be a problem. I don't see how it's really a flaw, but I typically go over the top with scenery for a ride, because the more realistic, the better.

^Celebration of the Arts

Well your blueprints look very well thought out and I don't doubt that your going to make an awesome creation from this. Good Luck!

-AsM

Thanks, and you're right about CotA

When I set-up ReAction as a sit down, I had things laid out the same proportionally, but I set-up at 8 feet long and 3(ish) feet wide.

Good Luck with things. The first step to a good project is good planning.

Thank you, not like I can't say ReAction didn't help inspire me to build one. I am contemplating about expanding the dimensions another foot in both directions just to give me some leeway incase I need to increase it. I already have the basic shape of the loop figured out from my PJAS project, so now I just have to convert it to tubes, fix the pullins, and get started on building the rest of the base!

The loop is supposed to be the other way. Not that it really matters though.

I can fix it.

[Kevyn230]

I like the plan a lot, very well thought out and drawn. You know what you are doing so now you can get on with it. Good luck and I wish you the best for the coaster outcome.

[LaMbChOpZ]

^Thanks! I've started to figure out the weird angles I'll have to built my supports and track at to get the nice and clean look of being A-symmetrical, but hopefully I can make it work. The lift hill is going to be at a 30 degree difference from one another, meaning I have to make the difference when building straight 15 degrees. I have an idea how to do so.


Verbal update: So far, planning has been going great. The coaster's dimensions will most likely be the same. Judging from the loop that is planned to be 2 feet high, the lift hill will be a total of 3.5 to 4 feet tall. Also, the main lift hill and how the cars will be pulled up backwards is being though out. I will let you know that it will be a completely automated process and will be like no Boomerang coaster seen before. I'll attach a design plan in the first track update. For now, I still have testing to finish before I can start.

Finally, I was able to find a seller on Ebay that's selling me a good amount of blue tubing for my coaster. I'm using blue tubing and yellow crossties since blue and yellow/gold are our school's colors. I'm looking into purchasing some joint parts on Ebay this weekend since I know I'll be needing quite a bit of them.

[LaMbChOpZ]

Woah woah woah! Slow down with the comments people!


I finished the basic structure for the base, and figured out a good angle for the lift hill to be. I'll be ordering about $60 worth of joints, blue 7-connectors, and brown ladder connectors hopefully tomorrow. Without these parts, it might not be possible to finish the coaster.

I wanted to make a 3D base, but I don't have enough parts to make it 3D without not having enough to put off the side for whatever comes up. I really want to make a 3D base, so the tube supports can be easily installed, but I'll have to look into purchasing more metallic blue 7-connectors. Also, how does the angle of the 2 lift hills look? I might make the angle less, so I can fit the whole coaster in the base since I've been told by the owners of the basement that the base shouldn't get any bigger.

EDIT: The support at the back is to help me figure out the right height, but this seems to be right.

[alpal]

Looking good, keep on building.

[Jumpge]

I really like seeing the plans so far but after seeing icus305's sit-down boomerang fail to come close to making the elements with a general and realistic lift height, I would suggest you to step away from the path of a "to scale" boomerang recreation and go with a somewhat custom boomerang that has steeper and higher lifts in order to get that speed that you need to have the cars complete the elements. With the room that your planning to make the lift in right now, just raise the lift support's height a gray rod taller in oder to have that steep effect, and make the track longer if you need to, but this will give you more speed that you need. I would get the lifts both built so we can see them, and if there looking good them move onto creating the cobra roll to see how much speed you have to work with. After that, adjust the lifts if that's needed and go onto making the loop. With this construction process I think it will make your life much easier while building this coaster, and once you've done that leave it to the theming.

Especially with the time limit for this, do the theming last if you want this coaster to be built, because your theming has slowed down many constructions you've done such as the Zacspin, the Winter Contest Coaster, and your vertical lift coaster you were doing.

After watching your builds, I can see your a superb builder but get distracted with details on the coaster to make it realistic. If you make the ride with this sort of building process then you can get a great coaster done and then do theming. Look at icus305 - His builds include much detail, but he does the detail after he's created a beautiful coaster and I see this in you.

I just want to give you this run down because I think your a fantastic builder and can make this small coaster awesome! I don't mean to hurt you in any way, but I really want to know that I think your an do a lot with your building skill, and this is how I think you can do it. Good luck bro.

[A.S.C.]

^Agreed with all of that.

I like what you're going for, can't wait to see more.

[LaMbChOpZ]

Looking good, keep on building.

Thanks!

"Text"

Thanks! Trust me, I'm going to try to build the whole coaster with almost little to no scenery (I might not have any scenery depending on how big this coaster is going to be). I am going to have to get the general shape of the station built while I build the coaster, since the angles will be a little awkward to make a station.

As for the lift hill, I do like the idea of making it tall, but I'll have to really support it. I've never made tube supports this big, but I'm going to try my best. Making them 4 feet tall is a little daunting to me, but I know I'll be able to do it. I have enough time to get it perfect. With the supports now, it will be about 3.75 feet - 4 feet. I might raise the last 2 supports up a grey rod length to get it at 4. If it doesn't work from there, I can always extend the lift hills by a little bit.

[LaMbChOpZ]

Maybe for the 6 people who aren't fully liking the idea, maybe this track I got off of Ebay, a very hard find, will like the coaster a bit more now....




Doesn't look too bad!



Now this is a mock of what the lift hill will look like, catwalks and all. It looks quite nice actually.


I have to order a few more parts on Friday (my parents get paid Friday, so Paypal will allow us to buy parts), so all I can really do is just build the basic shape of the station. Hopefully I'll be able to get the whole lift hill supports finished by March 30th. I expect it to take some time.

[Dragon]

This is just the shark run track?

Also i am loving the idea off a boomerang hope u can do it!

[Poseidon]

Looks nice, usually you don't see yellow crossties with blue tubing. Quick question, why do you use so many crossties?

[rollercoasterfanatic919]

The color combination is nice, I haven't seen yellow and blue often before. I hope you have enough blue tubing for three lengths, if you're going the make the middle blue too. Looking forward to this!

[A.S.C.]

Quick question, why do you use so many crossties?

He has enough to use them spaced like that all the way around the ride, which is slightly more realistic and more stirdy.

[LaMbChOpZ]

This is just the shark run track?

Also i am loving the idea off a boomerang hope u can do it!

Thanks! The seller on Ebay told me it was just blue track, but I assume they're parts of Shark Run. I know I can finish this coaster. Maintaining speed will be a big problem. My inversions will be somewhat big, but out of proportion to the ride.

Looks nice, usually you don't see yellow crossties with blue tubing. Quick question, why do you use so many crossties?

Yeah, you really don't I guess. I use so many because I have about 300 crossties, and it tends to not only look better, but I have the resources to do so, so I shall.

The color combination is nice, I haven't seen yellow and blue often before. I hope you have enough blue tubing for three lengths, if you're going the make the middle blue too. Looking forward to this!

Thank you. I have to double check my measurements for the coaster, but I will have enough tubing to have both sides blue and at least both of the lift hill's center tubing (notice how I didn't say chain lift )


More thoughts / suggestions would be appreciated.

Spoiler

Hopefully I don't double post again

[ickus305]

Yay, someone else is coming to the dark side and doing colour coding

Are you using felxies for your lift hill? I would suggest using grey rods or stiff rods for the lifts, especially if you are using tubes, for the lifts.