20 replies to this topic

[RidesByDaan]

Hello people! 

 

 

It's been a very, very long time!

Most of you probably don't remember me. If you do, hi there

 

I've been building rides starting 10 years ago. And stopped a year or 6 ago. I did not touch my K'nex for years and decided it was time to sell my collection.  

Fast forward a couple of years and some sneaky SSC visits once in a while. And I'm back and ready tot build again! 

 

In the past I loved to make creative stations and I still do. I will continue to focus on those stations and other design aspects of the rides. Apart from that I will try to make my rides as automatic as possible. I've never tried to do anything automatically with K'nex before. So I will start at the bottom level and hopefully get the hang of it.  

 

Anyway that was my little introduction and thoughts about my future rides. 

 

As mentions earlier I've sold all my K'nex before. Last week I've bought a couple of new sets. SS and SR (never owned a SR before). I fell in love with the SR black X-ties so I got myself a couple of those sets. Which brings me to my first problem.. 

SR sets lack a lot of granite (yellow) rods. I will have to get myself some other sets to fill those up and more SR to get more black X-Ties. Although I did not plan in investing tons of money into my hobby again since I do not know how long I will stick around this time (hopefully for years). 

 

So far I own 2x SR and 1x SS. Some other sets are being shipped as we speak. More SR, SS and a RR. 

As you can see in the pictures below I've build a little bit today. Station area, and the turn - start of the lift-hill.  Even with this little bit of the track I already ran out of granite rods.. 

 

As you can see the car does not make it (yet) to the lift hill. I've only weighted the train so far, I did not lube it what so ever. Also I'm not able to get a comparison from other cars so I can not tell if the car is any good. 

Feel free to leave a comment behind although there is not much to comment about.

 

 

PS: Does anyone know a set with lots and lots of granite rods?! Only the granite ones not the yellow rods as they use in the older ball and OG rollercoaster sets.

 

Anyway I've said enough. 

 

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By the way. Anyone has a fun coller or print I can paint my trains in?

Edited by coasterkiller05, 24 March 2019 - 03:39 AM.

[frank]

Good to see you back, You have a nice black and green design going on with the ride. If you want A lot of Granit rods you can get the Rippin rocket which comes with about 150 of them. There is one at https://www.shopgood...m/Item/64936209 for about $25-$30 including shipping. If you just want granite rods and only granite rods just buy it on eBay you can get 300 for just $12.99 here https://www.ebay.com/itm/knex-KNEX-300-SILVER-METALLIC-GRAY-RODS-3-3-8-Pieces-Bulk-Standard-Parts-Lot/264243814077?hash=item3d86289ebd:g:FRwAAOxy0bRTD3aC 

Good luck with your roller coaster, hope it turns out great. 

[CW5X]

I do love a nice blue track coaster and looks like the start of a classic sturdy lift hill setup as well. Hopefully all goes well once you’ve lubed the cars but I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t. Good to see you getting back into it.

Edited by CW5X, 19 March 2019 - 02:10 AM.

[SCM]

I'm excited to see another dive coaster! I like the color scheme, too. "As you can see the car does not make it (yet) to the lift hill." I think there must be something wrong with the train because that sounds like some ridiculous speed loss. Check to see if there's any hair or debris in the axles - preferably do this before you lube the train. 

https://www.ebay.com...ass!29208!US!-1

There's another listing for a good price actually and you'll get 200 granites but there's only 2 left (accurate to this post) so yeah. 

Nice to see someone getting back to building.

Edit: LMAO why is 'ass' in the hyperlink? 

Edited by SCM, 19 March 2019 - 08:10 AM.

[RidesByDaan]

I'm excited to see another dive coaster! I like the color scheme, too. "As you can see the car does not make it (yet) to the lift hill." I think there must be something wrong with the train because that sounds like some ridiculous speed loss. Check to see if there's any hair or debris in the axles - preferably do this before you lube the train. 

https://www.ebay.com...ass!29208!US!-1

There's another listing for a good price actually and you'll get 200 granites but there's only 2 left (accurate to this post) so yeah. 

Nice to see someone getting back to building. 

Edit: LMAO why is 'ass' in the hyperlink? 

 

Thank you! 

I've cleaned the car a little in the past days. Just pained them too, I will test the track today as I did not test anything yet. Weights and lubrication will be added shortly if needed. 

 

I do love a nice blue track coaster and looks like the start of a classic sturdy lift hill setup as well. Hopefully all goes well once you’ve lubed the cars but I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t. Good to see you getting back into it.

 

Thank you! 

I've been thinking of making the track with Black X-ties and a blue track only instead of combining them with the green ones. I just don't think I have enough of them but I'll see.

 

Good to see you back, You have a nice black and green design going on with the ride. If you want A lot of Granit rods you can get the Rippin rocket which comes with about 150 of them. There is one at https://www.shopgood...m/Item/64936209 for about $25-$30 including shipping. If you just want granite rods and only granite rods just buy it on eBay you can get 300 for just $12.99 here https://www.ebay.com/itm/knex-KNEX-300-SILVER-METALLIC-GRAY-RODS-3-3-8-Pieces-Bulk-Standard-Parts-Lot/264243814077?hash=item3d86289ebd:g:FRwAAOxy0bRTD3aC 

Good luck with your roller coaster, hope it turns out great. 

 

I've bought 1x RR today. It will arrive in a few days. 

Apart from that buying single rods does not work well for me. They are quite expensive, a regular SS or RR is about $5 more expensive then a singe set of those rods. So it makes more sense to buy a entire set. Especially when you include shipping costs. Then a RR or SS set will be cheaper then a box of 300 granite rods. 

 

Update #2

 

Some things have changed in the last week. 

I've decided to pause the Dive-Coaster for now with the reasons being: 

1. To expensive with parts. Box structure eats granite rods which I simply do not have. 

2. There was quite some automation going on to get the drop to function and such. I need lots of more and extra parts, motors and specially gears for that in order to get it working. So basically the same reason as the one above.

 

In the future I will get a Dive-Coaster done. As mention before I just don't want to fly head over heels again into building and spend a big amount of money into something straight away. 

 

With that out of the way. I decided to make a Eurofighter. Small ride with a massive lift-hill and continuing with tubes alone the ride it self as construction. I've always like tube supports, just not to build with. I just can not handle them as good as I can with boxes. But so far its been quite oké. 

As you can see the lift hill is part expensive but its mainly build with blue rods I won't or will hardly use in the main ride it self so it does not matter as much and it looks great if you ask me. 

I'm happy with the lift hill, drop and air hill. You can probably see that I enjoyed myself building supports. Especially on that area of the ride. I'm just a 100% sure about the banking of the turn in the drop. Is it too less? 

 

As for the Immelman. I will fix this today (hopefully). I did not really see what was wrong with it. I think I have to go a little more to the back before going up quickly. 

 

I did paint the cars yesterday and cleaned them a little. I painted them in gloss black. Happy with the result (first time I painted my trains). I might paint some bits of the cars in either blue or green too as that goes well with the colors of the ride. I just do not know what color nor what parts of the train. 

 

 

Tips are welcome!  

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Edited by coasterkiller05, 23 March 2019 - 07:36 AM.

[Muzz135]

This looks great so far and it’s awesome to see you’re building again: we need more people to do that cause it’s too quiet on here!
I have two things that you could maybe work on but other than that you’re all set to move on!
1 - the drop could maybe do with a tiny bit more banking (an extra 5-10 degrees I think)
2 - if you can try and get your tube supports a bit closer to the track itself it will be much more sturdy (ie have them so that the track to support connections are very short/as short as possible)
Hope this helps!

[CW5X]

The lift structure looks looks really cool and fits the eurofighter style. I think the middle of the drop could do with just a little smoothing if possible and I guess you could bank that turn a little more if you want but that 2nd picture looks really nice anyway.

As for the Immelmann, it’s not far away. I think maybe altering the middle section to somewhere near this red line I’ve drawn might just smooth everything out a little bit and retain as much speed as possible.

 0DF7CFBD-3A1E-4F33-8468-F41EDEFD267E.png   1.22MB   2 downloads

Nice work so far. 👍👍👍

Edited by CW5X, 23 March 2019 - 12:44 PM.

[SCM]

You should get rid of those two tubes that are covered by the white X and make a smaller tube similar to the yellow line. As for the track, if you follow the shape of the red line, which I matched up with the blue tubing, that will fix the issues.

Edit: I made my picture before I started writing my post, which was before CW5X got here yet we somehow both used red lines. Huh. But I respectfully disagree with CW5X (sorry m8) because doing it like that makes a sharp spot between the pullout of the air hill and the pull-in of the immelmann. 

Edited by SCM, 23 March 2019 - 12:59 PM.

[CW5X]

Haha. That sharp spot’s only there because the line was drawn with my finger lol. Didn’t think my shaping was normally that bad 😂 Take your pick though.

Edited by CW5X, 23 March 2019 - 01:05 PM.

[RidesByDaan]

This looks great so far and it’s awesome to see you’re building again: we need more people to do that cause it’s too quiet on here!
I have two things that you could maybe work on but other than that you’re all set to move on!
1 - the drop could maybe do with a tiny bit more banking (an extra 5-10 degrees I think)
2 - if you can try and get your tube supports a bit closer to the track itself it will be much more sturdy (ie have them so that the track to support connections are very short/as short as possible)
Hope this helps! 

 

Thanks for the thoughts and assistance.

I don't really have to move the track closer to the main construction for strengths. The track itself is really really solid and the train doesn't move it what so ever!  

 

The lift structure looks looks really cool and fits the eurofighter style. I think the middle of the drop could do with just a little smoothing if possible and I guess you could bank that turn a little more if you want but that 2nd picture looks really nice anyway.

As for the Immelmann, it’s not far away. I think maybe altering the middle section to somewhere near this red line I’ve drawn might just smooth everything out a little bit and retain as much speed as possible.

 0DF7CFBD-3A1E-4F33-8468-F41EDEFD267E.png

Nice work so far.

 

 

 

 

 

You should get rid of those two tubes that are covered by the white X and make a smaller tube similar to the yellow line. As for the track, if you follow the shape of the red line, which I matched up with the blue tubing, that will fix the issues. 

Edit: I made my picture before I started writing my post, which was before CW5X got here yet we somehow both used red lines. Huh. But I respectfully disagree with CW5X (sorry m8) because doing it like that makes a sharp spot between the pullout of the air hill and the pull-in of the immelmann. 

 

 

Oh a ''fight'' between Picasso and Rembrandt     

 

Thanks for the help boys. I've been working a little on the shaping this afternoon. In the pictures below you can see the progress. 
I still think it looks quite weird somehow but it doesn't bother me either. Its a strange-ish Immelman but somehow I kinda like it? 

 

@SCM 

What is the reason behind having to move the support where you placed a white X? Is it only for extra strength? The train it self doesn't weight much, I've let both trains free for a couple of times today and they both do not move the track what so ever. They are already weighted. 

 

I'm going to spam YouTube and the old SSC database for some strange twists for my coming element. I would like an MCBR after the next element I do now know yet. Something with speed as it fits the ride best.  

 

EDIT:

I do find it hard to shape and see mistakes in the track because of the switching X-tie colors. It is annoying as hell

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Edited by coasterkiller05, 23 March 2019 - 01:59 PM.

[SCM]

@SCM 

What is the reason behind having to move the support where you placed a white X? Is it only for extra strength? The train it self doesn't weight much, I've let both trains free for a couple of times today and they both do not move the track what so ever. They are already weighted. 

That is the main reason, yes, but there's more to it than that. The way you have those two tubes holding up the two larger tubes is going to do more harm than good. Trains exert a lot of force on the track when they move. When the train is coming up the pull-in of the immelmann, the forces are pushing down on those two tubes with the white X, which is already being pushed down by a lot of gravity due to their gentle angle. Those tubes will bend over time because of this. Replacing them with a single diagonal tube will prevent this from happening. Plus you'd be saving pieces on tubes and it would look better IMO, but if you want to leave it as is, go for it.

Hmm... how about something like a curved 0-g roll? That would look pretty sick. 

Edit: I forgot to mention, the whole thing about moving the track closer to the tubes is mostly for better supporting and better looks. It does steal away all of the attention from the rest of the build. 

Edited by SCM, 23 March 2019 - 04:07 PM.

[CW5X]

Yeah. If you don’t want to take out your current supports, I think an extra straight diagonal support right in the middle of the ones you have will still finish it off nicely. The shaping of it however is good now you’ve smoothened it out. This is looking like a really neat ride.

[RidesByDaan]

Oke, quite a lot has happen in the last week or so.  I ditched my tubes. Reason being: I've never been a major fan to build with tube. I love to watch them, just not to build with them. I prefer box supports above anything. I got some more sets and started with the original plan again. A box supported Dive-coaster. 

 

I kinda finished the ride already. But as you can see on the video the last bit of track has been build with yellow, Xties, yellow rods and flex rods. Of course they all will have to change to the black, granite rods. I need 60 black Xties, clear flex rods. That equals two Shark Run coasters or one Mountain one, but I will have to break down the station roof for the flex rods then. Also I assume a SS or RR set for granites will do too. 
(Maybe any Dutch/ Belgium builders are willing to trade or sell me those specific parts?)

 

Photo's of the entire ride will be posted later on. I just wanted to show you the problem I have now. The train gets through the entire ride, but it gets stuck in the last turn to the station. I can't really use a wheel to power the train forward in a turn. Moving the last straight (future switch track area) up won't look good against the station height either. And on top of that I will have to use a chain to power the train then. 
Does anyone have a solution? The track around the coaster has been supported for about 95%, so there isnt that much profit to be made there. Also the train is fully weighed. 

-Video on the link. I was not allowed to upload the video somehow? 

 

https://www.youtube....eature=youtu.be

[SCM]

I have an idea that involves the MCBR: make it a downwards gentle slope. You'll be able to get rid of the chain and therefore the friction from the chain and the red gears. Or, maybe have a gentle upwards slope with the chain to give a tiny bit of extra height that should be enough to complete the layout. Another thing would be to raise the switch track area up a bit. I realize you don't want to do this because it'll look weird, but if you make it slightly taller than the station, the final curve into the station would be on a downwards incline and would definitely allow the train to fully complete the layout while still keeping the good looks, which thing has a lot of BTW.

Edit: Honestly didn't think that would work. TEN POINTS TO RAVENCLAW! 

Edited by SCM, 07 April 2019 - 04:19 PM.

[Chaos]

It looks really good! MY only suggestions are similar to SCMs. Raise the MCBR (the car seems to have enough speed there). Or you could shorten the track length at the end, and have the turn where the track becomes yellow start sooner.

 

Also, I hate tube supports too!

[RidesByDaan]

It's been a little while since I posted anything. 

 

I haven't actually done anything to the coaster it self. I've been looking and looking for some sets that can allow me to finish the ride in the color scene I wish to. (Mostly because I didn't want to spend too much for a set)

 

 

Apart from that Christmas came early this year..  Johnny contacted me about his Ball-bearing wheels. Today the mail man handed them over and I installed them on my trains. The result? It's shocking!!

 

I've not really tested them but I don't feel like its needed to give them a major test since the result is way, way, way to obvious!

 

Video #1

My original best trains, best trains by quite some bit. They are lubed and weighted! Note: The chain on the MCBR is on! 

 

 

 

 

Video #2

The new ball-bearing trains. They run the same weights and are not lubed! (I've read that lubing makes them slower so I'm not trying that..) Note: The chain on the MCBR is off! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The difference? Not that hard to see is it?

[JohnnyR24]

Nice this is so exciting, glad they're working well for you!

[Chaos]

That's awesome!!! Glad other people can see how cool these things are too!

[SCM]

Woah. It looks like you could even raise the immelmann up another granite if you wanted to. I was going to make a "looks the same to me" joke but I can't. This is just too amazing. Also, nice catwalks. 

[CCreator12]

Looks like the mcbr will actually have to be a mcbr now instead of a mini lift