How to Make Race Track for 1:32 Scale Cars with Maslow 4

No Judgement
1

I ordered a Maslow 4 to make pieces of track for 1:32 scale RC race cars cut from 4 ft x 8 ft sheets of 3mm thick Expanded PVC Foam Board or ½” thick Polyisocyanurate Foam Board. I also ordered a DeWalt 611 router.

I need to cut grooves in the foam board about 1mm x 1mm to receive 1mm diameter steel wire which will be glued into the board. The wire will provide guidance for the cars which have a magnet mounted between the front wheels. After cutting the grooves I want to cut the full sheet into about 24 smaller pieces.

What kind of bit would you recommend for cutting the grooves? What kind of bit to cut all the way through the board? Can one router bit do both?

Should I cut all of the grooves first and then cut all the way through the sheet to make individual parts that will be connected later to make a complete circuit? If one bit can do both, can the CAD & CAM programs control the router to do both as the router moves over the foam board?

I understand that the router comes with a ¼” collet. I suspect that the 1mm router bit will have a smaller shank. How would I hold the smaller bit in the ¼” collet of the DeWalt 611?

Years ago I used DesignSpark Mechanical software to design 3D models of car chassis which I had printed at Shapeways. Can that CAD software be used to create the design for the Maslow to create in the foam board?

I have no experience with CNC routers. The only routing I’ve done is with a Dremel rotary tool. I have used fish tail carbide bits with that tool. They have 1/8” shanks.

Your answers and suggestions on how to proceed would be very much appreciated.

2 Likes
2

cutting 1/2" deep with a 1mm bit is asking a lot of if, even in foam. you should
easily find a 1mm bit that has a 1/8" shaft, and there are adapters to hold 1/8"
bits in a 1/4" chuck.

David Lang

1 Like
3

I would look for a 1/4 to 1/8th inch adapter and get a 1mm bit that has a 1/8th inch shank. That will probably be easier to find. Something like this:

https://amzn.to/42VukAU

I would recommend cutting the grooves first and then cutting the parts out after. I would switch to something a little bigger like a 1/8th inch router bit to do the actual cutting.

I don’t have personal experience with the DesignSpark software, but I would expect it to work just fine. We will make some videos soon walking you through the process using a couple different software options soon and they’re all pretty similar so that might help make it less intimidating.

I would love to see the final product when you are done!