The own crawler track

• Crawler track in the garden
• Scale house
• Video of the crawler track

Undoubtedly, the cars also include scale items and a terrain to drive.... Starting with ladders, canisters, ropes and tools, shelters, to the quiet toilet, bridges and even entire houses.
You can find terrain for driving in the forest or other natural conditions, in scale parks that hardworking people have created, or you can decide to create a track in your own garden. Such a thing is quite practical, it gives you the opportunity to test something briefly or the extremely short way to simply move his vehicle.

Scalepark - idea and planning

Well, we were also firmly convinced that we needed something of our own. Something where you can always test under the same conditions, which you can reach quickly on foot.
The idea was born and a spot in the garden was quickly found.
The area was with 7x7m not necessarily huge, but for a track behind the house but fully sufficient. Now we planned what we could build there, on the one hand the area was not huge, on the other hand the ground was very root-strewn and the amount of soil was not particularly abundant. For the maximum vehicle width, we decided on a maximum of 29.5cm, so that all common crawlers should be able to drive on the track without any problems.

Phase 1 - let's dig :)

There should be a stone field, that was for sure, a few bridges and the whole thing should then be suitable for gardening, so conditionally pretty.
For the design we used planting rings, as bridge foundation planting stones. The bridges were made of wood and then sealed against the weather with wood preservative paint. Nobody wants to build a new bridge every 2 years. Unfortunately, we then discovered - wood preservative paint makes the surface extremely slippery and non-slip.
The very rooted subsoil repeatedly presented us with real challenges here and we realized that without clay soil we wouldn't really get anywhere. What substance the ground gave on site was just too unstable.

Phase 2 - Progress

Now also the first crawl attempts were undertaken around emergency passages to adapt and the water basin was let into the soil. To stabilize the tracks, they were filled with yellow chippings and then tamped down. This not only makes the subsoil more stable in terms of erosion, it also looks nice. A path through the terrain was also created in this course, no one wants to enter the track and accidentally destroy something. Also the next bridge was built as Northshore was laid free. This was of course also preserved with wood preservative varnish and then showed the problems described above, the wood had a nice surface, but it was so smooth that the car can build up just barely grip and the slopes were rebuilt a little flatter. Good that one makes between always times a test drive.

Phase 3 - Completion

Also the last bridge was built, a bridge with a width where all known crawlers can cross it. The last curves were adjusted so that you can't get the crawler around the corner without repositioning and some slalom bars in passages that would otherwise be too easy.
A few signs were 3D printed to make it even more beautiful and grass was planted in the hope that it will survive the extreme shade in the area of the track.
Now, after everything is ready, one suddenly realizes, one there must still take place some improvements and extensions. So it is already clear that there will be no boredom here next year.

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Building a house for the Scalepark

One was clear, we wanted to build now also still another house. The park ranger refused categorically to spend the winter next year in the tent. In the computer a drawing was made fast and the boys on it into the building market sent around the suitable wood to buy.
Of course, the guys put here on renewable raw materials :-). also to the physical well-being was immediately thought and abundant Norrlands Guld invited. It is to be hoped that the boys destroy the beer only after work done and the hut does not become skewed.
The whole stuff then still in the park and the chance for the park ranger not to sleep in the tent next year is very high.
Also, all the defendants decided to build the house on stilts. In reality, however, the Rark Ranger is probably afraid of any creepy-crawlies and wants to prevent the problem of permanent lodgers so. After cutting the beams and the grooves, the whole thing is then transported to the construction site and built on site. Quickly it becomes clear to everyone that these guys have already destroyed the beer on the way to the construction site und der Baubeginn wohl verschoben werden muß da der Alkoholpegel die höhe der Leiter überschritten hat.
and the start of construction must be postponed because the alcohol level has exceeded the height of the ladder.
The guys were then but also really hardworking and have completed the shell in a short time and also sorfort started the whole zuverkleiden. What is noticeable on closer inspection, the gentleman with the hat, again near the beer crates and is probably rather silent observer and connoisseur. The window frames were also delivered and inserted into the house. The guys are really happy :).

The next step is to build the roof truss, as a convertible the house would be a bit suboptimal. New wood was procured and for the sake of simplicity, the angle was decided with 90 degrees at the gable, so 45 degrees per side. After a lot of sawing and milling, the roof truss was on the house. Also for the roof we decided to use the wooden version with single battens. Sure, plastic would have been better when it comes to weathering, but somehow that would have been a break in style.
The roof and the gable still painted, the white edges mounted, a sign screwed on, you should know what you find here, and the first time it looks like a house.

The porch and the railing were added, various interior furnishings such as shelves and a floor flap to the basement, signs and of course a price list and house were mounted, were then still and the windows and door inserted. Now the house could move to its destination in the crawler garden. And ready is the hut of the Park Ranger :).

Tools used

Proxxon milling cutter MF 70, Proxxon profiler MP 400
All sawing: Japanese pull saw by hand
Windows and doors: 3D printer Anycubic Mega S
Wood glue: Ponal waterproof, important for outdoor!

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Video from the park

Here is a small section of the built park in the garden. It is probably not complete, but gives a little insight.

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Royalty free background music from Musicfox

A big thank you also to Thomas Domrese for the active support during the construction in the crawler park.