Metal fabrication is unfamiliar to most of us. Fortunately it comes with cool tools that create fire and sparks!
As I begin to cut and prep tubes for welding, let me show you the steps necessary.
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Video-Tubing Steel Fabrication for Our Backyard Roller Coaster
Video-First Successful Rides on the “Black Widow” Roller Coaster
Well, the day has finally come! We are ready to do our first runs on the Black Widow Roller Coaster!
After running the cart with 180 lbs of load (1.5 times intended load) for three circuits on the layout, we certified the rider weight capacity to 120 lbs. More than enough for my three kiddos.
Well, let’s see if they like it…
Video-Cart Issues on Our Backyard Roller Coaster
My first attempt at a cart was a good success. Well, except for the front wheel assemblies, and the side and up wheels….
Ok, so it needs some work. See why and how to correct it.
Video-Backyard Roller Coaster Initial Trials – They Didn’t Die
The moment we’ve all be waiting for is here. Real people riding the Black Widow from the second hill. Let’s look at those smiling faces….
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Spoiler alert; nobody died and they liked it. Now on to the first full circuit runs.
Video-Initial Drop Retracking for Our Backyard Roller Coaster
If you ain’t screwing up; you ain’t doing anything.
Believe it or not, I have a written goal of to “fail” once a day. Yep, we learn more from our failures than from our successes, so why not fail more?
This time, it was in calculating and building the proper bank in the first valley. I knew what the calculations said I should do, but didn’t do it because I thought I knew better. I believed that my dive angle would make up for the lack of bank.
Rides like Top Thrill Dragster and Viper as Six Flags Magic Mountain are evidence that at a steep enough dive, you don’t need to bank the track. Well, my drop was no where near steep enough to compensate. – Design Error
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The second error was just a lack of roller coaster design experience that I have since gained. (There is plenty more to learn, don’t worry). This was determining what radii to work with and how to support and address the actual construction of the project.
The result was 3 days of tearing up the old track and reconstructing it to a 53 degree bank angle. Enjoy!
Why Incremental Testing is Important – I Destroyed My Roller Coaster
So I wanted to sneak in a quick run on the roller coaster before we began ‘official’ testing. See what happened and why it was a good thing.
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Yeah, I destroyed it, but it did teach me a valuable lesson in transitions and how the track layout spreadsheet still needs oversight.