Gonna build a Coaster!

[coastermac]

Well, summers finally come. Being 17, stupidly optimistic, and having enough cash has given me an idea! Me and a group of friends have decided to have a go at building a small wooden Roller Coaster. I was wondering if anyone has had a go at it before, know any tips or things to avoid so that you can give me some advice!

Basically, any knowledge you have will be welcomed, specifically on creating the actual track that the wheels will run on.

I'll be posting construction updates and pictures all the way along, so it's like a real coaster build!

Happy mocking!

 

[Ollie]

We've had quite a few people saying they're going to do this.


No-one ever finishes it though.

 

[Pokemaniac]

Depends on how "pro" you want it, really. If you're going to have a slide and a ramp with wooden supports, I guess you could hire a scout club to do the supporting in 1-2 hours. If you want a full-fledged Wooden Coaster, well...

...you can hope.

 

[The Grape Wizard]

What's the layout? Lift, drop, turnaround, hill, back in?

Or is it more exciting like a smaller Big Dipper :lol:

 

[ryan462]

It will never happen.


EDIT: 1000th post! woop woop

 

[A-Kid]

I have no doubt you could achive a coaster, but the shear amount of wood you would need would cost a bomb. And any mechanical parts...

How high were you planning and whats a rough layout?

 

[CedarPoint6]

I did a cost-analysis of a small wooden coaster one time, using relatively cheap materials, but still something that would work. For the tiny thing I wanted to do, it was about $10,000. And that was about 7 years ago.

 

[coastermac]

If were going to do this, were going to do this right. I'm thinking upstop wheels, about 15 ft high, banked turns, the lot.

Can get alot of wood, for (Literally) Next to nothing.

Most likely to contain; Lift, drop, small hill, 180' turn, small hill, brakes.

Smaller than I must have made it out to be.

 

[Ollie]

Start saving then.

 

[The Grape Wizard]

cut down some of the trees around your house and use them

 

[Crow]

Won't you need planning permission? :?

 

[coastermac]

Not for a temporary structure with the characteristics I'm palnning.

 

[Sam]

KISS MY BALLS.

 

[furie]

PMSL UC! I'll go with Option Number 2 please publicly, but a secret option number 1.

 

[Danzibarr]

The only way I've seen for making one that'll work without spending shedloads is a guy who made the track out of PVC pipes spaced with wooden planks which look like bits of fencepost... car was made using skateboard deck wheels with a frame made. It wasn't really very realistic but I rekon you could get something out of it if you have the correct PVC bending equipment ... i.e. heat!
Still, it looks to be a somewhat hard task!

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

LOL UC, I actually am annoyed with you lately but that was actually funny, I'm not gonna lie. Although I'm pretty sure I never said what you put in any of my posts except in the topic I made that one time .

Anyway, my fo' real response is that if you have access to wood for next to nothing as you put it, I don't understand why you can't do it. Like, it's wishful thinking but you never know, it's not like it hasn't been done before. But yeah if you have to pay for wood, good luck.

 

[coastermac]

UC, how long did that take you?


Seriously?

 

[Dave]

This just springs to mind the old Over-Enthusiastic Comic about an enthusiast building a coaster.

 

[nadroJ]

Haha UC that was great!

I choose option 1, it will never work. I don't need to explain why.

 

[wash]

Well, like everyone has said, your odds of success aren't very high, but you and your friends would probably have a good time anyway. So go ahead and indulge yourself, or if not take your money and go to the French Riviera or something.