Launches for a TTD made of Knex

I just built a good Top Thrill Dragster out of knex and have rollback brakes, brakes and the spiral. Its 5 feet tall. All i need is a good launch (besides the rubberband). Any Ideas on how to launch it.
(I cant post pictures because i dont have a digital camera or scanner)

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There are 3 types of people in this world, people who can count, and people who can't.
*** This post was edited by Top Thrill Dragster120 8/3/2003 3:46:47 PM ***

*gives camera and scanner* :D

Sounds really cool. Maybe you could use magnents? Kinda like SSMM did with SM.

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Courage is not the absence of fear. It is over comming it.

hey. this might not even work or be possible, but it's an idea, right? ..i know that shuttle loop coasters of the early eighties and beyond ... some of them used a weight mechanism to launch the train to about 60 mph.. maybe brain storm and think about weights, pulleys and how you could make it work. ..maybe utilize the "tower" as the weights drop tower? ..just a thought

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The B E S T SEVENTEEN s-e-c-o-n-d-s of SHEER >>InSaNitY<< I've E V E R experienced!

I tried the weight drop and used barbell weights and string. Its only powerful enough to get it up all the way but it gets it up about 2 feet up the tower.

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There are 3 types of people in this world, people who can count, and people who can't.

Any more ideas?

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There are 3 types of people in this world, people who can count, and people who can't.

Yea, more weights.

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Boycott the RIAA

More weight doesnt make it drop faster. Everything accellerates at the same speed so more lbs wouldnt do it. What would do it is more height but my ceiling is only 7 feet.

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There are 3 types of people in this world, people who can count, and people who can't.

actually more weight would drop it faster because the dropping motion has resistence to it. if it was free falling then it would move at the same speed, but since it is pulling something that has resistence, if you were to use a one pound weight versus a four pound weight, the four pound weight would propel the vehicle faster.

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Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription... is more cowbell!

Yes but once the weight is more that the weight of the train it doesnt make much difference. Also, the knex would collapse if I used alot of weight.

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There are 3 types of people in this world, people who can count, and people who can't.

First you will need a 12v high torque motor approx. 500rpm, a large drum, string, 24v battery, and sled. Attach it all together and when you want the launch hook 24v to the 12v motor to get it to run faster and launch. 24v will not harm a 12v motor as long as it is not left turned on, if left on the bearings will overheat. For launch purposes though it will work fine.

This was not tested, just thought out.

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Due To Budget Cuts, The Light At The End Of The Tunnel Has Been Turned Off.
MilleNNium is spelled with two n's people!

I just got done making one it took me about two and a half hours and its only about two or three feet tall. I'm workin on gettin a picture of it. It doesnt have the spiral on the way down and it is not a complete circuit (yet). To launch it, im using a hairtie and it doesnt get up all the way. I am going to try it with the weights and the string.

--brennan

I attached a string to the front of the train and then jerked the string and it worked.

--brennan

I have a drill at 800rpm and I attached it to a knex cylinder made of green rods in all the spots of 2 black circle connectors. I tied a string to it and tied some lift peices to it and it still wasnt powerful enought.
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There are 3 types of people in this world, people who can count, and people who can't.

Use a white start connector, then use white rods and connect I think 8 of them to it, make to of those, use a bunch of red corners and join those with blue rods. Should make a large drum type thing, connect that to your power drill and try again. ;) Should give the cars beating of a lifetime.

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Due To Budget Cuts, The Light At The End Of The Tunnel Has Been Turned Off.
MilleNNium is spelled with two n's people!

Maybe if the train weighed more.. not a lot, but enough to keep it in motion longer. Then maybe try using the weight drop method, but instead of using KNEX as the weights support structure, use something strong and tall (a coast rack, a cabinet, something). Try to reduce resistance in all ways... does the "cable" move with ease, or is most of the weights energy based on just moving the "cable?"

I'm about to get the screaming serpent out of the basement.. I wish I could help you more. i'm impressed ya'll can even get the thing to launch.

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The B E S T SEVENTEEN s-e-c-o-n-d-s of SHEER >>InSaNitY<< I've E V E R experienced!

For the weight thing I used the grey wheel things to reduce friction.

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There are 3 types of people in this world, people who can count, and people who can't.

Read the wicked twister model topic and use wire and electricity like little LIM's.

Plug It In? You mean burn it down right? Or trip the breaker. Please someone post a picture of this.

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Due To Budget Cuts, The Light At The End Of The Tunnel Has Been Turned Off.
MilleNNium is spelled with two n's people!

Use hydrualocs just like the real TTD! Get your garden hose and shoot water at the coaster from behind! It should work! LOL!

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Race For The Sky!

Could any of you just once spell "hydraulics" correctly? Stop and think about it for once instead of just typing whatever you feel.

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Jeff - Webmaster - GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
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