SlotStructures Skid Aprons

For a very long time now, if you were building an HO scale track using plastic track, the ability to create a good skid apron has been a challenge. Short of using cork roadbed from train scenery, or using foam insulation, ceiling tiles or sheet rock there were little choices. Tyco, Aurora and AFX had a few items, but they were usually for specialty track sections like chicanes or hairpin turns. And the other solutions were not suited for anyone building a temporary track that may be taken up or redesigned often. So along comes SlotStructuress and their line of CNC routed skid aprons and walls for HO scale plastic track. This is a top of the line product, built to exacting measures. They work on any HO scale plastic track and can be used in both a temporary or permanent layouts. So let’s take a closer look at what SlotStructures offers and how they work with HO plastic track.

Slotborders come as a complete package for your outside or inside skid aprons. In the sample, we received a 12 inch radius outside and inside skid apron with large retaining walls for the outside apron and short walls for the inside pieces. The outside apron and retaining walls are shown above. Slotborders are built with a machined step that allows for small dowels (supplied with the aprons by the way) and are adjustable to fit any of the brands of HO plastic track. This is perfect for the racers that change their layout often or set up racing night on the family room floor.

Here you can see the adjustable dowel placement on a section Tomy AFX track. The pins can be placed to accommodate Tyco, Life-Like and other brands and can be made to match the radius of these brands.

As seen in the pictures above, Slotborders aprons are perfectly level with the track’s racing surface. So you are free to power slide through your turns and still have a level surface to race from. The Slotborder products are CNC machined and are consistent in their shape and contour and leave no gaps between the track and apron.

Even the retaining wall pieces are machined to fit the specific radius of the turns. Above is the 2-piece, taller retaining wall. The shorter wall used for the inside radius is the same as the lower section pictures above.

Shown at the arrow above is the relief cut that is routed into the apron. This is the mounting point for the retaining wall. The routed area matches perfectly to the machined retaining wall pieces. You can secure the walls with a little Carpenter’s Glue.

Here you can see the outside apron with the retaining wall in place. A very scale appearing setup that can add some serious realism to any racing layout.

Here are both, inside and outside aprons with the retaining walls. These are just sitting in place for the moment. The gap shown in the outside retaining wall will disappear when the final assembly is placed together. This picture shows the difference between the inside and outside retaining wall heights.

You get plenty of drift space with these aprons. You also get the chance to leave your “mark” on the walls if you get too bent out of shape.

I was so impressed with the quality and craftsmanship of the Slotborders product line, I purchased a set of inside aprons for my 15 inch/18 inch custom banked oval.

Slotborders 15 inch inside skid aprons and low retaining walls were the perfect fit for my customized banked turns.

Slotborders product was a perfect fit. They matched the track’s surface height and added that realistic finishing touch, highlighting the end of the racing surface the beginning of the pit area.

Slotborders also has a nice transition section the makes for a smooth entry or exit of the skid apron area, once again making a very professional looking layout.

The next step in my installation will be to paint the surfaces of my new racing surfaces. Slotborders comes in a variety of curved and straight sections. When this article was originally written in 2015 they offered:

At the time we were writing this article (2015), Slotborders owner, Mark Dill, contacted us about a new item soon to be released. We have a sneak peek of the new “hairpin apron/wall and cap” assembly. This will give you that “Monaco” look of F-1 racing in HO scale. This new assembly fits the 6” radius turns. The pictures also show off a new diorama section that will also be coming soon.

Above 6 Photos Supplied by Slot Borders

With a complete line up of skid aprons and walls for every curve radius and straight currently available, Slotborders has filled a very large gap in the HO scale racing world. Making the aprons user friendly and usable in a temporary or permanent layout was very forward thinking. Slotborders will also soon be offering the aprons without the “under the track” lip for those racers building a permanent layout or for those tracks already secured in place. Slotborders skid apron and walls of all radii match up to all other Slotborders pieces for a seamless flow. So any number of increasing or decreasing radius turns or left and right turn combinations, will be matched by the Slotborders product. With the current product line and new elements being developed, this product should be a great asset to the HO racing community. Slotborders has earned my highest rating ( I guess I need to come up with a rating’s scale now!). I know it has added to the realism and race-ability of my track. Think what it can do for yours!