RTS 5M3 User manual

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ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
RTS 5M3 SMALL MARSHAL PLATFORM
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations in choosing a unique product to enhance your slot car track
diorama. This can truly be described as a product born from a love for slot cars.
Buying this product have made you a member of a very special family, yes you are
not dealing with a faceless business, but rather a family of slot car fanatics.
We have put hours of skill and more importantly love into this product and it is
wonderful to share our love for slot cars with you. May you enjoy the build and have
years of joy having it as part of your trackside diorama.
This product is an imaginary structure, but many likewise structures can be found at
racetracks around the world. The elevated structure gives the marshals a good
viewpoint and make them more visible to the drivers.
WARRANTY
This product is covered by a comprehensive money-back warranty to ensure your
absolute satisfaction with your purchase.
WHO ARE WE?
This product is brought to you by racetrackscenics.com. If you have not done so
already, please visit our website today. You are also most welcome to visit the
Facebook pages “Race Track Scenics Slot Car Scenery” and “Johan Malan” to
keep up to date with the latest developments and the launching of exciting new
products that may be in the pipeline.
You can contact Kevin Sharpe on
Email: [email protected]
Text in the USA 586 549 2879
WhatsApp [phone]
for any assistance that you might require. Your feedback and a photo or two of your
trackside addition will really be appreciated. We love to share in your joy!
WHAT IS IN THE KIT?
In this kit you will find all the laser cut pieced needed to assemble this product. The
pieces are still intact in the sheets as they were cut to ensure that all the parts are
there. Some of the loose bits inside pieces may have been removed, but they are not
part of the finished product. In the section “FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF” below, you
will find diagram(s) that identify and explain each piece (component) that you are
about to assemble. In the section “PREPARING THE CUT PIECES” below, you will
learn how to proceed to prepare the pieces for assembly.

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WHAT YOU WILL NEED
We have specifically designed this product so that it is easy to assemble with only a
few basic tools. You will need the following:
a screwdriver
a sharp hobby knife
some glue
a few toothpicks
a few earbuds can be handy
a paintbrush or sponge roller and paint or a rattle can or two with spray paint.
There are really two schools of thought as to the right glue to use. Some people
prefer a rapid setting glue like most gel super glues, while others prefer a slower
setting glue like ordinary cold wood glue (pva glue). Sometimes more than one part
must be assembled almost simultaneously and then a forgiving glue makes life a bit
easier. Gluing the 26 steps into place may take a bit of time when you do it for the
first time and a slower setting glue may just make life so much easier. Other times
you may want a quick fix and then the rapid setting glue is the obvious choice. Our
advice is to see what works best for you, there are no right or wrong, both types will
produce a sturdy structure.
You will only need a small amount of glue and remember to look for the surfaces that
will be in contact in the end and do not only apply glue to the lugs and sleeves. The
latter restrict movement in one plane, but the glue fix it in the perpendicular plane.
Using a toothpick is a handy way to apply glue and an earbud can be used to dab
away any excess of glue (especially if you use wood glue).
If parts must be at a right angle, you can use any object to assist you in obtaining a
square finished product in the end.

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FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF
Have a look at the photo of the finished product.
Now have a look at the next diagram where all the laser cut parts are showed and
numbered from Ato Gand try to identify which is which and where they fit in.

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You will notice that the small structure consists of four sides (A1-2), (B1) and (C 1)
and a floor (D1). There are also the two sides of the ladder (E 1-2) and some steps
(F 1-8). Lastly, you will notice the four small foundations (G1-4) for the legs.
PREPARING THE CUT PIECES
Firstly, remove all the laser cut parts from the sheets. The sheets can be discarded.
Clean the edges of the parts if there are any tiny bits where the parts were fixed to
the sheets. This can be done with your knife or even your thumb nail.
We recommend that you start by sanding your finished product with a very light
sandpaper to ensure a smooth finish for the end product.
WORD OF ADVICE
We would strongly advise you to do a quick dry assembly before you start gluing the
laser cut parts together. Lay out all the parts on your work surface and make sure
that the parts are not upside down or mirrored. In most instances it will make no
difference, but in others it may be crucial to ensure a perfect product in the end.
Our laser cut parts are specifically cut to very fine tolerances to ensure a snug fit and
therefore it is wise to check all fits before gluing parts together. You may need to trim
a lug here and there to make assembly easier.
PAINTING YOUR PRODUCT
We would strongly advise you to finish the product with paint or wood stain to make
them as appealing as possible. The parts should be primed (2 coats) and painted
before final assembly. Spray paint can also be used to get a very smooth finish. Oil
or water-based paint can be used and specialised paints like chalk paint can be used
to give unique finishes.
Generally, it is highly advisable to paint/spray before gluing. You may not be able to
get to the inside of the structure after it is glued together. Covering all the parts that
must not be painted or sprayed with the same colour can be a tedious process. Pre-
painting will avoid this process.
Please ensure that no paint clog a sleeve where a lug must fit in later. The
tolerances are often so tight that too thick a layer of paint may cause problems. It is
our experiences that a small foam roller instead of a brush, will produce a better
finish and far less clogging of sleeves.
Applying a base or undercoat normally makes life easier afterwards. Two coats of
primer are advisable because the MDF absorbs a lot of paint. Using a single colour
for the undercoat of all parts works quite well from personal experience. You can
choose the paint of your preference, whether it is oil or water based. Cleaning
brushes and rollers are just so much easier if you use a water base paint. A chalk
paste can give a unique finish to walls and give a weathered look if so desired. If you
prefer to protect the paint work of your structure you can always apply a clear spray
coat.

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LET’S GET STARTED WITH THE ASSEMBLY
The assembly of this structure is really easy and should not take too long.
Start by putting the rear side (B 1) on your working surface and proceed to glue the
floor (D 1) into the two slots. Now you can glue the two sides (A 1-2) to the sides of
the floor (D 1) and then you can glue the front side (C 1) to the assembled parts.
Ensure that all the glued parts are true and perpendicular to each other. Now you
can glue the end of the legs into the four foundations (G1-4). Apply some gentle
pressure and allow glue to dry.
You can proceed to assemble the ladder. Put one side on your work surface and
glue one side of the threads into the slots. Now you can consider to fit all the lugs on
the other end of the threads loosely into the corresponding slots of the second side
without applying any glue. It should now be easy to remove one after the other nub,
glue it and replace it and then move on to the next one. Remember to ensure that
this part of the structure must be square before the glue sets fully.
It is advised to start from one end and work your way to the other end by matching
lugs and slots one by one, almost like closing a zipper tooth by tooth. Once all the
lugs are snugly into their matching slots, it is time to apply some pressure on the top
side to ensure a snug fit.
At this stage, before the glue sets, it is important to assure that the whole step ladder
is aligned and as square as possible.
All that still needs to be done is to fit the ladder to the platform. You can use some
glue, but you may also go without any. If you want to remove and store the platform
at a stage it is recommended not to glue the ladder to the structure.
FINISHING & BRANDING
We leave the finishing to your imagination and your taste. Do whatever you think will
transform this into a structure that will compliment your race track diorama.
CONCLUSION
We sincerely hoped you have enjoyed this assembly and finishing. Please remember
to give us some feedback and either send or post some pictures of this product on
your track.