RTS 10D3 REIMS-GUEUX BLOC HABITAT User manual

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
RTS 10D3 REIMS-GUEUX BLOC HABITAT
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 put hours of research and skill and more importantly love into our products 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.
Soon after the iconic Circuit de Reims-Gueux in France was closed in 1972 most of
the buildings and structures were demolished one after the other. Luckily sanity
prevails and some of buildings and structures were left as abandoned structures and
not demolished. The Bloc Habitat was one of these buildings and soon it was totally
dilapidated.
A couple of years ago a local group of volunteers came together and started to
restore these buildings one after the other and they truly did an amazing job. This
process is still ongoing and Bloc Habitat is once again the graceful building of years
gone bye.

This building should feature in each and every Reims-Gueux inspired slot car race
track and therefore we decided to design and produce scaled versions of this
building. For practical reasons we have limited the scaled version to the rotunda and
three units. This is as close to a replica as we could get. We believe that this will
enhance your trackside diorama and help to transform it into a realistic scaled reality
for you to enjoy.
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.
In the kit you will also find some optional pre-cut artwork printed on matt photo
paper. This can be used to brand your finished product.
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. Sometimes more than one part must be
assembled almost simultaneously and then a forgiving glue makes life a bit easier.
Other times you may want a quick fit 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.
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 (the
finished product in the photo above has been spray painted). 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 slot 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.

FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF
Have a look at the photo of the finished painted product.
The kit contains of almost 100 pieces and therefore we will do the instructions in
stages. First, we will do the main structure. Now have a look at the next diagram
where these laser-cut parts are shown and numbered from Ato P.

LET’S GET STARTED WITH THE ASSEMBLY
All that is needed for a proper sturdy assembly is some glue where any two parts
touch each other. The lugs that fit into the slots stop any movement, but the glue
holds all the parts together. The walls must therefore have glue at the bottom and
the sides where the parts touch each other (only a little bit of glue is required). Gently
press down on the walls to ensure a snug fit. Ensure that all the walls are plumb and
square before the glue fully sets.
The main structure consists of a foundation floor (A) into which the walls fit. There
are four dividing walls separating the units, walls (B), (C 1-2) and (D). They are
different and must be used in the mentioned sequence from left to right. There are
three walls in front (E 1-3) and three at the back (F 1-3) of the building, The nubs of
these walls fit into the slots of the dividing walls (B), (C 1-2) and (D),
The first-floor slab (G) fits onto the walls mentioned above and the nubs of the walls
(B), (C 1-2) and (D) fits into the slots of the floor (G), There are also walls that fits on
top of the floor slab. Again there are four dividing walls separating the units, walls
(H), (J 1-2) and (K). They too must be fitted in sequence as described above. There
are three walls in front (L 1-3) and three at the back (M 1-3) of the building, The nubs
of these walls fit into the slots of the dividing walls (H), (J 1-2) and (K), The three
units have internal walls separating the sleeping area from the bathroom (N 1-3).
The nubs of these walls fit into slots in the floor slab (G)

To complete this stage of the construction we need to fix the roof (P) to the walls. We
must allow the glue to fully sets before we proceed to the next stage.
Now have a look at the next diagram where the second set of laser-cut parts are
shown and numbered from AA to AG.
(AA 1-3) are window frames that fits on the windows of the lower level walls (E 1-3).
(AB 1-3) are doors that fit in the openings of the lower level walls (E 1-3).
(AC 1-3) are window frames that fits on the windows of the upper level walls (L 1-3).
(AD 1-3) are doors that fit in the openings of the upper level walls (L 1-3).
(AE 1-3) are doors that fit in the openings of the lower level dividing walls (N 1-3).
(AF 1-2) are doors that fit in the openings of the wall of the semi-circular room (B)
(AG 1-12) are the window cills for the 12 windows at the back of the building.
Now have a look at the next diagram where the third set of laser-cut parts are shown
and numbered from BA to BE.
(BA) is the safety railing on the balcony in front of the three units. The four nubs at
the bottom of the structure fits into the four slots of the floor slab (G). Four of the
uprights (BB 1-8) must be glued to the back of the four columns of (BA). The other
four uprights (BB 1-8) must be glued against the front upper wall in line with the four
columns. NOTE: Before the uprights (BB 1-8) are glued as described above, three
sets of two horizontal railings (BC 1-8) must be glued in between three sets of
uprights. The semi-circular railing will fit into the fourth upright.
The five pillars (BE 1-5) must be glued to the two semi-circular railings (BD 1-2).
This subassembly can then be glued into the five slots on the semi-circular balcony
at the head of the building.

Now have a look at the next diagram where the fourth set of laser-cut parts are
shown and numbered from CA to CE.
In each of the three units there are a staircase from the lower level to the higher
level. Each staircase consists of two sides (CA 1-6) and eleven treads (CB 1-33).
The nubs of the threads must be glued into the slots of the sides. Once completed
the staircases will grip around the floor slab (G). There are three openings in the
floor slab where the stairs go. The staircase is between the rear wall and a dividing
wall and the area underneath the staircase will be used as a bathroom.
The roof has three skylights to allow light into the three upper rooms, but also to
allow sight into the rooms. These skylights were added for this very reason and is
not historically correct. There are three frames (CE 1-3) that fits over the skylights.
The roof slopes towards four protruding bits, overhanging the balcony, where the
rainwater is collected before it flows down the inside of the four columns to be
discharged at a lower level. There are four U-shaped berms (CC 1-4) around the
protruding bits and three long straight berms (CD 1-3) between the U-shaped berms
to direct the water to the collection points.
Now have a look at the next diagram where the last set of laser-cut parts are shown
and numbered from DA to DJ. This will be used to construct the Rotunda at the head
of the building.
The front circular wall of the Rotunda is made up of two layers of item (DA 1-4), 2 to
the left of the door opening and two to the right. The curvature of this wall follows the

curvature of the foundation floor (A) and connects with wall (B) at the back. The third
layer is made up of 2 pieces (DB 1-2), again 1 to the left and 1 to the right of the
door opening. These pieces have slots where the nubs of the wall-and window-
panels will fit in from above.
The front double door frame (DH) fits between these two quarter circular walls in the
front. The two door (HJ 1-2) fits into the door frame. To the left and the right of the
door frame are one each of the following panels: (DD 1-2), (DE 1-2), (DF 1-2) and
(DG 1-2). Pieces (DD 1-2) fits against the wall (B) and pieces (DG 1-2) fits against
the door frame. On top of these panels are the semi-circular piece (DC), also with
slots where the nubs at the top of the wall- and window-panels will fit in. NOTE: It
may be the easier to construct this round wall upside down, that is to say put (DC) on
your work surface and then glue in the panels, then the pieces (DB 1-2) and lastly
(DA 1-4). This complete sub-assembly can then be glued to the foundation floor (A).
This completes the assembly!!
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. We have
included some artwork and would suggest that you protect it with a clear spray.
The following pre-cut artwork is supplied with this kit:

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.