RTS 2T13 BRANDS HATCH LEADER BOARD User manual

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ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
RTS 2T13 BRANDS HATCH LEADER BOARD
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 a replica of the Brands Hatch Leader Board dating back to 1967. The
artwork that forms part of this kit is the results of the Brands Hatch 6 Hours of 1967.
The available photos and lack of information once more necessitates various design
assumptions, but we believe that we have captured the ambiance of this iconic
structure and is proud that we can give it a second life on many a slot car trackside.
WARRANTY
This product is covered by a comprehensive money-back warranty to ensure your
absolute satisfaction with your purchase.

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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.
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 fit and then the rapid setting glue is the obvious choice. Our advice is to

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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.
FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF
Have a look at the photos of the finished product from the front and back.

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Now have a look at the next diagram where all the laser cut parts are shown and
numbered from Ato S. We will indicate which is which and where they fit in.

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The main element of this structure is the main billboard (A) where the results are
shown. This billboard is supported by two columns that are made up of two narrow
(C 1-4) and two wide (B 1-4) sides. These columns are fixed to the foundation (D).
To the rear of the billboard is a vertical girder (E). This girder is also fixed to the
foundation (D). Two catwalks (F 1-2) spans between these two supporting elements.
At the end of the catwalks there are security railings (Q 1-4). On the front of the
billboard is a trellis girder (G) that divide the billboard in squares where the
information is displayed.
At the rear of this structure is a staircase that gives access to the two catwalks. The
staircase is made up of two sides (J) and (K), two landings (L) and (M), a brace (N)
between the legs, an end gate (R) at the top and 21 threads (S 1-21).
On top of the two columns are caps, each made up of two squares and a small
billboard (P 1-2) that fits into the top square.
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 all the pieces 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

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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.
LET’S GET STARTED WITH THE ASSEMBLY
Let’s start by assembling the two top caps (P 1-2). Glue the smaller of the two
squares to the bigger square with the slot. The engraving line will help with the
accurate positioning. Do this for both caps. Next you can glue in the nub of the small
billboard into the slot in the top cap. Do this for both caps.
Next, we are going to assemble the two columns and we are going to use the
foundation (D) to assist us, BUT we are not gluing the sides to the foundation at this
stage. Each column is made up of two narrow (C 1-4) and two wide (C 1-4) sides.
Two of the narrow sides (C 1-4) are engraved and they must face to the front Two of
the wide sides (C 1-4) have slots where the billboard will fit in, they must both face
inwards towards each other. 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 sides must therefore have
glue on the sides where the sides touch each other (only a little bit of glue is
required) but in this instance the bottom lugs must NOT be glued. The lugs at the
bottom of the sides must be fitted into the slots in the foundation (D) to ensure that
the sides are positioned correctly. As soon as the sides are glued together the
assembled top caps (P) can be glued on. The smaller square of the top caps will fit
in between the sides and help with the positioning of the sides at the top. Allow the
glue to fully set before you proceed.
Next, we will remove the assembled columns and glue the lugs on both sides of the
billboard (A) into the slots of the two assembled columns. The engraving on the
billboard must face to the back. Before this glue sets the whole sub-assembly can be
glued to the foundation (D) by gluing the lugs at the bottom of the columns into the
slots of the foundation. Gently press down on the columns to ensure a snug fit with
the foundation and also press the two columns towards each other to ensure a snug
fit between the columns and the billboard. Ensure that all the parts are plumb and
square and the structure upright before the glue fully sets.

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Study the second photo to see the direction of the staircase and also the openings in
the side at the level of the landings. The staircase side with the openings must be
closest to the rear of the billboard. Also make sure that the openings in the vertical
girder (E) matches the openings in the side of the staircase.
Next, we will assemble the catwalks and the vertical girder (E). Put the assembled
structure face down on your worksurface and proceed to glue the nubs on one side
of the catwalks (F 1-2) into the slots of the billboard (A) from the rear. Now the nubs
on the other side of the catwalks (F 1-2) can be glued into the slots of the vertical
girder (E). Before the glue sets the four outside legs of the vertical girder (E) must be
glued into the four slots of the foundation. Turn the assembled structure upright and
make sure that all the parts are plumb and square to each other before the glue fully
sets. Now the four security railings (Q 1-4) can be glued into the slots at the ends of
the two catwalks.
You can proceed to assemble the stairway. Put one side (J) on your work surface
and glue the lugs on one side of the threads (S 1-21) and the two landings (L) and
(M), into the slots of the side. Now you can consider to fit all the lugs on the other
end of the threads and landings loosely into the corresponding slots of the second
side (K) 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 staircase is aligned and as square as possible. To complete the assembly
of the staircase you can glue the brace (N) into the slots in the legs of the staircase
and the end gate (R) into the slot of the top landing.
Lastly the trellis girder (G) can be glued onto the front face of the billboard as can be
seen on the first photo above.
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 the branding that was used to finish the product in the photos above.
We recommend that you protect the branding with a clear spray.
The artwork that forms part of this kit is the following:

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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.