1/64 Grandstand /Bleacher Build

[TerryB]

A while back I cobbled together a drag race track diorama using cardboard and small wood strips.  Since then I’ve had the notion to build a companion grandstand for the drag strip also using scraps of cardboard and wood.  The wood is mostly coffee stirring sticks cut down and painted with craft paint.  I build without much prior design planning and usually have to pay the price later when something doesn’t work out.  
Right now the build needs some kind of side barriers to keep spectators from falling off the sides of the grandstand and I have to fix an obvious gap in the seating area caused by a cutting error.  The other gaps in the seating areas are from the coffee stirrers not being very flat.  Some of you know I’m a paraplegic and an amputee so my efforts, while not great, hopefully will be an inspiration for those who too want to try something different despite having obstacles to overcome too.  
 

 

[3macboys]

Terry,

 

I've sat in stands that weren't near as sturdy or safe as yours!  I swear some of them were built with coffee stir sticks they way the boards bend under your feet. 

 

Don

[JFranklin]

I used to work at San Fernando (California) drag strip and seem to remember chainlink fencing on the sides of the stands. Maybe you could use some square mesh screen wire, it comes in different size openings, and stiff wire rod to fab something similar. 

[bryankazmer]

Fine netting is a better simulation at 1/64

[TerryB]

I didn’t have any wire or mesh that I could find so i opted for some 20 gauge solid copper wire and formed some hand rails, fixed the biggest seat gap and added another trim stripe on the front.  The Mercury Cougar and Yenko Nova are Greenlight true 1/64 scale and the Ford Ranchero is a new Mattel/Matchbox car.  Just need a few spectators.  Maybe next I need to get a concession stand to attract customers 😀.

[3macboys]

Track fries are the best fries

[JFranklin]

Here is a photo of the strip I worked at, long gone now. The larger building was the concession stand and the other was the restroom.

 

For a closer look-

https://www.nhra.com/news/2008/they-left-their-hearts-san-fernando

Edited March 13, 2023 by JFranklin (see edit history)

[TerryB]

Thanks for the info about the track!  Great pics and story.  I was a big fan of drag racing and it’s stars and actually gave it a try back in 1971 with help from my friend who would race his street driven 1966 Chevelle that had 327ci behind it.  I didn’t do the drag racing for long as I saw the $$$ it required so I switched to off road motorcycles.

Me and my 55 Chevy at Dragways, Numedia PA.