PVC dolly track - what do you use for rough terrain support?

E

EditingFX

Well-known member
As the title sez, wondering what you folks have found works best to support PVC dolly track over rough/uneven terrain. Is it necessary to have a method to keep the PVC "attached" to the support, like a channel cut into wood, or a clamping thing?

Where do you find large shims? Home Depot only has little ones for aligned doors/windows.
 
I've been wondering the same thing actually. I built my own plywood/skateboard wheel dolly and pvc track, but so far can only use it on flat even surfaces. I really need to find a way to be able to use it, say,.. in the woods.

Pmark23, would you happen to have a photo of how you clamped the aluminum poles to the cross ties? I'd love to see how you did that.
 
Made some big shims by cutting a 2x4 on a roughly 45 degree angle, about 8 inches long. Looks like an appropriate angle. Tested it. Shims on about 12" spacing down track, 2 shims opposite for each placement. On the rough pavement there was enough friction to keep the shims from sliding out from under the weight of the dolly on PVC. But when I added some wood sections under the shims for added height, it was too smooth, and the shims slid apart. Quick tap of a 8p nail would hold it though. Obviously have extra hands on crew to manage laying track would be helpful. Having never worked with steel/alum track, not sure if you can get by with shimming just one side of each track rail, but even so, not a huge time saver. The "track end crossbar" idea I read somewhere was quite good... take a 24" PVC, cap with 90 degree connectors - works to keep ends of the PVC track at correct spacing.

Other ideas for levelling track?

Also, does anyone use felt or something soft under PVC when running on level, but rough, surface (sidewalk, asphalt, etc)?
 
Original posts here:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=34068&highlight=dolly

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=31682&highlight=dolly

But the pictures are no longer working and I don't have them anymore.

It wasn't complicated. Just some aluminum tubing and tubing stand-offs (to keep tubes vertical to walls) screwed to wooden tracks. The aluminum snaps into the stand-offs, but don't interfere with the wheels.

The "Wally Dolly" also uses aluminum poles, but they screw together. The poles sit on thick felt strips which works very well on pavement, gravel, and hard dirt/lawn.
 
Thanks for that pmark23. Would anyone have pictures of how they support their dolly track on uneven/rough terrain?
 
I'd love to see them too. I use 1 1/2" PVC with the Kessler kPod & dolly wheels. I was thinking of strapping a few 2x4's together and then using a hole saw to cut 'between' the 2...unstrap them & I should have a nice half circle that the PVC will set in...in the field, you could then just set it up and use shims to level it.

Thoughts?
 
I am in similar situation. How do I level the PVC pipe in rough and uneven landscape? My concern is that the PVC will bend and/or break if I piece of wood is underneath it to level the pvc piple track. What's the best possible way to level pvc pipe track in uneven landscape?
 
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