How to Create Your Own Semi-Real Roller Coaster

Construct Frame, Track, and Coaster Car

• 1

  Decide whether to use wood or metal for your roller coaster. Make a support frame by nailing together four rectangular pieces about three feet long into a cube. Make enough cubes as needed according to how long you want your coaster to be. Stack them on top of each other and nail them firmly into place. You will need to calculate mathematically exactly how fast your coaster will travel through the loops and turns, and how much of an angle it will need to prevent the roller coaster from taking a dive during those turns. For safety purposes, calculations are essential.

• 2

  To make the track, you will need pieces of thick wood that are about 10 centimeters wide and 3 feet long. Nail them onto the wooden frame. For the chain lift, you will need two large cogs and a large chain, which can be purchased from a builder's shop. To position the cogs, get a piece of circular piece of wood that's the same width as the chain's center hole. Place and nail the cog into where the bottom of the chain lift will be. Fit a circular piece of metal that's the same width as the track support frame and weld them both together. Drill a hole in both sides of the track frame where the cog will go. Drill two holes in the side of the metal bar. Place it in between the track frame holes and screw it together.

• 3

  To make the coaster car, screw wheels (big pram wheels work best) onto the bottom of a flat piece of wood that's about 3 feet long and smaller than the width of the track. Check to see if it works by rolling it on the track, then screw a small old car seat or something similar onto the coaster car.

Attach Motor and Chain Ratchet

• 4

  Buy a motor (gas or electric) from a builder's shop. Screw the motor onto the coaster frame. According to the website Monsterguide, mechanical coasters not only involve physics, but also use batteries, mechanical belts and electricity to power the roller coaster and the lifts. Screw the motor onto the coaster frame.

• 5

  Screw a short rectangular piece of wood onto a chain ratchet and then screw the ratchet onto the car where the chain runs underneath it.

• 6

  Test the roller coaster. Place the car on the track and put a teddy bear on it to serve as a crash test dummy. Test more than once. If the tests are successful, cautiously try it yourself.