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Anyone that could offer some tips on Taping plasitc Carrera Track. When you start a Lane. Do you have to go all the way around the track with no breaks. Or can you stop. And if you stop and have a break. Do you just butt up to that and keep going. Or do you overlap the previous piece and then proceed. Thanks Indybob :text-thankyouyellow:

Never done a Carrera track, but my road course is fully taped Strombecker. Same process though.
Its best to go all the way around with the tape. Go in the direction that the cars travel, and overlap an inch or so where the tape ends. It really smooth's out the track, and reduces noise a lot! well worth the effort.
Bob

I did pretty much the same with my plastic track. It works great.

If you have a good quality tape you may want to use the push pin method.We've done this on all of our wood tracks and copper taped plastic track..Where the tape ends and another piece starts push several pin holes thru both layers of tape.Then smooth it down.This helps in conductivity greatly.

Rusty

Thanks guys' I will using Ventura copper tape that has conductive adhesive. I think I got it from OWH. Indybob

One more thing to help answer your question. On my track, the tape was a little wider than the metal rails, where they over lap, or you have a break, i used and exacto knife to push down on either side of the steel rail at the joint. It works the same as the push pin method does, but gives you more contact without showing so much. I have replaced sections of my track, and used the same method to make the repair, works great.
Bob

yes I do...



I would highly recomend this on any plastic track, but only as a last resort. If you just cant get get steady power any other way then by all means it works great. If you ever decide to move on to wood, don`t plan on selling your plastic track because the glue residue is nearly impossible to remove. Believe me been there ! And yes with the venture tape that old jaybird sells, it is conductive on both sides, so just lap it over and it will conduct. I would lay the tape in the opposite direction of travel so that the overlap tab will be under the edge when cars are going the normal direction just to keep from possibly rolling up the edges with the braids.

Mark, wouldnt you go in the same direction of the cars, so your end overlap would be running with the brushes?
That's the way i did mine,and they cant catch, they help push the tape down at the joint.
Bob

I assume either way would be fine if the weather conditions don`t raise the tape already.
My theory is if you lay in the direction of travel, then you run the tape roll out. when you start another roll, you would be laying the starting edge on top of the stop point. Making a edge where the guide/braid would be connecting...Unless of coarse you leave the edge up and tuck under with the next roll.

Good point! I was not considering a track length longer than the tape roll. You are correct Sir!
Not thinking outside my own needs :oops:
Bob

Thanks for added info. I do get excellent power thoughout my track with the added taps. My really only reason for copper taping was for smoother track. Not that it is bad now. But I hear people always saying how much smoother and quiet it is. I think I seen that track before on the Derby City site. I live over by Georgetown In by Louisville also. Thanks Indybob