Be sure and clean the rail before you put the tape down. There's a lot of oil and grease that builds up on the rails during slot car racing. Not sure what the best product would be to accomplish that job. I would use lighter fluid or Alcohol.
Be sure and clean the rail before you put the tape down. There's a lot of oil and grease that builds up on the rails during slot car racing. Not sure what the best product would be to accomplish that job. I would use lighter fluid or Alcohol.
Good advice, George.
Also, the guys have found it helpful to take a sharp X-acto blade and trim around the rails. Takes more time, but it's worth it. Looks better, and also helps to keep the tape from rolling up at the edges.
I taped my Scale Sport Little Monaco & it wa the best $50 I ever spent. Not only that, I found that when I took it down & tried to reuse the track in a new layout there were no problems what so ever. If the tape was pulled up a bit on the joints where I had to cut it to take it apart I simply burnished it back down.
One last thing. I used silvered copper tape. Same as the plain copper, but silver, so it looks better, as silver/chrome reflects back the track color way better than copper, which looks kind of goofy IMO. I think it costs a little more.
I taped my Scale Sport Little Monaco & it wa the best $50 I ever spent. Not only that, I found that when I took it down & tried to reuse the track in a new layout there were no problems what so ever. If the tape was pulled up a bit on the joints where I had to cut it to take it apart I simply burnished it back down.
One last thing. I used silvered copper tape. Same as the plain copper, but silver, so it looks better, as silver/chrome reflects back the track color way better than copper, which looks kind of goofy IMO. I think it costs a little more.
How about the magnetic effects? One poster here says its significantly reduced.
I didn't notice any difference. I think people are just so used to the copper color that they are inclined to stick to it. I ran both mag & non mag cars on my Monaco track & I can tell you the SS F1 mag cars flew around that track like they were on rails. I didn't notice any magnetic loss nor did I ever feel I need more downforce.
How about the magnetic effects? One poster here says its significantly reduced.
Maybe a bit, but not enough to cancel the taping project.
Actually, it would be an interesting experiment to put a car on a Magnet Marshal and weigh it three times, average the readings, then tape the Magnet Marshal rails and weigh the same car three times again (and average those readings). I'm guessing it would be a pretty small difference.
At any rate, OHD, we run magnet cars on both of our taped plastic tracks just as we did before the taping. Whatever the difference is, our guys don't even notice it. They notice the smooth power, though.
So is there any differance in magnetic effect with copper tape or not?
downtowndeco says no noticeable change,
thoskirc says you'll loose a significant amount with copper tape
Cannot see how they can both be right
Anybody else like to offer any measurements?
I think you're mixing two subjects. Copper tape on rails vs no tape & copper tape vs silvered copper tape.
Again. I found no magnetic difference between silvered copper tape and having no tape at all. Might there be? Maybe. But it would have to be so insignificant as to not notice.
Maybe a bit, but not enough to cancel the taping project.
Actually, it would be an interesting experiment to put a car on a Magnet Marshal and weigh it three times, average the readings, then tape the Magnet Marshal rails and weigh the same car three times again (and average those readings). I'm guessing it would be a pretty small difference.
At any rate, OHD, we run magnet cars on both of our taped plastic tracks just as we did before the taping. Whatever the difference is, our guys don't even notice it. They notice the smooth power, though.
I'm sold. The loss of power and magnetic attraction are the issues, especially when I have a 6 year-old wanting to race and the cars don't go around the track. It turns the kid off from slot cars. Thanks.
I think you're mixing two subjects. Copper tape on rails vs no tape & copper tape vs silvered copper tape.
Fair enough, it's a good idea to ask the question.
Anybody else like to offer any measurements on the differance in magnetic effect between copper tape on rails vs no tape?
There are theoretical grounds for expecting that silvered copper tape wouldn't make a significant differance to magnet traction - your result match that prediction. For much the same theoretical grounds silvered copper tape and copper tape would be expected to have virtually identical magnetic properties. But there's no substitute for measurement.
I cannot see how using copper tape would in any way dilute the magnetic field from the magnets to the rail. If anyone knows, then I would be interested in seeing their proof on the subject.
I agree with you Scott, but just out of curiosity I took a piece of paper stuck some spare copper tape to it, and cut it to cover the bar on my Magnet Marshall, I checked downforce on three different brands of cars, with different shapes of magnets, then put the copper shim on bar and checked again, absolutely no change in downforce, according to Magmarshal anyway.
Fred
BTW the 3 cars wre a Scaley TA Mustang, a Slot.It GT40, and a Ninco Megane.
I cannot see how using copper tape would in any way dilute the magnetic field from the magnets to the rail. If anyone knows, then I would be interested in seeing their proof on the subject.
Actually, it takes an iron-based material to cut magnetic lines of flux. But if you pass a conductor through a magnetic field, it induces a small current in the conductor. That energy comes from somewhere, ie, from the magnetic field. It's not much at all, but it's enough for electric guitars to work.
Thanks guys - so reading the last 9 posts we now know that neither copper tape nor silvered copper tape makes a negligible differance to magnetic grip. And there's a good explanation of why it doesn't.
That only question that leaves is why one of the earlier posts claimed you loose a significant amount of magnetic grip with copper tape.
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