I was unable to find the #3 wood screws that Greg Braun mentions using at his website HO Slot Car Racing (http://www.hoslotcarracing.com/). I imagine a lumberyard would carry them, but I think I am going to try using the #4 screws which seem readily available.

Along with the screws, I purchased a countersink bit and a T-Handle Wrench from Sears. The T-Handle wrench is the smaller of the two sizes Sears carries, and unfortunatly it is not large enough to hold the countersink bit, so I will exchange the wrench for the larger size.

I think the #4 screws will work fine, but your comments pro or con are appreciated.

The ferrule on the underside of the track is beneficial, since it allows you to get the countersink deep enough to seat the screw and will still support the larger #4 screw head. The picture from the underside is to help show this.

But wait!!
Then you have to tweak each hole until the screw head is flush with the track surface...
Screw the track down, the screw sits too high, remove the screw, 3/4 turn with the counter sink, put screw back in, screw is STILL too high, repeat... :rolleyes: :lol:

I can't see a reason to use screws (unless the track is already countersunk). I used a 1/8" Dremel grinding ball chucked into a pin vise, gave it a few turns by hand to make a light countersink in the factory holes, then nailed the track down using black 1/2" LifeLike track nails. We just moved the track from my basement to the new shop last week, the 16' table broke down into three sections. Not a single piece of track moved in the process. I even used this method to do the middle of the 15" straights as well as the edges of some of the curves (it's a four-lane setup). You can't feel where the nails are, in fact you have to look real hard to see most of them. If you need to take a piece out for any reason, a little side to side motion is all it takes to loosen the nail enough to pull it back out.

:)

Gene,can you post a picture of these nails,they sound intriguing.

I can't see a reason to use screws (unless the track is already countersunk). I used a 1/8" Dremel grinding ball chucked into a pin vise, gave it a few turns by hand to make a light countersink in the factory holes, then nailed the track down using black 1/2" LifeLike track nails. We just moved the track from my basement to the new shop last week, the 16' table broke down into three sections. Not a single piece of track moved in the process. I even used this method to do the middle of the 15" straights as well as the edges of some of the curves (it's a four-lane setup). You can't feel where the nails are, in fact you have to look real hard to see most of them. If you need to take a piece out for any reason, a little side to side motion is all it takes to loosen the nail enough to pull it back out.

:)


Great advice SG, I had forgotten the railroad track nails and that is how I did my big track many years ago when I had a BASEMENT (Eyes glaze over green with envy). Thanks for reminding me I actually had a nostolgia moment there for a second...I'm ok now sniff sniff...


Dave

Gene,can you post a picture of these nails,they sound intriguing.

I'd like to see the nails too.I used small brads and then ground the tops with a Dreamel.Then I "countersunk" them with a soldering iron.

And Gene,could you perhaps elaborate on "the shop" that you moved your track to????? :wave:


Mike

But wait!!
Then you have to tweak each hole until the screw head is flush with the track surface...
Screw the track down, the screw sits too high, remove the screw, 3/4 turn with the counter sink, put screw back in, screw is STILL too high, repeat... :rolleyes: :lol:

Fortunately, I don't have to screw the track down to test the fitment of the screw. Just drop a screw in the hole, and see how it fits. With 100+ holes to do, I think I will be able to eyeball proper depth after a few initial holes, and if a hole is countersunk a tad too much, the ferrule underneath still allows the screw to work. (I had read somewhere that the #3 screw head size might actually slip through the ferrule if the countersunk hole is too deep).

Since using nails requires the additional process of using the soldering iron, the effort in using screws (countersinking/turning a screwdriver vs. hammering/solder-heating) is more equal, especially if I decide to revise the layout (countersinking is already done). My thinking was the screws would be more maintainable, stronger, and more suitable to track changes.

I would still like to hear opinions, as many of you have actually done this, and I am just thinking about it.

Thank you!

Why use nails or screws at all?

Why not use a bead of silicone under the track? If you need to pull it up the silicone rubs right off.

'doba

Why use nails or screws at all?

Why not use a bead of silicone under the track? If you need to pull it up the silicone rubs right off.

'doba

I have wanted to try this...
But haven't...

With 100+ holes to do, I think I will be able to eyeball proper depth after a few initial holes
Sounds good... BTW.. The screw in the track section in the second picture is too high... :lol:
Scott

Guys, here's a pic of the LL nails in use. They are black flat-head nails, 1/2" long. They are not sunk with heat. They hold well enough in my opinion that as you can see I did not do every hole, basically skipping every other one. You can also see there is one holding down the inboard side of a 9" curve to keep the transition between tracks smooth. And I use them in the middle of the notoriously warped 15" straights.

http://www.horacingworld.com/pics/nailz.jpg

Mike I'll be posting info on the new shop in the coming days, we got a little more wiring to do on the 6-lane Max tomorrow then it's time for testing. I finally got the borough's blessing yesterday, so it's full steam ahead now.

Big thanks to my buddy and fellow HT member wheelszk for the tremendous amount of help he's given!

:thumbsup:

Thanks Gene,they look like a way better option then the old standby #4 screws.
One more question those are some of the nicest lane markers i've seen,how did ya get them so straight and even :wave:
Good luck on the new venture,i hope it's very successful. :thumbsup:
Rick