heres a forum where guys are discussing using copper tape on their steel rails with good effect. its 1/32 scale buti wonder if it would work for HO??
mj
http://www.slotforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19812

I think you'd want nobody building a magnet dragger,can't see the tape lasting very long,with a magnet scraping HO car:thumbsup:

Bet it will go along way to solving electric issues. The copper tape is pretty cheap and a lot easier than trying to put power taps in. You can buy a wide width and use a scissors to cut it in the middle and get two strips out of a single roll.

I've heard tape doesn't work with shoes, you'd have to switch to braided pickups.

in the late seventies (magnatraction/G+ era) on the east coast we used to solder braid to the pickups for enhanced conductivity.it worked. anyone ever try it? i haven't since then. maybe i will. does anyone still make braid about 3/16" wide?? mj

the dragstrip guys use braided pickups and shunts,with drag armatures.i think its desoldering braid they use

Check out this short thread...

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=234444

Joe

I've heard tape doesn't work with shoes, you'd have to switch to braided pickups.
it worked on my loop test...
i routed the slot for the tie wire too wide,so used copper tape to fill in...

Check out this short thread...

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=234444

Joe
thanks for the link GCS. since you tried it could you tell us what is termed too tight a turn to use copper tape? thanks. mj

thanks for the link GCS. since you tried it could you tell us what is termed too tight a turn to use copper tape? thanks. mj

I had an experimental piece of MDF on which I had routed concentric circles. The smallest was a 3" radius, then 5", 7", 9" and 11". I tried it on the 11"r slot and didn't have much success. It ended up looking like a bunch of short straight runs seperated by sharp turns. Now, there is somewhat of an art to laying tape, one which I have not mastered. But I would imagine you can't go tighter than a 12" curve. Almost everyone who does this appears to do it for 1/32nd and larger tracks where the curve radius is no where near as small as HO.

Joe

it worked on my loop test...
i routed the slot for the tie wire too wide,so used copper tape to fill in...

Copper tape works great. Setup is so much easier on T-Jets and Magnatractions. Very little spring problems because the shoes are extended down more because the tape is thinner than the rails. Shoes need to be adjusted so they are as flat as possible. Absolutely no wear on the shoes. Tape might need to be sanded with 320, 400, or even smoother grit because some brands of tape appear to have a clear coating over the copper. I never put the tape over the rails on H.O., but I did on 1/32. Works great on what I did.