Here we are, right where we left off about 2 months ago. The weather’s turning cooler and it’s the right time to work on the track some more. From the last installment, we had the turns on one end of the Woodrum Ridge Raceway oval replaced and formed into a 14 degree bank, instead of the 40 degree banking the 12 inch radius Tomy AFX track has.
All of the screws in the track were countersunk and now it’s time to pave over the potholes we left behind during construction. I explored a couple of options for the material to back fill the holes in the track. My first notion was to mix up some “Goop” using old pieces of track and Testors 3501 liquid cement. The Testors 3501 is a solvent that turns most poly-based plastics to liquid which later dries solid as it started. However, the stress placed on the track by the screws, forcing the banking’s dished surface, did not allow for the use of the Goop solution. The solvent also softened the track surrounding the screw heads allowing the track to pop free of the screw. So on to plan B! B which stands for BONDO! Yes, the same stuff used to repair car dents. If it can withstand outside environments, summer and winter temps, expansion and contraction, it should work fine on my track. And it does! So here are the next steps in smoothing out the running surface and prepping for that surface to be painted.
Bondo spot and glazing putty and a #18 X-Acto blade was used to fill in the countersink holes in the track.
Apply the Bondo in thin layers. Do not try and fill the hole completely in one pass. The Bondo material will shrink some as it dries. That’s okay, we will make additional fills in the process until the surface is level and smooth.
Here’s a typical section with 2-3 layers applied. I allow each layer to set up overnight to make sure everything is cured completely before I start the sanding and surfacing process.
I use a combination of a sanding sponge (left) and some regular fine (600 grit) sandpaper, wrapped around the sponge, to get the finish where I want it and the surface nice and level.
Use a firm, steady pressure as you sand. Be careful not to dig into the plastic surface of the track. The Bondo is a bit softer than the plastic track surface and will wear down with the sanding process easier.
Here’s the surface after sanding. I will use finer sandpaper as the Bondo gets more even with the track surface. Once the surfaces are even and smooth, I will brush a light coat of regular super glue (cyno-acrylic) over the Bondo to seal it. That hardens the surface and makes it last.